2.0/2.1 Computer Speaker Set-up

[IslandStylin]

(posted this in general, but perhaps it's better suited here?)

So I just built my first rig and it's ALIVE! But I want to give it a voice and what better way to do that than with a set of speakers. I am either thinking of going the bookshelf route or the 2.1 route. Would like to spend less than $75 on speakers. Looking to mostly use them for music and some gaming.

I saw the Pioneer Bookshelf speakers in the HOT DEALS section of this forum and was wondering if that would suit my needs or if I should get something else.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687

Going to be plugging these speakers directly into my computer. The baord is able to do 5.1 I know I probably should buy a sound card, but maybe that will come at a later date as of now.

I have a small room so I don't think they need to shake the house down in any regards. I mostly listen to eletronic, rock, reggae, and hip hop.

Any and all suggestions are welcome. Looking for the best bang for your buck. Doesn't have to be the highest quality speakers, but I definitely don't want to hear a hissing or clipping. Just want them to handle every day use

Thanks

I also found a Klipsch promedia 4.1 used system (almost 4 years old) in working condition for $50. I have heard about these having a short life span..would this be way too risky of a buy?)

 

[fralexandr]

those require an amplifier to run, you might be able to find a cheap stereo amp to power them i guess and they're definitely going to be better than most computer speakers, also it's kind of frowned upon to make duplicate threads
something like
http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PCA1-30-W...2979069&sr=1-1

with the 30w pyle, you should get the 3.5mm to rca female cable that's "frequently bought together"

or this 20w
http://www.amazon.com/Lepai-Tripath-.../ref=pd_cp_e_0
if you have other stuff you want to buy on amazon (for free shipping). you'll need to get a 3.5mm male to 3.5mm male cable and plug it into the mp3 port i think for this one

----------
you'll also have to buy some speaker cable
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10239&cs_id=1023904&p_id=4044&seq=1&format=2
those are the smallest spool of cable i could find on monoprice. 18 awg should be good for up to ~8ft, if you don't need that much distance, you can go thinner. As per the stickied general home theater thread, cablesforless.com and partsexpress.com (dayton cables) are also good places to shop for cables.

cut the cable as short as you need; you'll need to strip the wrappings (easier with a dedicated wire stripping tool, some needle nose plyers can do this; if you're careful you can even use scissors) to expose the copper wire on both ends of the cable, the resulting cable should be as shown in the monoprice picture; then attach the exposed wire to the speaker terminals and the amplifier, being sure to match the colors.

just be aware that those amplifiers can only handle 30w and 20w respectively, if you turn the volume up too high it'll probably kill the amp i think. they should be enough for computer uses though

----------
monoprice sells speakers now
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...090407&p_id=8250&seq=1&format=3#specification hah

 

[jhansman]

IMO, the Pioneers would be overkill for a computer, even for gaming. I have these speakers in my workshop, and they are perfect for that environment. If I were to put them up next to my monitor, I'd never be able to run them at their performance levels. Honestly, Logitech makes 2.1 solutions that sound great, have reasonable form factors, and are designed to work in tandem with your computer. Get the Pios, but use them where they can do the most good; mine eventually will become my rear surrounds.

 

[kornphlake]

With your budget I'd suggest some amplified computer speakers rather than home theater or hifi speakers. Shopping used is always an option and might allow you to audition the speakers before purchasing.

 

[GrumpyMan]

I use the M-Audio AV40s. For just a computer in a small room, they are more than good enough with my Asus Xonar Essence ST sound card. Even with the onboard mobo audio they sound pretty good. When I really want to hear good music I put on my cans.

 

[gorb]

IMO, the Pioneers would be overkill for a computer, even for gaming. I have these speakers in my workshop, and they are perfect for that environment. If I were to put them up next to my monitor, I'd never be able to run them at their performance levels. Honestly, Logitech makes 2.1 solutions that sound great, have reasonable form factors, and are designed to work in tandem with your computer. Get the Pios, but use them where they can do the most good; mine eventually will become my rear surrounds.

:thumbsdown:

 

[kornphlake]

:thumbsdown:

Thank you for your helpful post

 

[NutBucket]

I use the M-Audio AV40s. For just a computer in a small room, they are more than good enough with my Asus Xonar Essence ST sound card. Even with the onboard mobo audio they sound pretty good. When I really want to hear good music I put on my cans.

Best solution IMHO.

 

[ky54]

I use the M-Audio AV40s. For just a computer in a small room, they are more than good enough with my Asus Xonar Essence ST sound card. Even with the onboard mobo audio they sound pretty good. When I really want to hear good music I put on my cans.

I just (today) bought a pair of AV40's for monitors on my sound board for recording. I paid about 130 (120 plus 10 NY tax/free shipping on ebay) so they are a bit more than the OP wanted to spend. I'm glad to see someone that's using them likes them. Because on a sound board cans are a bit weird (I use Senns) I need some speakers that accurately represent the sound and from what I read the AV40's are the best for under 200. I'm happy to see someone that's using them likes them.

If the OP is interested PM me and I'll send ya the info for where I got them.

 

[pandemonium]

Given your music genre preferences, I'd definitely suggest a 2.1 at minimum. Without a woofer you'll be missing a larger part of your songs: dedicated bass response.

 

[alcoholbob]

Thank you for your helpful post

It's actually quite helpful. Pioneer's being overkill is like saying a 22" monitor being overkill for a gaming PC.

 

[gorb]

And yes those pioneers would work just fine with a little chip amp. I probably would wait for them to be on sale before buying them though.

