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What 2.1 Speakers do you recommend?

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I bought the Klipsch 5.1 speakers for my first system and they were far better than any other speaker I've ever used. I gave the 5.1's away to a friend, and bought the 2.1 Promedia for my current setup. I couldn't be happier with them, and that's where my suggestion goes.
 
I actually have no preference Logitech vs. Klipsch, except that Logitech has a slightly better vowel-to-consonant ratio.
 
I'll like to add to this post

I'm also looking for a pair of 2.1 desktop speakers, but my price range is quite a bit lower, sub $100 is good for me. I'm not nearly the as high level audiophile as you guys are, I'm just looking for something that'll play my MP3's (yes i know i know), and give good sound for DVD movies. I game a bit, but I really don't care that much for gaming sound performance.

I'm also considering hooking these speakers up via bluetooth (internal bluetooth on laptop) and wondering if it has an adverse affect on sound quality
 
I am going to add my experience to this...

I was looking for a decent set of 2.1's for my living room to act as a home theater setup while I wait to buy a real setup. After alot of deliberation I settled on the Klipsch 2.1's for $120 from newegg. I was defintly impressed with these, so much so that I did a little comparision between these and my Logitech Z-560's I used for my desktop (I setup the logitechs as 2.1 to be fair).

While I found the bass on the logitechs to be more pleasing, the highs on the klipsh where definitly better. I still prefer the logitechs for gaming, that characteristic "booming" makes BF 2 AWESOME. My wife is also please with the highs off the Klipsch when listening to musicals and opera.

I vote for the klipsch for general purpose with a lean towards music but the logitechs if you are doing alot of gaming.

-spike
 
Since your going to be using them for music, I would go with the Harman Kardon Sounsticks II. They are a very musical speaker and are designed by Harman Kardon who owns Infinity and JBL so they have quite an experience in sound.
They are cheap now as I have seen them as low as $104 when purchased from the internet. I ended buying a pair yesterday at FNAC as being overseas in Spain there aren't many places to buy quality speakers. (One PC store tried to tell me LabTecs were a premium speaker brand).
I was going to buy the Logitechs Z-2300 which the subwoofer definately has more thump then the Harman Kardons, but the Harman Kardons have better midrange and higher range sound.
Don't be fooled by the low wattage that the Harman Kardon Soundsticks II are rated at (40 watts) as like all HK products they are very conservative on their power ratings and rate their products much lower then RMS with all channels driven. There is enough sound in these puppies to make my wife come across the flat and tell me to turn them down, which is impressive as the walls here are 1 foot solid concrete and in many rooms away.
For the best musical sound I would at least give the HK Soundsticks II a listen.
 
For music I'd recommend Klipsch or Swans, unless you're willing to shell out for a separate receiver, in which case other posters would have more experience & better suggestions than me. Keep in mind the Swans are 2.0 - there's no sub.

While Logitech makes superb input devices, their speakers are fairly poor musically, with boomy, one-note bass and rolled off highs. If I remember correctly, none of their systems even have tweeters in the sats.

You don't have to be an audiophile to get the Swans or Klipsch 2.1s - indeed, anything less than a separate receiver with a pair of studio monitors and a sub would disappoint an audiophile. Anyone can hear and appreciate the different between these and the other various offerings out there. Creative's Gigaworks system is good as well, using rebranded Cambridge speakers, but I believe it only comes in 5.1 and 7.1 flavors.
 
Originally posted by: OAKside24
KLIPSCH 2.1 all the way! Awesome clarity and esp. bass.
Don't even think of turning it up.. .okay do. 😀
Really, I love mine and I'm sure you will love them too.
Click to expand...

 
Originally posted by: BionicSniper
go pro audio

get high end book sheld speakers and a sub and get a reciver.
Click to expand...

That's not really in his budget (a sub alone would eat it up or at least more than half), plus he doesn't have the room.
 
Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Too bad these sold out, or they would be a nice pick. They were on sale for $149/pair while they were getting their stock out.

-3db @ 48hz

The m200s made by swan are made by a company known for making amazing speakers for the cost. They're factory direct, so that cuts down on a lot of overhead and middleman costs. The speakers I got (onix rockets) were originally just modified swans until onix started making modifications and making their own designs.
Overall, you get great bang for your buck from these companies.

I too have not heard the m200s but would very much like to. If it's anything like the quality of the speakers I have, they'll be an amazing set.

EDIT: I think that was kind of in defense of the "it's just to mention something different".... swan is a very common suggestion for HT speakers in the online community.
Click to expand...

