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What are the best Macbook pro 2.1 speakers under $100?
- Thread starter Mike1527
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If you can save up a little extra money
I love my Z-2300's from Logitech for my desktop. I got them a year ago and they were only $80 now they're a bit more expensive. The bass on them is amazing enough to shake my room and I could of turned them up more (quite a bit more too), perfect for college
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121122&Tpk=z-2300
If you can save up a little extra money
I love my Z-2300's from Logitech for my desktop. I got them a year ago and they were only $80 now they're a bit more expensive. The bass on them is amazing enough to shake my room and I could of turned them up more (quite a bit more too), perfect for college
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121122&Tpk=z-2300
These look really nice. In your opinion are they loud enough with no distortion for a party in a small apartment?
I completely agree with mackid. I've got a pair of Swans M10s, and for their price they're fantastic. Plenty of power, a nice crossover that allows you to get nice bass response. It won't give you the bass that you'll be lusting after for say....rap...but for most musical genres and for dialogue they're utterly fantastic.
The only set that might be comparable in that price is Boston Acoustics 2.1 setup.
I have these and they rock. They are plenty capable to bump it up for a party in a small apartment (which I have done). The speakers look small but they pack quite a punch. Only thing that would make these stellar would be a wireless remote to control volume. I have these hooked up to my PS3/Xbox 360 in my apartment and numerous people have commented on how great they sound and my sister even went out and bought some for her placce to use with her system after hearing mine. They are a little heavy on the bass though and even turning bass way down still leaves a prominence in there.
Ah, just a pet peeve of mine... sorry for the rant.
12" speakers mean nothing without context. Speaker diameter is one of many factors. A properly tuned box is equally important. Throw 12's in a too-small box, and the bass response will actually choke (blame physics). In a car, you almost always get better response from a pair of properly tuned 8" or 6.5" speakers rather than larger speakers, unless you want SPLs over clear bass response. Just as an example of speaker size not the only determining factor, the loudest and clearest box I own has a pair of 10" custom Eminence, and does +/-3 dB 41Hz to 22 kHz -6 dB at 31 Hz at 93dB. From a bass response perspective, it outperforms any 15" or 18" woofer I have used (considering size restraints). I have a pair and have used them as monitors, pushed buy a proper Crown power amplifier (pushing 1,100 watts into each one). Lovely, clear, even response. Not a lot of flavor.
If you are talking about having background music for a party, you are not talking high SPLs. If you want to kick out some bass and scare your neighbors without distorting, you'll need more than $150.
If you want more bass in a room, take a look at speaker placement. Each room is different, but generally if you get your subwoofer in a corner, you'll gain some response for the sacrifice of some clarity.
That Swan set looks nice. A bargain at the price given the reviews.
You might be interested in the JBL Creature speakers. They are not made anymore but you can find a set on eBay.
I disagree with you. Like I mentioned in my review, these are really made for music. In that, the mid-woofer is not designed to shake the floor, rather project the sound of the bass. You get the same effect of hearing the bass, but without the rattle and the distortion. These are extremely accurate particularly because of the bass. I love KRK sub, but in all honesty, when it's just me listening to music I don't want the floor shaking. I know how loud my speakers are...really...
They are more suited for movies/video games then the Swans, but if you really want the excessive bass (and when I mean excessive, the shaking bass vs. the accurate bass) then get the Klipsch Pro Media 2.1. I highly recommend the Swan's, it's not easy to find people that are disappointed with them.
In that case, we aren't going to try to convince you about accuracy.
His handle does indicate he plays guitar, after all.
And he/she goes to Virginia Tech, oh the ACC love...
The Swan's bass is punchy, others are more shaking. The Swans feature a midwoofer as opposed to the subwoofer. But don't let anyone confuse you, it's more then suitable for any application, unless you were solely gaming.
I just dropped in best buy every few weeks and eventually i caught an open box theater system, so now i get to use my optical out for music or movies
I understand all these things about response. My box is custom built and I have everything running through a three way crossover and its all time corrected with no rear fill, and the response is very acceptable considering the amount of power its capable of (though i usually run them very low). Obviously the amount of bass my car produces is greater than what I expect from a desktop speaker set. I was just trying to show that I like a noticable bass response without too much distortion. I also worry about the proper crossover settings to ensure that bass does not distort the midrange speakers as this is one of my greatest pet peeves.
