Great Surround Sound Speakers

[b3six]

Hello I'm looking for for really good surround sound speakers I can use for music and gaming. would like to keep it around 500$ What do you guys think would be a good choice?

 

[CalvinHobbes]

Something like this would be great for a PC based system:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=36-119-106&depa=0

 

[b3six]

those look great thx

 

[Wuzup101]

Either Klipsch Ultras that were shown or logitech z5500s. Both are great systems at a similar price. Personally have the logitech set myself... neighbor has the Klipsch set... awesome sound on both...

 

[Waylay00]

Yes, either the Logitech's or Klipsch's. Personally, I would get the Logitech's because they are a little cheaper now.

Yay, 600 posts

 

[argoldst]

if you are looking for gaming, nothing beats the s750's

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

You know... if you're willing to spend around $500, you might start looking at real HT setups.

Something like Fluance SX-HTB

+ Dayton 10" sub

+ cheap receiver Something like this that had 6 channel inputs that will allow your soundcard to do the decoding and get you surround gaming

Well.... I think I went a little over there, probably closer to $600 with shipping and cables you would have to buy, but I think you'd have something better than the computer speaker options. Maybe even something like an Onkyo HTIB would be a good option too.

The Klipsch Promedia Ultras and Logitech 5500s are good options too, but you might want to look into the above options too if you're willing to spend a little more.

 

[Cheesetogo]

I would go to an audio store and look to see what they have. I know you're looking for spurround sound, but for $500, you can get some very nice sterio speakers which I find can sound better than surround sound. (although you might need an adapter or somthing to use them on a pc) I would not recomend buying them online until you've actually gone and heard them.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Cheesetogo
although you might need an adapter or somthing to use them on a pc

Yeah, it's really easy to hook up to a receiver.

The basic options are

1. get some headphone jack to rca adapters like these and then use regular rca cables to hook up to the receiver.
you can either use 1 of these and let the receiver do some prologic to get it mapped to all 5.1 or 6.1 or 7.1 ...OR... you can get 3 or 4 of those and run to 6 channel / 7 channel / 8 channel direct from a multichannel soundcard to the receiver. The benefit of this is you'll get the same mapping of surround effects for games as you'd get from computer speakers hooked up to the soundcard

2. get a card with digital out like this one for under $30 and hook up to the receiver via optical. This will allow you do get Dolby Digital off your computer which is nice for movies. The only downside to this is that you're really not going to get the right surround effects for games. You'll still get stereo and all, but it won't really give you the "oh, he's shooting at me from behind me" effect you get with the second half of option #1.

3. hook up both... nothing wrong with that. Get DD when you want it from the optical (digital coaxial works too) and then switch to direct input on the receiver when you want the soundcard to decode the surround effects.


With all that being said, it might be a cool idea like Cheesetogo suggested to just get a set of nice stereo speakers and a receiver (a sub too maybe). If you get a couple nice speakers for now, that would leave you a nice upgrade path for later on if you want to add to it and make a surround system later.

 

[Gurck]

I'd go with either the Klipsch or the Creatives. Logitech has a reputation for low build & sound quality, their old 680s sounded like something a ricer would put in his Civic (along with a 10 foot high wing) - all boom, no tune. A lot of people have trouble thinking this, since their mice and keyboards are so awesome (and I agree, they are), but their speakers seem to be a different story.

 

[OnEMoReTrY]

Originally posted by: Gurck
I'd go with either the Klipsch or the Creatives. Logitech has a reputation for low build & sound quality, their old 680s sounded like something a ricer would put in his Civic (along with a 10 foot high wing) - all boom, no tune. A lot of people have trouble thinking this, since their mice and keyboards are so awesome (and I agree, they are), but their speakers seem to be a different story.

I think you are the minority here... Every review I've seen has said the Z-5500's are one of if not the best 5.1 pc speakers out there. I got em last week and I find them amazing!

 

[tiap]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
You know... if you're willing to spend around $500, you might start looking at real HT setups.

HT will give you much better sound for the money

 

[Odeen]

The problem, though, is bass management.

Any "computer" sat/sub system will have a simple analog crossover in the sub, optimized for the satellites and the subwoofer in the system. All the computer does is generate 2, 4, or 5 channels of sound, and the speaker system decides which frequencies go to the sats, which frequencies go to the sub, and how to blend the meeting point of the two.

On the other hand, an HT receiver DOES NOT do that. An HT receiver does A LOT of things that computer speakers don't do, but, in the name of "signal purity" it simply takes the 5.1 / 6.1 / 7.1 inputs and amplifies them. In that sense, you don't even need an HT receiver, all you need is a cheapie multichannel amp for the speakers.

Now, here's a problem: Any speaker than can reproduce frequencies below 100hz with any degree of aplomb will NOT fit on your computer desk. Any speaker that can reproduce frequencies below 60hz or so belongs on your floor. And an appropriate center channel will crush your puny LCD or even a CRT monitor (while looking perfectly at home perched on top of a big-screen TV)

Your choices: Outlaw Audio ICBM (all-analog bass management system, about $250 list) or doing bass management on the soundcard level.

The problem with doing it on the soundcard level is simple - no soundcard does bass management, gaming, and music well enough to do justice to an HT setup.

