24" display (new/used) with decent speakers?

[macstatic]

My wife is considering a Mac Mini to replace her 2008 iMac which of course means also buying a separate display.

Although some displays come with built-in speakers most of them are barely capable of anything else than alert beeps and such.
So which displays (preferrably 24" or thereabouts and with an LED backlight) come with built-in speakers similar to what she already has in her iMac, or better?

 

[chscag]

You might want to go with your wife to a store which sells monitors and have her look around and compare. Monitor quality especially display brightness, clarity, sound, are very subjective. Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, Fry's, and many other stores always have a wide choice to select from.

 

[macstatic]

That's true, but we were hoping to save a bit by buying used.

On second thought we do have an external speaker (for mounting an iPod/iPhone into) with an external audio input which could be used for much better audio indeed. But it takes up more room and needs to be switched on separately, but maybe it's worth it if there aren't any displays with decent built-in speakers.

Another though is that if buying used we should probably get something with an LED backlight as those CCFL tubes are near impossible to replace (I tried replacing one in a Powerbook G4 display and had to open up the actual display panel itself. Impossible to get right!).

 

[chscag]

Only older monitors would be equipped with CCFL tubes for backlighting. Monitors produced in the last 5 years or so are almost all equipped with LED backlighting. I suppose buying used is an option to save money but honestly, the price of good quality monitors have come down considerably. You need to get out and look around. You might be surprised what you can buy new for less than $200.00.

 

[macstatic]

Yes, but they're brand names like Lenovo, Benq, Acer, Philips, AOC, Voxicon and so on and I believe they're mostly considered "low end consumer" products with very limited lifespans whereas the brands I'm under impression are quality built and more lasting such as Eizo and NEC cost quite a bit more. Do you have any specific recommendations around 24"? (I have an Eizo 24" attached to my Mac Pro, but that's mainly because I need a colour-accurate display for photography purposes; not something my wife needs).

So the dilemma is to either get a (recent model) NEC/Eizo etc. used or a new "cheapo" monitor.
With a "high end" LCD display having an LED backlight, how long are these expected to last anyway?

 

[FNH15]

That's true, but we were hoping to save a bit by buying used.

On second thought we do have an external speaker (for mounting an iPod/iPhone into) with an external audio input which could be used for much better audio indeed. But it takes up more room and needs to be switched on separately, but maybe it's worth it if there aren't any displays with decent built-in speakers.

Another though is that if buying used we should probably get something with an LED backlight as those CCFL tubes are near impossible to replace (I tried replacing one in a Powerbook G4 display and had to open up the actual display panel itself. Impossible to get right!).

You might consider a used Apple LED Cinema Display. It was made in the 24'' size before the Thunderbolt model came out, and comes with a 2.1 sound system, iSight camera, and USB ports on the back.

 

[macstatic]

Good suggestion!
So basically this would be similar to the audio in her existing 20" 2008 iMac, but with a bigger screen?
I found a few for sale in the used market locally, but they're quite expensive. I did find a 23" Cinema display for a more reasonable price, but these don't have LED backlights, do they?