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Which Speakers To Buy

M

mike5411

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 15, 2008
135
0
Before someone tells me to search, I have already thoroughly researched and it has just left me more confused.

Basically I want a set of speakers for my computer. Preferably I would like to spend under 150 but as with everything, I do have some exceptions in my list of speakers.


Soundstick II
These speakers cost around 95 on Amazon.com but it does not qualify for free shipping so they will come out to around 115 to 120 shipped. From what I hear, they sound amazing and are probably the best value. I am not sure if I am in love with the design or if the sound is really that good.

Logitech z-2300
My roommate has these speakers. I am rather unimpressed with these speakers. I am including these in the group so you guys can get an idea of what I dont like. I feel as if the bass is overpowering and they are lacking mids.

M-Audio AV 40
These are probably my first choice thus far. I heard that they sound really good, but i'm not sure if a 2.0 system over a 2.1 would be better. these cost around 130 off of amazon

Bose Companion 5
From reading the review, there is a lot of dislike towards bose. I own a set of quiet comfort 2s and i have to say they are amazing headphones. Basically I almost feel like my speakers should be more expensive than my headphones and bose has 10 percent off right now so they are only 369.

What would each of you pick out of this list and most importantly why. I have honestly researched so much and in the end just confused myself so much. I dont even know what I should get anymore. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!
-Mike
 
I have the Soundsticks and they do sound sweet.

I haven't tried the others you have listed so can't comment on which is better but the Soundsticks look anbd sound great! Plus they match most Macs.
 
Definately go with M-Audio AV 40. I have a pair. Before buying them I did a really deep research. I am more than happy with them. Impressive bass, high notes and even surround is capable of handling.

dont think buying anythhing else!

M-Audio Rocks!
 
M-Audio AV 40 or your burning your money.

Quick Recap because its been asked here lots before:

Soundsticks II: Look Good, Sound Bad (doesn't really matter if you arnt an audiophile, but im not and i notice the difference!)

Bose: Great media hype, good advertising, everyone thinks they're great, but really they suck big time

Logitech z-2300: 2nd best option, i quite like these but as you said bass heavy because gamers seem to like them

M-Audio AV 40: Good choice, deffo go for 2.1, dont look amazing but have good bass response and sweet mid tones
 
mike5411 said:
snip speaker choices
Click to expand...
Of those I would and could vouch for the M-Audios. I will say my Soundsticks sounded great for my needs. I was in a smaller room though so that may have helped. They filled a 12x12 room nicely. This is something no one ever seems to give any credence to.
vga4life said:
Audioengine A2
Click to expand...
Nice but that wasn't a choice. ;)
However, the A2s are fantastic from what I understand, I have no experience with them.
MAGICMOXTER said:
M-Audio AV 40 or your burning your money.

Quick Recap because its been asked here lots before:

Soundsticks II: Look Good, Sound Bad (doesn't really matter if you arnt an audiophile, but im not and i notice the difference!)
Click to expand...
"aren't"
But anyway, you're opinion is fine but it is an opinion. They look good and sound ok. They're not A2s or FX602s but they are good for their money. Great sound for the value or whatever they like to say.
Bose: Great media hype, good advertising, everyone thinks they're great, but really they suck big time
Click to expand...
Great media hype yes. Are they ok for casual use? Yes. Are they costing more than they should because of aforementioned brand value? Yes. Your money is spent more wisely elsewhere. I have Bose but I bought them for the size and nothing else. I paid $400 to have something small. A total waste of money but they are exactly what I needed/wanted.
Logitech z-2300: 2nd best option, i quite like these but as you said bass heavy because gamers seem to like them
Click to expand...
Gamers like them because they have good lows and highs and that is pretty important when playing certain games (FPS). However, I think the clear winner of the choices that are listed are the M-Audios. Second to that would be the A2s, which weren't listed.
M-Audio AV 40: Good choice, deffo go for 2.1, dont look amazing but have good bass response and sweet mid tones
Click to expand...
"sweet mid tones" curious, do they advertise good mid-tones because I don't totally agree here. I agree mid-tones are evident but not "sweet" as you say. Again, they're the clear winner but they're not the be all end all of the pack. Then again, I don't know if I directly know many people who pay a whole lot of attention to true audiophile sound from their computer. Home theater, yes, but not so much on the computer.
 
