Looking for new speaker / monitor setup for my pc
May 29, 2014 at 8:34 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 9

CoUg4r

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Hi everyone
 
As you can see i'm looking for a new speaker / monitor setup for my pc.
I've done some looking around but really can't find a solution to what i want.
I'm still new in all the technical sound terms, so it's kinda hard to understand all the technical terms sometimes. 
 
Now let's get to the point.
I'm looking for a sound setup that will be used most of the time for watching movies and playing games (most race sims).
A friend of me got those wonderful monitors (http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/DJ/Speakers/S-DJ05).
They look nice, they sound nice and the control knob comes in really handy. 
Now the problem is they seem to be out of stock here in my country (Belgium).
Maybe i can still find them somewhere, but that doesn't mean i can't look for other ones. 
 
Reading some other posts here on the forum, i noticed that the JBL LSR305 monitors, get recommended a lot to.
Just to sad that there is no control knob like the Pioneers have. Control knob would really come in handy.
Or maybe a good speaker set will do to? I'm really don't know.
 
Now for the money part, i want to pay for good quality! 
I prefer to spend some more money on good quality products, then save some and be not happy with it after all.
But let's say, somewhere around $550 or €400 is fine. 
 
 
 
Some additional information: 
 
* The back side of the Speakers / Monitors will be standing close to a wall.
* I have a Asus Xonar DGX soundcard in my pc with a Sennheiser PC 3600 G4ME connected to it. 
 
Already thanks a lot! 
 
Greetings,
 
Frederik
 
May 29, 2014 at 8:44 AM Post #2 of 9
Hey there, I could ramble for hours on many different speakers in your price range but I doubt thats useful as you really want to have heard what you are aiming to buy.  As you seem to be impressed with your friends setup I have found you a international supplier that should ship to Belgium that has identical speakers as his in stock as well as some B stock items at a lower cost.
 
http://www.thomann.de/gb/pioneer_s_dj05.htm
 
I personally use a UK supplier for most of my equipment but have bought some cables from Thomann in the past with no issues.
 
If you want more advice on possible options I am happy to try, I have listened to MANY sub£1k sets of monitors in my time, but I never recommend buying without hearing in the flesh.  With regards to your needs, if you do need to place near to a rear wall ONLY consider sealed cabinets or front ported designs.
 
HTH
 
May 29, 2014 at 9:12 AM Post #3 of 9
Hey Tablix
 
First of all, thanks you for your fast reply!
 
The store you showed me, seems to be located in Germany, so that shouldn't be a problem.
Now i personally don't know anything else, about other monitors.
I just heard those ones play at my friends house and they seemed nice, but i have absolutely no idea about even better solutions (for around the same price).
So if you feel like saying, you know better option.. feel free to share 
wink.gif

Of course, like i said before, the control knob stays a big advantage. 
 
Now about placing them close to a rear wall. What do you mean with "ONLY consider sealed cabinets or front ported designs".
I honestly have no idea what you're talking about here. 
blink.gif

 
Thanks a lot for your help!
 
May 29, 2014 at 11:23 AM Post #5 of 9
ok I personally own and use a couple of sets of monitors, some ADAM a7x and some KRK RP6 G3's, both are above your budget, and for volume control I use a dedicated USB audio interface (soundcard, that can record) which I also have a few of. 
 
In terms of other option you could consider the JBL's you mentioned in your earlier post or perhaps the KRK RP5's within your budget range there several options available, but you would want some form of volume control and an easy connection method to your pc.  I have 2 pretty low end audio interfaces that I use with my different PC's a focusrite 2i4 (there is a cheaper 2i2) and a roland quad capture, these allow me to hook up both sets of monitors and my headphones all connected at once if required.  If you cant afford this option you can cable directly from your existing soundcard but its not the ideal solution as you will still be using your PC for volume control.
 
