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Best 3rd Party Speakers?

JBL Creatures III

CreatureIIIblk_IMG1_800x600.jpg


I currently own them, they are great for the price and have the best bass I have ever heard on a desktop speaker. Buy Them!
 
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I have the Bose Companion 5's, and I love the sound from them. It just took a little fooling around with the placement of the sub unit, but once I found the right place for it, the speakers sound awesome for music. I used to use the Logitech Z-5500's, but I bought those as a fairly cheap gaming setup. For music, they really don't give you the detail of sound like the Bose.

And by the way, I know Bose is not considered "audiophile" equipment. But then again, Macs are not considered "serious computers" either. Bose and Apple are very similar in that regard. You pay a price for the engineering and design. There may be better out there, but it probably isn't as well integrated as what Bose or Apple give you for one-stop shopping. It is what it is - and I'm fine with it.
 
hi everyone,

been away for a day and already so many replies! thanks :p i didn't really have a criteria as such as ive always just used my laptop speakers but im finally trying to build a set-up for my desk so any suggestion was welcome (for the posters that needed more criteria :)) i am looking through them all one-by-one on google :D thanks again for your fast responses, this is seriously the best forum on the planet
 
Bowers&Wilkins in Apple store (US)

I am not the only one enjoying a pair of these at $500. Might not be carried by Apple store in all countries (isn't here in Norway, as another chain imports it).
 
Norne said:
I am not the only one enjoying a pair of these at $500. Might not be carried by Apple store in all countries (isn't here in Norway, as another chain imports it).
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For $500 I better get myself separated stereo amps + bookshelf speaker, or still even able to add 8" subwoofer for a lil more oompph on the bass. Much better sound, more customization, more input (can even support coax/optical). Yeah the speaker won't be B&W for that, but frankly I don't like B&W sounds on their multimedia/iPod speakers. Much much different from their passive.

I personally dont go over $200 for a PC speaker. For OP, I'd recommend Harman Kardon SoundStick II for around $150, or Klipsch is another good option. Any higher priced than that, well ... I'd go with my alternative.
 
I love my Krk rokit 5 and Krk 10" sub. But I also have it running off an apogee duet.

Just depends what you are looking to spend.

War'
 
JamDonut said:
hi everyone,

been away for a day and already so many replies! thanks :p i didn't really have a criteria as such as ive always just used my laptop speakers but im finally trying to build a set-up for my desk so any suggestion was welcome (for the posters that needed more criteria :)) i am looking through them all one-by-one on google :D thanks again for your fast responses, this is seriously the best forum on the planet
Click to expand...

And yet you still didnt give us the most important criteria: WTF is your budget.
 
Badger^2 said:
And yet you still didnt give us the most important criteria: WTF is your budget.
Click to expand...
Maybe he doesn't have one, making for a purer question -- the one I, in fact, am most interested in.

Once again, "Badger^2" is a well-chosen name. Very, very ornery when you come out of your hole, eh? ;)
 
+1 on Av40s. If you want clean sound without muddling bass, that's the way to go. You'll never go back to gimicky colored stuff like bose again. (i do agree it's pretty ugly tho.)
 
Stan Mikulenka said:
Hi everybody,
this post is getting bigger & bigger.
I'm an audiophile for many years...
Have a turntable worth a few thousands$, etc, still about 600 LP (about 100 of them 'Original Master recordings' [when these albums used to cost $35 when 'normal' albums used to be $8...]).
So I just want to point out with all this that "I know what I'm talking about"...
Bose & Logitech don't belong in the 'audiophile' class of speakers.
If it's just casual listening then those speakers are OK.
If you want to do some quality listening then you have to look elsewhere.
I'm personally using these:
On my Mac: AudioEngine A2 + Yamaha 10" selfpowered Sub.
On my 'Gaming PC': AudioEngine A5 + Velodyne 12" selfpowered Sub.
And for any serious listening - don't use any MP3's...
Click to expand...

Stan Mikulenka said:
Hi again (and 'you're not Me'),
I guess, small minds will always think small...
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Heh, yeah, like you can talk. You own two small self-powered 2.1 systems. Congrtlns, pairing some mid-end audioengines with powered subs does not an audiophile make, nor does owning a bunch of old LPs.

Even if the O/P had asked for audiophile grade gear I wouldn't be suggesting powered stuff, especially not of the type you own.

Personally I like the look of smarter's set up, I've always preferred separates, the speakers look good and the whole set up isn't too expensive, you get the flexibility of separates but without bulk.
 
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my Mac is plugged into a Technics su-vz220 and a pair of floor standing Mission Speakers, sounds superb!
 
Soundsticks III: design is simply awesome and the sound is great but once the cables are damaged, you cannot replace them and you have to dump the all system

i'm looking for speakers for my iMac and will probably go for Bowers MM1, Bose C5 or Focal XS... still hesitating
 
Codpeace said:
Maybe he doesn't have one, making for a purer question -- the one I, in fact, am most interested in.

Once again, "Badger^2" is a well-chosen name. Very, very ornery when you come out of your hole, eh? ;)
Click to expand...

Then he should just buy the set of $1000 ones I linked to.

Why waste money on some $100 system.
 
I heard the Soundsticks, the lars and ivan speakers (with supplied amp) and heard talk about the Audioengines have a mid bass hump, which i personally can't stand.

I'd be looking at the Adam A3X. Sure they are ugly, but I bet they sound incredible for their size. I have a pair of Adam A5 and a Adam Sub7 and the sound is quite spectacular in comparison to standard computer speakers, with a well mastered recording. You'll possibly want a good external DAC like the apogee duet or better, as these will show deficiencies in the Mac's DAC.

I think the A5X and A5 (its predecessor) come in white.

http://www.adam-audio.com/en/pro-audio/products/a3x/description

ADAM+A3X.JPG

By the way, Is it ok on this forum to hotlink images from a 3rd party site?
 
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Swans d1010!

I can't believe nobody mentioned the Swan D1010 MKII they are inexpensive, sound great and look pretty nice. These own any set from bose and logitech and all of those. and also they come with a pair of whitegloves :eek:!!
86502414.jpg
 
i have both the b&w ($499) and the audioengine n22 amp with the white ap4 speakers and i prefer the audioengine. the n22 is a great amp and it powers both my ps3/tv and imac brilliantly.

b&w at 1st blows you away but after a few days i got bored with it and it's very limited.

the n22 amp also has a usb for power which is great for charging your iphone/ipad or any usb device.
 
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