One thing to also consider with the bass on the Swans. Yes, they do provide more accurate bass, but not the thunderous shake the ground type that some systems strive for.
Unlike other 2.1s, the woofer is not designed to go on the ground, it's designed to to on top of your desk, ideally in line with your display.
M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 Speakers
After about three years of trying and testing practically every 2.1 speaker system that was available to purchase under $200, I can tell you without hesitation that the M-Audio Studiophile AV40 speakers were far and away the best overall sounding 2.1 speakers under $200 that Ive heard.
The M-Audio Studiophile AV40 speakers are top notch studio grade sounding speakers. The AV40 Studiophile speakers have 4 polypropylene-coated woofers, 3/4 ferrofluid-cooled silk dome tweeters, OptImage III tweeter wave guides, and 20-watt-per-channel amplifier with Class A/B architecture for a rich, clear and powerful sound experience.
The bass put out by these speakers is exceptional considering the size of the speakers and the highs are very clear and silky smooth. Music, movies, or anything that you listen to, these speakers will not disappoint you. You could find them online for under $150 if you look in the right places.
If you want something at $100 or slightly below that, the smaller but still great sounding little brother of the AV40 speakers, the AV30 speakers would be my second choice. You cant go wrong with either the AV40 or the AV30 speakers. The AV40 speakers just pack a bigger punch than the AV30 speakers. Dont just take my word for it, do a search online for written and video reviews on the AV40 and AV30 Studiophile speakers to see for yourself how awesome these speakers are. Here are several links to read reviews on the AV40 Studiophile speakers.
http://reviews.cnet.com/separate-speakers/m-audio-studiophile-av/4505-7869_7-32381162.html
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Studiophile-AV-Powered-Speakers/dp/B000MUXJCO
http://www.futurelooks.com/m-audio-studiophile-av40-desktop-speaker-system-review/
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836127004
http://review.zdnet.com/product/separate-speakers/m-audio-studiophile-av-40/32381162
After about three years of trying and testing practically every 2.1 speaker system that was available to purchase under $200, I can tell you without hesitation that the M-Audio Studiophile AV40 speakers were far and away the best overall sounding 2.1 speakers under $200 that Ive heard.
The M-Audio Studiophile AV40 speakers are top notch studio grade sounding speakers. The AV40 Studiophile speakers have 4 polypropylene-coated woofers, 3/4 ferrofluid-cooled silk dome tweeters, OptImage III tweeter wave guides, and 20-watt-per-channel amplifier with Class A/B architecture for a rich, clear and powerful sound experience.
The bass put out by these speakers is exceptional considering the size of the speakers and the highs are very clear and silky smooth. Music, movies, or anything that you listen to, these speakers will not disappoint you. You could find them online for under $150 if you look in the right places.
If you want something at $100 or slightly below that, the smaller but still great sounding little brother of the AV40 speakers, the AV30 speakers would be my second choice. You cant go wrong with either the AV40 or the AV30 speakers. The AV40 speakers just pack a bigger punch than the AV30 speakers. Dont just take my word for it, do a search online for written and video reviews on the AV40 and AV30 Studiophile speakers to see for yourself how awesome these speakers are. Here are several links to read reviews on the AV40 Studiophile speakers.
http://reviews.cnet.com/separate-speakers/m-audio-studiophile-av/4505-7869_7-32381162.html
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Studiophile-AV-Powered-Speakers/dp/B000MUXJCO
http://www.futurelooks.com/m-audio-studiophile-av40-desktop-speaker-system-review/
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836127004
http://review.zdnet.com/product/separate-speakers/m-audio-studiophile-av-40/32381162
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And just one more question...are the swans easy to hook up to my mac pro? Like is it just plug and play? jw
I believe they are p & p, but mackid can chime in since he has them. they are beautiful looking though.
Ok, the Swan specs look really good but what about decent USB powered speakers? Are they all crap?
I know there isn't anything out there to rival the output of the swans without an external power source but has any manufacturer been able to put out something decent with portable speakers?
I know there isn't anything out there to rival the output of the swans without an external power source but has any manufacturer been able to put out something decent with portable speakers?