Speakers Recommendation...

[cmaMath13]

Hello,

My Altec speakers went out today. Can anyone recommend a good set of speakers. I must have at least a subwoofer and 2 satellites. Should I go digital or analog (I have a SB Live!)?

Please, give me your thought. I really can afford any Klipsh's (eventhough that would be awesome!).

Thanks.

 

[joeryu]

Boston Acoustics BA4800 for 150 shipped overnight at Outpost.com

 

[A2KLAU]

I would go for something like another Altec or maybe the Boston which jojo316 mentioned.

SKY.

 

[Wizkid]

The Altec Lansing ADA70's are very good, just don't use the USB connection...

 

[Wuming]

i thought altec lansings were good. try creative dtt as well!

 

[Maverick]

Going digital or analog really isn't an issue unless you're trying to do Dolby Digital.
From what I hear, the static analog hiss that plagued early sound cards is gone in the newer ones.

Most people would recommend either the BA4800 or the Klipsch. I haven't heard either and I'm planning on it in a couple days. I'm big on bass so I'll probably end up breaking the bank and getting the Klipsch PMs. But we'll see. Some people even say the 4800s are better than the Klipsch. Bottom line: go listen to stuff for yourself...and if its a tough decision, go to a different store and listen there too to get a second opinion. Good luck.

 

[rhinox99]

Shiva112:

I have a soundblaster live value that's about a year old. Would buying the newer soundblaster live get rid of the hiss that I hear constantly? What sound card would you recommend for a set of analog speakers?

 

[cmaMath13]

Ok. I think I have a couple of ideas. Thanks for the clarification about the digital/analog speakers, too.

Thanks!

 

[cmaMath13]

Ok. I think I have a couple of ideas. Thanks for the clarification about the digital/analog speakers, too.

Thanks!

 

[fitzhue]

Don't overlook the altec lansing acs56. i have these and they are quite nice.

 

[ramuno]

I just built a computer for a friend with a SB Live! I used Cambridge FPS2000 digital speakers ($100) and they sound great. There are four satellites and a sub. Before buying them, I went to my local Best Buy and sampled the speakers they have set up. They all sounded really crappy except for these. I don't think you can do better for the money. The gains you can get for a lot more money might not be noticable.

 

[Vinny N]

rhinox99:

Hiss?

Try muting everything BUT the type of audio you're trying to hear.

Oh yeah, a couple of likely sources:

One is from line-in, if it's leading to another device, say a tv tuner card...
The second most likely source is your cd audio. Yep, even if you're not playing a cd, you can get hiss from cd audio.

Also, it's not good enough to just have the volume low, you can still get hiss unless you mute it entirely.

 

[cmaMath13]

ramuno,

Did you buy your speakers at Best Buy?

 

[Rent]

I can say that for the $$ the FPS2000 are really badass. I have my set and even when their not on the digital din cable, they sound great. My friend with his Klipsch ProMedias though my FPS2000 almost had punchier (sp? doh!) bass. I've got the hooked up to my SBLive... sound great to me. I don't have room for a nuclear reactor sized sub, so these things work good for me.

Just my 2 cents

 

[cmaMath13]

Cool. I like that $100 price range, too. I spent $80 on my last set, but I really don't want to spend $150+! I will check and see how much for the FPS2000.

Thanks.

 

[Guilty]

Another recommendation for the FPS2000's, I have them and they're excellent for gaming and for people who dont need their whole house shaking to enjoy music.

 

[Degenerate]

I don't know much about speakers, but can you connect the Bose Accustimass 10 on the computer? are they good? i heard that you could only have prologic on them when connected on your computer.

