[Peignoir]

Hi,
 
I am considering to spend some money on decent computer speakers. I already have Mission M71's, attached to a decent Sony amp which I now only use to play CD's and provide sound for my TV. Because I can no longer hook them up to my PC (different rooms), I am looking for quality speakers to replace them. I don't have a dedicated sound card at the moment, so I'd like some advice on that too. I've been looking at the Audioengine A5's and read a lot of positive reviews. These however cost 350€ here in Belgium, and I am guessing I will need a DAC/soundcard to get decent output from them, which would get rather expensive for a student. Are the A2's a valid alternative? They are quite a lot cheaper. Furthermore I don't have much of a technical background so I would like to ask very generally: in what should I invest to get good sound out of my PC? Which speakers? Which soundcard? etc.
Budget: max 400€ (550$).
 
Thanks in advance!
 
Edit: I've found the A5's for only 289€ so they are a more valid option now I guess.

 

[J.Pocalypse]

The A2's are smaller than the A5's in every way. If you like/want bass, you're going to need a sub. If you're stuck to a budget, the most effective thing I can suggest is the NuForce uDAC - 2. $100US. 

 

[Peignoir]

What I've been thinking is to get the A2's because my desk might be too small for the A5's, and spend the rest of my budget getting a subwoofer. If I get the NuForce uDAC, can I hook this all up or do I still need to get a soundcard better than onboard Realtek ALC892? I have been reading up in the forums on all sorts of possibilities, but I can't figure out how I can hook all these things up and actually make them work. So what I am considering now is Audioengine A2 + Subwoofer (I'll look around what I can find) -> NuForce uDAC -> PC.
The main idea is to get a good setup for music which I can also use for gaming, movies, etc. Music is however the main purpose, I'd like to be able to hear the losslessness of FLAC.
Thanks for the reply!

 

[J.Pocalypse]

If you do all your gaming/movies/music from your PC, then yes. You'd want to do it like this:
 
PC > uDAC > Speakers/Sub via RCA cables.
 
This will only work if you decide on some powered speakers because they have an RCA input on the back of the speakers. If you're wanting to use passive speakers (unamped), you'd need to bring your Sony amp into play.
 
PC > uDAC > RCA/Coax cable > Sony Amp > Speakers
 
BTW, if you don't think your desk is big enough for the A5s, you could always get speaker stands.

 

[Peignoir]

So if I get monitor speakers and a decent DAC (is an ESI Dr. DAC nano USB Audio Interface good enough? This just seems so cheap) I can hook this up straight to my motherboard and the sound will be excellent? I am by the way willing to go a bit over budget if the result would really be worthwhile, I just can't tell which setup would be worthy of the expense.
For example, would the Audioengine A5's (on speaker stands to ensure optimal output) -> ESI Dr. Dac -> Motherboard (Asus M4A89GTD Pro/USB3.0) give a result that would actually blow me off my socks?
All I want is a setup which can fulfill my newbie-audiophile needs and which is still affordable.
And yes, I do watch a lot of movies/series from my PC which I also use for gaming.
Thanks for helping me out, I'm a bit clueless on what to buy at the moment, and I really want to start enjoying excellent quality audio.

 

[J.Pocalypse]

USB port > USB cable > DAC > RCA Cables > speakers, yes
 
I've never heard the ESI Dr. DAC, so I can't tell you how good/bad it'll sound. But structully, that would work just fine. It has the correct ports..  That's a relative term any way. I have FLAC > Foobar2000 + ASIO > uDAC > ATH-M50, and I'm really content. What sounds good to one, may sound not so good to another.
 
It took $2,500 worth of equipment to be blown away.. It's all relative, dude.
 
If you're really stuck on the A5's, if it were me, I'd blow the rest of your budget on a DAC since you already have the Sony amp, in which case, you could get some passive speakers, and perhaps get a equal/higher quality speaker for a cheaper price.
I'd suggest going 
 
PC > DAC > Sony amp > speakers.. IMO, you'd be happier.
 
Be sure to do some decent window shopping of sorts, and read a lot of reviews. It may take longer, but you'll be happier with the results in the end. 
 
Good luck.

 

[Peignoir]

Yeah that's exactly what I'm doing right now. Reading through reviews and other threads. Don't wanna rush into buying something I later realize isn't right for me.
The first setup with USB > DAC > RCA to speakers is probably what I'm gonna go for, solely because I am still using my amp on my TV/CD player and I don't want to give up on that.
Luckily there's no rush because I borrowed a Logitech Z-530 from a friend, which isn't amazing but beats the héll out of using the crappy tiny speakers in my monitor.
Anyway thanks for the advice, I'll be around reading some more and hopefully ending up posting my setup.