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Rondofan9

macrumors member
Original poster
May 8, 2011
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I've had the Creative GigaWorks T3 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System, they were ok but I exchanged for a 5.1 system when I used to game ... a lot.

I loved the Soundsticks and wish I still had them. Really great speakers for the money.

I own the Swans now, they're amazing. I love not having a sub but more a mid-range speaker. I'm no audiophile but I do get real nice highs, lows, and mids.
 
I've had the Creative GigaWorks T3 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System, they were ok but I exchanged for a 5.1 system when I used to game ... a lot.

I'm sort of an audiophile, I did a lot of reviewing, and owned TONS of headphones. I'm not an expert with Car Audio, but I know a lot, definitely more than the guys at your local best buy lol, just not a competitor. I'm REALLY good with 5.1/7.1 systems, but I've never got into 2.1, I guess its the same concept, going off specs. But trust me, you learn that specs aren't really as important as salesman's say, its all about the human ear, and quality over quantity.

I loved the Soundsticks and wish I still had them. Really great speakers for the money.

I own the Swans now, they're amazing. I love not having a sub but more a mid-range speaker. I'm no audiophile but I do get real nice highs, lows, and mids.

I have a really nice 5.1 system for movies and such hooked up to my 40" and PS3. But when we build our home theater downstairs i'll be donating my whole system to my parents since they're going to be buying the projector. Besides, picture it like this


------TOWER----TV----TOWER-------

---------------------------------------------------Computer

REAR SPEAKER---SUB---REAR SPEAKER


I don't like listening to a 5.1 system behind me. I want one right there on my desk area. If I ever need something crazy loud, I have a 5.1 system.

So to fill you in, I want a set that looks really nice (I LOVE the swan m10) and sounds great at low volumes. If you have a generic system, the sub only kicks at high volumes. I want to hear deep bass even at low levels. I really really want swan m10's (it was the one thing I asked my parents for for christmas) but out of both sites that sell the white ones, they're backordered till 2012. I'm torn between the Soundsticks III and Swan M10. Which are better? Or is there a 3rd option you suggest?
 
Between the two, I prefer the sound from the Swans.

They're hard to find, I was lucky to find a pair that were bought and sold by a third party after he used them for a few months. They were in absolute new condition and I got a deal ... not to mention I got them days after I paid instead of waiting weeks.

OTOH, the only speakers I truly lusted after before the Swans were the Altec Lansing FX6021. If you can find those, take them.
 
Klipsch Promedia
1LK07DYnmqjw_NPpLQ0IWx7v8zcyQjkL0IpdS3NgVSd__AvzIgPYGLUuzBw3rh5w71G2lVDNP0jVjvia7Fle6q8RVI4NuK55kCOy3oGoOQnYiflU1ORjNrMbin8ArQ

Crative Gigaworks
419KfmIufmL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Harman Kardon Soundsticks
O6XvoYENUb_be9zSM7VXLadFkY3scsmHG4k8PNvkM3GAF_N3Baz6YNGHIauMGT14shYGijXNnxz5f2eLKn0N5B_Pktguu9eVbNVFL2-YgQe84zjPf76DiagMFe8GzPSbbi1BcFrn_kpc9OgJsOnf4Xh7zX7Uvrh4SRSQhXah7ifg4aBgo7jHsRqUa22s

Edifier Prisma
H2251

Speedlink Vivente
B002L2G73E.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Swan M10
89.jpg


just thought it would be easier too look at pics.
 
I have the Klipsch 2.1's and I love them. They sound good all around. I have them hooked up to my computer; no external DAC... yet.

That said, you should look around and listen to all of them if you can. Everyone's different. I like having a sub personally, but some people enjoy the studio monitor sound. To each their own-- find what you like the best from listening and go with that.
 
I was looking to ditch my Logitech Gaming 5.1 system for a nice 2.0 audio setup since I quit gaming and also converted from PC to MAC. I'm very picky about how audio sounds, but I'm not an extreme audiophile by any means.

I bought and tested 4 different 2.0 setups, which include;

* M-Audio Studiophile AV 30 Powered Speakers
* M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 Powered Speakers
* Bose Companion 2 Series II Speakers
* Audioengine A2 Speakers

The AudioEngines by far look the best and have the smallest footprint. I do think the AV40's sounded SLIGHTLY better but my decision came down to style, footprint and sound and the AudioEngine A2's won by a landslide.

The AV40s are very nice speakers, so if you have the desk space, I definitely recommend them without a doubt especially for under $140.
 
The Klipsch are THX Certified, that is not just cheesy marketing, it's actually pretty meaningful. THX sets a relatively high bar for sound quality. There are a lot of qualitative & quantitative measurements for sound reproduction (power, thd, frequency ranges, max spl, etc), but at the end of the day there are a lot of ways to cheat the numbers, and the numbers still don't tell the whole story. So the only real way to gauge the quality is to test them out yourself, assuming you are an educated consumer with a good ear. I'm guessing thats not really feasible for you, for that reason, the THX certification should be meaningful. Thats why it exists, and it does cost the company who seek it quite a bit of money, but it also is not easy to get, so it is significant. I don't know what the THX standards are for computer speakers, but I'd imagine they have to meet a reasonable SPL (loudness), frequency range, degree of flatness (re: no huge spikes or dips in the freq response which can be very annoying), and having a timbre that meets THX's standards of accuracy (that is to say, not too colored of a sound).

Also take peoples opinions with a grain of salt (including mine of course). What sounds good to one person doesn't sound good to others. The audio community is very fickle, very opinionated, and people tend to be very supportive of the gear they have. Completely different from the computer geek community. :)

It's very difficult to accurately compare audio gear. The source material and listening environment & conditions (including room size / shape) can make a huge difference. People have a very short memory for sounds, so to do a meaningful comparison, it has to be done back to back, quickly - or you if you have a good ear and good vocabulary (kind of like tasting wine), you can remember or describe notable characteristics of a given system, but thats so subjective it may or may not be meaningful.

In short, go for the THX system, you won't be disappointed :) You might with one of the other systems - you might not - but you might.

Another approach might to be build a system piecemeal, buy an amp (the Parasound Zamp is a nice choice for a little computer system), buy a nice set of bookshelf speakers. A good set of bookshelf speakers can blow away a cheap sub for bass extension and bass quality. You can get some nice used stuff on Audiogon or even eBay, and you can upgrade/change out components piecemeal if you go that route. Thats probably the most effective route for good sound quality on a budget, but it would require some patience and time.

regards,

Rob
 
The AV40s are very nice speakers, so if you have the desk space, I definitely recommend them without a doubt especially for under $140.

The AV40s are EXCELLENT speakers for the money. Would love to have a set for my personal use; I use a set every service at church (I run the sound). I used the church's set for a couple months while we were building the new building and fell in love with them. Only beef; they're MASSIVE. But they sound great, too... We got them for $79.99 on sale; if I could find a set for that price NOW, I'd get my own set. :D
 
The AV40s are EXCELLENT speakers for the money. Would love to have a set for my personal use; I use a set every service at church (I run the sound). I used the church's set for a couple months while we were building the new building and fell in love with them. Only beef; they're MASSIVE. But they sound great, too... We got them for $79.99 on sale; if I could find a set for that price NOW, I'd get my own set. :D

They're in the $120-180's now. Although $100 here:
http://www.huntingtonsuperstore.com/HT1TS20064121/

Not my cup of tea though, like I said...I'll wait for the swans ;)
 
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