PC Speakers vs. Stereo System

[neovan]

I'm not sure if this has been asked before but why do people pay so much for computer speakers such as the Logitech series and other name brand ones. Why don't they buy a receiver and get some decent speakers and then these speakers would have a dual use such as being hooked up to the tv or dvd player.

If this is a dumb question please let me know by just replying with "DUMB QUESTION!!!"

 

[Zepper]

I would guess that many, if not most, don't have their confusers in the same room as their other entertainment equipment-so that setup would be inconvenient. Most agree that much better sound can be had from audio equipment, but the convenience factors win out. Apparently The sound from the dedicated speaker systems is "good enough"...
.bh.

 

[Pariah]

$300 gets you a lowest end, entry level receiver without any speakers. For a full 5.1 entry level setup (not HT in a box), you're looking at at least $1000 which is beyond what most people want to spend.

 

[Mavrick007]

Cost, location, and size of speakers are the main reasons. I have my computer hooked up to my receiver with 8.1 channels and wouldn't go back but it does limit the arrangement of speakers and furniture in the room.

 

[Alptraum]

Cost, location, and size of speakers

Thats the reason for me also and I think most people. For me its mainly location and size. I have spent a good chunk of money on my main music/movie system and trying to integrate it with one of my PCs would be more trouble then its worth for pretty much no benefit to me. Other peoples situations are different so for some it may make sense but not for me. While I pretty much constantly listen to MP3s while on my computer normal high quaility computer speakers and sound card are fine for that. If I want to listen to my music on as high a quality system as I can afford my computer doesnt even enter into the picture, I just leave the comp room and head to my main stereo. For those times I dont want to be running MP3s off a computer yet still am on a comp I have a little mini system in my comp room for CDs or radio or whatever.

 

[pac1085]

My ProMedia 5.1's for $399 sound alot better than those cheap kits with speakers and receiver that you can get for $399. Plus, I dont want to have the receiver around my computer, and I like the Klipsch horns.

 

[GTaudiophile]

My BA7800s sound better than any shelf stereo/surround system I've heard. It's also the best multimedia system I've heard, including the Klipsch Pro-Media series. Boston uses the same speakers on the $999 Boston/Kenwood Unity system, but the BA7800s cost $250 from Gateway.

 

[Zepper]

The BA7800 is down to $200. w/ free shipping at Gateway!!
.bh.

 

[GTaudiophile]

You're right, Zepper! That easily makes them a better value than the Klipsch 4.1s.

 

[Utterman]

How much better are the 7800's than the BA4800 or the klipsch 5.1's?

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: Utterman
How much better are the 7800's than the BA4800 or the klipsch 5.1's?

I briefly owned the Klipsch Pro-Media v2-400s not too long after they came out. I got rid of them for the BA4800s, kept those for slightly over two years, and just recently got the BA7800s.

I felt that the Klipsch speakers had a large gap where the mid-range was suppose to be with shrill highs and boomy lows. Klipsch made a few corrections with the Pro-Media 4.1s by improving the mid-range, but it was still not up to par with the BA4800s. The BA4800s offered excellent mid-range, sufficient highs, and okay lows, though the sub sometimes produced too much port noise. The mid-range is where it's at, so I was happy with them.

The BA7800s took the BA4800s, enlarged the mid-range drivers from 2.5" to 3", added a .75" tweeter (on the front satellites), and included an 8" down-firing sub. The mid-range is still fantastic, the highs are there, and the sub is very smooth. The sub does lack some of the really low-end kick that some people want, but I prefer the way it is. Because of the crossovers, the system just blends together really well. I hear a lot more detail in the music than I use to. The BA7800s are also louder than the Klipsch speakers. Some negatives about the BA7800s: 1) can't use your own speaker wire, 2) no detachable control pod, and 3) no removable speaker covers. With that said, it's still the best sounding system I've heard for under $400 or so.

But, don't take my word for it. 3Dsoundsurge.com will have a review up of the BA7800s shortly.

 

[Utterman]

Thanks a lot!

I will have to check them out. Right now I'm a happy BA4800 owner, but I'm looking on getting a 7.1 setup since my GTXP supports it now

 

[Woodchuck2000]

Cost, location, and size of speakers

That would be the one...