Heh heh ... 😀 I know they're a common suggestion in the online community, and that's kinda my point. I see 'em mentioned all the time, often in brief comments without supporting evidence or any further info. So I stand by my opinion, 'cuz I doubt if many of the people who name-drop them have actually heard them (or would know what they're hearing even if they did). There are a few people, of course, such as yourself and Astrallite, for example, whose opinions mean more than Average Joe's, 'cuz you know what you're talking about, but let's face it -- most of the people opining about speakers on computer sites are really clueless about audio. There appears to be some sort of mystique about Swanns m200 speakers, but I looked at the specs awhile back and I just don't see what the fuss is all about. (And yes, I know specs aren't everything, but they're close.) Are they very good 2.0 speakers? Most probably. Are they the best computer speakers out there? They can't be, because of their limited bass reproduction capabilities. Those RS150s you linked to would almost certainly blow away the m200s. Those are nice looking speakers, by the way. I particularly like the cabinets. Very classy and tasteful. 🙂 Do you happen to know the MSRP (non-closeout price)? And are there any credible reviews of them that you know of?

One other thing I've been meaning to mention for awhile: For all of our lofty tech talk about speakers and audio, we should all prolly keep in mind that a lot of the source material for computer audio is very limited in its quality. MP3s, iPods, Web radio & Website audio, games, et al., are typically not high end sources delivering spectacular audio signals. As such, differences in computer speakers may not be as discernable as, say, home stereo speakers would be with high quality source material. Specs are important, to be sure, in a discussion of which speakers are "better" than others. But in real-world listening, the "better" computer speakers may not always be identifiable as such to the average listener. Heck, a typically compressed MP3 is likely to sound the same on a $50 set of computer speakers as it would on a $150 set. Point I'm getting at is that for a lot of computer users, agonizing over speaker choices is prolly not necessary. Comparable Logitech, Klipsch, Swanns, and Creative speakers will probably sound shockingly similar with much of the typical source material out there (particularly MP3s and games). Just look at all the comments from people who own different kinds of speakers, from cheap to expensive, and say they sound "great" to them. 🙂

If a person is spending significant time listening to CDs or watching DVDs via their computer, then the differences will, of course, be more important. Here, the quality of the source material is usually much higher. This is about the only area I can think of in computer audio where significant differences among speakers should really matter. Would you guys agree?
 
I would go for the Altec Lansing MX5021 based on reviews or Promedia 2.1. I just bought the new Promedia 2.0 myself, sounds fantastic for music. Best satellites Ive heard on a MM set.
 
Originally posted by: Ken90630
Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Too bad these sold out, or they would be a nice pick. They were on sale for $149/pair while they were getting their stock out.

-3db @ 48hz

The m200s made by swan are made by a company known for making amazing speakers for the cost. They're factory direct, so that cuts down on a lot of overhead and middleman costs. The speakers I got (onix rockets) were originally just modified swans until onix started making modifications and making their own designs.
Overall, you get great bang for your buck from these companies.

I too have not heard the m200s but would very much like to. If it's anything like the quality of the speakers I have, they'll be an amazing set.

EDIT: I think that was kind of in defense of the "it's just to mention something different".... swan is a very common suggestion for HT speakers in the online community.
Click to expand...

Heh heh ... 😀 I know they're a common suggestion in the online community, and that's kinda my point. I see 'em mentioned all the time, often in brief comments without supporting evidence or any further info. So I stand by my opinion, 'cuz I doubt if many of the people who name-drop them have actually heard them (or would know what they're hearing even if they did). There are a few people, of course, such as yourself and Astrallite, for example, whose opinions mean more than Average Joe's, 'cuz you know what you're talking about, but let's face it -- most of the people opining about speakers on computer sites are really clueless about audio. There appears to be some sort of mystique about Swanns m200 speakers, but I looked at the specs awhile back and I just don't see what the fuss is all about. (And yes, I know specs aren't everything, but they're close.) Are they very good 2.0 speakers? Most probably. Are they the best computer speakers out there? They can't be, because of their limited bass reproduction capabilities. Those RS150s you linked to would almost certainly blow away the m200s. Those are nice looking speakers, by the way. I particularly like the cabinets. Very classy and tasteful. 🙂 Do you happen to know the MSRP (non-closeout price)? And are there any credible reviews of them that you know of?

One other thing I've been meaning to mention for awhile: For all of our lofty tech talk about speakers and audio, we should all prolly keep in mind that a lot of the source material for computer audio is very limited in its quality. MP3s, iPods, Web radio & Website audio, games, et al., are typically not high end sources delivering spectacular audio signals. As such, differences in computer speakers may not be as discernable as, say, home stereo speakers would be with high quality source material. Specs are important, to be sure, in a discussion of which speakers are "better" than others. But in real-world listening, the "better" computer speakers may not always be identifiable as such to the average listener. Heck, a typically compressed MP3 is likely to sound the same on a $50 set of computer speakers as it would on a $150 set. Point I'm getting at is that for a lot of computer users, agonizing over speaker choices is prolly not necessary. Comparable Logitech, Klipsch, Swanns, and Creative speakers will probably sound shockingly similar with much of the typical source material out there (particularly MP3s and games). Just look at all the comments from people who own different kinds of speakers, from cheap to expensive, and say they sound "great" to them. 🙂

If a person is spending significant time listening to CDs or watching DVDs via their computer, then the differences will, of course, be more important. Here, the quality of the source material is usually much higher. This is about the only area I can think of in computer audio where significant differences among speakers should really matter. Would you guys agree?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I definately hear what you're saying.