The Audigy2ZS, when toldd to do bass management, will forcibly convert your 44.1khz sampling rate music to 48khz, introducing audible artifacts.

Via Envy-based soundcards cannot do 3D audio in hardware (making them glorified Realtek soft-audio chips for the purposes of gaming) and, thus, force your expensive CPU to spend its time computing 3D sound effects instead of computing physics, AI, or something that CAN'T be offloaded to a peripheral chip.

Older soundcards do not have flexible enough bass management.

I was researching HT on the desktop, but came away with the impression that the size of the equipment, the pricing, and the capabilities do not match what I need in PC gaming. I ended up getting a set of Klipsch Promedia Ultras for $277 shipped from Dell, after taxes, and have been enjoying the set ever since.

For something a little more expensive, and a little more "musical" sounding, consider Creative Labs Gigaworks S700 (5.1) or S750 (7.1) system. For better flexibility with movies, the Logitech Z5500 is almost a tiny receiver in and of itself, with DD and DTS decoders built in.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: Odeen
The Audigy2ZS, when toldd to do bass management, will forcibly convert your 44.1khz sampling rate music to 48khz, introducing audible artifacts.

Via Envy-based soundcards cannot do 3D audio in hardware (making them glorified Realtek soft-audio chips for the purposes of gaming) and, thus, force your expensive CPU to spend its time computing 3D sound effects instead of computing physics, AI, or something that CAN'T be offloaded to a peripheral chip.

No rule against having both, I do

 

[Odeen]

Originally posted by: Gurck

No rule against having both, I do

And your receiver has how many 6-channel inputs..?

I'd hate to be your Windows install.. "Hey, I wanna play a sound!" "But WHERE do you want to play the sound?"

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Odeen

Originally posted by: Gurck

No rule against having both, I do

And your receiver has how many 6-channel inputs..?

I'd hate to be your Windows install.. "Hey, I wanna play a sound!" "But WHERE do you want to play the sound?"

I think the idea was use a 6 channel input for the Audigy for surround gaming, and then have optical out from the chaintech card... so only one 6 ch direct set needed.

 

[Odeen]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Odeen

Originally posted by: Gurck

No rule against having both, I do

And your receiver has how many 6-channel inputs..?

I'd hate to be your Windows install.. "Hey, I wanna play a sound!" "But WHERE do you want to play the sound?"

I think the idea was use a 6 channel input for the Audigy for surround gaming, and then have optical out from the chaintech card... so only one 6 ch direct set needed.

Oy.. So going from gaming to music involves extra button pushing.

I hate to sound like I'm whining, but consider this - Human beings are, generally, lazy. If I had to reach out and hit buttons every time I wanted to switch between gaming and music, I'd end up doing less gaming and listening to less music.. Just something to think about..

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I switch my surround mode whenever i change from music, games, or video and i don't think it's such a big deal... that's what remotes are for

If reaching out a foot to grab a remote and press a button will be enough to deter you from doing what you want, I think you have some motivation problems

 

[Zero Plasma]

bump

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Well... it looks like the OP already got the promedia ultras, but from your bump smoke0, maybe you're interested in some more input?

A specific suggestion based on hot deals at the moment might be some infinity primus stuff at compusa right now. A nice thing about buying from B&M is that you can try the stuff out and see if you like the sound.

For around $600, you could get
2 x primus 250 = $160
2 x primus 150 = $100
1 x primus c25 = $80
1 x dayton 10" sub from partsexpress = $125
add a receiver... maybe a $150 sherwood or something

You'd be getting something nicer than an Onkyo HTIB but would still be able to hear it before you got it (well, except for the sub... but it's a really nice one for the money considering the under $200 competition).

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: Odeen

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Odeen

Originally posted by: Gurck
No rule against having both, I do

And your receiver has how many 6-channel inputs..?
I'd hate to be your Windows install.. "Hey, I wanna play a sound!" "But WHERE do you want to play the sound?"

I think the idea was use a 6 channel input for the Audigy for surround gaming, and then have optical out from the chaintech card... so only one 6 ch direct set needed.

Oy.. So going from gaming to music involves extra button pushing.

I hate to sound like I'm whining, but consider this - Human beings are, generally, lazy. If I had to reach out and hit buttons every time I wanted to switch between gaming and music, I'd end up doing less gaming and listening to less music.. Just something to think about..

No extra button pushing, Windows uses the primary sound driver for everything unless you specify otherwise, so leave the Audigy as such and games output to it by default. Switching between cards for musical output in foobar takes all of about 4 clicks.

 

[dfinder]

Originally posted by: argoldst
if you are looking for gaming, nothing beats the s750's

agree

 

[CVSiN]

Originally posted by: OnEMoReTrY

Originally posted by: Gurck
I'd go with either the Klipsch or the Creatives. Logitech has a reputation for low build & sound quality, their old 680s sounded like something a ricer would put in his Civic (along with a 10 foot high wing) - all boom, no tune. A lot of people have trouble thinking this, since their mice and keyboards are so awesome (and I agree, they are), but their speakers seem to be a different story.

I think you are the minority here... Every review I've seen has said the Z-5500's are one of if not the best 5.1 pc speakers out there. I got em last week and I find them amazing!

Agree they sound 100% as good as my Ultras did before I fried thier amp...

and they sound better than the Ultras did when they kick into DTS mode