Which 4.1 speaker system to get?

[Spix]

I recently got a soundblaster live value, and figured I should get a 4.1 system to go with it. Question is which one? There are a few out there and right now I have my eye on either creatives FPS 1500 or Labtecs LCS-2515 Arena 515. If any soundguru out there has a better suggestion ( In the same pricerange ) than these two please tell me.

I was also wondering if there are any digital 4.1 systems out there. Only seen digital 5.1 systems.

 

[nccr]

I currently have the Klipsch Promedia 4.1's, but it was tough deciding between these and the Boston Acoustics BA 4800's. I sprung for the Klipsch's after convincing myself that it was a relatively long term investment (relative to other computer parts ). Many people over at http://3dss.com swear by the Boston Acoustic BA4800's. Most agree that the sound is 85% or 90% as good as the Klipsch's at only 40% of the price. You could get the Boston Acoustic's for ~$120 if you look around on sites such as www.ibuyer.net. Regarding the speakers you are currently looking at: I used to have the Labtec LCS 2514's (4 speakers + woofer), and I thought they were alright, nothing spectacular. The price couldn't be beat on the deal I got for those. I think I paid around $50 for those speakers and an Aureal SQ-1500 sound card over a year ago at Comp USA. I haven't personally heard the Creative FPS 1500's, but several people I know dislike Creative speakers. One of my friends currently has the FPS 2500's and is looking for replacement speakers. Anyways, IMO the Boston Acoustic Speakers cannot be beat in their price range. If you don't want to get those, then you could get a good deal on the Altec Lansing ADA 880's. However, some people are having trouble with those speakers. The bass wasn't up to par unless they tweaked the registry I think. Oh well, good luck in your purchase.

 

[axia55]

I have the BA7500 and the Klipsch 2.1. If you want power and bass, go Klipsch but, I like the sound of the Boston Acoustics better. I've seen the go for $150 on fleabay. I had the FPS 2000
and those were OK for the money. The local Wal-Mart has them on sale for $90.

 

[axia55]

Oh yeah, the FPS 2000 and the BA7500 are digital

 

[00aStrOgUy00]

you sure the bass doesn't work right for ADA880? They seem way overpowered for me...Plus why would the registry have anything to do with speakers...the speakers aren't using USB, they are using Coaxial digital. I find the ADA880 the best deal speakers ever. For $90 you could get digital speakers with dolby digital decoding, 8" subwoofer, tweeters, 3"woofers(2.5" on BA4800), remote control.

 

[whitelight]

if you have the cash, i'd definitely recommend the klipsch's 4.1 solution. it's about the best sound you can get from computer speakers today. but if you're on a budget, the lcs 2514's are a great deal. i got them at buy.com with a coupon for ~$55 a year ago, and they were sounded surprising well for their price range. if you want to read a review on the labtec's go to 3d Sound Surge.

 

[Spix]

Well I am on a budget and considering that everything is much more expensive over here (Sweden), I definitely can't afford a more powerful audio solution. I guess I'll go for the Labtech speakers then. Thanks a lot for the info everyone.

 

[nccr]

I'm not actually sure stroguy about the so-called "bass problem", but I seem to recall hearing something about it being posted in some forums a while ago. I found it odd also that something had to be changed with the registry, but I think it was a conflict with a certain sound card.