Just about every speaker product out there has plenty of reviews that say they're awesome and sound as good as a speaker set costing twice as much heh.

On the RS150s, I want to say $399 was their original price...
(thinking back I was wrong, they were $199/pair on sale, not $150/pair)

hmmm... only one review on audioreview

Well, it seems like the Rocket ELT series and the higher end Rocket line gets a lot more attention than the RS150/RSC100 line.
These were the next step up from the ELT line, and I know there are several reviews of the ELTs out there.
example ELT review

They are discontinued now, so I guess it doesn't matter anyway. The final deals were amazing (regular price for a 5.0 system was $1197 but you could get them for $597).

About your limited quality comment, I'm guilty of that myself. I was never really into music growing up so I haven't really gotten into it at all. I have some mp3s, but I didn't get my sound system to listen to music but DVDs rather.
I'm definately appreciating music more with my system, but I'm still guilty of using mp3s (and often 128kbps ones) on my system.
I don't to any serious listening really, mainly just some stuff playing in the background as I browse anandtech.

The quality difference will definately shown itself more dramatically when the source material is better. RaynorWolfcastle's mention of "high-bitrate vorbis and AAC audio" had me assuming that he's into tweaking audio and trying to get the best quality possible.

You're right about there being a lack of first hand experience. Logitech and Klipsch have users around every corner around here, but the Swans owners seem to be rare. I would love a chance to hear them in person, but I'd probably have to go through audioenvy and set up an audition like I did for my current system.

While I have read negative things about Klipsch and Logitech, I don't recall seeing anything negative mentioned about the m200s (other than lack of bass as you mentioned, but that's to be expected from a 2.0 set).
This limitation can be made up for by adding a sub, but by then, we're in the over $300 range.
 
Just about every speaker product out there has plenty of reviews that say they're awesome and sound as good as a speaker set costing twice as much heh.
Click to expand...
I know. :laugh: How many times do reviews contain the phrase " ... they compare favorably to systems costing twice as much" or something to that effect? It has gotten downright comical. :laugh:

On the RS150s, I want to say $399 was their original price...
(thinking back I was wrong, they were $199/pair on sale, not $150/pair)
Click to expand...
Pricey MSRP, but they do look like pretty nice speakers. 😎 Half price would definitely be appealing if I were in the market for speakers right now (although I guess they're discontinued anyway). I am gonna check out that review though.

I wouldn't mind hearing the m200s either, if only out of curiosity. Other than the unavoidable bass deficiency of a small 2.0 system, maybe they sound particularly smooth or something.

Well, I've spent waaaaay too much time on the computer this afternoon, so gotta run and get some work done. Later, lads.

Ken
 
I really enjoy this review for the Harman Kardon Soundsticks II where the reviewer compared them to a $156,756 Genesis system. Although I believe the review is a joke, he does present some good points on audio design and sound quality.

Soundsticks II vs. Genesis
 
Originally posted by: Ken90630
Just about every speaker product out there has plenty of reviews that say they're awesome and sound as good as a speaker set costing twice as much heh.
Click to expand...
I know. :laugh: How many times do reviews contain the phrase " ... they compare favorably to systems costing twice as much" or something to that effect? It has gotten downright comical. :laugh:

On the RS150s, I want to say $399 was their original price...
(thinking back I was wrong, they were $199/pair on sale, not $150/pair)
Click to expand...
Pricey MSRP, but they do look like pretty nice speakers. 😎 Half price would definitely be appealing if I were in the market for speakers right now (although I guess they're discontinued anyway). I am gonna check out that review though.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree with what you say about "good as a speaker set costing twice as much." I am actually the writer of the RS150 review 😀

The reason why you see so much of that, in my opinion, 1) is there is alot of garbage speakers out there 2) after a certain price range, there is a point of diminishing returns in audio gear. In the case of both Rockets and Swans, however, there really is a big difference in what you get for your money.