I'm confident in saying that there isn't a computer speaker system in the world that sounds as good as a real Hi-Fi. The only problem is that said Hi-Fi is going to start at maybe £600 where a set of Klipshes (sp?) comes in at under £300. For gaming and light mp3ing (he says, inventing a verb) my DTT3500 sounds great for the £180 I payed for it. That said, isn't a patch on my 35 year old [inherited] KEF Corellis hooked up to a decent amp for listening to music.

 

[BeauJangles]

I have a really really nice set of stereo speakers and a nice reciever. i just bought z560s because they are SO MUCH SMALLER. Plus, I can take them to college and not worry about them ( I wouldn't want to keep track of $2500 of audio stuff).

 

[Woodchuck2000]

Yeah, that's exactly why I bought my DTT3500 - My Room at uni is going to be far too small for the sound created by my AV system (and indeed the space it takes up.)

I just tried something really odd, btw. I grabbed a couple of pairs of 2-way ~50W speakers I have floating around + the Eltax Symphony Centre speaker from my main system. I hooked them up to the amplifier and sub from my DTT3500 in place of the little satellites... And they sound fantastic! (in comparison, that is) There's so much more detail and clarity and the system has suddenly acquired a midrange. This is not entirely surprising given that the front speakers use a 120mm mid/bass cone and an 18mm soft dome tweeter compared with the single 60mm full range driver in the satellites.

I think I've struck the Ideal balance of size-performance as far as a system to take to university goes. (The speakers measure about 150x110x250 so they're easy to fit into even a tiny room.)

 

[neovan]

Awesome. Thanks for all the feedback guys. I don't think I'll be buying either one right now but in the future I will have an easier decision to make depending on my situation.

 

[hclarkjr]

i have my computer hooked up to my stereo via USB on the stereo reciever. some of the newer recievers coming out have USB connections on them for hooking your sound from computer into them. i have a soundblaster live 5.1 which sounds great this way. the reciever i am using is the JVC RX-8010V with the main speakers being pyle 15" woofers. this setup far outperforms any computer speakers i have ever owned

 

[Woodchuck2000]

If you hook the receiver up using USB, doesnt that completely bypass the soundcard?

 

[hclarkjr]

no, the soundcard is still used. the speakers are labled as USB speakers all the reciever is doing is giving you access to the speakers, it is not the soundcard

 

[Woodchuck2000]

So how does sound travel from the PC to the receiver? In every set of USB speakers I've ever seen, they replaced the soundcard entirely. The job of the soundcard is basically to be a D/A converter. With clever drivers the, speakers use built in D/A converters and remove the need for a soundcard entirely.

 

[hclarkjr]

you run usb cable to the reciever and plug it into the reciever

 

[Mavrick007]

A friend of mine had the Altec Lansing AD305 USB speakers (I think it was this model or close number), and all the USB did for it was to allow him control of the speakers outside of the sound card (ie. it would show diagnostics and allow you to see a volume slider onscreen when you turned them up), but you still had to hook up the speakers using the jacks to be able to have a connection to the sound card.

Is this the case for USB over a receiver too? Do you still have to hook up RCA or Digital or whatever cables besides the USB cable?

 

[hclarkjr]

no, all you do is run the usb cable from the computer to the receiver and plug it in. then you can use the stereo speakers from it for your computer. sounds awsome that way

 

[Woodchuck2000]

It's still puzzling me how the sound gets from the soundcard to the receiver. The SBLive/Audigy has no facility for outputting sound through USB that I've heard of. Is anything installed on the PC when you attach the receiver? Also, can you apply effects to sound going through the receiver? (Open the EAX control panel when playing an MP3 and try enabling an environment - see if it works) Even better if you're feeling particularly nice, could you try disabling the SBLive altogether and see if you still get sound?

It doesn't surprise me if the sound coming out of the receiver when using the USB connection is excellent as it probably has better D/A converters than the SBLive. I'm interested because I'm thinking of upgrading my receiver soon and having USB would allow me to use my laptop (which has a crappy integrated soundcard) as an MP3 jukebox and get decent quality sound.

 

[hclarkjr]

your confusing yourself- all you do is hook the usb cable to a usb port on your computer and not your soundcard and run the cable from the usb port to the receiver. the soundcard treats this connection as usb speakers that is why you still need the soundcard. the receiver doesn't have a soundcard for the computer. it is just giving you access to the speakers and the dolby processor and such.