The comment regarding sealed cabinets and front ports is due to placement.  You will find speakers with small air vents (ports) on the front or the rear of the speaker to allow air flow in the cabinet, or possible sealed speakers with no vents at all.  If you place the speakers close to a rear wall the air flow is restricted with rear ports and it will cause some audible noise distortion. 
 
HTH
 
Jun 2, 2014 at 11:50 AM Post #6 of 9
Sorry for the late reply, but i've been out of the country for a few days and didn't have the time to reply.
 
About the KRK RP6 G3, they seem fine, based on the price. I can get a pair for €330. (http://www.keymusic.com/item/krk-rp6-g3-rokit-black/?q=krk+rp6+g3&).
Or are this other monitors? 
 
Now about the audio interfaces. Connecting the monitors directly to my soundcard is not a good idea then? 
The Focusrite 2i2 seems nice, but what i need it for? (Connecting the monitors and headphone to it can be handy, but for the rest..?)
If i would go for the Pioneers, i already have a volume control knob. With the KRK's that's something else of course. 
 
Oh and thanks for the explanation about the sealed cabinets! Now it makes sense to me.
 
Thanks already!
 
Greetz
 
Jun 2, 2014 at 2:50 PM Post #7 of 9
Hello CoUg4r
 
KRK's are probably your best bet. KRK generally produces for professional settings, so they'll probably last you and they're certainly up to standard in quality. The Pioneer's are a nice choice, but like Tablix said the main issue would be the inputs.
 
The reason you'll want the audio interface is to make sure your digital setup (computer or television) can connect to the speakers. This just means having a few RCA or TRS cables on hand and balancing the inputs and outputs between the computer and the speakers. It doesn't seem as though computers or televisions (which mainly work with RCA) will be able to hook directly up to monitors. 
 
I recommend the KRK's (RP5 or RP6, depending on the size of the space you'll be using) because the audio levels are much more manageable, I personally trust the quality more than the Pioneers, and they're much simpler than the Pioneers. The S-DJ05's have a "controller," an active standby feature, and a digital equalizer that seem a little unnecessary for what you need. The KRK's are a basic solution for spatial audio needs, whereas Pioneer has certainly outfitted their monitors with bells and whistles designed for specific environments. 
 
If you're looking for the more fine-tuned Pioneers, and if you like the technology that it offers, then I'm sure you'll be happy with them. My main bet is on the KRKs' history of success in many different settings and the simplicity of their design. 
 
Hope that helps!
 
Doma
 
Jun 3, 2014 at 11:49 AM Post #8 of 9
Hey DomaPhone,
 
Thanks for your reply.
 
I can understand what you mean, but you lost me here: "The reason you'll want the audio interface is to make sure your digital setup (computer or television) can connect to the speakers. This just means having a few RCA or TRS cables on hand and balancing the inputs and outputs between the computer and the speakers. It doesn't seem as though computers or televisions (which mainly work with RCA) will be able to hook directly up to monitors."
 
All the rest i can understand, but can you explain a bit more what you mean here please? 
 
Oh and something i keep wondering. As far as i can see, the Focusrite 2i2 works as a "external soundcard". But why do i need it if i have a internal soundcard (Asus Xonar DGX).
I'm guessing it's not going to make that much of difference when i play games of watch movies? 
And if i buy a cable with 2x XLR male to minijack stereo, then i can connect my monitors to my soundcard, no? 
 
Thanks in advance!
 
Greetings,
 
CoUg4r.
 
Jun 3, 2014 at 1:49 PM Post #9 of 9
And if i buy a cable with 2x XLR male to minijack stereo, then i can connect my monitors to my soundcard, no? 
 
Yes you can, this is a nice starting point if short on cash but you control the volume by your PC.  By having an audio interface you get a couple of benefits, you have your external volume control and you avoid any possible PC noise interference as the digital > analogue conversion is all done away from you hard drive and fans in your PC.  Most modern sound cards have pretty good EMI shielding but there is no guarantee.
 

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