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please recommend a speaker, around $600
- Thread starter zxcvb
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need a speaker for iphone, ipod, MBP, around 600, looks good and sounds great. Don't have to be 5.1 but could be.
I was thinking Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin, is there a better one?
thanks in advance!
I'd get a Bose Companion II. Costs only $300. I just got one 2 weeks ago and love it. You can hook it up to a computer and use the Puck (volume control) to hook your ipod into it using an audio cable ($10 or $12)
Lets u hook up a computer and a 2nd audio device. I have my Dell XPS and MBP both hooked up through the speaker system.
Bose is not going to be at all the best option...
The best sounding:
2 of these.
And for connections, this.
However, that's probably overkill. The Blue Sky 2.1 system is probably the best one currently on the market. However, most home theaters in a box have options for iPod's. Some specification might help to clear up the wide range of options you have...As for docks though, the B&W crushed the Bose SoundDock.
At that price range, if you are looking for powered speakers, look at the Audioengine A5. They are around $400 (probably could be found cheaper). If the bass wasn't to your liking you could add a AS8 subwoofer later.
The Audioengine is an all-and-one for your iPod. But for your price range most other powered monitors will blow the A5's away.
I didnt really like BOSE before, but after testing this particular system at home and at Circuit City, I was really impressed. $300. Go to a Best Buy or Circuit City and try them. I can't recommend any other BOSE, but this system is great.
** 1 thing , you should try listen to speakers first before you purchase them. Bring your own music to test them out. Whatever sounds best to your ears is what you purchase (thats the best way to choose speakers). Doesnt matter what I say or what 1000 people say, your ears are the final judge. Unfortunately, you can't get to try out most of these speakers first because you have to order them online.
You may find a $200 pair of speakers sounding better than a $500 pair. Thats happened to me plenty of times. Now I know your only buying $600 system, we arent talking $1000 a speaker, but I'd still recommend trying to listen to the systems first if you can.
Well I agree that the Bose product doesn't sound bad (like the Audoengine)...It's hard to justify at the price range. The Altec Lansing FX6021's are easily a just as comparable if not better...As for the Audioengines, they are heavily liked on this forum because they are heavily advertised to Mac users on a variety of Mac websites and publications; however, they seem to fall into the Bose trap yet again. They sound good, fine whatever you would likely to call it, for the price you are paying for the name and the aesthetics, as they are not monitor sound quality, but at monitor prices.
I became interested in Audioengine 5's from reading about them on http://www.avsforum.com and in various home theater publications. I wasn't even aware they were advertised toward Mac users.
In fact I think you are the first person that I've seen that feels they are not a good value. Perhaps it is subjective...
Your right, the Audio Engine and Bose do seem linked to Apple products. I noticed that as well. The only reason I went with the Bose was because the system sounded great to me live and the Puck controller with input and output jacks really suited my needs. But I do agree with you, some speakers get a little too much Mac Loving when they may not deserve it.
I don't doubt that they are liked or that they sound good. They do and for many people they are definitely the best option for some people. However, to say that they rival some other monitors like they are touted about on this forum seems overstepping. Sound at a certain price becomes very subjective; but Audioengine is very smart, similar to Bose, as they advertise heavily to Mac consumers. I mean they clearly have the Mac consumer in mind:
I am one of few that says the Audioengines aren't the best for most people in terms of sound, but I respect them. My suggestion to anyone looking at this price range would be to try as many speakers as you can. Most people think that this probably isn't true, however a Guitar Center has numerous high-end monitors to try and compare and the staff in my experience has been extremely helpful in terms of letting me try.
Like I said above, my issue with most Bose products is not the quality, rather the value. But, it's your smile and ears that are the things that should be used in comparison in the dollar terms.
id go with the bowers and wilkins,plus its all in one package and has seperate tweeters unlike the bose which doesnt. lets not go into how bose really is. lol
just had a look at the audioengines and they look great aswell
just had a look at the audioengines and they look great aswell
Bang and Olufsen sells an iPod speaker for the 600 price area. It weighs like a ton and huge as heck.
Yes they are offered in white, and also black... and wood... Just about everyone that I know uses itunes and has an ipod... I would suggest that they are marketed to that audience. I had an Airport Express long before I was a Mac user.
I first heard about AudioEngine while reading a review of their A2's in Stereophile magazine (the review can be found online). As a self-proclaimed audiophile, I cannot believe that any of you would mention AudioEngine and Bose in the same breath. I own a pair of the A2's and find that they perform similarly to a ~$1,000 pair of speakers that I used to own (Meadowlark Audio Kestrel 2). I ran these speakers off of two Aragon monoblock amps and a preamp. The performance of the A2's and my iPod Touch (lossless) approaches the performance of that system. I would imagine that the A5's have a similar sonic signature to the A2's with a better lower-end (bass).
