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PolySciSurfer

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 9, 2009
378
0
California
Lots of threads on 2.1 systems. But I don't have room for a subwoofer and need a quality set of speakers to put on top of my desk. I plan on using them with a 13" MBP connected to a 24" Apple LED Cinema display. Can you guys recommend a good 2.0 set of speakers for under 200 bucks? I like the studio monitors but they are a little bulky.

What do you guys think about the Creative GigaWorks T20 Series II 2.0? They seem to have good reviews, but they also seem limited in output. I could afford something a little better if you guys so recommend. Anyone? :confused: :eek: :D :apple:

I also like the Altec Lansing - Expressionist Bass 2.0. Any user experiences with these?
 
I have Bose Companion 2 speakers

Do I think they are worth $99 dollars?
No, I think you should spend a most 70 dollars.

Do I think they are decent?
Yes I think they are fairly decent but I'm no audiophile.


What kind of inputs are you looking for?
 
Look into the Audioengine series. I have the Audioengine 5 and they sound great and I hear the A-2's are a lot smaller and the sound is very good. You will have all the base you need with these two speaker systems.
 
The thing about that is, I have never used real studio monitors before. How do they sound? Do they need a subwoofer?

As with any speaker, you should listen to it before buying... all speakers have their own character.

No 5" driver or smaller will reproduce accurate bass... period. You need a sub-woofer for accurate and full sound with any satellite speaker setup.

However, the KRK Rokit studio monitors reproduce pretty good sound with enough bass for their size to get by without being noticably weak at the bottom end.

There's a thread in the Audio forum on studio monitors... check it out... https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/670067/
 
I have the Audioengine A2, been using them for a bit over a year and I love them! :D They produce extremely good sound with decent bass despite their small size. I've added a Nuforce Subwoofer for some extra low end grunt. What ever speakers you end up with I strongly recommend that you use some sort of stands for them. The sound will benefit tremendously from this as the speakers don't reflect or bounce of the table surface.

I've compared my A2 with M-Audio, NuForce and Adam. I think the Audioengine has the best image (wide sound) and depth. The sound separation also get top marks from me.

The A2's have been reviewed by some of the most known Hi-Fi magazines and up 'til this day they've got rave reviews. Highly recommended! :)
 
Totally in favor of the studio monitor idea, a good 5" powered model will out perform anything else mentioned at that size. If you need something as an alternative to the Bose size, I'd recommend either the M-Audio or Creative's T40s.
 
M-Audio Studiophile AV40 (I own these)
Creative GigaWorks T40 (I own the T20) :cool:
 
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