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In market for new PC speakers
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this ^
I cringe when I see a 3 prong AC cable powered amp plugged into a 3.5mm coming from a PC.
Use optical between them, or a 2 prong amp/powered speakers.
I have exactly what you need.Hi.
So my speakers got jealous on my new Arctic 7 headset and decided to blow up
After searching for couple of days now realised that its hard to see witch reviews are sponsored and witch ones are valid opinions.
So heading out to techies here for help to recommend me good PC speaker setup max around 150-200 euro.
Space on my table is limited a bit so was aiming for soundbar or something witch could fit under monitor.
So far my top 3 picks are -Razer Leviathan /Sound BlasterX Katana and Logitech G560 but have not experienced any of them in real life so have no idea witch one would be best fit .
Any help will be much appreciated
Nobsound G3 amp $42.00 BT 5.0: https://www.amazon.com/Nobsound-Blu...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
Klipsch Speakers $170.00: https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-R-51..._2?keywords=klipsch+r51&qid=1576187129&sr=8-2
Just make sure wherever you buy the Klipsch, that they are an authorized dealer. I got mine at Best Buy on sale for 144.00. These are the updated version of the 15M.
The amp is a BT receiver. All you need to do it plug the speakers into the amp, and connect with your rig with BT and done.IT also has a 3.5MM AUX on the back. I own this set up currently and it is NOT a toy. There is no tinny sound or lack of bass, or boomy bass, or any other little tricks.This is the real deal. Unless you need to pop your chair off of the floor, you won't need a sub with those speakers. They have plenty, believe it or not! Try it from Amazon. You can send it back free shipping if you don't like it. These little class D amps that are popping up all over are the future of amplifiers. They are now pretty clean. I used the vendor above because they are active in the Amazon customer section, and immediately replace or help to solve problems.
That set up will blow you out of a 1500' foot house. Used for a computer system, yeah, unreal. IF you truly need a sub, you can also buy the same amp with a sub output and get a Klipsch sub. No your ready for a night club. I'm not kidding. That little set up is that loud at volume.
I mainly listen to Jazz and Lounge, and I live in a 1200 sq house. I never get it over about 25% volume and at that level it sounds clean, crisp, and has plenty of bottom end and head room.
I just hate to see people buy those crappy sound bars and spend even more money when a set up like this can be your home stereo and your computer speakers all in one. I use my laptop to stream music all day.
My brother and I have been sort of audiophiles since high school, but not Audiofools. When he heard this, he was amazed. He has a Yamaha traditional amplifier and Paradigm bookshelf speakers for his fronts and a Paradigm sub. About 125 watts RMS per channel. HE couldn't believe the sound I was getting with this little 4 x 4 x 1.5" amp and these Klipsch bookshelf speakers.
His system was bought back in 2009: $2200.00
My new system: 185.00.
Look on his face: Priceless.
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I have the RP-150m speakers and a similar little amp. FX Audio D802C.
While I far prefer my vintage amps (my Marantz 2252 fully recapped is unreal!) the sound out of these little amps is impressive for their size.
I agree with you on Klipsch bookshelves. To me, they are very fun to listen to versus your standard run if the mill silk dome 2 way. Some people don't like the sound of the plastic horns on the low end Klispch speakers, but I imagine you can just plasti dip the waveguide, to sound more like the Reference Premier horns. Should get rid of the hissing/harshness when female vocalists use "S" words and the like
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B00nie
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Bluetooth can bring a huge delay to audio, how did you get audio synced with this setup? I tried to use my Bang&Olafsen BT portable player with video a couple of times and it's unusable. 0,5 second delay.
I have actually watched movies with it on my laptop and the sound is perfectly synced to lips and talking. It's BT 5.0. I haven't needed to do anything. BT 5 is a huge improvement over 4.2 and gives like 10 times the bandwidth, or something like that. BT 5 may solve those syncing/timing issues. A lot of people are using this system fir their TVs too, with no reported problems I remember. They are plugging it into the TV audio output..
B00nie
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I'm not sure what BT the B&O supports. perhaps it's older generation. Now I have to order a BT5 receiver from China to try it out
The new Texas Instrument chips are pretty clean. Class D is the future because of size.They just get cleaner and cleaner using noise canceling ots, etc.
