Looking for Computer speakers and dac

DGMurdockIII

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 16, 2015
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I'm looking for some good computer speakers and I would like to use headphones with them as well and looking for a good dac both under $100 as well

IF there are any gaming headphones that sound good i might be get them but i allready use some akg headphones with mod mic
 
If you're looking for speakers that cost less than $100, then you don't need a DAC. Your computer sound card has one. And $100 speakers don't need anything better than that.
(Just as a VW Beetle doesn't need expensive racing hubs ... cheap speakers don't need an expensive DAC.)

As for bluetooth speakers ... I saw some at Costco yesterday. And lots more at Best Buy a week earlier ... a big selection. And you can try them right there in the store.
 
A DAC is probably the last thing that you buy UNLESS you're trying to avoid noise coming from your PC that is bleeding into your audio. Well if your headphones are under powered by the headphone jack on your PC, a good DAC that has its own separate power supply would be nice to have also. After midnight I sometimes turn into a bass-head so having enough power on tap so that my headphones can vibrate my ears and make my nose itch is fun. Having extra power on tap guarantees that you won't be listening to a power constrained amp that is running at the edge of its limits.

I'm going to assume that you're going to have your speakers on your desk or on simple stands by your PC. I would invest my entire budget into a nice set of bookshelf speakers and a basic subwoofer. I can guarantee you that you will be a much happier person in the long run.

Now if you're having issues with noise bleeding through your game sounds and music while the PC is running, this is most likely an issue with the onboard sound, grounds, and motherboard / power supply interference in general. To remedy this I would consider getting a nice DAC or sound card. If you are trying to achieve more power to your headphones or fix other issues I outlined, a good DAC can make a much larger difference in a system. Before that point it is a very mild upgrade at best. It isn't going to make your system sound appreciably better without first fixing the basic components like speaker placement, vibrations, PC system noise, owning decent headphones, etc. Again it is a subtle upgrade normally.


Here is a thread with a setup that you will most likely appreciate. It is very inexpensive, simple to setup, and sounds great. The DAC in this system was chosen to stick to a budget and also to eliminate noise coming from the PC as it uses an optical cable connection from the PC. There is more than one way to skin a cat and we could have chosen powered speakers for him. He loves those Pioneer speakers though and Zarathustra[H] was on point for that recommendation! :) If he had room for a home receiver that has HDMI inputs then we could have done a receiver, ran the HDMI from the video card to the receiver and used the headphone output on that. We could have used a 6 1/2 or 8" speaker bookshelf speaker instead of the 4", but we were space conscious during the recommendation phase. The end result is a system that he loves because it checked all the boxes of what he desired and it sounds great! Don't sleep on that 12" Dayton Audio subwoofer from Parts Express. It is pretty potent too!
https://hardforum.com/threads/h-ardocp-spec-bookshelf-speaker-setup.1927301/


If you want more power for your headphones and noise isolation for them, then here is a DAC with a built in headphone amp that I would personally choose. I called Mayflower and they said that microphone will show on your PC as a device without using the analog mic output on the back of the DAC. The analog mic out on the back is for routing it into a mixing board according to the manual. I hadn't seen that feature on many other DACs on the market so that piqued my interest. Plus they have a 10 year warranty.
https://mayflowerelectronics.com/arc-overview/

If I were doing speakers in my room and had some money to spare, a MiniDSP would be my choice as it is a DAC, EQ, time delay, active crossovers, and more all in one. There are plenty of models to choose from. I would start a new thread to discuss the various models and figure out what you need.
https://www.minidsp.com/

Random audio electronics reviews. Lots of DACs reviewed if you want to read technical jargon and stare at charts. I think they reviewed a Henry Audio device and some JBS Labs gear.
https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/master-index-for-audio-hardware-reviews.2079/


Here is a Youtube channel called Z Reviews. He tests lots of audio gear and he uses a great deal of it with his PC if applicable. If you watch multiple reviews, you will learn his preferences and see if that matches your expectations for speakers.
https://www.youtube.com/user/ZeosReviews/videos


MiniDSP video explaining some of the functions of the 2x4 and 2x4 HD.



