Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > Sound Cards > Best speakers under 200 for Game Theatre XP?

Best speakers under 200 for Game Theatre XP?

Forum CPU & Components : Sound Cards - Best speakers under 200 for Game Theatre XP?

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!
Word :    Username :           
 

Any suggestions? If you have a link to a good comparative review please let me know.

Sponsored Links
Register or log in to remove.
- 0 +

Get the Logitech Z-560 THX certified speakers. They're cheap and sound amazing! I don't have them myself but I've heard them in store, lol.

AMD technology + Intel technology = Intel/AMD Pentathlon IV; the <b>ULTIMATE</b> PC processor

Reply to AMD_Man

but those speakers are 4.1. This sound card is 5.1.

Reply to Anonymous

And amazingly enough, you can hook up 4.1 speakers to a 5.1 sound card :tongue:

If you really want 5.1 speakers, check out the Altec Lansing...APT5, I think they're called. I believe Yahiko81 has a set, and he likes them. Wait, maybe it was flamethrower2025. One of the two.

<font color=orange>Quarter</font color=orange> <font color=blue>Pounder</font color=blue> <font color=orange>Inside</font color=orange>
Don't step in the sarcasm!

Reply to FatBurger
- 0 +

Quote :


but those speakers are 4.1. This sound card is 5.1.


Yes, true, but you don't necessarily need a 5.1 speaker system with a 5.1 sound card. For example, I have a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz 5.1 sound card with a simple 4.1 Altec Lansing ACS54.

AMD technology + Intel technology = Intel/AMD Pentathlon IV; the <b>ULTIMATE</b> PC processor

Reply to AMD_Man
- 0 +

I use 2 sets of Labtec Pulse-424 (yeah, don't laugh) setup in a 4.2 arrangement. For $100 these are unmatched in price/performance.

<b>"These are my thoughts, your mileage may vary."

Reply to funkdog

Uhm.

That sounds cool, but can I use 4.2 with the GameTheatre XP?

I should clearify that what I mean is, I am looking for 5.1 speakers.

Reply to Anonymous

4.2 is not the same thing as 5.1.

So are you looking for 5.1 or not? And yes, you can use them with your GTXP.

<font color=orange>Quarter</font color=orange> <font color=blue>Pounder</font color=blue> <font color=orange>Inside</font color=orange>
Don't step in the sarcasm!

Reply to FatBurger

I want 5.1, I may repost this and just ask for the best speakas for 5.1.

Reply to Anonymous

Ok, still under $200, or overall?

<font color=orange>Quarter</font color=orange> <font color=blue>Pounder</font color=blue> <font color=orange>Inside</font color=orange>
Don't step in the sarcasm!

Reply to FatBurger

yeah, bub. Under 200.

Reply to Anonymous

Go with some Creative speakers. Browse their site and see what you find, I don't have any exact model numbers to give you.

<font color=orange>Quarter</font color=orange> <font color=blue>Pounder</font color=blue> <font color=orange>Inside</font color=orange>
Don't step in the sarcasm!

Reply to FatBurger

The ATP5 is 4.1. I don't think Altec has a 5.1 system on the market yet. Rest assured, when they do I'll have them.

I can't think of a good signature so I'll use this one.

Reply to Black_Cat

This is the only link I could find about the ATP 5 from Altec Lansing. <A HREF="http://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/view.php?ID=168" target="_new">http://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/view.php?ID=168</A>

I had the ADA 70. I replaced it with the Klipsch Pro Media 5.1. The Klipsch sound great and the 5.1 surround is cool but the highs aren't as crisp the old Altecs. I think Altec Lansing makes the best sounding speakers. You cannot go wrong with them.

I can't think of a good signature so I'll use this one.

Reply to Black_Cat

Quote :

Get the Logitech Z-560 THX certified speakers. They're cheap and sound amazing!


I got to believe that! I have the Z-340 speakers (can't use surround speakers). These are outstanding! Never thought I could use adjectives like transparent or focused for $40 speakers. Deep bass too, though a little loose. They produce significant levels down to 40hz then roll off quickly. (That's not a spec. That's using a test CD). These speakers are sooo musical! (Did I mention these are $40 speakers?)

One complaint I have about these speakers. They have too much bass, not chesty or anything else nasty just too much, over emphasized. I turn the control for the bass module to minimum when listening to music. In games the bass control is up to about 1/4. Oh the exposions! "Turn that down!!!" (Those are comments from the rest of the family).

Another complaint is with the cabling. Everything is tied to right speaker. The left speaker is fixed to the right and that cable is only about 4 feet long. The cable to the bass module is proprietary and only about 5 feet long.

For cheap 4.1 speakers there is the Z-540 but two sets of Z-340s would produce tremendous bass levels (for gaming of course) for about $80.

It's hard to imagine that the Z-560s could sound better but if they do I would sure like to hear them.

<b>We are all beta testers!</b>

Reply to phsstpok

I don't remember the model number, but I'd suggest taking a look at a 5.1 set that Polk Audio makes for about $179. I have them, along with a GTXP and they sound great. Very smooth, but some people may prefer more high treble sound than these give by default. The hardware EQ on the GTXP seems to compensate plenty well, in that case. The sub isn't able to fill a very large room, but it does very well when positioned properly.

Unfortunately, I'm having trouble keeping my GTXP working in 5.1 mode but that's a problem either with WinXP or GTXP not the speakers. I lose my center and sub channels sometimes and can't get them back until I play around with the settings and reboot.. sometimes multiple times. Oh well. I just leave it hooked up in 4 speaker mode most of the time since few games directly support 5.1 anyway.

Reply to Anonymous

Have you downloaded the newest drivers? 4.10, they're pretty new.

<font color=orange>Quarter</font color=orange> <font color=blue>Pounder</font color=blue> <font color=orange>Inside</font color=orange>
Don't step in the sarcasm!

Reply to FatBurger

Quote :


It's hard to imagine that the Z-560s could sound better but if they do I would sure like to hear them.



The Z560s are just tremendous speakers...And loud as heck! I've got the bass to the maximum level I felt comfortable (Neighbors didn't think so), and I still had ~50% more volume control left! Now, the woofer might not support all that volume, but I didn't feel like getting them any louder.

The speakers are a bit inconsistent at very quiet volumes, but that's not usually a problem, plus that M3D technology is pretty sweet.

"If you teach a child to read, then he or her will be able to pass a literacy test" - George W.

Reply to Red_Zealot

Sounds like another winner.

I'm still having trouble grasping how good the whole Logitech Z line is. I mentioned the bass on the Z-340s are tilted a little too high but they are not distorted and can be controlled. The clarity of these speakers is amazing and they play loud. Push them hard and they will distort and at less than live levels but they still play plenty loud. I've listened to $1000 stereo speakers that sounded worse, not many but a couple. No one is going to believe that but it's true. At $50 (retail) for the Z-340s (2.1) and $80 for Z-540s (4.1), there's no reason for anyone to have lousy speakers. For people that need to have top-of-line go for the Z-560s (4.1). You won't be sorry!

<b>We are all beta testers!</b>

Reply to phsstpok
Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > Sound Cards > Best speakers under 200 for Game Theatre XP?
Go to:

There are 806 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Please mind

You are about to answer a thread that has been inactive for more than 6 months.
If you still wish to proceed, please ensure that your posting is original and does not duplicate or overlap any prior responses to this thread.

Add a reply Cancel
Sponsored links
  • Ask the community now
  • Publish
Ad
They won a badge
Join us in greeting them