However, to your point, the OP can use whatever amp he wants, and stream from his computer using BT 5.0 to any speaker he wishes. You don't need that little Amp I posted. Any amp will do. You can even turn an old amp system into Bluetooth with a decent 5.0 BT adapter plugged into the amps AUX port. Just make sure you use BT 5 becasue the bandwidth is a huge improvement over 4.2, which means you can get better quality audio.
B00nie
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Incorrect. Class D is being used even in High-End amps nowadays. The tech has advanced.
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High-end amps should never be used as an example of anything. That's a logical fallacy. Trucks loads of cash make just about anything possible and high end gear has almost nothing in common with other gear.
Read this article. The guy that brought class D to high end amps basically implies you should not attempt it unless you are amp Jesus with great math skills:
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/bruno-putzeys-head-class-d#61cL4a1ATw0DkUL2.99
B00nie
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Fortunately there are math skilled people who solved this problem. Look at Hypex Ncore amps for example. Ah, the article was actually about Bruno.
And by the way what makes you think High-End amps shouldn't be used as examples? They represent the finest technical knowledge that exists at the moment, some at no-cost-spared attitude. Certainly better than comparing to a 20 dollar Chinese T-amp. Which incidently are not bad either.
I'm an OEM partner with Hypex. Have you heard the amp in person?
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IdiotInCharge
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Interesting technology (that I mostly don't understand) -- do you have a reference for commercial products using these amplifiers? I'm not seeing anything on their webpage, thanks!
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I rebuild stereos and receivers quite regularly. There isn't enough shared components between affordable gear and high end stuff. Therefore using high end gear as an example to convince someone to buy something affordable, you are being dishonest.
B00nie
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You're either intentionally twisting things or confused. I said D-class technology has advanced and it is no longer something that's capable of subwoofers only. There are very good quality class D amp architectures available currently like the nCore and the extremely cheap tripath amps which may not be high end but are perfectly acceptable as computer desktop amps.
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You did and are still making a poor argument. Nobody claimed Class D was exclusively for subs. Class D stereo amps have been on the market for quite some time now. People tend to say that because Class D has been used for many years for chip amps that sound like crap for music. And even though some good Class D exists now, it doesn't make the last statement untrue. Did the millions of fantastic sounding discrete class A/B amps and receivers from the late 60s onward just magically vanish off the market? No.
Lastan010 wasn't wrong. And if you ever heard a 1969 STR-6120, you wouldn't bother looking at any chip amps. You would be on EBay trying to get one.
B00nie
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Reading comprehension please.
If you think class D AND AB amps haven't evolved from 1969 I'd have to say your arguments are not very tech savvy at all. If and when the most revered audio rewievers give extremely high evaluations to current generation class D amps I would say your opinion is just a personal opinion and you're entitled to one. Doesn't make it right though.
I have worked on audio OEM for years, mind you. Not repairing, designing.
I know that arguing with people like you is just a waste of time so I'll end the discussion here.
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I never said engineering hasn’t advanced, I’m not an idiot. But that doesn’t mean anything. Audio is subjective. We aren’t talking about processors. Being tech savvy means nothing. Go to any audio forum. Everyone argues all day long about what sounds best. We don’t all like the same things, get over it.
IdiotInCharge
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I have a tube amplifier by my bedside.
I also appreciate the new THX amps arriving that can efficiently drive even the most inefficient headphones cleanly.
Yeah, there's room for both, but there's definitely a huge draw toward replaying audio as recorded / mastered, and doing so efficiently.
The Amazon Chinese D amps are using the Texas Intruments 3116D2 chip.
https://www.ti.com/product/TPA3116D...arch=Search-EN-everything&usecase=part-number
Pyle uses the European counterpart, and i can't remember their name, something like "ST" I think.
Great read. Thanks.
OK, I'd like to add a few words here that may not count for much since I'm not an audiophile. I read the vast majority of cinemas use JBL speakers. This is one of the reasons why I chose the JBL One Series 104. However, I've already said they're not louder than the Creative T20. So, if someone wants something louder, there's always the JBL 305P MKII.
https://jblpro.com/en-US/products/104-bt
https://jblpro.com/en-US/product_families/3-series-mkii-products
https://jblpro.com/en-US/products/104-bt
https://jblpro.com/en-US/product_families/3-series-mkii-products
IdiotInCharge
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I use 305's, and while very nice, it should be noted that these are massive -- larger than most 5" bookshelves. And the 305s are the small ones -- they make 306s and 308s too.