Hope that answers some of your questions. Have fun with the audio upgrade!
 
I'm looking for some good computer speakers and I would like to use headphones with them as well and looking for a good dac both under $100 as well

I'm with cagey here.

Get an amp and speakers first, hold the DAC get that later if you decide you need it.

IF there are any gaming headphones that sound good i might be get them but i allready use some akg headphones with mod mic

Those akg's (depending on model) are probably going to be WAY better than any "gaming headphones" on the market. "Gaming headphones" tend to be junk with frag harder lights.

Edit:
Damn, I'm having some serious autocorrect problems lately...
 
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A DAC is probably the last thing that you buy UNLESS you're trying to avoid noise coming from your PC that is bleeding into your audio. Well if your headphones are under powered by the headphone jack on your PC, a good DAC that has its own separate power supply would be nice to have also. After midnight I sometimes turn into a bass-head so having enough power on tap so that my headphones can vibrate my ears and make my nose itch is fun. Having extra power on tap guarantees that you won't be listening to a power constrained amp that is running at the edge of its limits.

I'm going to assume that you're going to have your speakers on your desk or on simple stands by your PC. I would invest my entire budget into a nice set of bookshelf speakers and a basic subwoofer. I can guarantee you that you will be a much happier person in the long run.

Now if you're having issues with noise bleeding through your game sounds and music while the PC is running, this is most likely an issue with the onboard sound, grounds, and motherboard / power supply interference in general. To remedy this I would consider getting a nice DAC or sound card. If you are trying to achieve more power to your headphones or fix other issues I outlined, a good DAC can make a much larger difference in a system. Before that point it is a very mild upgrade at best. It isn't going to make your system sound appreciably better without first fixing the basic components like speaker placement, vibrations, PC system noise, owning decent headphones, etc. Again it is a subtle upgrade normally.


Here is a thread with a setup that you will most likely appreciate. It is very inexpensive, simple to setup, and sounds great. The DAC in this system was chosen to stick to a budget and also to eliminate noise coming from the PC as it uses an optical cable connection from the PC. There is more than one way to skin a cat and we could have chosen powered speakers for him. He loves those Pioneer speakers though and Zarathustra[H] was on point for that recommendation! :) If he had room for a home receiver that has HDMI inputs then we could have done a receiver, ran the HDMI from the video card to the receiver and used the headphone output on that. We could have used a 6 1/2 or 8" speaker bookshelf speaker instead of the 4", but we were space conscious during the recommendation phase. The end result is a system that he loves because it checked all the boxes of what he desired and it sounds great! Don't sleep on that 12" Dayton Audio subwoofer from Parts Express. It is pretty potent too!
https://hardforum.com/threads/h-ardocp-spec-bookshelf-speaker-setup.1927301/


If you want more power for your headphones and noise isolation for them, then here is a DAC with a built in headphone amp that I would personally choose. I called Mayflower and they said that microphone will show on your PC as a device without using the analog mic output on the back of the DAC. The analog mic out on the back is for routing it into a mixing board according to the manual. I hadn't seen that feature on many other DACs on the market so that piqued my interest. Plus they have a 10 year warranty.
https://mayflowerelectronics.com/arc-overview/

If I were doing speakers in my room and had some money to spare, a MiniDSP would be my choice as it is a DAC, EQ, time delay, active crossovers, and more all in one. There are plenty of models to choose from. I would start a new thread to discuss the various models and figure out what you need.
https://www.minidsp.com/

Random audio electronics reviews. Lots of DACs reviewed if you want to read technical jargon and stare at charts. I think they reviewed a Henry Audio device and some JBS Labs gear.
https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/master-index-for-audio-hardware-reviews.2079/


Here is a Youtube channel called Z Reviews. He tests lots of audio gear and he uses a great deal of it with his PC if applicable. If you watch multiple reviews, you will learn his preferences and see if that matches your expectations for speakers.
https://www.youtube.com/user/ZeosReviews/videos


MiniDSP video explaining some of the functions of the 2x4 and 2x4 HD.



