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2.0/2.1 Speakers

A

AVT

Supreme [H]ardness
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Aug 8, 2008
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4,873
Hi,

I'm a starving college student with, ATM, no speakers. I'd like to get speakers.

Is there anything even alright below $100, ideally at $70? Is there even a point in buying anything if this is my budget or should I wait who knows how long before I can afford more?
 
Oh god not logitech. Get some bookshelf speakers. I'm trying to dig up a thread from awhile ago about brands that make decent sub $100 bookshelf speakers, I'll post it when I find it but until then search amazon and google, lots of options out there. Obviously make sure they are active not passive unless you want to go that route.

I know you probably hear this all the time but if you can stretch even a tiny bit above $100 (like 120) their are some speakers that are 1,000x better than anything just below $100 (swan M10 and m-audio av30 immediately comes to mind). Example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836127010&cm_re=m-audio-_-36-127-010-_-Product
 
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I've purchased the M-Audio AV40's for $80 as refurb. That's the best deal ever, imo.

I paid $140 shipped for the first pair, and they're worth it.
I wouldn't get the AV30's primarily because of the smaller driver and only 15w RMS instead of 30w RMS.

But yes, I agree with NaturalViolence about the craptastic Logitech. Be careful though, once you get into studio speakers, you may get the audio bug and want to hear better and better speakers.

My current computer audio setup cost me $480 with a used Onkyo 601 receiver with speakers from a kit where I did the soldering myself. It blows the M-audio stuff away.
 
Craigslist is your friend. :)

Buy a $40 receiver on craigslist. Then Get $30-50 bookshelf speakers on craigslist or get the Insignia NSB2111 on cowboom.
 
Starving is bad for you. I think it should take precedence over listening to bad speakers.
 
Well first of all we need to know what you plan on using the speakers for

Logitech are great for gaming but mediocre for music
 
I'll second the amp/NSB2111 combo. I bought a t-amp off partsexpress.com for $40, and picked up the speakers off ebay for $50. Awesome sound for $90.
 
go with the alesis m1 those m studio pro 3's have been discontinued by m audio so you wont get any support from them if they break.
 
ThumperSD said:
Well first of all we need to know what you plan on using the speakers for

Logitech are great for gaming but mediocre for music
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Music only (I play my games with headphones on). I listen to mostly hip hop & some trance.

How would some of the speakers you guys've listed compare to the JVC HARX700?
 
AVT said:
Music only (I play my games with headphones on). I listen to mostly hip hop & some trance.

How would some of the speakers you guys've listed compare to the JVC HARX700?
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If you're willing to go with headphones (good idea btw, for your price range), go with the ATH-AD700s, which are basically the next step up after the HA-RX700s:

http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATH-AD700-Open-air-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B000CMS0XU

You can get them for $88, which isn't that far over-budget and still under $100.
 
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King of Heroes said:
If you're willing to go with headphones (good idea btw, for your price range), go with the ATH-AD700s, which are basically the next step up after the HA-RX700s:

http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATH-AD700-Open-air-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B000CMS0XU

You can get them for $88, which isn't that far over-budget and still under $100.
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To clarify, I was asking because I already have the HARX, and would like to get something maybe comparable to them in terms of speakers.

How do the M-Audio AV40s compare to the HARX? I might save up some money and buy them in a few months.
 
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well since i have the AV40's i can testify to their SQ. most certainly itll shock you when you first hear it, let it settle for a couple hours though so that the woofers and tweeters can "break in" these speakers still surprise me from time to time today
 
how are all these suggestions compared to the klipsch speakers? I've seen the 2.1's for under 100 street price.
 
That depends. I believe your referring the the promedia 2.1 which is kind of a boomy system (because of the sub), more for gaming then for listening to music. I doubt you found one for under $100 unless it was used.
 
dinlee23 said:
well since i have the AV40's i can testify to their SQ. most certainly itll shock you when you first hear it, let it settle for a couple hours though so that the woofers and tweeters can "break in" these speakers still surprise me from time to time today
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"break in" really??????
 
Snufykat said:
"break in" really??????
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I bought M-Audio AV-30's about 6 months ago, after years of using the horrid Logitech z560 due to my ignorantly believing only traditional "computer speakers" could be hooked up to my computer without a big hassle.

When I plugged them in, I was shocked, but not in an entirely good way. While music sounded fuller and more solid through the mid-range, it also sounded kind of "dead," for lack of a better term. In all likelihood, this was because I'd grown so used to the U-curve of the z560's that overemphasized the highs and lows. For a week or two, I kept thinking about returning them, but then something changed. Whether it was simply a subconscious epiphany in which I realized this was how music is intended to sound, or perhaps they really did break in, I can't say for sure. But I do know they sounded substantially better, subjectively, after a few weeks than they did out of the box.

I guess my point is that, regardless of whether break-in is a physical or psychological phenomenon, it's probably wise to give new speakers some time if you're unsatisfied on day one.
 
What do you guys think of M-Audio AV30s? How would they compare to my HARX700?
 
NaturalViolence said:
That depends. I believe your referring the the promedia 2.1 which is kind of a boomy system (because of the sub), more for gaming then for listening to music. I doubt you found one for under $100 unless it was used.
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I managed to pick up some pristine 2.1's from a guy that was selling to fund his trip to New York to see Rammstein live. Used! 65$!

