A lot of questions about 5.1

[Ziator]

First of all, I don't know much about 5.1 Surround sound systems, or any sound systems, as you'll soon find out. I want to buy these:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=36-121-118&depa=0
(Logitech X-530 5.1)

I chose this system because most people seemed to like it, and I'm trying to keep it cheap.(I won't really care as long as the sound quality is better than Dell pre-packaged speakers, I'm no expert on sound and I probably couldn't tell the difference between this system and a more expensive one) However, I'm unsure of many things like:

1. How long are the wires that connect the satellites to the subwoofer (or whatever they connect to), or do they just not have wires (wireless)?
2. What if they're not long enough?
3. Will they work with an onboard sound card that comes with the A8N-SLI DELUXE Motherboard from Asus?(http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-131-517&depa=0)
4. Will getting a new sound card give a significant difference in sound quality for gaming, or will it be necessary.
5. Anyone with these speakers-As advertised, do the bases for the satellites rotate (as advertised) so I can directly mount them onto a wall, or will I have to make some kind of shelves for them to sit on?
6. Are there better speakers for my budget?

Thank you for your help.

 

[cookingfrags]

i have these speakers, and they have my safe recommendation. they're awesome. but, to answer your questions:

1. i think the rear speaker wires are 16 feet long. they're not any longer, thats for sure, but possibly a bit shorter.
2. a good thing: i believe the speaker wires have standard RCA jacks. if you want to extend the range of them, just use a male-male RCA wire (RCA is essentially the red and white cables that you use to hook up your DVD player to your TV).
3. your speakers will work as long as the onboard sound is 5.1 (three audio outputs). i think your board has up 8 channels (7.1), so no problem.
4. nForce audio is usually pretty good, so i dont think the price of a new card will be justified as of now. maybe later for the advantage of EAX4, but it's by no means necessary.
5. the speakers DO rotate as advertised. one of the speakers rotates in a strange direction, but that could just be my set. either way, i could mount them up if i wanted, i just didn't.
6. i'm certain that it doesnt get much better for the money. the sound quality is excellent. unequalized, it has flat response, which is generally good as there isnt any bias toward any part of the spectrum. you'll probably want to boost the treble in software though. the bass is strong and punctuated, mids a bit hollow (then again, that goes with the flat response), and crisp highs once EQed. the quality is amazing overall.

a review here at Tom's Hardware Guide had objective results, and by the stats, the X-530s had the best audio quality.

one note of caution: the features are a bit lacking. no wired remote, and bass level is on the back of the subwoofer. but once you get the bass dialed in correctly and have the front right speaker in a convenient location, this isnt too much of a hassle.

i've had my speakers since November, and i love them. if you're on a budget, go with them.

 

[Ziator]

Thanks for the response, and I think I'll be getting myself a set soon. =)