I'll also say that the range on them is excellent, and the imaging is outstanding. I added a sub for real kick, but these aren't lacking bass in the slightest.
B00nie
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I hear the 104s are nice for what they are but the cinemas use JBL M2 and comparable pro speakers which have nothing in common with desktop speakers
The 305 has a similar design waveguide albeit a fraction of size. With horns, size matters. Well, also with bass drivers, size matters. And cabs. And.. you get the picture.Small is small, it has physical limitations so bigger is often better. Not always, but as a rule of thumb.
Just want to make a note that the new BT model of the JBL One Series 104 is the new model. Oddly enough, they're still lying about the size of the driver, it's 3 and a half inches, not 4 and a half inches as advertised. (EDIT: To be fair, assuming they didn't change the size they would be lying.)
(EDIT: To be fair, assuming they didn't change the size they would be lying.)
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IdiotInCharge
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Just want to make a note that the new BT model of the JBL One Series 104 is the new model. Oddly enough, they're still lying about the size of the driver, it's 3 and a half inches, not 4 and a half inches as advertised.
Ah, that's why the originals are on firesale!
New ones even come in white... that hurts, though they're still pretty large for 'desktop' speakers. US$200 is in the range of their larger monitors.
I do wish they'd added a 1/4-20 mount on the bottom or back as a mounting option, as given their size I'd want to put them above a single ultrawide monitor or row of monitors instead of on the desk, but that would mean angling them downward a bit...
I don't know who to believe on this one but some say you should put them directly on the desk for better bass, others say they should be put on acoustic foam for better highs. In any case, I ended up looking in my boxes of "stuff" to find something to put under them. I put the speakers on top of some foam blocks that were laid on top of blocks of styrofoam.
My only gripe about these speakers (JBL One Series 104) is I'm not an audiophile so I can't truly tell how good they are. But a warning for those considering them. I read some Edifier sound much more "open" than these. And the 104 sound supposedly like they're inside a tunnel. But when I compared the 104 to Creative T20s, I had to listen to the same parts of some songs several times to tell the difference. Still, the 104 sounded more natural.
And maybe a "peculiar" comment about "good speakers". If they sound natural, there's something somewhat unremarkable about normal sounding speakers in that they don't seem spectacular. So, I don't understand why some people say they were "blown away" by how good some speakers are. Or somehow cried by just how clear-sounding some speakers were. I mean clear sounding systems from what I read can reveal flaws in the recordings that can make it somewhat unpleasant to listen to...
IdiotInCharge
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I have my Kanto YU2s and my 8" sub on foam. Yes, leaving the speakers directly on a surface might increase bass perceived, but it would only do so by distorting it. Better to add actual bass drivers or EQ if more bass is desired.
When people exclaim that a speaker sounds 'good', in general they're talking about how the speaker itself colors the music. The 104 are studio monitors, and are meant to be neutral and revealing. Well-mastered sources will sound as they should.
To add, the current trend is to move all of the 'fixed' parts of the audio chain more toward neutral, so that what has been mastered is what is heard by the listener.
The nice thing is that when neutral is the starting point, adjustments at any stage have direct effects. Most studio equipment responds well to EQ'ing, as mixing is the basic design target, so one can effortlessly 'tune' the system to be more pleasant at will.
B00nie
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Really good speakers present a soundstage. It means that when you listen exactly between the speakers, you get the illusion of actually sitting inside the space where the music was recorded in. This happens of course only with good recording which capture the acoustics of the performance. It's true that the better a speaker is, the more it reveals the errors in recordings. But the analogy is the same with tv:s. Are you saying you prefer to look through a blurry bad tv because your old VHS recordings don't have the resolution? Or perhaps you want that fancy new 8k tv with mega contrast and color and try to find better recordings.
IdiotInCharge
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My Kanto YU2 excel at providing a center image; get yourself in that third point of the equilateral triangle and the sound comes from the monitor in the middle, and that sweet spot is pretty wide. That means big, immersive sound from compact speakers, but they are a tad pricey if one's point of reference starts at the cheap 2.0 Logitech speakers on the shelf at Wal-mart.
Mad Maxx
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Interesting debate going on about class A/B vs. D amps. I've used both with my various audio systems, including what I have now. I had a Crown XLS 2502 (class D) amp running 440wpc 8ohms for a couple years before it died. Replaced it with a pair of Outlaw Monoblocks
I'm thinking about picking up those Kanto YU2 speakers for my mobile audio (laptop/tablet/phone). My choices are down to the YU2 and Jamo 801PM. I ordered both from Crutchfield and will keep whichever sounds better. I'm leaning toward the YU2 because they're smaller. We'll see...
