Looking for Great Computer Speakers

[CoMpX]

I went to the Apple store today with my friends and bought the JBL Encounter 2.1 system. $150...not too bad. I didn't really have a chance to test them out too well because my sisters are asleep and I didn't want to bother them. I'll post back tomorrow after I really push them. They are sexy right off the bat, and sound good on low volume at least.

 

[Greenjeens]

i do the whole Computer to reciever to awesome speakers thing lol
I love it....although everyone else in the house hates it, sigh, oh well. lol other then that i dont have much experinece with other speaker systems so i am sorry im' not much help

I'm with you! Despite the improved engineering of "computer speaker" and low prices there's still major tradeoffs in sound quality.
THX certification sure isn't what it used to be! Personally, I don't care much for THX speakers to listen to music, even the expensive ones.

I use my Mac/ext HD just like a large music player much of the time and iTunes can sound very good with .aif or Apple Lossles encoding. AAC is suprisingly good despite a distrust of lossy formats.

A good quality pair of bookshelfs and a good sub will last many years and provide 1000's of hours of enjoyment.

I couldn't resist and just bought a pair of M&K B-1600 for $320. Not the highest audiophile rated by a longshot, but I liked the sound when they cost $1K. Great for nearfield monitors and the ten year warranty will keep them out of the ever growing A/V junkpile!
With the vent port plugged, they are very clean playing, high output sealed boxes and Velodyne servo 1200 (sealed) sub picks up the bass very cleanly. Not just a one note thump.

A 200 watt Carver amp handles the M&Ks and bass is directed to the powered Velodyne sub.

I have the luxury of picking from a pile of decent older audio gear, accumulated over the years of hooking up stereo/home theater.
Would love to replace the Adcom 565 preamp with a modern digital input receiver, but until I get a new Mac with digital audio out, the analog realm still works!

Anyway, before getting a pair of conventional computer speakers, finances and space permitting, everyone should go into a sound room and at least listen to some good bookshelf or sat/sub speakers. Good equipment will last 10-15+ years, and deliver beautiful music over that long life span, a much longer life than the generations of computers they get hooked up too.
A good powered sub is a requirement, but that can be added later.

-
dave

 

[CoMpX]

I got a chance to test out my new JBL Encounters today, and I am in awe. The bass is excellent, even is low volumes. My desk was shakinbg, and I couldn't be happier with the sound quality. 100% better than my old harmon/kardan 2.1 setup that came with my old Dell. eeeewww

 

[iPoster]

Lots of people recommend the JBL Creature II. Haven't heard them myself.

I love my Creature II's! Sound very good, the satellites don't take up much room on my small desk, and they match perfectly with my sunflower iMac! Got them IIRC for $75 on Amazon (plus shipping).

Only minus in my book is their lack of headphone out connection, though that is not a big deal on an iMac...

 

[Dr_Maybe]

Hifi amp + speakers

I've got a small hifi amp (NAD) with some small bookshelf speakers (B&W) hooked up to them. It sounds awesome - that hardware is made for music, and you can tell. Now I can really hear the quality of the recording. All the instruments, tape noise from the master tape if it's and old recording etc. It's like upgrading your music library - the music sounds much better.

It's probably a little more expensive than "high-end" computer speakers, but sounds much better. I couldn't spend $100+ on "computer speakers" like that. It seems like you just get some muddy bass compared to the built in speakers (of a laptop or iMac or what have you). To me, those are just toys.

For what you get, it's not that expensive, if you for instance get a hold of an old, used, quality hifi amp and some decent bookshelf speakers.

 

[aswitcher]

Very happy with my Altec Lansing FX6021s

 

[blitzkrieg79]

It depends on your budget and on your definition of an audiophile. If you want for music or gaming or movies? With that said, for around $50 you can get decent speakers from Logitech (X-230 2.1 Stereo System).

For around $110-$150 nothing beats Klipsch Promedia 2.1

And I am not a big fan of Bose speakers, I mean the build quality is good,the sound is crisp but it feels somewhat underpowered for the price.

But in all reality, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the speakers from big name companies (Logitech, Bose, Klipsch, Creative Labs).

Best advice, go to your electronics store and listen to them by yourself.