SB live DE

 

[Maverick]

Radeon:

I'm upgrading my FPS2000 because the bass is too weak for my taste. Plus it seems to come and go on mine...sometimes I get no low frequency output and sometimes I get tons...too inconsistent for me.

rhinox99:

to answer your question...if yours is a year old and it hisses, a newer one probably won't be any better.
I've heard mixed things about the hiss on the Live! values. Mine is about two years old and it hisses like mad when hooked up to analog speakers. But my ex-roommate had a newer one (had the yellow colored SPDIF connector) and he had it hooked up via analog to his stereo with no hiss. Both of us had $20 dollar monster cable stereo RCA cords too.

Personally I'm sick of dealing with the Live! crap and I've heard really good things about the Philips Acoustic Edge so I've ordered one of those. According to Insane3D, the hiss disappeared on his Klipsch PM's when he switched to the Philips card.

If you want good analog speakers, the general consensus seems to be the Boston Acoustics 4800's or the Klipsch ProMedia. Listen to both and find out which you like better and which you can afford Its a matter of personal preference. Go for either of those.

Now comes my recommendation for those trying to decide between 5.1 and 4.1:

If you're a gamer that occassionally watches DVDs (I'm guessing 90-95% of the people interested), stick with 4.1 systems. They're cheaper, and right now there's just better sounding choices in 4.1 than in 5.1 when it comes to gaming. I'd recommend against buying a Live! 5.1 card regardless of your situation. There's no 5.1 speaker system out there that doesn't already include a dolby digital decoder (the high selling point of the new Live! cards) so its a waste of cash. You can't even use dolby digital on anything but DVDs right now. The only thing you lose using a 4.1 is a "true center channel". If you're just watching DVDs on your PC with a mere 17 inch monitor...who cares. Save the money for a real home theater

As far as games that output in Dolby Digital...this is a loooong way off. I'm talking at least 18 months, probably more. The kind of processing power you need from both the CPU and the sound card to do this in real time just doesn't exist right now. Only now are we seeing games like Broodwar and Diablo II using Dolby Surround. And its been around for more than 5 years! Save your money and don't believe the hype, Dolby digital for gaming is not a reality now and it won't be any time soon.

Jeez this is a long post...I could probably write a damn essay if I don't stop now...hope this helps you guys out.

 

[DarkManXY2G]

I would have to agree with fitzhue. The altec lansing acs56 are a great pair of speakers. Esspecially for the price.

 

[Neckbone]

Have you considered Klipsch

 

[Insane3D]

I would have to agree with Shiva112. The best bet for your money would be the Boston Acoustics BA4800's. The have some great sound quality and that price of $150 can't be beat. The Promedia's are very nice, but if you don't have the $$$, the BA4800's are very good. Also, 5.1 in most PC settings is not needed bacause the "phantom" center channel works very well unless your front satellites are more than a few feet apart. I recently upgraded my SB Live 5.1 to the Philips AE and it has a much cleaner sound. One reason for the hiss on the Live cards is that there are so many inputs on the card. People seem to be able to control the hiss by muting all sound sources that are not in use. Also, the Santa Cruz and SB Live 5.1 do surround different than the Philips does. The Philips can actually output true 5.1 sound from any stereo sound source, even if it is not encoded for 5.1. The most important thing is to listen to the speakers yourself. Everyone and their mother could tell you this speaker is the best, or this speaker set rules, but all that matters is how they sound to you. After all, are you buying your speakers for your ears, or someone else's? Good luck!

 

[MrCraphead]

IMHO, Creative's speakers have absolutely no power at all, although the provide good Dolby 5.1 performance. I'd recommend going with the Midiland S4-7100 Plus for 5.1 performance, or the Klipsch v.2-400 for gaming or music. Can't beat the 400 watts of pure power from the Klipsch....*shudder*

 

[cmaMath13]

What do you guys think about Creative's FPS1500 OR Altec's AC554? Both of these speaker systems have four satellites and a subwoofer. I know they don't offer super wattage, but I really would like to spend $100 OR less.

 

[ramuno]

cmaMATH,

I bought the FSP2000 from Staples online with a coupon.

 

[Maverick]

I just sold my FPS2000 speakers for 80 bucks plus shipping.
Shoulda told me earlier