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Speakers to improve dismal Macbook Pro in-built ones

M

McBanjo

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 2, 2007
38
0
Hi everyone,

I've been looking on the forums and net for a nice set of speakers for my Macbook Pro and nothing has seemed to show up for recent discussion.

I basically want them so I can move up from the crappy ones in the MBP and I can enjoy my music again since I switched to Mac.

I care most about how they look. I am very into the minimalistic Mac design and my whole desk is done up this way. So I don't want anything massive and fugly, it's good as long as it matches the 15" MBP nicely. Only 2.1 or 2.0 (as long as the bass is decent.)

The next most important thing is the quality, I don't really want to go to the top of the range but I will if they're good (I would go Bose, they are good, but they could look better for what I am paying.) I am somewhat of an audiophile and I can tell the difference between good sound and loud (compensating) sound. I'm looking for mid/high range pricing or good bang for my buck.

Please let me know any suggestions.

If you have a set of speakers for your Mac that you were really impressed with and would definitely recommend, let us know too.
 
I'd say go ahead and google "best computer speakers" and do some digging. You have a lot of requirements it would seem, probably the fastest solution is going to be looking at the available products and then comparing the ones that don't offend your taste.

Or you could.. you know.. use Airport to go wirelessly into an integrated receiver with two bookshelf speakers...
 
comptr said:
I would take a look at Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 Speakers. Here is a link to them: https://www.klipsch.com/products/details/promedia-2-1.aspx
Click to expand...


We were looking at Bose but I've been told before by many sound guys that they don't like them. They even had jokes like "Bose. By Other Stereo Equipment" and "No highs, no lows, must be Bose".

So we ended up grabbing the Klipsch, and while they were good, he took them back because he came across better. The Logitech Z-2300 (2.1 system) sounds much better (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121122&ATT=36-121-122&CMP=OTC-d3alt1me&cm_mmc=OTC-d3alt1me-_-Speakers-_-Logitech+Inc.-_-36121122).
 
Well...if you really want to go minimalist, how about no speakers on your desktop? In other words if you already have a home stereo system, just get an Airport Express Base Station. Or if you don't, a good receiver/tuner and nice speakers are always a good investment, albeit spendy.
 
Hey thanks for all your help everyone!

I had done quite a bit of Googling and I wasn't getting anywhere. Since there are a lot of MBP owners out there, people should've had some good recommendations. That's why I came to the forum. It stops me from making bad purchases as well.

Anyway, it turned out to be worthwhile. I think I might actually buy those logitech ones, that's a nice find. Thanks Stridder44!

I was originally looking at the JBL Creature II Aluminium speakers, but I now realise that they probably didn't have the sound quality I am looking for. Does anyone have anything to say about them?
 
I've been using the Bose Companion 5 speakers and they sound great. the have a USB connection which provides awesome sound.

yeah, I know some people will say that Bose is over ratted but whatever. I think they sound great.
 
Yeah, totes buying the Logitech Z-2300 THX. That's sweet as!!! Thanks.
 
Well you could get a set of studio monitors. I have KRK RP-5's and they are the best sounding monitors in the price range (300 for a set of 2). Granted I use my MBP for audio recording, but everything in iTunes sounds incredible through them.
 
McBanjo said:
Hey thanks for all your help everyone!

I had done quite a bit of Googling and I wasn't getting anywhere. Since there are a lot of MBP owners out there, people should've had some good recommendations. That's why I came to the forum. It stops me from making bad purchases as well.

Anyway, it turned out to be worthwhile. I think I might actually buy those logitech ones, that's a nice find. Thanks Stridder44!

I was originally looking at the JBL Creature II Aluminium speakers, but I now realise that they probably didn't have the sound quality I am looking for. Does anyone have anything to say about them?
Click to expand...

No problem. Glad I could help. I have them too and, well...I mean crap you gotta mess with them in person to understand how awesome they are. Reading about them or looking at pics doesn't do them justice.
 
Just giving an update for everyone. I bought the speakers today for some outrageously cheap price AU$146 (roughly US$135.) This is guaranteed to be the cheapest price I can get in Australia, so I'm pretty impressed. I'm just happapapapapy I can enjoy my music again.

I'm going to go with Pukey's idea and get myself an Airport Express Base Station so I can move these massive things to my modular wall unit with no cables (YEAH).

Very happy, thanks everyone for all your help!
 
Out of curiosity, what notebook were you using before that had so much better built-in sound than a MBP? My 17" MBP has some of the best sound I have ever heard from a laptop. It actually has four speakers; two per side.
 
I wasn't

I wasn't using a notebook before. I moved from a custom-built desktop PC with Logitech X530 speakers to the Macbook Pro.

I needed a notebook for University and I couldn't stand not being in the Mac game.

But really, laptop speakers are very, very bad and are only really useful for system sounds, not music or movies.
 
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