...I was just very happily surprised by the Tritton sound bite I just got for my laptops - good bass, mids and highs from a 5 inch round disk...$25 from walmart and very portable...I couldn't believe all that sound was coming from something that size/price...
 
hey guys

i don't mean to hijack this thread (but i guess i am a little). i saw a pair of speakers (2.0 i believe) that had a sheet of glass or clear plastic or something in front of the cone. they were on amazon's front page for a while and i was looking at them on that site for around $75. does anyone know anything about these speakers? brand, model, sound quality, etc.

thanks

ps m-audio has superb speakers and monitors. i've always been impressed with their products
 
mike5411 said:
Before someone tells me to search, I have already thoroughly researched and it has just left me more confused.

Basically I want a set of speakers for my computer. Preferably I would like to spend under 150 but as with everything, I do have some exceptions in my list of speakers.


Soundstick II
These speakers cost around 95 on Amazon.com but it does not qualify for free shipping so they will come out to around 115 to 120 shipped. From what I hear, they sound amazing and are probably the best value. I am not sure if I am in love with the design or if the sound is really that good.

Logitech z-2300
My roommate has these speakers. I am rather unimpressed with these speakers. I am including these in the group so you guys can get an idea of what I dont like. I feel as if the bass is overpowering and they are lacking mids.

M-Audio AV 40
These are probably my first choice thus far. I heard that they sound really good, but i'm not sure if a 2.0 system over a 2.1 would be better. these cost around 130 off of amazon

Bose Companion 5
From reading the review, there is a lot of dislike towards bose. I own a set of quiet comfort 2s and i have to say they are amazing headphones. Basically I almost feel like my speakers should be more expensive than my headphones and bose has 10 percent off right now so they are only 369.

What would each of you pick out of this list and most importantly why. I have honestly researched so much and in the end just confused myself so much. I dont even know what I should get anymore. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!
-Mike
Click to expand...

Coming from an Audio file background, I would disagee with some of the posters, but everyones ears are different. Men in particular can not really hear deep base, or extreme highs, etc.

I have the JBL Sound Sticks, and depending on the music you listen you, they sound find. If your into Jazz, or Classical, I would elsewhere however.

One company that makes true audio file computer speakers does not get mentioned often. And while they are about $30 more than the $150 your suggesting, I would check them out.

I am referring to BostonAcoustics: http://www.bostonacoustics.com/MM-226-Computer-Speaker-System-P83.aspx

Hope you find what your looking for and enjoy hours of pleasing sound, (to your ears).
 
Narrowed it down to three...

Ok everyone, thanks for the suggestions so far! It really helped but I still need a little more help. It is always difficult when trying to pick out the right speakers, especially over the internet where I can't just listen to them in order for the sound to sell me on the product.

These are in no particular order...

Logitech Z-2300
- I like these speakers since they have many many positive reviews. I also like them since I have heard them in person since my roommate has them. I feel that they sound very good, but they are lacking a little bit in the mid-range and they are a little bass happy. I'm not sure if it is more that they truly are lacking or if I am just trying to isolate flaws since I am being so critical during my listening sessions. Also, the sub is quite large but that is not a huge concern. I also like the price since they are the cheapest. They are $116.08 (91.03 + 25.05 shipping). They seem hard to beat for that price.

M-Audio Studiophile AV40
-I like these speakers since they have stellar reviews and should sound great. They should be enough to fill up the room. I suppose I am kind of wary since they are a 2.0 system. Normally I do not think this would be a problem since I usually listen to Alternative music but occasionally I will listen to some techno or house. I feel like these speakers may be lacking in this category. Also, I have never heard them in person so Z-2300s, they are 136.79.

Boston Acoustics MM 226
-These speakers were originally not on my list. To be honest, I did not know they existed. I did not hear much about them but one of the previous posters brought it to my attention. It looks like they may be a good match if the satellites are of good quality. It also has a sub, but it is smaller than the z-2300s so it might not be as bass bearing. But they look kind of cheaply built from the website and I never heard them. These are at the bottom of the three choices, but I figured I would get another opinion from them. They are the most expensive at around 140 from compusa.com

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
 
M-Audio, yes; AV-40, maybe

I've owned all four of M-Audio's powered speakers that have 3- or 4-inch woofers:
StudioPro 3 (older 3-inch)
AV-30 (newer 3-inch)
DX4 (older 4-inch)
AV-40 (newer 4-inch)

On both the AV-30 and AV-40, one speaker stopped playing and the rotary volume control could not trim the sound below 10 percent. Trust me, I tried every conceivable combination of switching cables, switching inputs (on the AV-40), switching right speaker; the problem was consistent. Given the raves, I suppose m-Audio has cleared up whatever quality control issues plagued my samples. In any event, I now use two pairs of StudioPro 3s at work (one for each computer) and a pair of DX4s at home. The DX4s, and one set of StudioPros, are fed through by HotAudio40's M-Audio AV 40 MarkIV USB DAC/amp, available on eBay. The DX4s sound sweet and detailed. The StudioPro 3's, with silk tweeters, already had the cleanest midrange and treble; with the MarkIV and a Yamaha subwoofer, they're dynamite.
 
