![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
$100 Speaker Setup
- Thread starter Chuwy
- Start date
Ah, there's the catch.
The Edifiers appear to only be available in the US through NCIXUS, while with the Swans you have a few discontinued models to wade through. I think this is the main option for those. I'm not sure you can get either for $100, especially not shipped (a little heavy!).
These are not great, but possibly good enough for $50, and you could spend the other $50 on a T-amp to drive them. Free shipping special today, so you would get around that driving you over budget.
If you need something that's still smaller than a "bookshelf" class speaker, here is another option. Again nothing phenomenal, but it's sub-$100 and should do the job well enough.
You may notice neither of those has a subwoofer...well...very few of the "kit" subwoofers you'll get in that size are really all that great anyway. If you manage to get something with 5+ inch woofers, the low-frequency sound will probably be up to most of the bundled mini-subs at that point. Also, you can come back later and get a $100 Dayton sub when you want and add it easily to a 2.0 setup.
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-B3000-Bookshelf-Speakers-Woofer/dp/B000OG6I6A/ref=pd_cp_e__map
HOLY SNAP. those are going for 94 bucks with free shipping. that's ridiculous.
just a question, how would i hook those up to my laptop? (yeah, i bet that sounded really dumb)
HOLY SNAP. those are going for 94 bucks with free shipping. that's ridiculous.
just a question, how would i hook those up to my laptop? (yeah, i bet that sounded really dumb)
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Those aren't exactly "audiophile quality"...but probably damn good compared to "computer speakers." I would guess very solid for $94 shipped.
They'll need more amplification than a computer (especially a laptop) can provide, so you need something like a T-amp or a cheap receiver (which has an integrated amp). A popular cheap stereo speaker amp is the Sonic Impact 5065, which costs $50-$70 depending on store & current sales.
The SI 5065 takes a mini-RCA cable (i.e. the standard jack used on computers and portable audio) as input. Preferably, it would be good to feed it from a "line-out" jack, since it means that the computer hasn't tried to amplify it already itself. You could probably run it off a laptop's headphone jack reasonably well since for the purposes of speakers, a headphone-out isn't that much more powerful than a line-out. The main catch is that you get whatever noise and distortion results from the computer's amplification circuitry combined with whatever comes from the T-amp. The laptop's audio circuits will certainly limit the system, but probably not beyond acceptable bounds for the budget. A USB DAC would be the best way to deal with a laptop as source, but most of the nice ones start around $150...not appropriate for this project.
They'll need more amplification than a computer (especially a laptop) can provide, so you need something like a T-amp or a cheap receiver (which has an integrated amp). A popular cheap stereo speaker amp is the Sonic Impact 5065, which costs $50-$70 depending on store & current sales.
The SI 5065 takes a mini-RCA cable (i.e. the standard jack used on computers and portable audio) as input. Preferably, it would be good to feed it from a "line-out" jack, since it means that the computer hasn't tried to amplify it already itself. You could probably run it off a laptop's headphone jack reasonably well since for the purposes of speakers, a headphone-out isn't that much more powerful than a line-out. The main catch is that you get whatever noise and distortion results from the computer's amplification circuitry combined with whatever comes from the T-amp. The laptop's audio circuits will certainly limit the system, but probably not beyond acceptable bounds for the budget. A USB DAC would be the best way to deal with a laptop as source, but most of the nice ones start around $150...not appropriate for this project.
The sub on the z-2300s isn't as bad as some. But how much power you pump through it...well, it's not a good measure. If I take a bad subwoofer and pump more power through it, it does make it louder...but it also gives a result that is 10x more distorted. It's okay if you want thump but no clarity, I suppose? And at least they bothered to use an 8" woofer and give it a minimal amount of space...the problem is low frequency sound just cannot be produced well without being a little bulky, so any "small" subwoofer is almost certain to be a piece of junk. This one is probably half way between trash and useful, so it will probably give you decent volume but just be extremely muddy (judging strictly by specifications).
I like my bass, but I like being able to make it out as something other than a loud noise, too.
Audio always entails compromises. When you're limiting speakers to a very low budget, there are necessarily larger compromises. Which doesn't mean you can't get good audio...it just means you get a good $100 system and not a good $1000 system.
If you want to hook it up directly to your computer, you need powered speakers. The sound card in your computer just cannot produce enough power to drive speakers (and even some better headphones!) so another circuit has to take over the job of providing it. In powered speakers, the amp is built into the speakers themselves, usually the right front sat or the subwoofer (if its a x.1 kit, since it affords a bit more space to work with).
The Edifiers are one of the best options on a budget that limited. Availability is a major issue...NCIXUS and NCIXUS only. You might also just try going to Circuit City and similar stores and listen to a few of the ones they offer...but look for stuff around the size of bookshelf speakers! One of the best improvements you can make to a speaker in that class is to give it the increased internal volume of a larger cabinet, and the larger surface area of bigger woofers. The little 2" drivers in many computer speakers is just outclassed by a 5"+ driver...even before we start comparing quality.
If you want to hook it up directly to your computer, you need powered speakers. The sound card in your computer just cannot produce enough power to drive speakers (and even some better headphones!) so another circuit has to take over the job of providing it. In powered speakers, the amp is built into the speakers themselves, usually the right front sat or the subwoofer (if its a x.1 kit, since it affords a bit more space to work with).
The Edifiers are one of the best options on a budget that limited. Availability is a major issue...NCIXUS and NCIXUS only. You might also just try going to Circuit City and similar stores and listen to a few of the ones they offer...but look for stuff around the size of bookshelf speakers! One of the best improvements you can make to a speaker in that class is to give it the increased internal volume of a larger cabinet, and the larger surface area of bigger woofers. The little 2" drivers in many computer speakers is just outclassed by a 5"+ driver...even before we start comparing quality.