Audiophiles: Recommend me some good computer speakers

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m looking for some really good computer speakers (as good as can be reasonably expected). Most mass-market speakers I’ve heard have sounded pretty good and I assumed they were all sufficient for a not-hardcore-audiophile like me. But now I’ve got these creative labs speakers which are obviously muddy sounding, with the high range inadequate, the mids nonexistent, and the bass boomy (probably because the subwoofer is so overpowered compared to the speakers).

If you know good computer speakers from bad, please suggest some. I’m kind of disappointed, I figured creative labs should be a good brand, but apparently not.

2

I owned some cheap-but-good logitech ones. they sounded great in one room, but then lost everything in another. accoustics (which includes where in the room you put them) seemed to make a huge difference.

Personally, I like headphones. They are more consistent, and you get a lot more for what you pay. Plus, you don’t bother anyone.

3

Lessee… “audiophile” and “computer speakers” do not compute. Are you saying you want some little, shielded boxes with two inch woofers to sit next to your monitor and sound anything approaching realistic? Ain’t gonna happen. Plug the line out on your sound card into a decent stereo system with decent speakers and listen through that.

4

Question 1: What kind of sound card do you have in your puter?

Question 2: What kind of speaker set-up are you going for? 2, 2.1, 5.1 or 7.1? Of course this second question needs the answer to number one first.

I currently own a set of THX Logitech® Z-5300e which pump-out 280 watts, along with an Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS card – no longer stocked by SB, BTW. Love the sound. This is a mid-range configuration that can be had for about $200.00 bucks. Less, I guess, if you shop around.

For a 2.1 system, I just gave my nephew a set of THX certified
Logitech® Z-2300. 'bout $140…kick-ass sound, both for music and/or movies. Not a gamer here.

Anyway, as you can I am quite partial to Logitech and their speaker-line. Good prices, great bang for the buck. But don’t forget you also need a midically good sound card to go along with the speakers. Sound Blaster gives you a ton of options.

Wanna go higher? Klipsch has a richly deserved rep for outstanding speakers, computer and otherwise. Check out their
ProMedia GMX A-2.1 System and/or the room-blasting, 500 watts, ProMedia Ultra 5.1 System

Hope that helps a tad.

5

midically = modically

6

Definitely helpful, thanks.

7

Not really an audiophile, but I’ll second the set RedFury suggested. I own essentially the same one, its predecessor I think, and I’ve been pretty happy with them.

My husband owns the Logitech Z-5500 Digital set and he’s really happy with it.

8

Ditto on the “headphones” suggestion if that’s an option for you. Dollar for dollar, you’ll end up with far better sound quality.

Another thing I’ve done is use a spare integrated amp I had; I plugged in a set of small Mission bookshelf speakers and ran a cable from the computer’s line out jack.

9

My pleasure. Now that I have a bit more time, I’d like to add a couple of more points – and perhaps even make them readable :slight_smile:

1-You alone need determine the use you’re gong to be giving your 'puter’s sound system. IOW, if you’re mostly a gamer, my advice might be for naught for I am not. That said, my own set of Logitechs is supposedly geared to gamers. It just so happens that I really enjoy their sound for my purposes, namely music and movies.

2-I want to emphasize again, that you need a good sound card if you’re going to invest and improve you computer sound. Kind of like buying Alexandria speakers and running them through a cheapo Korean/Taiwanese/Chinese mass-market no-name amp.

3-In that sense there are many semi-professional sound cards which might sound great but I have absolutely no use for, as I am not a musician, composer nor DJ. No use for their many musical inputs/mixers.

4-Thus I go back to my original suggestion, Sound Blaster, who go all the way from their lowly but highly efficient Sound Blaster 5.1 to their newly released and amazing X-Fi series. Albeit, my own Audigy is also a very good sound-card and can be had at very good prices at the moment.

Hmm…thank that about covers it. I’ll just add that psycat90’s husband’s Logitech® Z-5500 Digital are the latest addition to their line. Tell you what though, as good as they are – and they are – I’m not totally sold on digital sound as of yet. Just changed my whole hometheater, replaced my old analog Sony amp for newfangled digital JVC…and I dunno, the sound might even be cleaner, but as of yet I think I liked the more “combined” signal analog gave me.

Oh, one last thing the 2.1 set I liked from Klipsch was the ProMedia 2.1 System, not the GMX I mistakenly mentioned before.

Right. Think that covers it. Hope I haven’t bored you too much.

Just enjoy this topic quite a bit.

10

Those are what I have. I like them, and the sound is great when they’re turned up (just a little; doesn’t have to be much), but when there’s no or little sound, you can hear a light hiss coming out of the speakers.

11

Curious: which of the two do you have? If it’s the GMX 2.1, I was a bit disapointed with during the demo was the overpowering sound of the woofer – no matter how tweaked. OTOH, I loved the Pro Media 5.1, just didn’t fit my budget.