Its all about speaker design. Lift up either the Swan M200 or Rocket RS150 and you'll feel how heavy they are compared to competing speakers. This is akin to "kicking the tires." With weight, you get an idea of the quality of cabinetry and drivers. Exotic systems aside (ribbons, electrostats), the weight of a speaker is a good indicator of what your getting. The thicker the outside wall and the more bracing you have, the less cabinet resonance you have .. a sort of hollow boxy sound thats hard to describe unless you've sat down and listented to both. My $900 Paradigm Monitor 9's... a very big floorstander... has alot more cabinet resonance than my $400 RS150's. The Paradigms are damn good for their price point but the Rockets take it to another level. Then there is the issue of driver quality. This whole debate about aluminum vs. poly vs. whatever is rather moot. A true quality driver will have a large magnet, a heavy cast frame to prevent flexing and movement during excursion, a better material... etc etc. Go unscrew a cheaper speaker with say a 6.5" woofer and hold the driver in your hand. Then unscrew a speaker with a 5.5" high end ScanSpeak driver. You'll notice a huge huge difference. The ScanSpeak driver will be double the weight, deeper, a way tougher and reinforced basket, double or bigger magnet.. etc etc. The ScanSpeak will be able to have double the excusion power and be much faster and therefore sound tighter especially in the low notes. This is why I wince when I hear people say things like "oh but this has a bigger driver!" Now if its the same line from the same company, then sure you can compare. But comparing say the RS150's 5.5" very high quality driver to your run of the mill 6" driver in a computer system "subwoofer" you will see the same thing. There were postings online somewhere of Rocket drivers disassembled from the speaker.. take a look and you will see what I mean. Not to mention there is the art of the crossover network and the quality of the parts that create the crossover. Is it just a cheap single capacitor from Ratshack?

As you can see there's alot of issues at play here. Thats why I think the Swans are the best computer speaker you can buy as long as you don't have to have 5.1 and baring you going out and buying a receiver and speaker set. You CAN objectively measure at least how good a speaker by the quality of its components. Of course, as you move higher up the food chain, its the design of the speaker which actually costs you the big bucks. There will be ultra high priced speakers out there using relatively inexpensive components. Down here where us mere mortals play though, the actual componentry counts for alot. A well designed, inexpensive speaker like the Swan will have a flatter response graph, better transition, way better off-axis response, have a soundstage that holds up farther, etc etc. The difference in bass between the Swans and your everyday computer subwoofer is amazing and a testimony to how good that woofer is. Sure even my clock radio can pump volume from across the room.. it's loud but it it doesn't sound very good.

And thats that... hope I could be of some assistance! 😀
 
Glad to see another rocket owner, scipio

I'm enjoying being part of the "family" 😉

I hooked up my old Fluance SV-6 bookshelf speakers that I still haven't sold to give my sister a demo in case she wanted them. Going back to the Fluance really hammered in what I was missing before. Going from rockets to Fluance the difference was ten times more dramatic than what I noticed when I went from Fluance to rockets when I first got my rockets (as in the sound getting worse after being used to great sound vs hearing better sound after being used to cheap stuff).

I don't know if that made any sense, but in short, the rockets sounded great from the beginning, but hearing the Fluance again has made me realize how good I have it now.

😀

 
Always good to see another Rocket owner in another forum! 😉

Just to add one more thing, I think the Swan's are a great, bargain introduction to the world of high end audio. High end to most people, meaning not Sony, Samsung, or Bose. They have a nice neutral sound, a touch on the warm side like the Rockets, but a bit less laid back. In other words, if your looking for your typical Best Buy speaker that colors up the mid-highs up the wazoo (think Bose), then forget about it. The high frequencies are definately there, but the difference is subtley. High notes recorded to be soft will be soft and not over-emphasized like so many speakers do. Detail will be there in spades, moreso than a cheap speaker. Its the beginning of letting you hear good audio and you wont go back!

I'm a huge proponent of all the Internet marketed speakers. Just seeing some of them in real life, whether Swan, Rocket, Axiom, Aperion, or Ascend, shows you how much you can get for your buck when you cut out the middle-man. Just saving my pennies here and going to sell my Paradigms in the future for a pair of Rockets!
 
Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
So I want to redo my work area and one thing I want to do is ditch the cheap-ass Panasonic mini-stereo system that I am currently using as PC speakers. I am looking to spend about $200 (or less) on some new speakers.

I have no need for 5.1 speakers, nor do I have space for it so 2.1 is what I'm looking for. I only game very occasionally, and most of the speakers' use will be listening to high-bitrate vorbis and AAC audio.

So far I'm looking at the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 and the Logitech Z-2300s. Are there any Cambridge SoundWorks or Altec Lansing speakers worth considering?

So far, the Logitech looks like excellent bang for the buck. Any advice would be very appreciated, as would any posts of your experience with 2.1 speakers. 🙂
Click to expand...

been trying out the TDK S150 tremor line. $150 and company not really known for speaker making, but the quality is real nice. wish they used rca plugs instead of headphone jacks, oh well.
 
good lord there is some info in this thread - happy owner of z-2300's here. either way you've narrowed it down to two fine choices.
 
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