Do a lot of people use made-for-PC speaker sets?

[CompTIA_Rep]

Was wondering if many people bought PC speaker setups like from logitech, or stereo setups like yamaha + Infinity speakers...

I use a Yamaha THX reciever and Bang and Olufsen rl140s... AWESOME speakers IMO. Worth the purchase on ebay.

 

[bigballerdan]

I bought myself some Logitech Z-5300's last summer for just over $100 on newegg and they are spectacular. They still cost up to $200 at most stores to this day. Heavy bass and great speaker quality, I highly recommend them. Great bang for the buck!

 

[M_with_one_M]

I have an old pc-speaker setup, but I only use headfones now since I don't live alone anymore.

 

[commanderspockep]

If you're trying to decide which is better I would try both. I prefer the receiver setup myself, but both can be very satisfying.

 

[choirbass]

yeah, honestly i prefer a receiver + speakers over pc speakers as well... qualitywise theyre traditionally superior to a pc speakerset in numerous aspects, plus assembling and upgrading a multi component hi fi system bit by bit with different components, can be just as rewarding, and likened to upgrading a self assembled pc, to improve its performance, to give you that edge youre looking for.

 

[bman212121]

I would agree with the above post, but if you simply wanted the best "bang for the buck" I would consider a nice pc speaker setup. Take the Logitech Z5500's for example, it's a 500W 5.1 THX certified system, with digital and analog inputs. All that for well under $300. The receiver for a decent stereo system can be right in the same range as the whole speaker set is.

Plus if most of your music is either on cd's or mp3's, a receiver doesn't make a lot of sense because you would probably be hooking it up to the pc anyway.

 

[choirbass]

pricewise, i do agree that pc speakers are almost always easier to afford, and can provide great sound for the price, especially if youre on a fairly limited budget... but one of the largest differences however between a dedicated pc speaker set up, and a home theatre set up, are the differences between the actual speakers themselves... ...i couldnt remember specifically what was said in a forum thread lastnight, so i went back and found it... a poster stating the fundamental differences between pc and HT speakers:

"I don't think that is true at all...PC speakers are a very historically recent product, released due to the need for small speakers in office type cubicle situations and small kids rooms.

The basics of loudspeaker design have been around for decades, which is why progress is very slow in the loudspeaker market. Loudspeakers have been, for the majority of history, built based on principles of physics (air movement), dispersion, onaxis and offaxis frequency response.

Computer speakers are built for a very specific need, and as a result, have to go against several audio design principles, foremost, the small size almost guarantees very poor off-axis design, and low excursion limits. Offaxis means exactly what you probably can imagine--what the speaker sounds like "in the room".

Computer speakers can be adquate, even great, if the drivers are lined up perfectly with your ears. But off axis performance--dispersion of the sound so it maintains the same sound throughout a wide area--is a huge limitation of PC speakers. This is why "more watts" is a fallacy and is just marketting jargon. When you are walking around the room, it sounds more muffled and less distinct than when in the direct listening position (this is true of all speakers of course, but good floorstanders can maintain 95% frequency response linearity even 75 degrees to either side of the drivers). Just turning it up (those 505 watts of Logitech greatness!!! Wow!) will make it more audible, it will make the "noise level" louder, but won't fix the issue, which is the sound is not "clear" (the frequency response is no longer linear offaxis; it sounds a lot different when you walk around the room, whereas good speakers should sound very linear no matter where you are in the room). The audio issue here is that it cannot be fixed by simply adding more "ammo", but actually a failure of the design (to be accurate "in the room", rather than just mostly accurate "for one person, with his head in a vise").

It doesn't take an audiophile to hear the obvious. A lot of kids have grown up in the PC era, and PC speakers seemed to go hand in hand with their PCs. But when you are growing up, you may realize for the last 60 or so years, people have been listening to music through "traditional loudspeakers" --i.e, floorstanders and bookshelves--that are designed primarily for waveform accuracy, rather than paying for some audio tradeoffs in order to fit it into a small form factor, or to design them to match the PC or flat screen monitor."

...i know that wasnt exactly the point of this thread... stating why one is better than the other, but, it does go to say that pc speakers are usually fairly affordable, can be decent quality, and somewhat transportable... headphones are more compact and personal, making them easier to transport, usually fairly inexpensive, and even a moderate pair of headphones can sound great, compared to a decent speaker set up... and then theres a home theatre set up, they arent intended to be portable, can be extremely expensive, large, and heavy... but their audio quality in the consumer market is almost always unsurpassed.

