5.1 recomendation?... been looking and reading

[Docc]

Hi,

I have a Altec Lansing 2.1 for many years now. I would like to upgrade and researched a bit. I found the Klipsch 5.1 Ultra (can't buy it anywhere new), then the Logitech z 680 (can't buy that one either). I was thinking of the M-audio Lx4 2.1 with the 3 speaker upgrade but it does not have many pc controls. I want a system to listen to music and mostly for the online players trying to sneak up on me. I prefer a 2 driver satalite like my Altec's setup, with a tweeter and driver. Any idea on a good quality system like the ones listed above?

Thanks,
Doc

 

[astrallite]

Well you didn't list budget, and so it's very hard to make a judgment of "quality". Also, The Klipsch 5.1 Ultra and Z-680s are not in the same class as the M-Audio LX4, so if they all fall under "good quality", it's almost impossible to make a sensible suggestion.

So, given by what "appears" to be your upper bound in budget (Klipsch 5.1), I'd suggest you the AudioEngine 5 powered monitors. They are $350/pair and with a claimed frequency response of 60-22KHz +/- 1.5db. That might be a slight stretch, but it would still be probably the best numbers I've seen from a powered monitor below $2000 (JBL Pros). They look real nice and polished too. Making a 5.1 setup out of this would certainly be costly, but the full range sound would be hard to ignore, especially for music.

If the focus is more on gaming surround, you could build a 5.1 system with better speakers than the LX4s for around the same price, also with much larger midbass woofers.

If you have space limitations, then I would have a hard time beating a LX4 setup for what it gives you despite the size.

Alternately you could build a composite system with nice stereo mains (like the Audioengine 5) for music, while adding some satellite channels for surround (like the LX4s).

 

[Docc]

Thanks for the input astrallite. I would think my budget would be around $500-600 max. I have a whole room for my computers. Two on the desk with a laptop off to the side. The room is long, about 18 foot by 10-12 foot deep. I have the computers on the long wall. I do have a Onkyo R-805X amp/tuner with a C-707CHX CD changer. It came with two D-N3XA speakers. I also bought a Cambridge soundworks Bass Cube8 subwoffer. I use it for XM radio. I have been downloading 256bit CBR Mp3's for listening on my computer. I was just wanting to upgrade for surround to hear guys coming up behind me and also listen to my mp3s. I could find a way to use the Onkyo, but it is not a surround sound amp. I think it would be easier to just use a new setup.


Thanks,
Doc

 

[hondacr123]

I had the 2.1 logitechs and they were really nice, then i upgraded to these 5.1 logitechs with a bigger sub and they are extremely nice. Great bass, which i keep on low, and the speakers are crystal clear. I would def recomend these. they are the x530 i think, for $44 when i bought em. A dam good deal imo.

 

[hondacr123]

Oh btw i had 2.1 altecs before that and the logitechs are just as good if not exactly the same.

 

[Docc]

I just listened to both my Onkyo setup and my Altecs using a portable mp3 player to sample the same songs and there is no comparison. The Onkyo setup is much nicer with a "fuller" sound. I assume the AudioEngine 5 have a better sound than the onkyos? I might get those and figure out a system. I don't know what I would need to get the surround part working or does the sound card do that? I have a Blaster Audigy2ZS gamer. If I can use my existing setup and just add those speakers and a center speaker I might do that. I am not sure about hook up though. I would also have to find a way to still use the radio, CD, and XM radio once my computer is also hooked up. This sounds a bit complex, thats why I am also looking at a box that has it all in there for me to hook up easliy... :lol:

Thanks,
Doc

 

[ausch30]

I have the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1's and I love them. Unfortunatly I think Klipsch has gotten out of the PC speaker business but if you can find them I would buy them. I've had these speakers since 2001 and I like to play them loud and they still sound great.

Edit: I just did a little looking around and wasn't able to find the Klipsch speakers either. A lot of companies got out of the highend PC speaker market because of the relatively low profit margins when compared to Home Theater speakers. About the best speakers currently available are the Logitech Z-5500 and they only have single driver satallites and although they have gotten very good reviews I believe this might limit their dynamic range.

 

[astrallite]

There are four classes of speakers. Small Satellites (PC speakers), Large Satellites/HTiB speakers (like your Onkyos I assume), bookshelf/monitors (like the AudioEngines) and Floorstanders, with the primary difference between bookshelf and floorstanding being (usually) bass extension.

So yes, the AudioEngine 5s are in a totally different class than your Onkyos. According to their specs (which like I said, looked a little "too" good) but I don't doubt the bass extension of +/- 1.5db @ 60hz as it's fairly normal for a large monitor/bookshelf (and "in room" response in a medium room should be nearly flat to 30hz). Whether the response falls to +/-1.5 db across the entire spectrum might be a bit over generous, but as I know very little about the company that makes the AudioEngine 5 I can't really claim to know they are falsifying data. (I can vouch for the $200 X-LS being +/-1.7db in that range, and my own $350 Ascends roughly +/- 1.1 db in that range, although neither are powered monitors like the Audioengine 5). So if those specs do hold true, it would probably make them one of the best deals (if not the best) you can find in the powered monitor market. At least according to the Audioholics review (which is a very trustworthy publication as they do their own measurements in anechoic chambers), they've vouched for the set and so it's likely the manufacturer specs are very close to the actual performance.

As for hookups, most powered monitors use RCA input. All you need to hook up a pair of powered monitors to a soundcard port is a $7 cable at RadioShack (RCA to Stereo Mini 3.5mm). Three pairs of such cables would be enough to connect 5 to 6 powered monitors to the front/rear/surround ports on your sound card. And that's pretty much all you need.