best 2.1 speakers for PC (laptop)
- Thread starter sgleo87
- Start date
Money no object?
Then don't get "computer speakers". Get a pair of bookshelf speakers and a dedicated sub.
http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=speakers&product=82.1 + http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=subwoofers&product=12.1 wouldn't be a bad setup. Add a receiver (Panny XR55, Onkyo 503, Pioneer 1015, etc)
Or you could get http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cbm170/cbm170.html and http://www.hsustore.com/stf1.html .
Those are both "budget" setups but would kill any "computer" speakers out there.
Then don't get "computer speakers". Get a pair of bookshelf speakers and a dedicated sub.
http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=speakers&product=82.1 + http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=subwoofers&product=12.1 wouldn't be a bad setup. Add a receiver (Panny XR55, Onkyo 503, Pioneer 1015, etc)
Or you could get http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cbm170/cbm170.html and http://www.hsustore.com/stf1.html .
Those are both "budget" setups but would kill any "computer" speakers out there.
Damn! I always wanted to answer this question 
Given some of the systems I've seen on this forum, I'll cap my budget here at $2k for the speakers ($2.5k is the highest I've seen on this forum for PC bookshelves).
For the bookshelves, hell, you want something a heck of a lot more linear than those AV123/Ascend speakers, pick up something from what I consider to be the *best* high end manufacturer, Revel.
And since it's money no object, I'm sure you'd like nice decor too. Check out the Infinity Prelude MTS subwoofer ($2k). It's flat to 20hz with a 850W RMS amp. Although a $1k SVS Ultra could probably outperform it, this thing looks NICE. Another alternative is the Axiom EP-500, but it's also quiet large.
A pair of Revel M22 bookshelves (somewhere under $2k in most places) is +/- 0.75db from 46 to 20KHz. They look very nice too, and the accompanying stands are $180.
Hah! Good fun. I doubt you were serious in your question--or you were just asking for fun. Either way, I got to parrot my love for Revel! (Even though I'll never have the money for their products...)
Given some of the systems I've seen on this forum, I'll cap my budget here at $2k for the speakers ($2.5k is the highest I've seen on this forum for PC bookshelves).
For the bookshelves, hell, you want something a heck of a lot more linear than those AV123/Ascend speakers, pick up something from what I consider to be the *best* high end manufacturer, Revel.
And since it's money no object, I'm sure you'd like nice decor too. Check out the Infinity Prelude MTS subwoofer ($2k). It's flat to 20hz with a 850W RMS amp. Although a $1k SVS Ultra could probably outperform it, this thing looks NICE. Another alternative is the Axiom EP-500, but it's also quiet large.
A pair of Revel M22 bookshelves (somewhere under $2k in most places) is +/- 0.75db from 46 to 20KHz. They look very nice too, and the accompanying stands are $180.
Hah! Good fun. I doubt you were serious in your question--or you were just asking for fun. Either way, I got to parrot my love for Revel! (Even though I'll never have the money for their products...)
It's been so long since I've looked at any commercial offerings... Frankly, DIY builds the best speakers (depending on who "you" are ).
PC sound is necessarily compromised, but I suppose a pair of one of the following as bookshelves (in order of dynamic range):
http://www.gedlee.com/Summa.htm
http://www.zaphaudio.com/audio-speaker16.html
http://www.salksound.com/1801.html
with any decent Class-A amp, with one of these:
http://www.danleysoundlabs.com/DTS20.html with a 1000W amp
EDIT: Just kidding about the sub, btw. I would suggest something more reasonable like a 18" Tumult in a larged sealed box. Ordinarily I would recommend dipole bass when budget is not a limiting factor, but dipole radiation just doesn't work underneath a desk.
).PC sound is necessarily compromised, but I suppose a pair of one of the following as bookshelves (in order of dynamic range):
http://www.gedlee.com/Summa.htm
http://www.zaphaudio.com/audio-speaker16.html
http://www.salksound.com/1801.html
with any decent Class-A amp, with one of these:
http://www.danleysoundlabs.com/DTS20.html
with a 1000W ampEDIT: Just kidding about the sub, btw. I would suggest something more reasonable like a 18" Tumult in a larged sealed box. Ordinarily I would recommend dipole bass when budget is not a limiting factor, but dipole radiation just doesn't work underneath a desk.
