Pc Speaker Quality (??) ........ (A rant I suppose)

[CorCentral]

I had a pair of old Reveal Speakers that just recently went out (6yrs old) & was in market for a new set . These were about the same size (speaker wise) as the Klipsch but just had the 2 speakers , no sub .

Did my normal research with reading up on tons of reviews & also getting opinions from several friends . Looked like it was down to either the Logitech Z-340 (budget) or Klipsch Promedia 2.1 (high quality) , since both sets are all the rave , right ? Well I went to Best Buy & checked out both sets of speakers & thier step-up equivilents & was totally dissatisfied with each set . I mean c'mon , you cannot get good all around sound from them damn small satellite speakers no matter how high the quality ! I even looked at all the other brands & it seems that almost every speaker set today has the same tiny "satellite" type setup with a subwoofer . You need to move air to produce sound & two tweeters & a sub just don't cut it for me . I guess you get what you pay for & with that being said , I would'nt waste my money on a set of tweeters & a 8"-12" sub . :Q

I had an old set of Radio Shack (yes radio shack) speakers ............ Optimus LX5-Pro surrounds which I had picked up on sale for $150. a few years ago which you can probably pick up a similar set today for under $100. (originally were $300./set) . Hooked them up to a 7yr. old JVC 515v reciever & was astounded by the sound difference compared to any 2 or 3 pc speaker setup I've heard .

I suppose there's a market out there for the unknowing that don't know any better , have little space or are on a real "TIGHT" budget but to spend close to $200. on the Klipsch 2.1's .................... I'd call you crazy !

 

[Fandu]

I hear ya! All of my friends have these $300 Altec Lansing 5.1 setups, blah blah blah. There just the rave of the magazines, and I use a decent home theater 5.1 setup on my system. When they crank up their systems, you can only hear the treble grating away and there's no sound stage at all. Mine when you turn it up, it's the bass that carries well (I run dual 8" subs). All these computer speakers pale in comparison to their home theater counterparts.

 

[sandorski]

Well, to each his own. Only the bass needs to move air, which is what the sub is for, although some upper end bass should be produced by the satellites for positioning purposes. It's hard to really judge a speaker system in most stores, unless they were properly setup in a good listening room, anything sitting on a shelf won't really give you a good demo though.

It is true though, that PC(Multimedia) speakers don't compare to higher end speaker systems(duh). Trying to setup a system of equal value/quality is difficult to do though, just remember that all the amps are built into Multimedia speakers. If one has a receiver/amp already though, buying non-powered speakers within a similar price range is certainly a viable option.

 

[CKDragon]

Actually, it is the Z-560 that is the internet darling of the Logitech line, but your point still stands...

CK

EDIT: DOH, got the number wrong myself

 

[dc]

you're comparing sub $50 logitechs to the ~$150-200 klipsch 2.1? haha...
try the z560's instead.

 

[iamwiz82]

i like my midiland S4 8200's. They are teh greatest

 

[SSP]

It could've been the way it was configured in the store. I did a sound test in the store and they all blew goats compared to my Old Amp + 400 watt (total) speaker set. The amp is old, but it has much better sound then those $300 setup. (got the amp for 50 bucks, plus the the 3 way speakers for ~60)

 

[DaveSimmons]

<< I suppose there's a market out there for the unknowing that don't know any better , have little space or are on a real "TIGHT" budget but to spend close to $200. on the Klipsch 2.1's .................... I'd call you crazy >>

I use a couple of Infinity 2000.3's and receiver myself, but just remember that a brand-new receiver alone is $175+ (crummy) - $250+ (decent) before you buy speakers, another $100-200. So at new prices it's $200 vs. $300-450.