BTW, about the hiss, check your wiring/connections if you haven’t already done so. I know, rather obvious, but it happens. Had a faulty plug once. Was ready to chuck the whole system 'cause of it. Good thinng I have a more pacient friend :slight_smile:

12

I’m also looking for a decent, but inexpensive set of computer speakers. I put a home kit in the living room for my satellite radio. The radio is currently plugged into some throwaway speakers I got with my last computer.

Any ideas?

13

I have the 2.1 setup. I haven’t had problems with the woofer, but maybe it’s a preference thing. I’m not much of an audiophile, though.

I’ll have my husband look at the wiring. For some reason, no matter that I am rather technologically proficient, I simply cannot do speaker setups.

14

I’ve got a set of those, and for the price, they’re not too shabby. I keep the sub turned down almost all the way and keep it off to the side, not directly underneath my desk. When I was shopping around I liked the Bose 2.1 system more, just not $100 more.

15

[QUOTE=RedFury]

4-Thus I go back to my original suggestion, Sound Blaster, who go all the way from their lowly but highly efficient Sound Blaster 5.1 to their newly released and amazing X-Fi series. Albeit, my own Audigy is also a very good sound-card and can be had at very good prices at the moment.
[/QUOTE]

I’ve got an Audigy 2, which I figured was a modestly price but decent card, should that be sufficient?

I guess I’m puzzled to hear that there could be that much difference in sound cards. Compared to something like graphics cards, which are like little computers in their own way, I figured sound cards were basically a commodity item at this point. so is there a big spectrum of quality in sound cards?

16

[QUOTE=Brain Wreck]
I’ve got an Audigy 2, which I figured was a modestly price but decent card, should that be sufficient?

I guess I’m puzzled to hear that there could be that much difference in sound cards. Compared to something like graphics cards, which are like little computers in their own way, I figured sound cards were basically a commodity item at this point. so is there a big spectrum of quality in sound cards?
[/QUOTE]

Point of fact, sound cards are “litle computers of their own” :slight_smile:

Now, I am not going to argue that if you want the absolute best in sound from your computer, nothing beats hooking it up through a high-end hi-fi amp/system as was mentioned upthread. There are simply limits to what a sound card and self-powered speakers can do – size, for instance, having a lot to do with it.

Having said that, again, much depends what role you want your computer audio to play in your home and just how much of an audiophile you really are. For instance, I have my dektop computer in my room, and as I said before, whether for music or movies, I am more than pleased with my set-up – I hardly need to crank my speakers more than half way – and that’s just for DVD’s which need more volume anyway. MP-3s and CDs sound just fine with little more than 1/4 to a 1/3 of the total watts I have available – unless, of ocurse, I was having a dance-party in my room. Not something I’m known for doing.

For that, I have a whole different Home Theater rig – which as I mentioned before, I just upgraded from my last unit which was coming up on six years of use. No need to go into the particulars of that system, but let’s just say that if I really want to crank my audio and/or watch a rental DVD, a 62" DLP screen, along with a 7.1 speaker set-up pumping out 1200 watts, will make my desktop rig sound silly.

So, you see, its a matter of scales.

In closing, if you use your computer like me, and just want good, solid sound (not “audophile” class mind you), I really don’t think you can go wrong with the Logitechs or the Klipschs that have been mentioned here.

As for sound cards and what they mean and do to your computer sound, here are a couple of articles that might help you understand their function a bit better – and by the bye, if your Audigy is a PCI card (not onboard), I think you’re fine sticking with it. Solid card all-around if not top-of-the line anymore.

Anyway:

SOUND CARDS

Hear It All with Surround Sound

17

I plan to get some better speakers for my computer… right now I’m running through some twenty-year-old Fisher speakers copnnected to my Harman-Kardon stereo receiver. (Note: no 5.1 surround or anything.) I plan to buy a pair of relatively-inexpensive studio monitors at CPUsed.

However…

The one thing I haven’t seen mentioned is the noise the computer makes. The fan noise my computer makes far outweighs the improvement I would get if I bought the new speakers now. (Of course, they would be handy when not using the computer, but I digress…)

I plan to make my next computer a fanless silent one with honkin’ big heat sinks. :slight_smile:

18

[QUOTE=RedFury]

Oh, one last thing the 2.1 set I liked from Klipsch was the ProMedia 2.1 System

[/quote]

I have these speakers, and I’ve been very happy with them. They blew similarly-priced systems from Creative Labs and Logitech out of the water. There was really no contest.

19

[QUOTE=fishbicycle]
Plug the line out on your sound card into a decent stereo system with decent speakers and listen through that.
[/QUOTE]
That’s what I do. And when I went from using the 3way 6x9 car speakers to the 3way speakers that came from Aiwa, I noticed it was a step backwards. Don’t get me started on the Toyota stereo in my new Matrix. I think it’s really the speakers, but ICK.