Originally posted by: Astrallite
Damn! I always wanted to answer this question
Given some of the systems I've seen on this forum, I'll cap my budget here at $2k for the speakers ($2.5k is the highest I've seen on this forum for PC bookshelves).
For the bookshelves, hell, you want something a heck of a lot more linear than those AV123/Ascend speakers, pick up something from what I consider to be the *best* high end manufacturer, Revel.
And since it's money no object, I'm sure you'd like nice decor too. Check out the Infinity Prelude MTS subwoofer ($2k). It's flat to 20hz with a 850W RMS amp. Although a $1k SVS Ultra could probably outperform it, this thing looks NICE. Another alternative is the Axiom EP-500, but it's also quiet large.
A pair of Revel M22 bookshelves (somewhere under $2k in most places) is +/- 0.75db from 46 to 20KHz. They look very nice too, and the accompanying stands are $180.
Hah! Good fun. I doubt you were serious in your question--or you were just asking for fun. Either way, I got to parrot my love for Revel! (Even though I'll never have the money for their products...)
I knew you wanted to
.Anyways...I am usually weary of "money no object" recommendations. You know as well as I do that in the audio world, one could spend a ridiculous amount of money on speakers/amps/source/cables.
So..what would be really useful is knowing how much one realistically would want/be willing to spend.
Originally posted by: Howard
It's been so long since I've looked at any commercial offerings... Frankly, DIY builds the best speakers (depending on who "you" are
PC sound is necessarily compromised, but I suppose a pair of one of the following as bookshelves (in order of dynamic range):
http://www.gedlee.com/Summa.htm
http://www.zaphaudio.com/audio-speaker16.html
http://www.salksound.com/1801.html
with any decent Class-A amp, with one of these:
http://www.danleysoundlabs.com/DTS20.html
Agreed about the DIY route. I just built a pair of Modula MTs and they are most excellent. I somehow doubt I will ever buy a prebuilt speaker again...not for "critical" application anyway.
What tweeter did you use? I know it's not a Seas and it doesn't look too much like a Scan-Speak to me.
Damn you DIYers!
All I read about are your great speakers and the perfect midrange. Considering how cheap the parts are, I wonder why internet direct companies don't just sell these things instead of creating their own line of speakers. I mean, if they can really build stuff better than the Ascends and X-LSs for the same price (and their own awesome cabinet) rather than these more "flawed" designs, why don't they?
All I read about are your great speakers and the perfect midrange. Considering how cheap the parts are, I wonder why internet direct companies don't just sell these things instead of creating their own line of speakers. I mean, if they can really build stuff better than the Ascends and X-LSs for the same price (and their own awesome cabinet) rather than these more "flawed" designs, why don't they?
production capacity...it takes a long time to make one set of speakers. Build quality...commercial ones often look more fancy(not always) but they are designed with the consumer's eye in mind.
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
I own two of those for my current custom project
Have you heard them before? You should like them! What design/project are you building?
PurdueRy said it...production capacity. If you looked at the pictures I took of my project, you will notice how "serious" the crossover is. The sad thing is, in the world of DIY, it isn't that complex of a crossover. However, when compared with mass production speakers, including the highly regarded internet direct companies, it is more substantial (IMO).
I won't lie, these cost me more than a pair of CBM-170SEs (which I still wouldn't mind auditioning) but I believe I have ended up with an excellent speaker for the money, and in doing so I have also learned more than I could ever imagine. I built these as a stepping stone to bigger and better speakers. This was my first time, but won't be my last. If you are thinking about taking the plunge, do it. It isn't that hard to do.
