5.1 system and sound card

[Cybertank]

Hey! My first post on these forums

I know someone who is selling his Creative Inspire 5.1 Digital 5700 Speaker System for $100CAD ($73.30USD) and a Creative Audigy Gamer sound card (and all included software) for $50CAD ($36.65USD). I know the speaker system retails for $400CAD (roughly $290USD), so it seems like a good opportunity.

I'm thinking I should take these off his hands, but I'm as far from an audiophile as anyone could be, so I honestly haven't the slightest clue . Also, I have a Soundblaster Live! 5.1 already (my speakers are 2.1 Creative Inspire), so will I see a difference in upgrading to the Audigy? Would it be wiser buying things with a warranty? (Basically what would you do if you were in my shoes?)

Thanks for your help guys!

 

[Oyeve]

Those speaker, while they may look impressive actually stink. The freq responce is pathetic (35hz-20,000hz) and they are low on the wattage side.

Subwoofer Power: 30 Watts RMS
Center Satellite Power: 21 Watts RMS
Satellite Power: 7 Watts RMS Per Channel (4 channels)

They may sound "ok" when played at a low volume but stink when played at a moderate high value.

I would spend a little more and get a better NEW SB Audgy2 ZS card and shop around for better speakers. The Soundblaster Live! 5.1 you already have is not much different from the Audigy (assuming the one he's selling is the first Audigy card) and look around for a better 5.1 speaker system. This is just my opinion and I am sure others may disagree.

 

[Cybertank]

Thanks for the advice!
Could you recommend speakers in the $80UD price range that are better than these?

 

[SickBeast]

Ummm...they have the 7.1 channel version of those speakers in stores here in Toronto for $145, so they are certainly not worth $400 or anywhere near that. If he told you that, he is definately trying to scam you so stay away.

See this link for confirmation.

That sound card is probably worth around $50.

I would go for an Audigy2ZS and a really nice 5.1 setup if it were my money. Logitech is the brand of choice IMO.

 

[SickBeast]

The Logitech Z5300's are basically the best computer speakers you can buy IMO, and you can get them for $205 here if you live in Toronto. :beer:

 

[LED]

Find a good set of 2.1's (ie, Klipsch, Logi's, creative) and add them to your current speakers for 4.2 sound or go for a better soundcard now and add speakers later.

 

[Cybertank]

Thanks guys!
I told him that I wasn't interested. So now, I'm wondering what to do. Alot of things here in Nova Scotia cost a fair chunk more than they do in Ontario, so it looks like the best idea is to place an order online. Having said that, should I upgrade to the Audigy 2 zs or get better speakers first? Also, there are some nice Kenwood speakers laying around here somewhere. Is there a way I can hook those up to my computer?

 

[lazybum131]

$100 CAD for the Inspire 5700's isn't a bad price. But it's only good if you actually use the Dolby Digital and DTS decoder that comes with it. The decoders were one of the reasons why the original MSRP of the set was so expensive but that was years ago. The speaker's sound quality is about as good as today's budget speakers like the Z-640, and so other then surround sound, there would be little sound quality improvements over your current 2.1 Inspire set.

I think it would be a better choice to put all your money into getting a better set of speakers and upgrading the soundcard later. There would be an improvement going from your Live! 5.1 to an Audigy 2 ZS, but with the money left over u wouldn't be able to do much about your speakers, so improvements with the soundcard alone would be small. For $200 CAD the Logitech Z-5300 seems to be pretty much the only choice for 5.1 computer speakers. If you live in or near Toronto, Canada Computers have the 4.1 Z-560 on sale for $146, but they're discontinued and the Z-5300 are the replacement set.

 

[Bovinicus]

I might consider getting that soundcard. It's a pretty good price, and you should notice an increase in sound quality over your SB Live. However, I would look into a newer pair of speakers as the others are recommending.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
The Logitech Z5300's are basically the best computer speakers you can buy IMO, and you can get them for $205 here if you live in Toronto. :beer:

Bwahahahahahaha....


hahahahahahaha.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: SickBeast
The Logitech Z5300's are basically the best computer speakers you can buy IMO, and you can get them for $205 here if you live in Toronto. :beer:

Bwahahahahahaha....


hahahahahahaha.

I suppose I should have put "for $200". In any event, I'm certain there are "better" speakers, but they will cost a rediculous amount.

I didn't realize there were audiophile-grade speakers for the PC, but this Nebor clown obviously begs to differ. Maybe he'll post a link instead of just being an ass.

 

[Cybertank]

He lowered the bundle price to $140CAD... But I still shouldn't do it eh?

 

[SickBeast]

Well, you don't need the soundcard seeing as it's barely any better than your SB Live. For the $140 you could get much better speakers than the ones he's selling you.

It all depends on how great a setup you're looking for. Have you listened to his yet?

 

[Cybertank]

No I haven't. And as far as how good a setup i want goes... I want to buy a high-end video card later this year and hopefully some ram so what I would like is a set of clear surround sound reliable speakers that won't break the bank, yet I don't want cheap low quality ones. My pricerange goes as far as the Logitech Z5300's (and that's really pushing it) so I doubt there's much that fits my description. I don't game that much now, but I'm going to start playing UT2004, Half-Life 2, Doom 3, etc. or at least try them out. I was also thinking about buying a DVD drive to watch movies. The biggest use I get out of my speakers at the moment is Winamp... It would be great if I could setup my Kenwoods some how to my existing 2.1 setup because even though it's not the greatest setup it would save me money that I could use towards other parts that I want to upgrade.