 

[astrallite]

Plus if most of your music is either on cd's or mp3's, a receiver doesn't make a lot of sense because you would probably be hooking it up to the pc anyway.

I don't understand? A receiver for the practical purpose for simplification is just the amplifier. The amplifier for PC speakers is usually on the sub. Asside from the fact that the amplifier is in a different place, using the PC as a source , PC speakers and a receiver setup are *exactly the same*--you use a cable to transport those bits to your speaker setup.

 

[chased13]

i used to have a logitech 5.1 but as that long post said.. if youre not in the perfect listening position...quailty sux. yes it sux

if you listen to music primarily...a receiver with 2 floor standers will own most computer speakers

(i know there isnt a different-to above poster- but their intended use)

you will have a *stereo* receiver for like 10 years...will you have that computer speaker set for that long?

for *surround sound*....technology changes much faster....BUT that receiver should still last a while

spend 200 on a receiver 200 on front speakers 75 or around there on a center
50-75 on rear
200 on a sub

that receiver setup would probably kill any computer speaker setup you throw at it and it will be around and in use much longer

(mab if you stop gaming you can move it into your living room for tv surround or just use it for stereo listening etc.- you cant do that with computer speakers)

 

[halcyon]

If budget allows you'll likely get the best sound from using even a reasonable receiver in stereo or 5.1+ over computer speakers. ...even one of those boxed home-theater receiver/5.1 solutions you get @ your local retailer likely sounds a bit better than PC spearkers.

Descent headphones are quite satisfying as well. For the money <$200 you can get really amazing sound out of headphones (They've caused me to not listen to my Denon AVR-3805+Polk/Velodyne set for quite a bit) but perhaps that's just a phase.

PC Speakers deserve the right to live in that you can get 5.1 sound without the complexity or price of traditional home theatre (receiver / interconnects / wiring) I think that's where a lot of their attraction comes from. ...but it is indeed a compromise in sound quality. Don't be fooled by a manufacturer that sells you a $400 PC speaker set. They're still PC speakers and the accuracy and sound quality limitations are still readily apparent. This seems acceptable to me, however, because most in the market for PC speakers are not looking for audiophile quality, they're looking for convenience and appearance.

 

[chuckshissle]

I got the Klipsch 2.1 Pro Media speakers along with my X-Fi soundcard. I also used bose headphone for gaming sessions.

 

[Mifffo]

if you were to ask any audio specialist, who knows what a good sound is he would without a doubt disregard all made for pc speakers. they lack audio quality all they have is a wierd bass which is unpure and doesnt go all to deep so its quite a crappy bass after all and those tweeters arnt much worth either, and really just becouse your speakers are 50000 watts doesnt mean good sound is coming from them. watts really dont make a difference. not for a normal sized house then 10-20 watt speakers are enough already since what you feed from the stereo amplifier often dont go above 2-3 watts if you use those 10-20 watt speakers and then you have 110 db in the house. but if you need sound for some large indoors arena then you have to go up in watts and speaker size.

what is more important then the watts or speaker size is the size of the box and the bass reflex hole, or unless those speakers are more suitable as an enclosed box, however what the benefits of having an enclosed box is that i dont know. the quality of the speakers themselves is ofcourse important also

so all those running around with their 2000 watts aplifiers and 20" 1000 watt speakers really dont know what theyr doing, other then wasting money. its kinda like when intel started with higher mhz becouse ofcourse its faster then, but still amd beat intel with less mhz. i wanna see anyone put 200 watts into a 1000 watt speaker, for more then a 100 of a second. 200 watts is quite warm... and inside the speaker where the coils go there are alot more heat sensitive materials

those are the speakers i use, they are of studio quality. quite simply its good sound quality. if i wanted to buy the same audio quality id have to pay around 2000 euros, that is what b&w and the likes have as a price range. i found an audio site with blueprints and speakers, and he seemed like he knew what he was talking about so i took a chance and ordered the speakers from him and built the boxes they are 1 meters 6 centimeters high and both speakers ended up costing some 380 euros with the finish. and i regret nothing of it. the bass is massive and goes deeply and it is actually a pure bass. and tweeters are excellent and they spread the sound very well. the bass-midrange element is 6½" tweeter is 1". the tweeters are supposed to handle 100 watts (for a nanosecond maybe with a very low level sound" and the bass-midrange element is said 50 or 80 cant recall. becouse really if i was to feed the speaker with 50 watts and the sound level was normal the speaker cone itself would fly out of the speaker. it would mechanically break. and i doubt that i ever get above 2 watts playing from the amplifier

 

[darkstar782]

I have Cambridge Soundworks Megaworks 550 THX speakers on mine, paired with an Audigy 1 Platinum, and I love them.