I absolutely love my z2200 ( they sound better than the z2300's !! )


The 2200 uses the older generation (Z-560/Z-680) satellties which had more internal volume, were ported and had better full range response. I would definitely go with the 2200 for sound quality.
Click to expand...

They are a great bang for the buck ( got mine for $60)

a) they do not lack mids like the z2300
b) You can lower the bass via windows


I have my bass all the way down on the remote control AND i have it lowered on the advanced windows audio properties ( they really are bass heavy)

once you lower the bass, I recommend you also slightly raise the treble for the best audio range
 
My comment and another option

I was torn when trying to buy speakers as you have to buy digital ones to get surround. I was not a huge logitech fan but considered them a lot.

So out of that list I still the the logitechs are the best. Perhaps you just need some fine tuning to setup for your listening preferences.

However, I will add another to the list and suggest the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1's. This is what I have and I love them. Yes they are only 2.1, but the sound is excellent and you can easily tailor the bass from tight and controlled to boooooooom booooooom loud. I'll apologize in advance if these are now "out of print." I can't seem to find a good source other than Klipsch.com.
 
I have a set of Logitech Z-2200s and they are amazing. I heard that Logitech went cheap on the Z-2300s and they have smaller drivers than those in the 2200s.

They put out a good sound at a good price.
 
CalPoly10 said:
I have a set of Logitech Z-2200s and they are amazing. I heard that Logitech went cheap on the Z-2300s and they have smaller drivers than those in the 2200s.

They put out a good sound at a good price.
Click to expand...

The thing is the z2000/z680/z560 speaker was properly designed. It's huge and somewhat unattractive, but its large size is because it was tuned and ported correctly. The z2300 traded sound quality for stylized new looks
 
I have the Logitech Z-2300's and I think their amazing!!!

I was in this same debate about a month ago and to tell you the truth, the only problem I can see with the logitechs are that the sub is huge. Other than that, I LOVE THEM!!
 
Here are some shots i took of mine.. I use them about about 25% volume for normal listening, 50% if i want to disturb my neighbors

Its the first six or so images of my flickr
3215310221_95e988f793.jpg

3215310459_96ef8ac20f.jpg

3215310965_fdfa9cec2c.jpg

3216162286_fd6b497878.jpg

3215310665_d70098e511.jpg

3215310083_4eeddae202.jpg



Higher Res at my flickr
 
They look good, I had considered those for a good 2.0 set up. the problem is that you need a fair amount of deskspace for those speakers. I would consider the M audio "bookshelf speakers" as oppose to desk ones
 
AndrewLyle, Thank you for the pictures! These pictures helped sell me on the M-Audios. They look like they are very well made compared to the plastic-y look of the z-2300s. I will let everyone know what I think once i get them!

Thanks again, Mike
 
Don't wanna steal this thread, but just a quick question: I have an early '08 MBP, and currently I use the Headphones jack to connect my laptop to the AUX jack of my Hi-Fi. However, if you listen close to the speakers you can hear a slight electric buzz, which kind of annoys me.

Would the buzz still exist if I bought the M-Audio speakers?
 
jon08 said:
Don't wanna steal this thread, but just a quick question: I have an early '08 MBP, and currently I use the Headphones jack to connect my laptop to the AUX jack of my Hi-Fi. However, if you listen close to the speakers you can hear a slight electric buzz, which kind of annoys me.

Would the buzz still exist if I bought the M-Audio speakers?
Click to expand...

Do you still hear the buzz when theres no music playing?
 
How do you like the m-audio AV 40

I'm exactly where you were a week or so ago; trying to decide between Logitech Z-2300 and the M-Audio AV 40. I'm leaning AV 40's but want some validation.
Do you like them?
 
Get Klipsch Promedia 2.1

Absolutely amazing speakers and under $150 on eBay.
 
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