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Good 2.0 Speakers?

FadeToBlack

FadeToBlack

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Apr 27, 2005
1,843
5
Accoville, WV
I did a search for this, but couldn't find what I was looking for after like 13 pages, so I figured I'd go ahead and start a new thread.

Anyway, I was getting tired of all the wires under my desk and the clutter from the sub, so I got rid of my speakers today after about 3-4 good years. Altec Lansing 2100's. They were the best computer speakers I've ever had, but my room and desk are pretty small, so the clutter got to me. (I used to have a bigger desk, so it wasn't as much of an issue)

Now, I'm looking for a good set of 2.0 speakers to replace them. I know that there's probably not a chance I'll get the kind of sound I got out of the 2.1 speakers, but I'd like to get as close as I can. Anyone know of any good ones? I've looked at some from Altec Lansing, Klipsch, and Bose, but I really don't know which ones to get. I'd like them to sound good (as good as possible from a 2.0 set of speakers) and be compact.

Anyone have any recommendations? I'm using a pretty crappy set of 2.0's that I got from a friend until I can get some better ones. Thanks in advance!
 
I use JBL Creature II Speakers. And I use a product called Cableyoyo to wrap excess cord from the longer speaker wires (the extra length sometimes comes very much in handy).

The Cableyoyos are great for almost any type of wire you have in that jungle beneath your computer desk and the Creatures have good sound, especially for the price. I believe mine were from Amazon for only about $60.
 
How much are you willing to spend?

If you want exceptional sound, take a look at the Swan M200's. They have awesome sound, don't require a seperate amp as most studio monitors do, and are priced awesome. There are reviews of them all over the net and at Newegg too, which is basically the only place they can be purchased.

The only downside is that they are pretty damned large, but thats well worth the cost of their exceptional sound. I much prefer them over my previous Klipsch 2.1's as they sound less overly bassy and have far less wires!
 
My Harman Kardon Sounds Sticks II are pretty fantastic. I think that they were around 150... In any case, they're pretty low power, but are quite loud, their sound fills a small room quite easily, the sub makes them QUITE bassy, and they look really cool.

I think that they count as a 2.1 set, and are a little pricier than the competition, but are overall well worth it, IMO. I've had an audiophile over, and he complimented their sound!

Clutter wise, they have a very small footprint (aprox 2 3 inch crcles, and one 10 inch circle), and there are three wires from the sub: the input, and one to each speaker. That's one more wire, and a lot more sound than with a 2.0 set.

EDIT: they're extrenally powered too
 
P.S. I don't believe that any of us have really answered the OP's question...

The Swans need an amp, which might as well make them a 2.1 set, clutter wise, and the sounsticks and creatures are quite similar, clutter wise.
 
Sesshi is right; montiors will definitely produce better sound than computer speakers, although they can get pricey. If you have to go with 2.0, and you want something cheaper and more portable than decent monitors, I'd recommend the Bose Companion 2 speakers. Usually, Bose is overpriced IMO, but they produce a much richer sound than most 2.0 computer speakers. I like their sound more than Klipsch and JBL offerings in the same price range. If you were to go with a 2.1 system, my recommendation would change, but I really think Bose gets more bass and an overall fuller sound out of its 2.0 speakers.
 
The Bose do get generally positive reviews on Amazon.

Did a bit of googling around and these 2.0s (Klipsch) seem to be (or recently have been) all the rage.

Let us know what you decide to get, and give us a review!
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Sesshi said:
I think I might have mentioned them before but I suggest you take a look at the M-Audio DX4. $150 or less. Powered monitors and rather good ones at that for the money, and better than most at the same price point.

The AC cable goes directly into one monitor. There's a (supplied) decent quality cable which then goes to the other monitor.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/DX4-main.html
Click to expand...

Those are really nice, but they look too big for my desk.

The Bose and Klipsch are the ones I have been trying to decide between after looking around on Amazon last night. From looking at the pics of the Bose, they look smaller than the Klipsch and that's a big plus, considering I'm working with very limited desk space here. The only problem with the Bose is that in order to turn 'em off, you have to pull the power plug. That's not cool, as I really wouldn't want them on all the time, but they seem to be the best, most compact speakers for the money that I can find. They are right around what I was wanting to spend. ($100)
 
ibilly said:
P.S. I don't believe that any of us have really answered the OP's question...

The Swans need an amp, which might as well make them a 2.1 set, clutter wise, and the sounsticks and creatures are quite similar, clutter wise.
Click to expand...

Actually the Swans don't need an amp, which is why they are far more accessible to use, even though they are studio monitor quality. And they go for about $190 off of newegg.
 
my friend has the bose companion 3, which has the subwoofer in it, but the 2.0 is just the speakers without the "acoustimas module" (subwoofer)

they sound fantastic. i really couldn't beleive how clear the sound was. if i had 250 i'd the the 2.1. furthermore, if i had 100, i'd get the 2.0.
 
Go with Klipsch. I am currently thinking of buying some of their 7.1 speakers. If Klipsch is too pricey, go with Altec Lansing.
 
The thing that's delaying my decision is that I really don't have much room to work with. I know for sure that I don't want any speakers with a sub, because it takes up too much room under my desk. I'm seriously considering going with the Bose Companion 2's. They look a bit big, but I think I can make 'em work by moving some stuff around on my desk.

My friend mentioned some Logitechs that are USB powered. I can't remember the name of them, though. Anyone used any USB powered speakers before? My friend had some old Compaq speakers a while back that were USB powered and they sounded like crap, but I think they were just low-end speakers to begin with.
 
USB can't power much, so don't expect too much sound out of them... The Boses sound just about perfect for you (though they do sell little 3" cube computer speakers... I'm not sure if they're 2.0 or 2.1 tho...
 
Sorry, the little ones are the "companion 3" speakers
p_companion_m.jpg


not the companion 2 speakers, which are the ones recommended to you
p_companion2_m.jpg



http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_PRODUCT_PAGE_EVENT&product=companion3_computer_index

http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_PRODUCT_PAGE_EVENT&product=companion2_multimedia_index
 
Yep, I believe I'm gonna go ahead and get the Companion 2's. They look like the best speakers in my price range and by looking at the pics on the Bose website, they don't look very big, either.

I'll probably order 'em tomorrow and when they come in, I'll let everyone know how they turn out.

EDIT: Well, I ordered the Bose Companion 2. Can't wait to try 'em out!
 
Got my Companion 2's in yesterday and I must say, they are some of the best sounding computer speakers I've ever heard. They put out HUGE sound, especially considering their small size. I totally recommend them to anyone looking for a good set of computer speakers. They are well worth their price!
 
Some higher-end powered 2.0s

For those who have a bigger budget, I recommend the lineup of powered monitors by Event Technology. I've been using their 20/20bas, though with an 8-inch woofer per speaker, it' way too large for most desktops. Event makes smaller 2.0s, including some sweet 5-inch-woofered models that are no longer available new.

Among midprice 2.0s ($100 to $250 a pair), Roland and other home-studio companies offer 2-way powered monitors with 3- to 5-inch woofers and 10 to 20 watts RMS per speaker.

For many years, the standard 2.0 wedge-shaped powered monitor was the AV570 Powered Partner from Acoustic Research (AR). I think these have also been sold under the Advent name. They featured a 4.75-inch woofer and 35 watts RMS per channel. You can still find them, new and used. Don't confuse them with the similar-named model that offers just 20 watts per channel.
 
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