Hope that answers some of your questions. Have fun with the audio upgrade!


I like Zeos a lot but keep in mind his reviews are largely experiential and usability based, not evidence or measurment based.
 
I yeah I now that I could try Bluetooth speakers in a store and what do u think of these 3 Bluetooth speakers are they worth it

https://www.anker.com/products/variant/SoundCore-Bluetooth-Speaker/A3102011


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07594HZ6Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_PSVRAb6B0WNGM

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FFV58RI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_DVVRAbB3DFWGA

Also i have a Soundblaster z and i would like the dac so when i play audio on my car stereo from phone it not so quite and the dacs I found are

http://www.schiit.com/products/fulla-2
 
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I yeah I now that I could try Bluetooth speakers in a store and what do u think of these 3 Bluetooth speakers are they worth it

https://www.anker.com/products/variant/SoundCore-Bluetooth-Speaker/A3102011


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07594HZ6Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_PSVRAb6B0WNGM

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FFV58RI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_DVVRAbB3DFWGA

Also i have a Soundblaster z and i would like the dac so when i play audio on my car stereo from phone it not so quite and the dacs I found are

http://www.schiit.com/products/fulla-2

I'd recommend against any "speaker system in a box" type setup.

Get a separate amp and a set of bookshelf speakers, and add a sub when you can. You won't regret it.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
An important note: The non-hd minidsp has an output voltage of only 0.9 volts. This means that you won't get full output from your devices without having an extra amplification stage in between (full volume is generally 2-4 volts in preamps). This is a royal pain in the ass in practise so I recommend to get the HD or balanced models only. The HD has a 2V max output voltage.
 
I like Zeos a lot but keep in mind his reviews are largely experiential and usability based, not evidence or measurment based.

Zeos is a borderline comedian. Every other week he reviews something that is 'the best ever' regardless if he just reviewed the last best ever two days ago. He's more enthusiastic than correct many times. Take his reviews with a grain of salt.
 
Also maybe I missed something, but I'm just stating it just in case.

If you plan on using Bluetooth, a seperate dac isn't going to do you any good because it won't be used. Instead, your wireless music will use the built in dac in your speaker system or wireless headphone set.

(Feel free to correct if wrong... I don't dabble much in wireless audio)
 
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Also maybe I missed something, but I'm just stating it just in case.

If you plan on using Bluetooth, a seperate dac isn't going to do you any good because it won't be used. Instead, your wireless music will use the built in dac in your speaker system or wireless headsphone set.

(Feel free to correct if wrong... I don't dabble much in wireless audio)

That's true not to mention bluetooth audio is much lower quality to begin with. Any discussion of DACs is moot when bluetooth is introduced :)
 
Zeos is a borderline comedian. Every other week he reviews something that is 'the best ever' regardless if he just reviewed the last best ever two days ago. He's more enthusiastic than correct many times. Take his reviews with a grain of salt.

I like watching them to see how hard of a time he has interfacing something with his PC and how well constructed a device is. As far as how does it sound... Well that is subjective anyway, so I buy off Amazon. If I don't like I can return it without a question asked.
 


I'm not personally familiar with either of those, but just looking at them I can immediately say with 99% certainty that the Mackie speakers will sound better than those gimmicky looking razers. I'm not sure I would go for either of those though.

What is your budget? What are your goals with this setup?

I can build a system comprising of separates for any budget ranging from ~$200 (challenging but doable) up to a couple of grand.
 
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Zeos is a borderline comedian. Every other week he reviews something that is 'the best ever' regardless if he just reviewed the last best ever two days ago. He's more enthusiastic than correct many times. Take his reviews with a grain of salt.

One thing I do not understand - can't understand - someone help me if I'm missing something here.

Why would you record a "sound demo" of great speakers (like the KEF LS50) to listen to on God-knows-what speakers on your desk/phone?

Isn't that like trying to show the clarity of a 4K TV on a 240P youtube clip? You're just listening to your own speakers - plus the nuance of the microphone and room where the "demo" is performed.
 