IdiotInCharge
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The Kanto YU2s are compact -- and also quite solidly built. Z didn't hate the built-in USB DAC, and that's an achievement in this price class.
If you're just using USB, and want it mobile, the YU2 are likely to be what you need -- but the flexibility of those Jamos, with optical in and Bluetooth, is pretty appealing.
For my purpose, I'd have appreciated Bluetooth to a degree, but the aesthetics of the YU2 with the small size and clean look especially in matte white was desirable given that they are used for the living room computer. And while they sound great in the proper seating position they can also fill the open living room and kitchen area of my apartment. I rate them as high quality, 'just enough'.
Looking forward to your comparison opinions!
If you're just using USB, and want it mobile, the YU2 are likely to be what you need -- but the flexibility of those Jamos, with optical in and Bluetooth, is pretty appealing.
For my purpose, I'd have appreciated Bluetooth to a degree, but the aesthetics of the YU2 with the small size and clean look especially in matte white was desirable given that they are used for the living room computer. And while they sound great in the proper seating position they can also fill the open living room and kitchen area of my apartment. I rate them as high quality, 'just enough'.
Looking forward to your comparison opinions!
Does anyone know what the ideal distance for the soundstage is for the JBL One Series 104? I tried different distances and it looks to me to be maybe 5 feet but I'm not an audiophile.
I looked at the web site and it looks like they're going to sell the two models side by side. The original model is still on sale right now at Amazon.ca for $105 Canadian which is a very good price. The new model looks to have not only Bluetooth but also an input select button. It's $50 US more expensive though which takes away from the appeal of the 104. The only "problem" which the original model was the cheap 3.5mm male to two RCA male cable (that produced a little static noise if you touched it). (Who knows if they replaced that by now anyway...)
EDIT: I think I found the real reason behind the price decline. The JBL One Series 104 is now about the same price as the Creative T20. So I think they're in competition. Several months ago they were $156 Canadian and $127 Canadian on Amazon.ca. Now they're $105 and $104 Canadian.
I looked at the web site and it looks like they're going to sell the two models side by side. The original model is still on sale right now at Amazon.ca for $105 Canadian which is a very good price. The new model looks to have not only Bluetooth but also an input select button. It's $50 US more expensive though which takes away from the appeal of the 104. The only "problem" which the original model was the cheap 3.5mm male to two RCA male cable (that produced a little static noise if you touched it). (Who knows if they replaced that by now anyway...)
EDIT: I think I found the real reason behind the price decline. The JBL One Series 104 is now about the same price as the Creative T20. So I think they're in competition. Several months ago they were $156 Canadian and $127 Canadian on Amazon.ca. Now they're $105 and $104 Canadian.
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IdiotInCharge
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Eh, while the price comparison likely exists, their for completely different markets and use cases, at least for the market segments they target.
Generally speaking I wouldn't recommend the Creative speakers to anyone by default. Their biggest advantages are cost and footprint, and if those are requirements, I get it. But they're consumer speakers, whereas the JBL 104s are monitors, designed (loosely) for mixing with a relatively flat frequency response.
Essentially if you have room for the JBLs, leave the Creatives behind.
This is most likely a cheap cable issue, which doesn't make sense until you realize that JBL doesn't actually expect many people to actually use the cable.
The 104s have a pair of 1/4" balanced inputs, which should be fed by an audio interface. Obviously that's an extra expense that likely isn't worth it for everyone, but on the other hand, they're very inexpensive and compact for balanced monitors.
Generally speaking I wouldn't recommend the Creative speakers to anyone by default. Their biggest advantages are cost and footprint, and if those are requirements, I get it. But they're consumer speakers, whereas the JBL 104s are monitors, designed (loosely) for mixing with a relatively flat frequency response.
Essentially if you have room for the JBLs, leave the Creatives behind.
This is most likely a cheap cable issue, which doesn't make sense until you realize that JBL doesn't actually expect many people to actually use the cable.
The 104s have a pair of 1/4" balanced inputs, which should be fed by an audio interface. Obviously that's an extra expense that likely isn't worth it for everyone, but on the other hand, they're very inexpensive and compact for balanced monitors.