Best Speakers to go with audigy 2 ZS

[asifnazir86]

Hi.i just bought a audigy 2 ZS 7.1 THX soundcard and i am now confused as to which speakers to get.

I am intrested in the Logitch z5500 5.1 digital or the creative gigaworks s750 7.1. both are THX approved. price is not as issue, but would it be worth buying 7.1 speakers if they arent digital, how much difference is there in the sound quality. also is it possible to conect the logitech speakers to the creative soundcard to give me digital sound?

thank you

 

[shawnlizzle =]]

klipsch 5.1 pro media

<font color=red>gforce mx100/200 @ 230/440 =]</font color=red>

 

[Clob]

2nd that... I have the ultras and I cant get enough of them!

<font color=red>"Battling Gimps and Dimbulbs HERE at THGC"</font color=red>

"<font color=blue> Wusy</font color=blue> <-Professional sheep banger"

 

[qasdfdsaq]

Digital has nothing to do with quality. Directly anyway. There is no such thing as "digital" sound, sound is analogue. There is no reason in particular to get any speaker system in "digital" if there there's an equivalent non "digital". It's really all just a marketing ploy to make people feel like they're buying something "better".

Personally, I'd also get the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra's but unfortunately they seem to be impossible to get hold of in Europe

 

[astrallite]

Digital has nothing to do with quality. Directly anyway. There is no such thing as "digital" sound, sound is analogue. There is no reason in particular to get any speaker system in "digital" if there there's an equivalent non "digital". It's really all just a marketing ploy to make people feel like they're buying something "better".

Personally, I'd also get the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra's but unfortunately they seem to be impossible to get hold of in Europe

The Digital moniker most likely is related to the fact that the Z-5500 has its own external decoder. If you go digital you won't get surround sound in games unless you have a card capable of encoding descrete analog channels in real time to digital. Creative never implemented this because almost all gamers uses analog, powered computer speakers.

Using digital would be using the Z-5500s DACs instead of the Audigy 2ZSs (that's why it's called digital "pass-through"; its just bypassing the processing for later). While its up to you to do this with the ZS, there are cheaper 7.1 cards for this purpose ($20 Chaintech AV-710 with optical digital out comes to mind).

The ZS has a minijack digital out. Go to Radioshack for a minijack to RCA adaptor. The left, white (mono) channel would be the digital out in this case.

 

[Herr_Fritz]

The Promedia Ultra would be my choice. I think I am getting ready to purchase a set myself. I so wish Klipsch would come out with a 7.1 version of those.

Fritz

 

[dmantech]

go with the z5500 i love them but make sur you have room for a huge Subwoofer.

 

[Scotty-B]

I have the Audigy 2 ZS with the 750's... I love it. The only thing that had me scratching my head was how to rearrange my room so I could spread the speakers out evenly.

 

[astrallite]

I have the Audigy 2 ZS with the 750's... I love it. The only thing that had me scratching my head was how to rearrange my room so I could spread the speakers out evenly.

This was the primary reason I went for a 3.1 setup with real loudspeakers in the end for my gaming/HTPC rig. The sound quality is just surreal compared to PC speakers. And I'm not talking about "I went from a Audigy 2 to an X-Fi--WOW!" or "Z-560 to Z-5500--WOW!"...I'm talking about speakers that are 400% more accurate than PC speakers (60-20KHz +/-1db...as opposed to your usual 80-20KHz +/-5db...)

 

[imperfectcircle25]

For the best sound quality, you could get 7 active studio monitors like the M-audio bx5a and then an active sub. It will cost alot but its in a whole other league compared to the usual computer speakers from Logitech or Creative. The best made for computer speakers ive heard were the Klipsch's andthey still are really only good for games and movies not music.

 

[pinkpantherx]

You really have to go logitech...much better quality (unless your willing to pay tons of money) the logitech gets much better ratings...look at the RMS power not peak. also look at klipsh forums a lot of bad reviews.

 

[astrallite]

I see some issues with older amp units, but I see quite the opposite in teams of system linearity.

 

[imperfectcircle25]

I donno something about only have a single driver speakers puts me off to Logitech, for that price cant they at least make a decent 2-way sat??

 

[kolemunky]

I hooked mine up via mini plug to my home stereo.... 600 watts pushing 2 - 12", 2-6" and 4-tweeters.......Loud as hell and crystal clear. I tried the gigaworks 750 and the sound quality is poor......

 

[chuckshissle]

I have the 2.1 Pro Media from Klipsch and with my XF-i it's the best sound I have ever heard from my systems. Both the speaker and sound card have worked well in producing outstanding, heart-pounding, crisps, clear and ground shaking sounds for my entertainment and games. I was actually planning to getting the 7.1 but I don't want lots of speakers around the room, so I got my 2.1 speaker instead. As for gaming, with CMSS turned on with bass and treble crank up, man, BF2 sounds really good. Wow. I can hear everything clearly. I'm pretty satisfied with the Klipsch 2.1 and I would definitely upgrade to 7.1 when the time comes.

 

[KWH]

I have the Logitech Z680's, I like em a lot. I am using the optical in from my X-Fi Fatality. I can't complain about these at all. I've had others such as Altec Lansing, Creative Labs that sound very well. I've sold the Klipsch as well, they are quite impressive. Lot of choices for great sound out there but for the $$ spent, I've been very happy.

 

[chuckshissle]

if you did get something like mine, get stands for them, or mount them on walls. it makes a hell of a lot of difference having them at head height.

I didn't know that. I have my speakers on my desk a foot away from each side of the monitor. I even calibrated the speaker distance from me to get the best sound responce and decible. So how do I get them wall mount bracket cuz I don't see it at newegg, where I got my Klipsch 2.1 Pro Media.

 

[astrallite]

if you did get something like mine, get stands for them, or mount them on walls. it makes a hell of a lot of difference having them at head height.

I didn't know that. I have my speakers on my desk a foot away from each side of the monitor. I even calibrated the speaker distance from me to get the best sound responce and decible. So how do I get them wall mount bracket cuz I don't see it at newegg, where I got my Klipsch 2.1 Pro Media.

Because the way loudspeakers are designed, sound disperses very well laterally but poorly vertically. Also, high frequency sounds beam forward almost like a laser, which means you lose significant volume and response unless they are almost directly pointed at your ears.

This is why they say in home theater "put your tweeters at ear level." In the case of computer speakers with only 1 full-range driver, the *entire driver* is beaming forward like a laser. This makes "ear level" even more important; not only the loss of highs, but overall dispersion is poor (small sweetspot) so it needs to be aligned to your ears for optimal response.