One thing I do not understand - can't understand - someone help me if I'm missing something here.

Why would you record a "sound demo" of great speakers (like the KEF LS50) to listen to on God-knows-what speakers on your desk/phone?

Isn't that like trying to show the clarity of a 4K TV on a 240P youtube clip? You're just listening to your own speakers - plus the nuance of the microphone and room where the "demo" is performed.

No, it's surprisingly revealing. You can play the original recording and compare the video made of the speakers and the difference between the recorded demo and the original is smaller when the speakers are really good. You should never believe a static demo because someone can cheat and record the original. Then the speakers appear to sound superb lol.
 
No, it's surprisingly revealing. You can play the original recording and compare the video made of the speakers and the difference between the recorded demo and the original is smaller when the speakers are really good. You should never believe a static demo because someone can cheat and record the original. Then the speakers appear to sound superb lol.


I still wouldn't trust it. A recording of a recording is always going to sound like crap. Add to the fact that you never know what junk the viewer is is playing it back on.

Sure, you might be able to tell the difference between something REALLY terrible and something decent, but beyond that, recording a sound demo is completely and totally useless. Too many variables, and even with a great microphone, and great playback speakers, you are adding in room dynamics, compression and and just the "copy of a copy" effect we know and love from our days as kids playing with photocopiers.

I always roll my eyes whenever people review speakers by recording how they sound. Sure, if you are doing a video review, you might want some background noise, but it's not telling at all when it comes to what the speakers sound like.
 
I still wouldn't trust it. A recording of a recording is always going to sound like crap. Add to the fact that you never know what junk the viewer is is playing it back on.

Sure, you might be able to tell the difference between something REALLY terrible and something decent, but beyond that, recording a sound demo is completely and totally useless. Too many variables, and even with a great microphone, and great playback speakers, you are adding in room dynamics, compression and and just the "copy of a copy" effect we know and love from our days as kids playing with photocopiers.

I always roll my eyes whenever people review speakers by recording how they sound. Sure, if you are doing a video review, you might want some background noise, but it's not telling at all when it comes to what the speakers sound like.

Well here's where we disagree. If the recorded playback sounds pretty much like the original recording (with all the flaws of the recorder) then there's a high chance that the speakers and the system is very high quality. A bad system will never sound good when recorded, in fact the process of recording emphasizes the flaws.
 
My budget is $50 and under for the speakers but I can go up to $100 if i have to i just want something that sounds good and still let's me use my headphones when I want to without having to unplug them speakers
 
My budget is $50 and under for the speakers but I can go up to $100 if i have to i just want something that sounds good and still let's me use my headphones when I want to without having to unplug them speakers

Hmm. Well, at that budget it becomes a little more challenging. You can certainly do it, but you won't get the same level of quality.

I'd still go with separates rather than a boxed speaker.

Consider a set of Dayton B652 Air's (the "air" is important here, much better tweeters than the cheaper base B652's), and one of those cheap $25 Lepai 2020 amps? I forget which of the Lepai amps were the good ones. There are several (2020, 2020A, 2020A+, 2020TI, etc.). I think cageymaru is more up to speed on these than I am. Throw in a tiny bit of speaker wire and we are still within budget. Or if you prefer something a little cleaner than those, one of these Dayton amps of similar capability might do the trick.

These aren't necessarily the parts I would recommend, but I'd definitely go with them over any set of "speakers in a box". I've made that mistake before, and won't make it again.

They won't have powerful bass, but it should be enough for now and you can add a cheap sub later.
 
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If the budget is $50, there's no room for quality. Quality costs, and $50 won't do it.

So just go to Costco and find something labelled $49.95 ... and done.
 
If the budget is $50, there's no room for quality. Quality costs, and $50 won't do it.

So just go to Costco and find something labelled $49.95 ... and done.

Pretty much this. Or get a gem at a garage sale.
 
For $50 you could take a gamble on something from China on alibaba. Or some used pc speakers on ebay.
 
descent or decent? :D

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