BTW...monitors used in music recording sessions are not highly regarded in the audiophile world. Monitors tend to be flat with overly enhanced detail (to a fault). Extended listening sessions on monitors become fatiguing. Monitors ignore soundstaging/imaging, tonal neutrality, and a balanced sound.
BTW...monitors used in music recording sessions are not highly regarded in the audiophile world. Monitors tend to be flat with overly enhanced detail (to a fault). Extended listening sessions on monitors become fatiguing. Monitors ignore soundstaging/imaging, tonal neutrality, and a balanced sound.
B&W 685s
I first came from a pair of B&W 805S ($2800 for a pair but sold them for the $685 to save money and best bang for buck ratio. The tweeters on these things will melt into your body) but these B&W 685s are amazing. They have MUCH bigger bass and sounds fuller for just 2 speakers, the highs are a little bright at first but once you break them in they sing and the mids transition very well from highs to lows.
I use this with my theatre system just 2.1 system and run these with a Yamaha v861 and these speakers are easy to drive. They easily sound on par with speakers at $5000. The 685s won the EISA award for the best speakers for 2008.
The reason why you get all the technology from the higher end models from B&W is that recently B&W factories have moved to china but they use the same good materials and the lower end speakers adopt previous years technology from the higher end models.
http://www.modia.com/B-W-685-2-Way-Bookshelf-Speaker-p/685.htm
Listed for a pair for $650 but can get it down to $599 at most places.
These are amazing.
I first came from a pair of B&W 805S ($2800 for a pair but sold them for the $685 to save money and best bang for buck ratio. The tweeters on these things will melt into your body) but these B&W 685s are amazing. They have MUCH bigger bass and sounds fuller for just 2 speakers, the highs are a little bright at first but once you break them in they sing and the mids transition very well from highs to lows.
I use this with my theatre system just 2.1 system and run these with a Yamaha v861 and these speakers are easy to drive. They easily sound on par with speakers at $5000. The 685s won the EISA award for the best speakers for 2008.
The reason why you get all the technology from the higher end models from B&W is that recently B&W factories have moved to china but they use the same good materials and the lower end speakers adopt previous years technology from the higher end models.
http://www.modia.com/B-W-685-2-Way-Bookshelf-Speaker-p/685.htm
Listed for a pair for $650 but can get it down to $599 at most places.
These are amazing.
Two things: 1. DO NOT BUY BOSE. 2. I'll go ahead and recommend Klipsch here, they offer some serious bang for the buck and when paired correctly will offer amazing sound. Any set of Reference Series bookshelf or floorstander will offer really high quality sound for a good price. My other recommendations will be either Mordaunt-Short or KEF if you're considering bookshelves atop of 'towers' [were I would insist on Klipsch]. Make a sound decision (get it!? get it!? ) and take some time before buying for research and actually testing the speakers.
We can show you the way to go and actually share some experiences, but, your ears should be the final judge in here. I've had my bad and good days with audio related equipment, but when it came to 'main' or 'big' speakers I had to audition them first, and I insist you do such thing before taking the dive. I've had the luck of getting amazing stuff without actually testing them, they came from usually renown sources (Grado, NAD, Bang&Olufsen, M-Audio, et al.) but unfortunately I've had really really really bad experiences; red some reviews, and fell right into Bose's marketing scheme and got both the in-ears and the companion 3's (both of which I got rid off) alongside a pair of QC2's which I've kept to the date cause they're above average (within noise canceling + sound) but are NOT 300$+ above average in no sense. Hope this helped.
Victor
) and take some time before buying for research and actually testing the speakers. We can show you the way to go and actually share some experiences, but, your ears should be the final judge in here. I've had my bad and good days with audio related equipment, but when it came to 'main' or 'big' speakers I had to audition them first, and I insist you do such thing before taking the dive. I've had the luck of getting amazing stuff without actually testing them, they came from usually renown sources (Grado, NAD, Bang&Olufsen, M-Audio, et al.) but unfortunately I've had really really really bad experiences; red some reviews, and fell right into Bose's marketing scheme and got both the in-ears and the companion 3's (both of which I got rid off) alongside a pair of QC2's which I've kept to the date cause they're above average (within noise canceling + sound) but are NOT 300$+ above average in no sense. Hope this helped.
Victor
You mean the Beosound 3? You can't connect an MP3 player to it - no Aux input. It's for FM and SD Card only.
Are powered Monitors really better than the likes of BOSE Companion? I'm also looking for some decent speakers. I used to have some Edirol MA-15D Monitors but my mum needed some speakers with Bass control for her hifi so I gave her those.
Would be good to know.
Would be good to know.
Is a Ferrari really better then a Ford Mustang. While some people don't like the sound of powered monitors their accuracy and sound is going to crush the spirt of the Bose. Also we must remember there is a wide range of monitors; but there are very few I would take the Bose over. Simply put yes; KRKs, M-Audio's, Mackie's, etc... will put Bose to shame.