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Help me pick speakers for my iMac

Z

Zwhaler

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jun 10, 2006
7,299
2,052
Ok, I have basically limited it down to two choices

1. Bose Companion 5 ($399)
2. Altec Lansing FX6021 ($249)

Does anyone have experience with either of these speakers? I will use these speakers for music. So if one is better for gaming and worse for music, that's not what I want. So if anyone has any advice, do tell! The only problem with both of those speakers is that there is nowhere I can go to test them. I've searched all my local stores, none carry them. So basically when I make a decision I will order them and return them if I don't like them. Thanks.
 
most apple stores I've been to have the altecs but if youare going to buy either and return if you don't like then flip a coin - i think eihter gizmodo or engadget did a review of the bose companion5s recently and you should be able to find varying reviews of the altecs as they have been out for a while now
 
The Altec's will outproform the Bose hands down. I'd recommend the Altec's for sure.
 
sycho said:
The Altec's will outproform the Bose hands down. I'd recommend the Altec's for sure.
Click to expand...
I have neither, but I have used both in an office setting. The Altec were the winners there.
 
Wow, thanks guys! Wasn't expecting the Altec's to get such praise from you guys. Also people who reviewed them on Apple.com love them, so I think i'll go with those!

One quick question. If I order them from Apple and absolutely hate them (I am seriously expecting that that won't be the case) can I return ordered Apple products, how does that work?
 
Zwhaler said:
Wow, thanks guys! Wasn't expecting the Altec's to get such praise from you guys. Also people who reviewed them on Apple.com love them, so I think i'll go with those!

One quick question. If I order them from Apple and absolutely hate them (I am seriously expecting that that won't be the case) can I return ordered Apple products, how does that work?
Click to expand...

I have the FX6021, they rule - Buy them now.
 
Sinsinnati said:
I have the FX6021, they rule - Buy them now.
Click to expand...

Awesome man now I can't wait to go get em'! One question though, I heard that the remote interferes with Front Row.

Now is it: The Altec Lansing Remote interferes with Front Row
or
The Front Row (Apple) Remote interferes with Altec Lansing speaker volume?

Because I won't be using the Altec Lansing Remote much, but I do use the Apple remote quite often.
 
Ok I have been asked to take a photo of my speakers before so I finally did it just for you ;)

As you can see they match the iMac perfectly and sound great. Now I don't keep the speakers that close to the iMac, that was for the photo opt only. I have them pushed back in the corners of my desk.

I never use the Altec's remote but I can tell you that these speakers sound amazing with the www.apple.com/trailers. They do not interfere with Front Row and the Front Row doesn't interfere with the speakers. This is the first have ever heard of this.

original.jpg


Shop around. I bought mine at Micro Center for under $150. I believe they are on newegg.com for $169.
 
^^^ Thanks for the pic. Those things are bigger than I thought! Awesome!

I've been searching all over the internet to at least 30 different websites and I simply cannot find these things! Lots of websites have them but are all out of stock. So annoying! One website had them in stock, but they had no return policy. That leaves apple, which costs 250 and ships in over a month. I really don't want to do that. Anyone have any suggestions?
 
Wow, this is unreal. After checking every electronics website known to man, after calling at least 10 different rertail stores (Frys, CompUSA, Apple, BestBuy, Circuit City) these things are seemingly nonexistant. Every website claims they are sold out, and so do the retail stores. Anyone have any ideas?
 
Altec Lansing website iteslf has them, though you aren't going to get it at the cheaper prices ;) This is really odd though, I wonder why that their all seeming to go..gone:confused:


Peace
 
Zwhaler said:
Wow, this is unreal. After checking every electronics website known to man, after calling at least 10 different rertail stores (Frys, CompUSA, Apple, BestBuy, Circuit City) these things are seemingly nonexistant. Every website claims they are sold out, and so do the retail stores. Anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...
this is typical of a forthcoming update/discontiuing of the product
 
Yeah, most likely. Hopefully they'll slap in a bigger woofer enabling the subwoofer to dig a little deeper. If they do that, this set will probably be unbeatable for music, except the Klipsch Ifi, which I have, and couldn't ask for anything better, well I could...but it's a damn nice audiophile grade system. :cool:


Peace

EDIT: Hey you also might want to try out the Aego M, it MIGHT even out-perform the FX6021: http://shop.npr.org/webapp/wcs/stor...ctId=19050&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=10303

Here is a review of the Acoustic Energy Aego M system: http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=2886

People on www.avsforums.com and even on Klipsch forums says it beats the Klipsch ProMedia systems, and is up there with the FX6021. It also comes in black-black, but I think the white-black ones look the best. Happy shopping =D


Peace
 
Good news. Just got done ordering the FX6021's from HP.com. I got em' for 190$. They are of course backordered and will arrive in two weeks. I smell extinction...
 