Without spending a fortune you cant really set up a stereo based system that is 5.1 or 7.1 from what I have seen.

I've always though the quality is fine from these, although I wish I'd gone for the Gigaworks S750 7.1 system with the little tweeters and remote control

At the time I avoided it, knowing my Audigy didnt support 7.1

 

[paybax]

Hey Comp,
I got a set of Logitech Z-5500 digitals. The nicest thing about this set is that they have a desktop console that has a built in decoder!!! At any time I can switch from Optical Digital, Coaxial, Stereo 2X, or just plain stereo, or only 6 channel audio analogue.

Sure like one guy said earlier, you can spend to the "sky is the limit" on ANYTHING. But for quality sound ??? These babies are da bomb
YOu can even hook em up to a DVD player and use them for home theatre sound too.

They are also THX rated, and the sub is clear and crisp. I would bet that any audiophile would be hard pressed to find any serious impurities from this set of EAR CANDY
I paid $ 300.00 CDN for these on sale, regualr price was $ 500.00 CDN

I wouldnt settle for anything less

 

[halcyon]

i got some creative s750's. since i have a pc which is mainly for gaming it is much easier to get some made for pc speakers. IMO there is nothing wrong with pc speakers. all i needed was 7.1 sound and that is what they provide.

obviously if you want to listen to music then people can buy some "proper" speakers if they want but for pc use is it really wortg it, for most no.

i've had these for a couple of years and they have served me well. if i ever have some spare cash i might get some bookshelves and a amplifier for purely listening for music but at the moment money and space limitations don't make that a practical route.

Totally agree. Now that I really think about it, for gaming, PC speakers or decent headphones are the sensible option unless your rig is near a home theatre system you already own or you really think it's worth $500+ to hear someone sneak up behind you in audiophile-quality, IMO. In the fall I'm eBay-ing the Denon AVR-3805 and Polks for some B&K gear...there'll be no reason not to game on it, I guess, should I ever desire.

 

[CompTIA_Rep]

I did figure more people would be using a receiver setup, but a good point has been made... its expencive and if you dont have an extra lying around, you mise well buy a good PC set.


Thanks for the input.

 

[Noya]

I'm actually using an older Aiwa 3-cd shelf system. I think it has 30wpc and some 5.25" bookshelves w/tweeter. It sounds way better than most PC speakers I've listened to.

In the garage I have a cheap ($50 on sale) Sherwood stereo receiver from CC. 100wpc with some concert style box speakers to fill the room.

In my entertainment room is my home theater setup. I have a Harman Kardon AVR-335, but I'm actually using it as a pre-amp with a Boston Acoustics 7200 power amp from onecall.com 125+ watts x 7 RMS. It was on closeout for $750 (regular price was $1999). It kick ass.

 

[astrallite]

I did figure more people would be using a receiver setup, but a good point has been made... its expencive and if you dont have an extra lying around, you mise well buy a good PC set.


Thanks for the input.

True, people on PC budgets are expecting to spend maybe 1-3k on the game machine, but probably no more than $200-300 on the speakers.

With that budget, $200 on a 5.1 set (say the Logitechs Z5500s) or $200 on a pair of bookshelves + receiver (say Infinity Primus 150s + Onkyo SR303s), if you play games a lot, it is a sacrifice you have to make--(channel) quanity over (music) quality.

 

[someguyy]

I have an Audigy 2ZS hooked up to a set of old altec lansing PC speakers with a dedicated sub in the front. And behind me i have a Marantz 2220b reciever hooked up to a set of 3-way technics with 12 inch subs.

And i still cant get the bloody thing to sound better then radio.

 

[maverick777]

I just got an X-fi Xstrememusic hooked up to some Create G500 speakers. I like using computer speakers mainly because they're cheaper and smaller than hooking up a receiver and some regular speakers.

I just don't see the point in hooking up an expensive receiver and speakers to my computer when I can do that with my TV setup. Unless of course I just had a ton of money lying around :lol:

Got the G500's on sale at CC for $119.99 which I think was a bargain. Just got the X-fi for $96.99 at CC. So all told, just a little over $200 which is dirt cheap compared to a dedicated receiver and speakers.

 

[Clob]

It still comes down to a price/prformance thing. Entry level HT still performs many times better in several departments than any PC boxed speaker setups.

Note that future expandability is practically endless when useing a components that can be interchanged!!! That is worth it just bye its self!