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Best Computer Speakers

pureelite1 said:
Sorry if this is posted in the wrong thread, but i am looking for the best possible computer speakers for my 27" Imac that delivers superb bass and clarity for movies/games/music. Has to be surround sound, any help will be appreciated budget up to $500
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I have the Logictech THX speakers i got them on sale but they cost around 200 bucks but i paid 80 lol

these speakers are amazing for movies and playing metal

highly recommended

http://news.tigerdirect.com/2008/09/05/logitech-z-2300-thx-certified-21-200-watt-speaker-system/
 
pureelite1 said:
I was thinking of getting the Logitech Z-5500s, but why would u need a different cord, i thought you could connect it into the audio output jack on the Imac?
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They don't come with an optical cable, which you'll need for surround sound on a Mac without a dedicated sound card (i.e. not your iMac.)

Tomorrow said:
I use the Logitech Z-5500's. Buy an optical TOSLINK to mini-TOSLINK cord, and you're all set. Shop around - I got mine from Dell for about $240 a few years back.
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Seconded! I have these and they are great. Got mine for about $400, brand new on eBay.

One minor caveat, the subwoofer is quite large - make sure you have enough space under your desk for it! :cool:
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Surprisingly large, I was shocked. Looks impressive though.

Tomorrow said:
You necessarily need to use the optical port to get 5.1 surround, unless you buy an external sound card.
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This is true, and finding an external sound card that will work with anything but a Mac Pro/Power Mac is a pain in the ass.
 
klipsch promedia 2.1's there better than the logitech z2300. but id go with the logitech surround over the promedias.
 
I agree with Chris on getting studio monitors but not on the M-Audios....

If you're going to spend 500$ go with some KRK Rokits 2nd Gen... You can get a pair of 5 or 6" for under $500 and getting the best quality sound available for 'Music' listening.

I personally think $500 is too much to spend on just computer speakers because for around $120 you can get a 2.1 system. You don't really need to spend that much money on a home theatre system.

Anyway... I say go with a pair of KRK's but thats only because I dj and use them in my own setup.
 
akswun said:
I agree with Chris on getting studio monitors but not on the M-Audios....

If you're going to spend 500$ go with some KRK Rokits 2nd Gen... You can get a pair of 5 or 6" for under $500 and getting the best quality sound available for 'Music' listening.

I personally think $500 is too much to spend on just computer speakers because for around $120 you can get a 2.1 system. You don't really need to spend that much money on a home theatre system.

Anyway... I say go with a pair of KRK's but thats only because I dj and use them in my own setup.
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I hope I said "like the M-Audios" and not to get those specifically. I use the BX5a as an example because they are so common people know what they are. The OP did say he wanted the "best" and the problem is that his two intended uses are so different that no system could be the best at both. Of the two uses music is much harder to get "right" than movie sound tracks
 
I have the Z-5500s and they're awesome for games and movies, pretty disappointing for music. I've never been able to find a great balance with them for music. The bass is huge, which gives you killer movie theater-like rumble, but when listening to music everything sounds a bit out of phase and disjointed, no matter how I position the speakers or change settings on it.

Even if I kill the satellites, doesn't sound great for music.
 
yadmonkey said:
I have the Z-5500s and they're awesome for games and movies, pretty disappointing for music. I've never been able to find a great balance with them for music. The bass is huge, which gives you killer movie theater-like rumble, but when listening to music everything sounds a bit out of phase and disjointed, no matter how I position the speakers or change settings on it.

Even if I kill the satellites, doesn't sound great for music.
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Many people are lucky and can't notice such defects. That is why this kind system keeps getting recommended.
 
yadmonkey said:
I have the Z-5500s and they're awesome for games and movies, pretty disappointing for music. I've never been able to find a great balance with them for music. The bass is huge, which gives you killer movie theater-like rumble, but when listening to music everything sounds a bit out of phase and disjointed, no matter how I position the speakers or change settings on it.

Even if I kill the satellites, doesn't sound great for music.
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Sounds like what might happen if you have the polarity on one (or more) of the speakers reversed. I haven't noticed this with mine, but I did experience the same thing with my home theater speakers. I had the pos/neg reversed on one of them.
 
Tomorrow said:
Sounds like what might happen if you have the polarity on one (or more) of the speakers reversed. I haven't noticed this with mine, but I did experience the same thing with my home theater speakers. I had the pos/neg reversed on one of them.
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I'm pretty sure that they're not out of phase. The don't have that full-on underwater sound you get with phase issues. I think a big part of my issue is the sub - boomy goodness for real movie theater rumble, but not tight enough for music. The low end sounds muddy.
 
Krafty said:
Klipsch reviews stated that their subwoofer was actually more boomy than the Logitech. Also note, you can turn down the subwoofer, but even with mines on full, I've never found it an issue.