I didn't even build the cabinets, I used the Dayton .75cuft gloss black enclosures, and at $85 a peice, I think they are well worth it. Oh, and the bass these speakers put out is impressive. They are tuned to 32Hz (a port flared on both ends, 2" diamter, 7.5" long) and stay flat, for the most part, down to the mid to high 30s. The bass is quite present, yet tight and controlled. I can't imagine the bass that some of the MTMs in a tower put out....*drooool*.
Anyway, in conclusion, once you step into the DIY world, I think it is hard to step out. I am already sucked in! :evil:
Originally posted by: Excelsior
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
I own two of those for my current custom project
Have you heard them before? You should like them! What design/project are you building?
I am building a pair of large bookshelf speakers with the aforementioned Seas tweeter and a Hivi M6a in each. Haven't heard them before(well I have heard them play pink noise
uhm...I think I should have described what I wanted a little more in detail. I want PC speakers because I want to hook them up directly to a laptop...
LOL look what you did...never ever say money is no object or you get us crazies to come and post
If you want high quality speakers that can be hooked right up to a laptop, then get some studio monitors that have a built in amp.
Ahh, yeah, that is the nice thing about these tweeters (how low the xover can be).
Those should sound pretty dang good when you are done.
http://www.atc.gb.net/scm_range/scm150aslpro.html
Something like these? They require a balanced input, though.
I would picked something other than the HiVi M6a (mainly because there are better drivers and pre-designed crossovers for those other drivers), but good listening.
Powered monitor...how about JBL Pro LSR6328P? $2,000.
+/- 1.5db 50-20KHz, -10db point is 36hz, and a 370W internal amp. Basically Ascend 170SE that costs 6 times more, but has an internal amp...
Less work = more cost, but if money's no object...
+/- 1.5db 50-20KHz, -10db point is 36hz, and a 370W internal amp. Basically Ascend 170SE that costs 6 times more, but has an internal amp...
Less work = more cost, but if money's no object...
The JBL monitor uses all JBL drivers, I'm guessing, and has a waveguide (controls directivity - i.e. better sweet spot and less room involvement, increases sensitivity and efficiency, etc.) Differential Drive serves to reduce power compression and may flatten the BL curve a bit.
The 170SE uses a Seas tweeter (looks a lot like a Vifa D26NC) and what seems to be a Audax woofer. Probably gets less loud than the JBL at max power.
Alright I learned my lesson...be specific in your post and don't write money no object...
I want speakers that will hook up to the laptop like for example the Logitech Z-2300 so I was wondering if there are higher quality speakers than those? (should still be relatively compact and I guess under $500)
I want speakers that will hook up to the laptop like for example the Logitech Z-2300 so I was wondering if there are higher quality speakers than those? (should still be relatively compact and I guess under $500)
Okay, so basically you wan't explicitly speakers "marketted" as computer speakers. Any powered monitor we've said so far will "connect" with a sound card. But if you insist on having a speaker "marketted" as a PC loudspeaker, then...
If your budget is $500, the Z-2300 is pretty much at the bottom of the sound quality list...
Altec Lansing MX5021 - $150 (maybe the 6021s for $250, but I think 5021 is a better overall design)
Klipsch iFi - $200 <- my pick.
And that's pretty much it for 2.1. If you want to spend more, look to powered monitors, but they aren't explicitly "marketted" as PC speakers, so I guess you pretty much have no realistic options above $250 anyway...maybe the Swan M200, but those are a cross between "marketted as PC speakers" and "powered monitor" so I don't know if you'd want those. But if you *are* open to studio monitors, the Event TR8 looks pretty good at $500.
If your budget is $500, the Z-2300 is pretty much at the bottom of the sound quality list...
Altec Lansing MX5021 - $150 (maybe the 6021s for $250, but I think 5021 is a better overall design)
Klipsch iFi - $200 <- my pick.
And that's pretty much it for 2.1. If you want to spend more, look to powered monitors, but they aren't explicitly "marketted" as PC speakers, so I guess you pretty much have no realistic options above $250 anyway...maybe the Swan M200, but those are a cross between "marketted as PC speakers" and "powered monitor" so I don't know if you'd want those. But if you *are* open to studio monitors, the Event TR8 looks pretty good at $500.
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