Its that time of year again.. help me decide on a monitor and sound card/speakers

[Dorito12]

Im looking for a new monitor... my old CTR just isnt working out anymore. I have a eVga 7800 GTX is that makes any difference. Monitor NEEDS to be good for gaming, so if i got with an LCD there cant be signifacant ghosting. I didnt spend all this money on hardware and still not be able to play games the way they're ment to be played

Now with a sound card and speakers combo.. basically looking for the best bang for the buck. My bass barely works anymore so i need something new. Games are more important than music.. but i do spend 90% of my day listening to music so something well-rounded would be nice.

Thanks in advance AT

 

[Boldgamer]

As far as speakers are concerned I love my Klipsch Promedia 2.1 system. They sound perfect during music (most), gaming, and movie watching.

http://www.klipsch.com/products/details/promedia-2-1.aspx

If you look around the net you may find them cheaper than the posted price on this page. I got mine on sale from Dell about a year ago for $125.

The only thing about using them for music is if you listen to a lot of Hip Hop and/or R&B. The frequency range of the sub only gioes down to about 31Hz so you will not always hear the sub bass in some songs.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Do you want a 2.1 set of speakers or 5.1?

If 5.1, do you have room to set them up properly?

Budget?

 

[Dorito12]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Do you want a 2.1 set of speakers or 5.1?

If 5.1, do you have room to set them up properly?

Budget?

Room shouldnt be a problem? Ill just move stuff around lol. Budget isnt set... like i said, best bang for the buck. Not trying to get the BEST speakers and sound card, just my money's worth.

-edited for errors-

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Dorito12

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Do you want a 2.1 set of speakers or 5.1?

If 5.1, do you have room to set them up properly?

Budget?

Room should be a problem? Ill just move stuff around lol. Budget isnt set... like i said, best bang for the buck. Not trying to get the BEST speakers and sound card, just my money's worth.

Room meaning if you'll be able to place the surround speakers to the side / behind the listening position.

If you're just going to have them all lined up on a desk in front of you, you're probably better off sticking with 2.1

Best bang for the buck is relative. Depends on what you're looking for. Some people are happy with a ~$40 set and some spend lots more (like me )

What sounds reasonable to you?

$40? $100? $300? $1000?

 

[Dorito12]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Dorito12

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Do you want a 2.1 set of speakers or 5.1?

If 5.1, do you have room to set them up properly?

Budget?

Room should be a problem? Ill just move stuff around lol. Budget isnt set... like i said, best bang for the buck. Not trying to get the BEST speakers and sound card, just my money's worth.

Room meaning if you'll be able to place the surround speakers to the side / behind the listening position.

If you're just going to have them all lined up on a desk in front of you, you're probably better off sticking with 2.1

Best bang for the buck is relative. Depends on what you're looking for. Some people are happy with a ~$40 set and some spend lots more (like me )

What sounds reasonable to you?

$40? $100? $300? $1000?

mmm im thinking... well i also need a sound card, so both speakers and sound card need to be 200-300$

And right now i just have two speakers... im thinking how i would even set something up to have speakers behind me. Definently something would WANT to have.. dont know how i would do it tho

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Dorito12

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Dorito12

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Do you want a 2.1 set of speakers or 5.1?

If 5.1, do you have room to set them up properly?

Budget?

Room should be a problem? Ill just move stuff around lol. Budget isnt set... like i said, best bang for the buck. Not trying to get the BEST speakers and sound card, just my money's worth.

Room meaning if you'll be able to place the surround speakers to the side / behind the listening position.

If you're just going to have them all lined up on a desk in front of you, you're probably better off sticking with 2.1

Best bang for the buck is relative. Depends on what you're looking for. Some people are happy with a ~$40 set and some spend lots more (like me )

What sounds reasonable to you?

$40? $100? $300? $1000?

mmm im thinking... well i also need a sound card, so both speakers and sound card need to be 200-300$

And right now i just have two speakers... im thinking how i would even set something up to have speakers behind me. Definently something would WANT to have.. dont know how i would do it tho

If you can't set up 5.1 well, think about just getting a higher quality 2.1 set. You'll be in better shape for music then as an added bonus.

 

[Dorito12]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Dorito12

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Dorito12

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Do you want a 2.1 set of speakers or 5.1?

If 5.1, do you have room to set them up properly?

Budget?

Room should be a problem? Ill just move stuff around lol. Budget isnt set... like i said, best bang for the buck. Not trying to get the BEST speakers and sound card, just my money's worth.

Room meaning if you'll be able to place the surround speakers to the side / behind the listening position.

If you're just going to have them all lined up on a desk in front of you, you're probably better off sticking with 2.1

Best bang for the buck is relative. Depends on what you're looking for. Some people are happy with a ~$40 set and some spend lots more (like me )

What sounds reasonable to you?

