[classicalguy]

I'm interested in buying some small speakers to be used with my computer and powered by a T-Amp (or something similar). Has anyone compared the following speakers:

Athena AS-B1 $100 + $20 shipping - Audio Advisor
Athena S-2c-1 $120 + Shipping? - Athena Technologies Closeout
Phase Technology Teatro 4.5 - $130 - OneCall
Infinity Primus 150 - $100 - number of sources

I'm open to other ideas. Thanks for your help.

 

[jrosenth]

Paradigm atom?

 

[afxdave]

Swans M200 (self-powered):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836136102

 

[sanne]

what i would do is try out the Swan's. if you find yourself wanting more then upgrade to some quality bookshelves (6 1/2 drivers with 1" tweeters) or don't bother at all because it won't justify the price.

 

[bhd812]

Rite now I have old Jbl n26's running out of my Sonic t amp..

and to be honest the sound is pretty damm good for spending nothing on it (had both laying around).


I am looking into studio monitor speakers now, been more playing with the Idea. I heard some MA audio mo niters on my computer the other day and I haven't been the same since (still have a twitch). I would think about spending little more and getting a set of used studio monitors used off ebay or something...

just a thought

 

[classicalguy]

Wow, newegg finally got the swans back in stock. I recommended them to a friend a while back, and he's very happy with them. I have not heard them unfortunately.

I want to play with a chip amp, so powered speakers are not for me. It ends up my brother has some B&W 302s that he's sending me. I have a pair of NHT SuperZeros that I use upstairs with a sub. I'll probably decide which of the two sets sounds best, and use the worst one for the computer sound system. I have a feeling the B&Ws are going to outclass the NHTs. The NHT's would be good for computer speakers because they are not ported, so I can put them on the back wall. However, I'm a bit concerned that they are designed only to use with a sub. We shall see. . .

 

[Aman]

In regards to the NHTs requiring a sub - I'd think twice about that. Most of the time, subwoofers actually make speakers sound worse. It muds up the sound and it brings it off balance - especially if the sub isn't designed to be used with said speakers.

Good luck!

 

[CMacDaddy]

Amazon has the Mission bookshelf line on Half-off with free shipping.

I got the M30s from them and am very pleased. Much better than the Polk Audio R10's I used to use. They were 175, but there should be some in the 120 range.

 

[Claus1100xx]

I'm not sure if this would fit what you are looking for, but woot has Monster 5.1 surround sound system for 49.99. No idea about soundquality but this could work as a computer rig.

 

[classicalguy]

Aman: I don't think anyone uses superzeros as mains without a sub. I agree that subs are not ideal and require a lot of time to set up correctly. But when you're dealing with little speakers, there isn't much choice.

 

[Aman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by classicalguy Aman: I don't think anyone uses superzeros as mains without a sub. I agree that subs are not ideal and require a lot of time to set up correctly. But when you're dealing with little speakers, there isn't much choice.

Personally, I'd have faithful reproduction of mids and highs, rather than unfaithful reproduction of everything.

 

[Jodiuh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aman Personally, I'd have faithful reproduction of mids and highs, rather than unfaithful reproduction of everything.

LMAO!

 

[bhd812]

Quote:

Originally Posted by classicalguy Aman: I don't think anyone uses superzeros as mains without a sub. I agree that subs are not ideal and require a lot of time to set up correctly. But when you're dealing with little speakers, there isn't much choice.

Subs can be a enemy when it comes to true sound! It is like when I was on other boards or telling people I am trying to get my floorstanders down to the 20's (hz) and people would say "BUY a sub"..I would just look at them and wonder if they really knew what a sub does? It does more harm then actual good..oh youll get plently of bass but then your mids and highs wont fit, theres always going to be a hz gap somewhere in there, or the best is when the sub goes down to the 20's (if it even can) youll get more distortion at that point then anything else.


So how do you get low bass out of a small speakers? placement, placement, and placement. when I re modeled my room My computer area is a bass cove! the jbls are not only to the walls corners but there are shelves rite above pushing bass towards me...the sad part is there is so much "natural" bass from them they had better bass response then my floorstanders (floorstanders have since then been placed differently).



as long as you can move them then you have plently of choice, I am not debating you just showing ya theres more to sound then the boom boom sub doom

 

[dudlew]

I can understand all you guys are saying about the cheaper subs...... but you must remember that alot of the music you listened may have been mastered using one or two of them. Subs are becoming more mainstream in studios, be it amateur or pro, so the idea is to set it up properly. I cannot understand that if you have your mains running full range and then you carefully dial in a sub to do the rest, I cant see how you end up with worse sound.

I think the problem is alot of people dont know how to set up a sub properly and that is where the problem lies (I dont count myself in the category that can by the way). Placement is just as true and important for a sub as it is for any speaker, and if you get the placement and the crossovering and the level matching right, I believe that you may just change your mind as to the bad a sub can do. Problem is most people want to beable to feel the sub and hear it pound like there is no tommorrow, and that is where the problem lies. A good sub setup properly can only augment what is already good with the rest of your setup. A one note bass sub, put in a corner to amplify that one note, and cranked to volume eleven and a crossover point set to high or to low will screw everything up.

The sub, once decent enough, is not the problem. How you augment it is.

Oh and the floorstanders that can reach in the low twenties are already screwed up in terms of balance if they are cheap, or cost an arm, a leg. How many good ones cost under $3000? Where as I can buy some nice monitors, Dynaudio Audience 52 se for example, and augment that with an REL sub or Velodyne sub or even a Dynaudio sub or even two subs working in stereo, and get the low twenties, and spend only 3000 bucks, I may have to go to something like the confidence line and spend $5000 or more to get the same bass depth. In the end you may have to spend even more time trying to place the full range speakers just to get the bass right and still have to compromise betwen soundstage, sound balance and bass weight, or spend a good deal on proer acoustic treatment on your room.

D

 

[mail4u]

The RCA pro-x44av at Radio Shack for $40 for two. There's a reason this small speaker in various incarnations has been around for 20 years -- good midrange and non-fatiquing highs although bass shy and a sub would help. There's always a rumour they're being discontinued but they seem to keep popping up.