[Happytribe]

can the card power speakers on its own ?; or will i need powered speakers ? i have a great pair of polk audio bookshelf speakers but i'm not sure if the card alone will be sufficient. i learned a lot about the interface from your threads and its great with my sennnheiser h-phones. my next effort is a pair of hi end speakers. will i need an amp in my plan ?
thanks for sharing any suggestions.
speakers i'm considering = http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107RTIA1C/Polk-Audio-RTi-A1-Cherry.html?tp=186&awkw=25288860145&awat=pla&awnw=g&awcr=6488481025&awdv=c

Polk Audio RTi A1​

Bookshelf speakers (Cherry)​

 

[pjs37]

So I don't know much specifically about that one card but generally PC cards in general will not power a desktop speaker on its own.  Generally you need a powered speaker for PC setups as the slots and USB ports do not provide that much power on their own (At least as far as powering something like a bookshelf speaker).  So you will definitely need an amp for the speakers in your plan.  As for which one I will leave that to people far more experienced then myself to recommend.
 
Another thing to consider is maybe using studio monitors.  They have powered models so you wouldn't need to buy a separate amp and they generally can sound quite good.  My wife went that route and ended up with some nice studio monitors for her PC set up.

 

[Happytribe]

awesome, thanks again

 

[cel4145]

Look into JBL LSR305s for powered studio monitors. Lot's of rave reviews and testimonials for them online.

If you want to go with passive speakers, I suggest also looking into Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 SEs and then EMP Tek's bookshelf speakers. Then, you can pick up ahttp://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavr1513/denon-avr-1513-5.1ch-home-theater-receiver-3d-ready/1.html. An AVR would give you the flexibility to add a subwoofer or eventually build a surround setup if you wanted to.

 

[Happytribe]

thanks again