[milkpowder]

Ideally, I'd get a pair of Avantgarde Trios and sixfold Basshorns, but alas my wallet is only so big, or small (it's huge in the ideal world

) Budget is £100 ($200). I'm sick and tired of my laptop speakers and want some passable speakers. I've done some research and come down to the following:

Harman Kardon Soundsticks II
Logitech Z10
Logitech Z 2300
Creative Gigaworks T20 or T40

All of these have good reviews from the average iBud-totting basshead-slash-gamer who thinks that THX is the be-all-end-all speaker certification and that the more "wattage" a system has, the better it sounds. However, I'm looking for a pair (or triplet) of speakers which can do more than just rock the house with ZOMG-bass. There must be some cheap and cheerful systems out there which will bring a smile to my face when I listen to Hilary Hahn play Bach or the Berlin Philharmonic having a go at Saint Saens; 3rd Symphony. Understandably, I won't be expecting Orpheus-levels of sound quality given the meagre budget I have. They just need to be able to make music to a reasonable standard. That's all, really.

So now I plead to all those Head-Fiers who have had experiences with a good set of 2.0 or 2.1 speakers around the £100 ($200) to give me some advice! Thank you very much in advance.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Since midrange is your priority and you're looking at powered computer speakers, the Swan M200 should be right up your alley. A friend of mine owned both those and some Swan tower speakers, and they both were described as having a pleasant sound, especially in the midrange. I never got to hear them because he's basically going through a constant audition process.

 

[spacemanspliff]

Yes if Swan is available in the Uk it would be ideal for your needs. There is more selection here in the states but I would think that the Swans are available in the land of nasty nannies.

 

[EnOYiN]

I've got the Behringer MS40 and that's quite al right. I can only recommend it if you can get it cheaper than the MSRP. A lot cheaper preferably since they are simply not worth the asking price.

I think you should look in to some monitors. Those speakers will do a better job than a creative or logitech set IMO. Brands you could look into:

KRK
ESI
Edifier
E-MU
M-Audio

Etc, etc.

 

[ceres]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnOYiN /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've got the Behringer MS40 and that's quite al right. I can only recommend it if you can get it cheaper than the MSRP. A lot cheaper preferably since they are simply not worth the asking price. I think you should look in to some monitors. Those speakers will do a better job than a creative or logitech set IMO. Brands you could look into: KRK ESI Edifier E-MU M-Audio Etc, etc.

I am also contemplating the MS40s to replace my Z10 that are UTTER junk.
As an alternative I am eying the Klipsch Promedia 2.0. These are smaller but supposed to offer great sq for the size. Any input which system is superior in terms of sq?

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceres /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am also contemplating the MS40s to replace my Z10 that are UTTER junk. As an alternative I am eying the Klipsch Promedia 2.0. These are smaller but supposed to offer great sq for the size. Any input which system is superior in terms of sq?

Here's my guess... More extended and lower bass with the ProMedias, clearer midrange with the MS40s. There are trade-offs to both configurations. The MS40s plus a subwoofer might be even better than either one separately.

Which genre of music do you listen to the most?

Edit: Ah, nevermind, I see that you're talking about the ProMedia 2.0 and not the 2.1. Without a subwoofer, the Behringer is probably the better choice. Have a look at M-Audio's offerings in that price range, too.

 

[milkpowder]

Thank you so much for all the advice! So here is what I did. I went for a pair of Z 2300 bass monsters to satisfy my bass hunger for the time being. I decided that if I wanted fidelity, my HE60 would be suffice. The Baby Os aren't great for gaming though. I can't really feel the weight of the bass and it doesn't quite deliver the mighty visceral punch I'm looking for.

The Z 2300 has heaps of power, but probably not a lot of fidelity. Reviews have said that the lack of a tweeter makes the sound all a bit bass orientated.

I appreciate the 2.0 active monitor recommendations, which include the Klipsch 2.0s. I searched far and wide for reviews of the Klipsch and found that a lot of users are having problems with intermittent cutting out after a few months of use. This was attributed to the poor quality potentiometer.

I'll give the Z 2300 a try. Believe it or not, this is the first time I've owned a 2.1 system this powerful, but I'm not going to expect a lot from them musically. If I find that it is only good for gaming, then maybe I will sell it and try something else. The M-Audio monitors look very interesting indeed. Oh, and I can't seem to find the Swans in the UK. Anyway, I'm going to get my ears ready for some massive, (most likely muddy bass) 'cus the Logitechs are coming today! Wish me luck

 

[Calihan]

As far as speakers go, I was looking into a 2.1 system as well.
Heres what I was thinking of so far.

M-Audio MX-4s

Swan M-200s

This Yamaha Sub (YSTSW216BL)

How are the dx4s compared to the swans? And could someone give me adive on a subwoofer? 200 for the speakers and mayve 100-159 for the sub is my budget.

Edit - I was also looking at the M-Audio BX5a 5" speakers too. Can anyone comment on these?

 

[milkpowder]

Been using the Z 2300 for a few hours now. Done everything from gaming, watching TV series, listening to music, etc... Let me just say right away that they are not very good for music at all. The highs lack sparkle, yet the sound is nearly completely devoid of any midrange warmth. In fact, I might go so far as to say that there is very little midrange! The overall sound is on the bright side but overall a bit too dry for my tastes. The bass doesn't extend deep enough despite the decent-sized ported enclosure housing a substantial 8" driver. As expected, the bass lacked definition, but I have to admit it is very powerful. Overall detail retrieval is acceptable in the upper frequencies and epic movie scenes were pretty enjoyable to watch. In-game explosions also carried a decent amount of weight.

