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Lets talk about iMac speakers... :)

A

aznboi91

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 27, 2012
173
6
Lets talk about iMac speakers... :)

What do you think of them? Do you think I need to buy external speakers to pair them with my iMac? Or do the ones that come with the iMac just work fine already?

Any recommendations? Why?

I'm not an audiophile, but I'd really love to listen to high quality audio if i can.

Pictures, comments, and more are more than welcome :)

Cheers
 
I think they're great. I've got a pair of Bose computer speakers sitting in a box because I don't feel I need to hook them up.
 
At first, I thought it was really good.

Until I bought a Bose SoundDock III and hooked it up to it.

But then, internal speakers can never be as good as dedicated speakers. The iMac's internal speakers just doesn't give enough bass.
 
I find that the speakers in my 2011 iMac are adequate - they're certainly not the best speakers that I've ever listened to, but they're also not terrible. I haven't found the need to hook up the old set of nice speakers that I had before I got the iMac.
 
In my opinion they are quite good. Very well balanced in either direction of the audio spectrum.

The bass is also there but the device is missing a bigger resonance case.

So yeah, dedicated speakers will probably sound better, but not all. I got some Logitech ones and they sounded good at first sight, but cannot be compared to the iMac ones. The Logitech had a huge bass box but overall the music sounded like coming from a small can. Without any depth at all.

Also Bose speakers are nothing but expensive. There is always a cheaper and better alternative. That's why you won't find them at serious hifi retailers.
 
Like everyone already said it depends on your expectations and the quality of sound you're used to. They are very good for what they are and their size. But they don't hold a candle to my old Klipsch Promedia speakers or the UE Boombox I have plugged in right now. I listen to a lot of movies and music with Spotify and Vudu and Netflix so I wanted more punch.
 
imac speakers

hi
you can't do better than a set of harman kardon soundsticks 2.1 excellent speakers .....kaka
 
It work for me.
If i want better sound i put on my Corsair Vengance 2000 headset.
 
I was pleasantly surprised with the iMac speakers on my Late 2012 model.

I find the overall quality is very good, lacking a bit of bass, but this is to be expected with a thin design. For me I don’t hear any need for external speakers.
 
The sound was probably the only disappointing part of setting up my 2011 when it arrived, so much so that I was online straight away to order a set of Soundsticks (the black Logitech speakers I'd used next to a black Dell monitor hooked up to a Mac mini just didn't look right ;))
 
Fatboy71 said:
I was pleasantly surprised with the iMac speakers on my Late 2012 model.

I find the overall quality is very good, lacking a bit of bass, but this is to be expected with a thin design. For me I don’t hear any need for external speakers.
Click to expand...

Agree. I use my earphones more than the speakers anyway.
 
They are fine for ambient music (background). This is highly subjective. Perhaps you might consider headphones instead if you want to step up to a more clear full sounding audio experience.

Of course if you have a receiver/AVR that handles airplay, you can also do that as well from your iMac.
 
81P74WnQnlL._SL1500_.jpg
 
If you like the look of the soundsticks, try them out - HK has a 30 day return policy where they pay return shipping and they actually sound pretty darn good, plus they look incredible.

On the other hand, Klipsch 2.1s are fantastic speakers - I used to use a pair of Klipsch speakers and they still work great, I just got tired of looking at them and all the space they consumed. The Logitech Z623s also sound pretty good, but they really aren't worth more than $120 or so because the volume knob makes crackling sounds.

Studio monitors have been around a long time, but now everyone wants them (or large bulky headphones), and that has pretty much killed the market for 2.1 desktop speakers. There really aren't as many options out there as there used to be, and the options tend to be more expensive than they used to, which makes a strong argument for monitors. At $200 for a pair of Audio Engine A2s though, well, that's your call.

There's also the M-Audio ones, which look a lot cheesier, but they're also a lot cheaper. Swans also makes monitors, which had rave reviews around here until they disappeared off the market, and Monoprice also has some now.
 
aznboi91 said:
Lets talk about iMac speakers... :)

What do you think of them? Do you think I need to buy external speakers to pair them with my iMac? Or do the ones that come with the iMac just work fine already?

Any recommendations? Why?

I'm not an audiophile, but I'd really love to listen to high quality audio if i can.

Pictures, comments, and more are more than welcome :)

Cheers
Click to expand...

The speakers are rubbish for audio/video. If you plan to listen to music or watch video content you'll definitely need some decent speakers.
 
Tanax said:
Are you kidding? You see the inside and everything, the wires, the .. ugh. No thanks. I'd rather get the AudioEngine A2+ in bamboo:

Image
Click to expand...

This looks sexay! :)

I think wood is nice because the resonance is much better than plastic. Personally I think it feels wood chambers give it more depth and life... But I may be wrong....lol

----------
JoeG4 said:
If you like the look of the soundsticks, try them out - HK has a 30 day return policy where they pay return shipping and they actually sound pretty darn good, plus they look incredible.

On the other hand, Klipsch 2.1s are fantastic speakers - I used to use a pair of Klipsch speakers and they still work great, I just got tired of looking at them and all the space they consumed. The Logitech Z623s also sound pretty good, but they really aren't worth more than $120 or so because the volume knob makes crackling sounds.

Studio monitors have been around a long time, but now everyone wants them (or large bulky headphones), and that has pretty much killed the market for 2.1 desktop speakers. There really aren't as many options out there as there used to be, and the options tend to be more expensive than they used to, which makes a strong argument for monitors. At $200 for a pair of Audio Engine A2s though, well, that's your call.

There's also the M-Audio ones, which look a lot cheesier, but they're also a lot cheaper. Swans also makes monitors, which had rave reviews around here until they disappeared off the market, and Monoprice also has some now.
Click to expand...

I'm still not buying the idea of having a bass... I honestly don't get what's the point... Is making your floor shake or listening to deep pitches a good thing? I really don't see where the pleasure is in that... :( Please enlighten me
 
The drivers on the soundsticks are tiny, so they can produce highs and some mids, and that's about it.

In order to produce lows and lower mids that you can hear from a distance you'll want a large speaker cone. Usually if all you really care about is sound and you have a big enough room you might go as far as an 8" sub, maybe even a 10" one.

That said, the soundsticks are a kinda funky niche - I think you buy them if you like the way they look and the way they sound. They are definitely not transparent; the subwoofer has a kind of muffled air canon sound and the satellites have weak mids but very clear highs.

So you kinda do have to try them out if you like the way they look, and then you'd know if you like how they sound. One thing I can say about the soundsticks is I've never heard of soundsticks breaking. Ever. The USB ones are still hanging around.
 
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