Sound Speakers

[DarthRevan]

Hey guys, I just bought an awesome sound card called X-fi TitaniumFatal1ty PRO, and it´s sound is awesome, but my spekers are terrible, they´re no match for the card. So I decided to buy a new set of 2.1 speakers. I like Creative, so this are my option (one Logitech):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16836116024
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16836116037
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16836116038
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16836121122

So what do you guys think? By the way, I want QUALITY, not power. My current speakers are great for games, the main reason i´m chaging is for the music. Quality always in first place. My speakers go crazy when I turn Crystalizer on...

 

[Billb2]

Get away from "computer" speakers.
An integrated amp or preamp/power amp and some good bookshelf speakers will open up a whole new world of sound for you.

 

[DarthRevan]

And where can i buy those? It´s hard for me cus I live in Brazil and my mom is going to spend a week at NY, so i´ll have to order everything online, I think "computer" speakers are better for me because they are easier to set and I don´t need tech asssistance for them (if anything comes DOA I am fucked up, as i won´t be able to RMA them, so the less complicated things I buy lesser the chance of defects).

 

[videogames101]

Out of those 4, the z-2300's are your best bet.

 

[Billb2]

Originally posted by: DarthRevan
And where can i buy those? It´s hard for me cus I live in Brazil and my mom is going to spend a week at NY, so i´ll have to order everything online, I think "computer" speakers are better for me because they are easier to set and I don´t need tech asssistance for them (if anything comes DOA I am fucked up, as i won´t be able to RMA them, so the less complicated things I buy lesser the chance of defects).

Anywhere they sell stereo equipment. There are many shops the sell slightly used equipment at significant discounts.

 

[unfalliblekrutch]

I'll bet there are audio stores in Brazil, although they might cost a little more. Better to get better quality to begin with than to find you're dissatisfied with the z2300s

 

[DarthRevan]

Hey guys, my speakers costed me less than 10 bucks, So how can a 100 dollars speaker disapoint me? By the way, I liked this one alot: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...8&ref=dynamitedata.com

Great design, LOVED it. Prefered it over the Z2300.

And I was looking at the 5.1 Systems and I can´t understand why they´re cheaper than the 2.1 (some cost arround 50 dollars OMG!).

 

[ivan2]

seeing that you want quality, i believe you will want to build your own full range speakers.

 

[DarthRevan]

I need crispier sounds, without distortion on higher volumes. I´ll go fo the Creative I-trique 3000. I´m not a sound enthusiast, If it´s better than my 5 dollars speakers i´m happy (and I guess it will be).

 

[WraithETC]

Get the Z 2300. Anyways in the future it would be best to spend more money on speakers than on your sound card. Speakers make the majority of the difference in sound while the sound card only makes much of a difference if your audio source was crap before (in general).

 

[DarthRevan]

I dind´t really like the design of the Z 300, the Creative one looks alot better and futuristic. And people say the Z300 has more power than I-trique, but the i-trique´s sound is better, as it´s made from a better material.So what else do you guys suggest besides those I´ve mentioned?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

As others have repeated over and over again but you're disregarding is that you should get some "real" speakers. It's a big waste to spend $100+ on a soundcard and then get mediocre speakers. The speakers you buy are going to be a much more significant difference in how things sound vs. the soundcard choice.

It sounds like you just want to get the speakers that look the coolest, so go ahead and do that.

If you want something that's going to take advantage of the soundcard you decided to buy, then get some good powered monitors or a basic amp/receiver and two bookshelf speakers (possibly a sub as well).
Random example of a place in the US that sells powered monitors
http://www.zzounds.com/cat--Ac...-Studio-Monitors--2863

For specific suggestions, the kind of equipment being discussed in this thread is the kind of speakers you should be looking at to balance your total system cost considering you already spent $100+ on the soundcard
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...y&keyword1=audioengine

You said in the OP that you're looking for music quality. Unless you have some very poor quality mp3s, you're probably better off leaving the crystalizer off. Among other things, the crystalizer introduces a lot of distortion and boosts certain frequencies that you don't want to boost unless you're sure that your original recording is actually missing them to start with.

You ask why a 5.1 system can cost less than a 2.1 system. Well, the $50 5.1 systems are terrible... particularly for someone concerned with music quality like yourself.
5 terrible speakers and a subwoofer can cost less than 2 bad speakers and a sub.

 

[DarthRevan]

Unfortunately I can only spend between 100 and 150 dollars, for this range of price is there a way I can buy speakers like you said? So what´s best for this price?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

If you could return that soundcard and get your money back, you'd be able to get a lower priced soundcard that would do just as well for your purposes and you'd be able to buy better speakers.

Just going off newegg, the X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty pro is $140.

If your sound budget is $140 + $150 = ~$300, you'd be better off with a ratio more in favor of the speakers.
Less on the soundcard would mean you could spend $200 (or even a little more) on the speakers and get something like this
http://www.theaudioinsider.com...200mkii/products_id/80
http://www.audioengineusa.com/a2_home.php

Unless there's a specific reason you decided that this particular soundcard was the one you needed... How did you decide that it was the the right card for you, compared to other cards, or at least other X-Fi variants?

 

[DarthRevan]

I live in Brazil, and I spent my last vacations at Orlando. I went to a BestBuy store and I saw a 30 dollars PCI card and mine PCI-E, i searched the Web and the reviews were great, so as I couldn´t order other online, i bought this one. Those speakers looks nice, but wait, no sub?

 

[WraithETC]

A subwoofer is not worth having unless its a decent one. The ones in the logitech type computer speakers are all muddy and boomy so in most cases they make the sound worse. Those monitors will put out adequate clean bass and you could always add a good subwoofer later if you really wanted.

Unless you enjoy the thumpy bass from stock car speakers you probably would prefer the clean bass from the monitors.

 

[CrankyMcStank]

Originally posted by: DarthRevan
Hey guys, I just bought an awesome sound card called X-fi TitaniumFatal1ty PRO, and it´s sound is awesome...

How do you know its sound is awesome if you're using shitty speakers? Just wondering...kind of a strange statement considering.

 

[DarthRevan]

Cus I´ve been using these speakers for over 6 years now, and the Sound has never been this awesome before, so I guess it´s the Sound Card (firt ever off board sound card).

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: DarthRevan
Cus I´ve been using these speakers for over 6 years now, and the Sound has never been this awesome before, so I guess it´s the Sound Card (firt ever off board sound card).

Or justifying the cost of a pretty expensive sound card with crap speakers

 

[DarthRevan]

But the Sound is better than it was before.

I liked those (besides the "rustic" feel of the wood): http://www.theaudioinsider.com...200mkii/products_id/80

Are you guys sure it´s better than the Creative speakers?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I haven't heard the creative speakers, but yes.

EDIT: oh, and please note the dimensions on the speakers so you know what to expect.

Maybe this is a dumb question, but are 120V/60Hz electronics the kind you need?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F...oltage%26Frequency.png

 

[DarthRevan]

Yep, that´s it. But I didn´t know the "frequency" changed from country to country, that´s estrange!

Creative Speakers: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...8&ref=dynamitedata.com

I need something that can be put over a desk.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

You can certainly put larger speakers on a desk, but it looks different than the typical tiny satellite / sub setups typically used for computer.

At the office I'm using some bookshelf speakers and a t-amp. Size would be comparable.
https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/sp...m/03-19-2009/Front.jpg

 

[DarthRevan]

To tell you the truth, I wouldn´t like a huge thing like the one you showed me (the are big and ugly). So what do you guys recommend me for 200 DOLLARS? 200 MAX !

 

[ivan2]

klipsch promedia 2.1