All in all, I would recommend these speakers for general multimedia, watching TV, gaming, etc. However, the recessed midrange, lack of refinement and muddy bass makes it extremely difficult to recommend for those seeking decent music reproduction.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calihan /img/forum/go_quote.gif As far as speakers go, I was looking into a 2.1 system as well. Heres what I was thinking of so far. M-Audio MX-4s Swan M-200s This Yamaha Sub (YSTSW216BL) How are the dx4s compared to the swans? And could someone give me adive on a subwoofer? 200 for the speakers and mayve 100-159 for the sub is my budget. Edit - I was also looking at the M-Audio BX5a 5" speakers too. Can anyone comment on these?

Regarding Swans M-200 vs. M-Audio DX4, my guess is that the Swans would come out ahead. The M-200s have larger woofers and more power.

The M-Audio BX5a may be better than both of those speakers. The BX5as considerably more power and are at the entry level for M-Audio's best studio monitor line.

Yamaha makes some decent but cheap subwoofers, so that one may be a good investment at its low price. How are you going to connect it to your audio system?

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder Been using the Z 2300 for a few hours now...Let me just say right away that they are not very good for music at all.

Heheh, yep. That's why all but the cheapest Logitech speakers aren't recommended--they mostly sound the same. They have the illusion of warmth that comes from a midrange cut in the harshness range. One-note bass, poor extension, etc.

 

[Calihan]

I have an Audigy 2 ZS so I can use a y-adapter then plug 2 sets of rca cables into that and run them out to the speaker/sub. That will work, yes?

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calihan /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have an Audigy 2 ZS so I can use a y-adapter then plug 2 sets of rca cables into that and run them out to the speaker/sub. That will work, yes?

It would require a lot of extra connections. Most Y-adapters only split one to two, for example 1/8" stereo to two RCA (L/R). You would then need to add a splitter onto each RCA output and add two additional RCA-to-RCA cables to send the signal to both the speakers and the subwoofer (assuming that they both accept L/R RCA input, or at least L in the case of the subwoofer).

The worst part is that in this case, you would have no way to control the volumes of both the speakers and the subwoofer at the same time. This is where 2.1 computer speakers have an advantage: the satellites and subwoofer are designed to work together, so the volume control works for the whole system's output.

 

[Calihan]

I don't think that your worst case scenario is so bad. I was going to adjust both the speakers volume in addition to the sub to get a synergy between the 2, and then use the sound cards main volume to raise/lower.

As for the connections, I would use the first splitter here and then use the rca cables to go to the speakers. Adding the sub would require then another y-adapter (the first one) and then another rca cable, yes?

Edit (for clarity) -
y-adapter to:
1) y-adapter to 2 sets of rca cables for speakers
2) rca cable for sub

This does require alot of connections. Is there another way I can do this? I was considering changing sound cards. Does the x-fi or the prelude, or some other kind of card have different outputs I could use? Or something different than that?

Looking at the back of the BX5a's in the pic in the link, what kind of connections are those. They aren't rcas, how to connect to those?

 

[Calihan]

Went to edit post above this and hit quote instead...

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calihan /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think that your worst case scenario is so bad. I was going to adjust both the speakers volume in addition to the sub to get a synergy between the 2, and then use the sound cards main volume to raise/lower.

You could do that, but it may decrease the signal-to-noise ratio, and you may find that the volumes of both devices don't rise equally.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calihan As for the connections...

The type of connections you'll want will depend on which speakers you buy. Computer speakers usually prefer 1/8" stereo, some have RCA inputs, and some, like the active monitors you're considering, only have XLR and 1/4" TRS inputs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calihan This does require alot of connections. Is there another way I can do this? I was considering changing sound cards. Does the x-fi or the prelude, or some other kind of card have different outputs I could use? Or something different than that?

Having a sound card with more than one main stereo output would decrease the number of splits, but you'll still run into the volume issue. What you really need for this setup is a preamplifier--something that will act as a system-wide volume knob. The E-MU 0404 USB would be a good choice for your setup.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calihan Looking at the back of the BX5a's in the pic in the link, what kind of connections are those. They aren't rcas, how to connect to those?

The BX5as, along with nearly all active studio monitors, are capable of balanced connections. Those jacks on the back are for 1/4" TRS and XLR cables, though a 1/4" TS cable can be plugged in if you're running from an unbalanced source (which is the case with the Audigy 2 ZS). You'll either need a custom cable or an adapter to switch to TS or XLR [2-pin configuration] to use studio monitors like these with an unbalanced source.

This is yet another reason to go with the 0404 USB... It is capable of balanced output via the 1/4" TRS connectors on the back. Then, all you'd need would be a pair of 1/4" TRS cables and a Y-adapter for the subwoofer (assuming the 1/8" output on the 0404 is variable--I'm not sure).

Most people who buy active monitors also go with a studio subwoofer, because they tend to have pass-through capability (signal input and output), which helps to keep the volume equal between the subwoofer and speakers.

This subwoofer has TRS/XLR inputs and XLR outputs, which means that it's possible for the 2.1 system to be balanced.