But my vote goes for Klipsch Promedia 2.1 (and even at 50% of its volume it sounds louder, better, and crisper than Bose at similar price)

 

[Xephian]

I would suggest getting the Klipsch ProMedia THX 2.1 speakers.

I use them on my PM Quad and they are awsome.

 

[MacAficionado]

I second the Encounter by JBL. These things are awesome.

 

[CubeHacker]

Newegg now sells the Swan M200's again (they stopped for a while). I have a pair and they do sound beautiful. They sound markedly different compared to the Klipsch I had before them however - the sound is more natural and music just seems to sound better. The Klipsch sounded more "powerful" and "boomy", but after a while I came to loathe that disconnected feeling you get when using a separate speaker (subwoofer) for bass.

Overall i'd say it depends on what you plan on doing with it. If movies or games are your forte, then go for the Klipsch. Same recommendation if you listen to a lot of "boomy" music. But if you want more natural sounding music, then go for the M200's. They look completely awesome to boot!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16836136102

 

[Joe2000]

As a result of my Dad owning a recording studio, mastering studio and production studio I'm an audiophile too!

I was in your situation about 4 months ago and after spending an hour or so in the Apple Store Regent Street in London sampling what they had to offer I made the decision to go with a set of Pro Monitors such as the Edriol MA-10A's as I do use GarageBand to make my own music occasionally. However I looked downstairs and came to an iMac G5 with all the music gear set up around it so I went and had a play and was amazed by the sound quality of the speakers. I read the label and saw they were the
Altec Lansing MX5021's. I was secondly amazed by the price! £120! Thats about $209. The Bass is provided by an 8" poly Sub @ 50W which sounds more like about 300W! Anyway I wont go into details as I have proivided a link to a NeoSeeker review on the system below. Also the speakers are THX Certified, they sound great whilst watching films.

My 100% reccomendation is the Altec Lansing MX5021, they are avaliable in glossy black or glossy white to match your iMac or iBook! Perfect!

http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/mx5021/

- Joe

 

[arcsbite]

I'm currently searching for speakers too,

I had a sound session today with the Bose companion III, the Soundsticks II, and the Encounters.

decided i'm gonna pay the extra and pick up the Bose, amazing speakers.

 

[mdavey]

Stereo 2.0 speakers with Bluetooth or optical input

I got a chance to test out my new JBL Encounters today, and I am in awe. The bass is excellent, even is low volumes. My desk was shakinbg, and I couldn't be happier with the sound quality. 100% better than my old harmon/kardan 2.1 setup that came with my old Dell.

Cool, glad you got sorted.

I am looking for some reasonable soundsticks style speakers in a stereo 2.0 configuration with either a Bluetooth connection or digital optical input. Can anyone suggest a make/model ?

 

[bah-bah'd]

Newegg now sells the Swan M200's again (they stopped for a while).

Actually, they are still out of stock. I have an optimistic Auto Notify, but not holding my breath since they are discontinued. However, I did find this while shopping today!

ONKYO CS-210 CD Receiver Shelf System $174.99 - CD player, FM tuner with 2x2 audio in (Tape & CDR) and optical out. I wish I would have seen this before I bought the Klipsh Pro Media 2.1 for my parents. Remote control, CD playback without the computer on if I want... Bass freq does not reach low enough @ 50 hz, but it comes with sub preout so an extra sub looks pretty required if you want full range.

Type: 2-Way, Bass Reflex
Nominal Impedance: 6ohm
Max. Power: 70 W
Frequency Response: 50 Hz-40 kHz

Copy Cut/Paste:
Immerse yourself in the surprising sonic clarity of this compact all-in-one CD Receiver. Perfect for anywhere you want to listen to music, whether its your home, office, school.. High quality build featuring 4-Ohm low-impedance-drive, Onkyos exclusive Wide Range Amplifier Technology (WRAT), single-bit D/A converter, and a high quality laser pickup are just a few of the features that add more depth to your CD media

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16882120009a

However, I did find this while shopping today!

ONKYO CS-210 CD Receiver Shelf System $174.99

Which is also out-of-stock. Ooops. Looks like I am not getting these from newegg either.