 

[Kaido]

I use the M-Audio AV40s. For just a computer in a small room, they are more than good enough with my Asus Xonar Essence ST sound card. Even with the onboard mobo audio they sound pretty good. When I really want to hear good music I put on my cans.

I have AV40's on my computer as well and LOVE them. They sound fabulous (at any volume, even lower ones) and fit on the desk nicely.

I also have a pair of Sennheiser HD-280's for headphone listening. Great combo imo.

 

[IslandStylin]

Thanks for all the info thus far everyone.

The M-Audio AV40s though probably rock solid are a bit out of my budget. I really wanted to keep my budget at $75 and below for a nice system.

The Pioneer' were at $50, but now that the sale is over (i am sure it will happen again soon) I won't be getting them. Though I have not completely crossed it off the block yet.

Pandemonium is right. I think a 2.1 system might be the right way to go the more I think about it. I want a good amount of bass if listening to the types of music I like. Any specific suggestions on these?

The offer for those 4 year old Klipsch promedia 4.1 speakers are still on the table if I want those for $50. Though so many reviews have said steer clear if there is no warranty. They seem to be fine now though. Too high a risk factor?

 

[GrumpyMan]

I have AV40's on my computer as well and LOVE them. They sound fabulous (at any volume, even lower ones) and fit on the desk nicely.

I also have a pair of Sennheiser HD-280's for headphone listening. Great combo imo.

That's the exact current setup I have now. I love it. I will be getting a pair of Senn HD700s in the near future though, but for now I love the setup. And the base on the AV40s is outstanding for a 2.0 setup, more than I care to hear since I do not like rap or hip hop music at all. I like a nice clean even sound with no one instrument overpowering the others. I had a set of those Klipsch 4.1 speakers and they are fabulous, the electronic components tend to burn out easily though, so I got rid of them after the caps in the sub and the volume controller burned out on them.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :whiste:

 

[kornphlake]

It's actually quite helpful. Pioneer's being overkill is like saying a 22" monitor being overkill for a gaming PC.

I honestly thought gorb was opposed to the idea of using the pioneers as surround speakers . There were a half dozen points made by jhansman, some were good suggestions, like using speakers designed for near field listening rather than bookshelf speakers.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but an emoticon in response to a thousand words is worth what, 2 cents?

 

[gorb]

I disagreed with a lot of his post - not just the part where he said they'd be overkill. Rather than pick apart his post, I simply used a thumbs down to illustrate my disagreement.

 

[Kirby64]

No love for the Klipsch Promedia 2.1 setups? You can usually find them used for around what you're looking to spend. I use a pair and they sound excellent. No complaints.

 

[jtvang125]

Given your music genre preferences, I'd definitely suggest a 2.1 at minimum. Without a woofer you'll be missing a larger part of your songs: dedicated bass response.

I've always found the bass from home speakers to be lacking. Even with dual 5.25" woofers on the Polk Monitor 50s the bass was still weak. The dual 8" on the towers I have now are better but they still sound way better if I run it in 2.1 with my 12" infinity sub. Just a pair of bookshelf will be totally inadequate for me.

 

[Plugers]

If you have the room on the desk the Pioneers will not disappoint. And unless you want it screaming a 2024 based amp for $20 or so will work fine, It's fine for medium-loud volume for cleaning and working around the house.

Or a cheap $60 stereo receiver will work if you need more.

 

[Anubis]

IMO, the Pioneers would be overkill for a computer, even for gaming. I have these speakers in my workshop, and they are perfect for that environment. If I were to put them up next to my monitor, I'd never be able to run them at their performance levels. Honestly, Logitech makes 2.1 solutions that sound great, have reasonable form factors, and are designed to work in tandem with your computer. Get the Pios, but use them where they can do the most good; mine eventually will become my rear surrounds.

man i run Energy RC-10s as my computer speakers, its definitely not overkill at all. there is a night and day difference between the RC-10s and the Klipsch Promedia 2.1s i used to run.

to the OP go with the Pio's and either one of the cheap amps listed or a cheap receiver you wont be disappointed

 

[ky54]

No love for the Klipsch Promedia 2.1 setups? You can usually find them used for around what you're looking to spend. I use a pair and they sound excellent. No complaints.

That's what I use on my computer and I love the Klipsch's. I didn't post anything about them because they are way outside the OP's price range. The AV40's arrived yesterday and so far they sound pretty darned good off my sound board.

 

[IslandStylin]

Ok, so thought I would give you all an update. First off I wanted to thank you for all of your advice and recommendations. In the end I received a very random offer from my roommates father to buy his Boston CR67(2) and CR57(2) with an old ONKYO TX-DS484 receiver. I am not going to lie, they are lacking in the bass department. I bought the whole set for $75. I figured I could use at least two of the speakers for my comp and I will have to buy a bass for the setup. The speakers sound pretty darn good though. I believe I got a good offer. I know this is not what I originally planned for, but c'est la vie.

Do you guys think I got a good deal? (Any bass recommendations? (Are they even any good bass speakers for less than $200???)

 

[weez82]

Do you guys think I got a good deal? (Any bass recommendations? (Are they even any good bass speakers for less than $200???)

You like the sound they produce so, yes it was a good deal. For a sub under 200, http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F1...=15PLCUEBLKQOD

 

[angry hampster]

I also found a Klipsch promedia 4.1 used system (almost 4 years old) in working condition for $50. I have heard about these having a short life span..would this be way too risky of a buy?)

I've been using my Promedia 2.1 setup for roughly 4 years now. They are outstanding. I paid ~$80 on ebay for them as a refurbished set. They've really got quite a bit of power for the money and size.