I guess what it boils down to is... What speaker system and/or sound card could I purchase for less than $175 after tax that is better than what I could get from this guy?

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: SickBeast
The Logitech Z5300's are basically the best computer speakers you can buy IMO, and you can get them for $205 here if you live in Toronto. :beer:

Bwahahahahahaha....


hahahahahahaha.

I suppose I should have put "for $200". In any event, I'm certain there are "better" speakers, but they will cost a rediculous amount.

I didn't realize there were audiophile-grade speakers for the PC, but this Nebor clown obviously begs to differ. Maybe he'll post a link instead of just being an ass.

Normally I would just be an ass, because it's really my style, but I want to help Cybertank out, because his name is l33t.

If you have a decent reciever already, just use a y splitter to go from your sound card to your reciever. That will give you useable sound. You won't get surround unless your reciever has surround analog inputs, which is rare.

Alternatively, for $150 total, there's just not too much for you. I'd say the Logitech 5300s are as good as it gets for surround sound in that price range. I feel bad saying it, because really it's like recommending a Daewoo because your price range is under $10k. So yeah, 5300s with your existing sound card.

Personally, I think it's silly when people spend $200 on a motherboard, $200 on a processor, $400 on a video card, $60 for a heatsink.... And then they want to get a sound card AND speakers for less than $150? Sound is as important as video. But the fact is, if you're willing to go with a system like that, then you probably wouldn't appreciate the difference between it and a more sophisticated system.

/condescending attitude

5300s with an existing sound card and a used Audigy 2 (ZS) would probably be your best bet.

 

[yhelothar]

not only that.. they have a cheap ass $100 17" monitor...

 

[Pariah]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: SickBeast
The Logitech Z5300's are basically the best computer speakers you can buy IMO, and you can get them for $205 here if you live in Toronto. :beer:

Bwahahahahahaha....


hahahahahahaha.

I suppose I should have put "for $200". In any event, I'm certain there are "better" speakers, but they will cost a rediculous amount.

I didn't realize there were audiophile-grade speakers for the PC, but this Nebor clown obviously begs to differ. Maybe he'll post a link instead of just being an ass.

Just ignore him. For some reason he has an acute superiority complex when it comes to audio threads despite the fact he doesn't own anything that great himself, and doesn't know what he is talking about half the time, just regurgitating what others say, and not even getting that right all the time.

To the original poster. If your Kenwood setup, which you need to be more specific about, is capable of being connected to your computer, I wouldn't bother buying anything but the necessary cable to connect them. Depending on how good the Kenwood setup is, I would recommend spending $90US on an Audigy 2ZS and saving the rest from your budget for something else.

 

[Cybertank]

Well, there's 2 100-watt rear speakers and a 100-watt center speaker that I can use, but I think my sub is only 20-watt. The front ones aren't available 'cause they're in my living room. Not sure why my folks aren't using these speakers, but im not complaining If I can hook these up to my pc I'd be pretty happy. All the speakers said KS 201 HT on the back (or something to that effect)...

As I said before, I haven't the slightest clue about audio. Are there connectors that I can buy that would allow me to hook these speakers up?

 

[Pariah]

The wattage of the speakers is irrelevant. It doesn't tell you how good they are. From the sound of it, you have home theater speakers, but the receiver is in the living room which means you can't connect the speakers to your computer.

Get a quality set of 2.1 speakers as opposed to surround sound speakers. You don't really seem to have a need for the surrounds, so don't waste money on them. Something like lowend Swans or Cambridge Soundworks would work well. If you want surround sound at some point in the future, just buy another set of 2.1 speakers.

 

[Cybertank]

They're plugged into annother receiver right now in my basement. Will they be able to connect through this receiver?

 

[Pariah]

If you can move the receiver to the room with your computer, shouldn't be a problem at all.

 

[Cybertank]

Thanks for the quick replies Pariah. Actually those speakers were hooked up to my tv, but got moved to the basement because my room was just redone and I haven't had the chance to bring them back up here yet. I don't know how many speakers the receiver can support however... I'll check in the morning.

 

[caz67]

Z5300's best value for money IMO

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Pariah

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: SickBeast
The Logitech Z5300's are basically the best computer speakers you can buy IMO, and you can get them for $205 here if you live in Toronto. :beer:

Bwahahahahahaha....


hahahahahahaha.

I suppose I should have put "for $200". In any event, I'm certain there are "better" speakers, but they will cost a rediculous amount.

I didn't realize there were audiophile-grade speakers for the PC, but this Nebor clown obviously begs to differ. Maybe he'll post a link instead of just being an ass.

Just ignore him. For some reason he has an acute superiority complex when it comes to audio threads despite the fact he doesn't own anything that great himself, and doesn't know what he is talking about half the time, just regurgitating what others say, and not even getting that right all the time.

To the original poster. If your Kenwood setup, which you need to be more specific about, is capable of being connected to your computer, I wouldn't bother buying anything but the necessary cable to connect them. Depending on how good the Kenwood setup is, I would recommend spending $90US on an Audigy 2ZS and saving the rest from your budget for something else.

... Denon stereo in the bedroom, ML speakers w/ pioneer elite in the living room... I may not know a lot about audio, and tend towards the more expensive stuff that the salesmen recommend, but I know more than the average joe about computer speakers, and have a far better computer sound system than the average joe.

BTW I thought we were friends.

 

[RockGuitarDude]

I will continue to say: "GO ON EBAY AND GET SOME MONSOON MH-505's... BEST 5.1's for the money..." They can be had for under 80 shipped in perfect condition.