$40? $100? $300? $1000?

mmm im thinking... well i also need a sound card, so both speakers and sound card need to be 200-300$

And right now i just have two speakers... im thinking how i would even set something up to have speakers behind me. Definently something would WANT to have.. dont know how i would do it tho

If you can't set up 5.1 well, think about just getting a higher quality 2.1 set. You'll be in better shape for music then as an added bonus.

wanna give me a newegg link to a speaker/sound card combo then?

 

[Insidious]

Originally posted by: Boldgamer
As far as speakers are concerned I love my Klipsch Promedia 2.1 system. They sound perfect during music (most), gaming, and movie watching.

http://www.klipsch.com/products/details/promedia-2-1.aspx

If you look around the net you may find them cheaper than the posted price on this page. I got mine on sale from Dell about a year ago for $125.

The only thing about using them for music is if you listen to a lot of Hip Hop and/or R&B. The frequency range of the sub only gioes down to about 31Hz so you will not always hear the sub bass in some songs.

For a 2.1 setup, these are hard to beat (IMO)

 

[Hyperlite]

Either the Klipsch setup or the Logitech Z-2300's. I have the logitech's, i absolutely love them.

 

[Dorito12]

Ok ill probably go with the z-2300's... maybe the Klipsch.. now what do i get for a sound card?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Dorito12

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Dorito12

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Dorito12

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Do you want a 2.1 set of speakers or 5.1?

If 5.1, do you have room to set them up properly?

Budget?

Room should be a problem? Ill just move stuff around lol. Budget isnt set... like i said, best bang for the buck. Not trying to get the BEST speakers and sound card, just my money's worth.

Room meaning if you'll be able to place the surround speakers to the side / behind the listening position.

If you're just going to have them all lined up on a desk in front of you, you're probably better off sticking with 2.1

Best bang for the buck is relative. Depends on what you're looking for. Some people are happy with a ~$40 set and some spend lots more (like me )

What sounds reasonable to you?

$40? $100? $300? $1000?

mmm im thinking... well i also need a sound card, so both speakers and sound card need to be 200-300$

And right now i just have two speakers... im thinking how i would even set something up to have speakers behind me. Definently something would WANT to have.. dont know how i would do it tho

If you can't set up 5.1 well, think about just getting a higher quality 2.1 set. You'll be in better shape for music then as an added bonus.

wanna give me a newegg link to a speaker/sound card combo then?

For $200 you might be able to get a Klipsch iFi set that would be significantly better than the other options.

Klipsch Promedia and Logitech z-2300s would be more standard options.

For music, a card like the Chaintech AV-710 offers good quality at a low price (zip zoom fly has them). Not exactly a gaming card though.

Creative is pretty much the only game in town for gaming support with their higher EAX levels. An Audigy 2 or X-Fi would be the way to go.

 

[Bruizer]

Z-2300 most deffinately! I got those to complement my Audigy 2 ZS and to replace my old altec lansing vs2121s. All i can say is wow, things sound so much more clearer and detailed. My games sound alot better. These things get loud and still sound great. Well worth the money, you wouldn't regret buying them.

 

[Dorito12]

Ok im def goin with the z-2300... can i get a definite answer on a sound card tho? Has to be decent-good for gaming at least

 

[Bruizer]

I love my Audigy 2 ZS. Games sound great, especially those like Battlefield 2. Of course if you have money to spend you might want to look into a new X-Fi. Either way, Creative Labs is the way to go.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

You would probably like the Klipsch better for music, but Logitech offers good bang for the buck too.

What soundcard are you using now? If you're on integrated, you might want to try that out before you decide you need to get a soundcard.

As I stated earlier, AV-710 will do well for music and still work for games, but if games are really your priority then I guess you should get an A2 or if it's not much more, an X-Fi.

The Creative cards will be more worth it if you were to get a surround set, but I wouldn't recommend getting a cheaper 5.1 set vs. a more robust 2.1 set if you listen to music as much as you say.

 

[Dorito12]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
You would probably like the Klipsch better for music, but Logitech offers good bang for the buck too.

What soundcard are you using now? If you're on integrated, you might want to try that out before you decide you need to get a soundcard.

As I stated earlier, AV-710 will do well for music and still work for games, but if games are really your priority then I guess you should get an A2 or if it's not much more, an X-Fi.

The Creative cards will be more worth it if you were to get a surround set, but I wouldn't recommend getting a cheaper 5.1 set vs. a more robust 2.1 set if you listen to music as much as you say.

on-board souncard, mobo ftw


My question is, how the hell do you get speakers behind you? how do you set them up?

 

[Dorito12]

Im looking at sound cards... if im going with a 2.1 speakers should i only look at 2 (cant find 2.1?) sound cards? And if im going with 5.1 speakers i look at 5.1 sound cards?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Dorito12

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
You would probably like the Klipsch better for music, but Logitech offers good bang for the buck too.