I dunno how I lived with my old logitech z-230's for so long.
* submit my vote toward the klipsch!
 
Comparing speakers to headphones is difficult. Personally I'm not a fan of the av30s. I think would recommend someone who is looking at them to save up and extra $20 and pick up some swan M10s.

The M10s have near perfect mids and highs but no bass. And of course since they are small speakers they distort at high volume.
 
NaturalViolence said:
Comparing speakers to headphones is difficult. Personally I'm not a fan of the av30s. I think would recommend someone who is looking at them to save up and extra $20 and pick up some swan M10s.

The M10s have near perfect mids and highs but no bass. And of course since they are small speakers they distort at high volume.
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How do the M10's have no bass if they're a 2.1 system?

AVT: I have the AV-30's and I think they're just okay. However, they're the first non-multimedia computer speakers I've owned, so I don't have much of a reference point. If you're a bass head, don't even bother considering them. If not, they might be the best you can do in the $80 range. If I had it do to over again, I'd probably opt for something besides the AV-30/AV-40, and possibly go the route of a cheap receiver + ~$100 passive speakers.
 
How do the M10's have no bass if they're a 2.1 system?
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Look up some reviews on google. The subwoofer is not really a subwoofer in the truest sense, it is a midwoofer. It is designed more towards opening up the midrange/upper bass a bit more. It has a 5.25" driver which as you probably know is considered small for a regular speaker let alone a subwoofer. And unlike a true sub this one is supposed to be place on the desk instead of the floor in between the two speakers and essentially act as a third speaker.

I have the AV-30's and I think they're just okay.
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Yeah I would agree with that. Ok. The av40s are a lot better but then again they cost twice as much so it's what you would expect.
 
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Also FYI, I'd be using onboard Realtek audio (on a hackintosh, so pretty much any other sound cards simply won't work). Is there even a point in more expensive speakers given this?
 
AVT said:
Also FYI, I'd be using onboard Realtek audio (on a hackintosh, so pretty much any other sound cards simply won't work). Is there even a point in more expensive speakers given this?
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Yes. Integrated sound is much better these days. This isn't 2002. :p

USB sound cards should work fine for you, so if you're worried about the onboard being a limitation I'm sure you could just pick up a nuforce udac.
 
450 said:
Craigslist is your friend. :)

Buy a $40 receiver on craigslist. Then Get $30-50 bookshelf speakers on craigslist or get the Insignia NSB2111 on cowboom.
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What type of receiver do you recommend in general? I was thinking about purchasing a t-amp from partexpress but they no longer carry them.







Everyone is free to answer my next question.

What route would be better for me? The Insignia NSB2111/Bookshelf speakers + a cheap reciever or Swan M10s? Or is there a better alternative than the ones that I listed?

I listen to music the majority of the day but I play a game once or twice a week.



Thanks in advance for the responses.
 
BRAB said:
What type of receiver do you recommend in general? I was thinking about purchasing a t-amp from partexpress but they no longer carry them.

Everyone is free to answer my next question.

What route would be better for me? The Insignia NSB2111/Bookshelf speakers + a cheap reciever or Swan M10s? Or is there a better alternative than the ones that I listed?

I listen to music the majority of the day but I play a game once or twice a week.

Thanks in advance for the responses.
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I recommend looking for an integrated amplifier over a receiver, you should be able to nab one on craigslist under $50 easily. If you go the receiver route, I suggest avoiding all vintage gear and get a receiver with 5-way binding posts instead of spring clips. Try to get a receiver made by Yamaha or Denon. Pioneer models are alright too, and if you find a Marantz in good condition, take it.

The M10 is good if you want something simple, but I found the NSB2111 setup more pleasing after burn-in.
 
I think most people here are mixing up some sort of magical "break in" point with "constant deterioration." It's the law of entropy, not magic and unicorns.
 
jakeshields said:
I think most people here are mixing up some sort of magical "break in" point with "constant deterioration." It's the law of entropy, not magic and unicorns.
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I should have left out the burn in part. But I did think it improved over time vs. what it was out of the box.
 
dinlee23 said:
get that T amp and some bookshelf speakers
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I'm leaning towards what dinlee is saying here...
you can get a set of cheap yet well reviewed speakers:
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-652

And a Class T amp:
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-380

This combo should sound great together, just don't expect rock concert levels out of the speakers. Though they should still be able to do 93-95dB fairly easily (aka much louder then you should listen to music for long peroids) :cool:
 
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It makes more sense to get NSB2111 on cowboom.

The T-Amp is alright, but I never liked how little power it had and the low end seemed lacking.
 
450 said:
It makes more sense to get NSB2111 on cowboom.

The T-Amp is alright, but I never liked how little power it had and the low end seemed lacking.
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don't count the little daytons out so fast man, as I said they are well reviewed set of cheap speakers.
http://www.unplggd.com/unplggd/spea...-b652s-audiophile-sound-for-dirt-cheap-117254
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-20005175-47.html


You're likely right on about the amp, little guy just doesn't have the current to push the woofers during dynamic parts of music with lots of action in the lower end. but it's a decent turn key solution... Though I think yard sale hopping, craigslist list and eBay are very good ways to find a better deal on a good receiver that can really power the speakers the way they were meant to be :)
 
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