Good Job! When you get 'em, please post pics and a nice little mini-review :)
Hope you like them!


Peace
 
Tucom said:
Yeah, most likely. Hopefully they'll slap in a bigger woofer enabling the subwoofer to dig a little deeper. If they do that, this set will probably be unbeatable for music, except the Klipsch Ifi, which I have, and couldn't ask for anything better, well I could...but it's a damn nice audiophile grade system. :cool:
Click to expand...

I have a the iFi's hooked up to my Mac Pro and I have not heard any computer speakers that sound better than these things do. With the $199 price at Costco, they are a great deal.
 
What about Soundsticks II? I've read good reviews on them here. But these Altecs are probably much better. Don't know.
 
jessica. said:
I have neither, but I have used both in an office setting. The Altec were the winners there.
Click to expand...

So..the Altecs are great at lower volume levels? [I have a small apt. so I can't use massive volume levels]
Altec owners, what do say about the Altecs at "normal" volume settiings?

(oh, they are readily available here in Korea--could've got 'em yesterday on my trip to Seoul--too heavy to haul around all day though--might get 'em shipped to go with the 24" iMac that's coming...)
 
I find the Altec's sound great at low volume settings. My computer is in our loft so I need to keep the volume down most of the time so it doesn't interfere with the rest of the house activities. I love my treble set to high and it sounds very crisp at low volume settings.
 
Oh, Sinsinnati, I just noticed your name haha. Do you live in Cincinnati? Because so...do...I! If so, where ats?


Yeah the Klipsch Ifi system is one of the best systems out there, imo. You get SOO much for your money, hell, they probably discontinued them beccause they were actually losing money making them, or not making much of a profit, though this is probably not the case, Im sure it's one of the factors. The sub alone is worth the price of the system, and the sats are reference grade quality, and actually come in one of the Klipsch home cinema systems called the Cinema 6. So you are getting a system that will outperform ALOT of bookshelf systems, because you essentially DO have a bookshelf system, though is much better because the crossovers and all that are custom made for the system to sound it's full.


Peace
 
Tucom said:
Oh, Sinsinnati, I just noticed your name haha. Do you live in Cincinnati? Because so...do...I! If so, where ats?


Yeah the Klipsch Ifi system is one of the best systems out there, imo. You get SOO much for your money, hell, they probably discontinued them beccause they were actually losing money making them, or not making much of a profit, though this is probably not the case, Im sure it's one of the factors. The sub alone is worth the price of the system, and the sats are reference grade quality, and actually come in one of the Klipsch home cinema systems called the Cinema 6. So you are getting a system that will outperform ALOT of bookshelf systems, because you essentially DO have a bookshelf system, though is much better because the crossovers and all that are custom made for the system to sound it's full.


Peace
Click to expand...

Not to mention I can play and charge my iPod with it, along with using the remote control.
 
From my experience, and as an audio engineer/producer (for what it's worth), the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 system is the best sounding and most accurate computer speaker system I've ever heard.
 
How about an iPod Hi-Fi? I have been thinking about getting something better than the (pretty nice) built-in iMac speakers, and the iPod Hi-Fi is an interesting choice for a couple reasons:

1. It's made to look a lot like the white plastic of the iMac
2. It's very portable so I can pick it up and move it to another room whenever I want to

Question: does anyone know if you can buy custom color fabric grills for the iPod Hi-Fi?

boxlight

Zwhaler said:
Ok, I have basically limited it down to two choices

1. Bose Companion 5 ($399)
2. Altec Lansing FX6021 ($249)

Does anyone have experience with either of these speakers? I will use these speakers for music. So if one is better for gaming and worse for music, that's not what I want. So if anyone has any advice, do tell! The only problem with both of those speakers is that there is nowhere I can go to test them. I've searched all my local stores, none carry them. So basically when I make a decision I will order them and return them if I don't like them. Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
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