What soundcard are you using now? If you're on integrated, you might want to try that out before you decide you need to get a soundcard.

As I stated earlier, AV-710 will do well for music and still work for games, but if games are really your priority then I guess you should get an A2 or if it's not much more, an X-Fi.

The Creative cards will be more worth it if you were to get a surround set, but I wouldn't recommend getting a cheaper 5.1 set vs. a more robust 2.1 set if you listen to music as much as you say.

on-board souncard, mobo ftw


My question is, how the hell do you get speakers behind you? how do you set them up?

Some people have desks that allow for placing speakers to the side of where the person is sitting (like if it's an L-shaped desk and the person has their monitor right in the corner of it and the sides of the desk extent to the sides of where they are sitting)

Some people put their speakers on speaker stands

Some mount them to walls that are to the side / behind them

Some put them on pieces of furnature

It all depends on how your room is set up.

My own are a little larger than your average computer speakers (also pictured) so I can just set mine down on the floor

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Dorito12
Im looking at sound cards... if im going with a 2.1 speakers should i only look at 2 (cant find 2.1?) sound cards? And if im going with 5.1 speakers i look at 5.1 sound cards?

Soundcards are usually 5.1 or higher now. They can be used in different configurations for different kinds of speakers.

Some cards that are more "audiophile" oriented will tend to just be stereo output, but more standard cards are going to be multichannel.

You're going to be feeding your 2.1 speakers a 2.0 signal and they'll take care of getting information to the sub with their built-in crossover.

 

[taterworks]

If the expensive Klipsch and Logitech sets are just too much coin for your shoestring budget, take a look at the Altec Lansing FX4021. These are some very decent-sounding 2.1 speakers, and their "Isobaric" subwoofer lets the two 5.25" bass drivers work together for the deepest bass in its price class. I was seriously surprised when I first heard the set in the Best Buy. I stood there for about 30 minutes, listening to all the different test tracks. The Isobaric configuration doesn't buy you any extra output level over a single 5.25" woofer, but it allows a deeper tuning frequency to be possible, resulting in a sub that sounds deeper than the others. It also helps cancel out some of the distortion produced by a woofer that is being overworked, so the bass has a surprisingly clean sound. My only complaint is that the enclosures on the satellite speakers aren't very robust, so their rear panels can be excited to sympathetic resonance at higher volume levels. This isn't a huge problem, though.

Another system I like is the Cambridge Soundworks MicroWorks II system, which I own. I feel it offers one of the best values in the 2.1 category, challenged only by the new Altec Lansing set that I mentioned above.

TechGage.com has a review of the FX4021 with plenty of pretty pictures. http://www.techgage.com/article/altec_lansing_fx4021

 

[MegaVovaN]

Guys why are you only looking at digital speakers? I think my old school-type boxes will pwn your digitall beepers+sub boombox. Why do you think they use regular boxed speakers in expensive surround home theater systems?
Read up this: http://megavovan.com/audio.htm
Thats what I have. 2x$40 speakers and a $80 amp. = pwnage for $160


Edit: for monitor, you may want one of these 22" monitors, they're rather cheap and 5ms.
but they only have 60 hz refresh rate

I have a black Chimei one. $314 was it on da egg.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: MegaVovaN
Guys why are you only looking at digital speakers? I think my old school-type boxes will pwn your digitall beepers+sub boombox. Why do you think they use regular boxed speakers in expensive surround home theater systems?
Read up this: http://megavovan.com/audio.htm
Thats what I have. 2x$40 speakers and a $80 amp. = pwnage for $160

None of these are digital

 

[MegaVovaN]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: MegaVovaN
Guys why are you only looking at digital speakers? I think my old school-type boxes will pwn your digitall beepers+sub boombox. Why do you think they use regular boxed speakers in expensive surround home theater systems?
Read up this: http://megavovan.com/audio.htm
Thats what I have. 2x$40 speakers and a $80 amp. = pwnage for $160

None of these are digital

That's what I said: "Give a look to analog speakers"

edit: my buddy has a set of cheap (very cheap) digital speakers where speakers themselves are about the size of 2 cig packs. they SUCK, haha!

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: MegaVovaN

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: MegaVovaN
Guys why are you only looking at digital speakers? I think my old school-type boxes will pwn your digitall beepers+sub boombox. Why do you think they use regular boxed speakers in expensive surround home theater systems?
Read up this: http://megavovan.com/audio.htm
Thats what I have. 2x$40 speakers and a $80 amp. = pwnage for $160

None of these are digital

That's what I said: "Give a look to analog speakers"

edit: my buddy has a set of cheap (very cheap) digital speakers where speakers themselves are about the size of 2 cig packs. they SUCK, haha!

There are no digital speakers in this thread. The closest thing to "digital speakers" are these http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=40&threadid=1956815&enterthread=y