Only problem is you may have to search CL or eBay. I got mines retail from newegg for $250 but they jacked it back to $350 (still cheaper than the $499 retail tag from Logitech). I've had mines for almost 3 years and still going strong.
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Thats interesting which klipsch's are you referring to when you say their review said their bass was more booming?
 
SyncFx said:
I have a Toslink to mini and don't get 5.1. How does one set it up.
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Click Sound under System Preferences, and go to Output.

screen-capture-2-1.png


At this point, you should be using the Logitech control module for volume, sound modes, etc. Keep in mind that very few applications support 5.1.
 
SyncFx said:
I have a Toslink to mini and don't get 5.1. How does one set it up.
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Are you playing something with a 5.1 audio track? Also, try playing a 5.1 movie with VLC instead of Quicktime, Quicktime seems to struggle to output AC-3 audio through the correct channels.

Finally, go to the Audio MIDI Setup program in Applications > Utilities and make sure your speakers are set up as 5.1 surround sound.

yadmonkey said:
I have the Z-5500s and they're awesome for games and movies, pretty disappointing for music. I've never been able to find a great balance with them for music. The bass is huge, which gives you killer movie theater-like rumble
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I normally use the Dolby Pro Logic II setting, with the subwoofer turned down slightly.
 
techmangonewild said:
The B&W MM-1s are wonderful! I consider them an audiophile grade system but it sounds like the OP wants a mid-fi surround sound boom box rather than a 2 channel audiophile system.
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I wasn't impressed with the M1's for the price at all. Looks like you are paying for style and not substance with that particular B&W product.
 
Creative ZiiSound T6 vs. Bose Companion 3

Does anyone have an opinion about the Creative ZiiSound T6? If so I would love to hear your feedback. I would also like to know what you think of them in comparison to the Bose Companion 3's. I am considering these two speaker systems, and would love to know what you guys think.
 
I have a set of Audioengines 5, that are great. Solid great sounding speakers. Little on the Book size but sound bigger. Of course I use them in my room when my computer sits, but I do take them to the patio or other parts of the house using both airport or just my iPod/ IPad/ iPhone hook up to them.
 
LightSpeed1 said:
Does anyone have any thoughts on the Bowers & Wilkins MM-1?
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Yes, they are overpriced and not that good for the money, even for half the price they'd be pushing it IMO. I had some and took them back after a couple of months. I now have the Audioengine A5, which are a bit bigger but are very nicely made and sound fantastic AND cost way less than the B&W, you're paying a huge premium for the name with them.
 
Beanoir said:
Yes, they are overpriced and not that good for the money, even for half the price they'd be pushing it IMO. I had some and took them back after a couple of months. I now have the Audioengine A5, which are a bit bigger but are very nicely made and sound fantastic AND cost way less than the B&W, you're paying a huge premium for the name with them.
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Can't agree. Had the A5s and find the MM-1s far superior and more musically balanced.
 
techmangonewild said:
The B&W MM-1s are wonderful! I consider them an audiophile grade system
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I think most "audiophiles" would strongly disagree with that statement. They are not anywhere near audiophile grade, they are small, sound pretty compressed, have a tiny amplifier, no proper bindingposts, I could go on but needless to say there are a few reasons why you'd not count these as audiophile grade i'm afraid.

Do they sound good, yes they're not bad for a PC speaker, but they are (as said above) way overpriced. You could buy an entry level 2 channel integrated amplifier and a decent set of entry level bookshelf speakers for the same money and have sound quality that would far surpass what the MM1 offers. Is that convienient?...no perhaps not, most wouldn't have the space on their desk for that kind of set-up, but audiophiles put sound before practicality.
 
I have a 5.1 logitech z680 setup that I have had for years. It is not very good with music, so I also have a dedicated two channel setup with the infamous $50 insignia speakers from Best Buy. The logitechs are good for movies and games, though.

In your situation, I would probably get the Onkyo HT s5300 (frys has it for $350 right now). It gives you a lot more flexibility with 7.1, HDMI, etc.. Check out Onkyo's website..the list of features is crazy for that price. I should mention I have never heard the setup, so you may want to see if someone has it locally so you can listen to it first.
 
Uofmtiger said:
I have a 5.1 logitech z680 setup that I have had for years. It is not very good with music
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My technical understanding of this is limited, so take the following with a small grain...

Based on some stuff I read on a long night of obsessive research, I came to the theory that perhaps with the the Z-5500 (not sure if it applies to the z680), the speakers are intentionally designed to be somewhat out of phase in order to create a greater sense of space, which is terrific for movies and games, but not so great for music.

Take that for what it is. If this theory proves controversial, I may try to find the articles/posts that led me to it.
 
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