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2.1 sound system (laptop)

1

1stone

n00b
Joined
May 31, 2009
Messages
6
Hi,

im looking for a sound system and have found the following systems:

EDIT:
1. SWANS M10
2. M-Audio AV40

I will use it mainly for music (house, rock and pop. Rarely for other music direction) (75%) and also for movies (25%).
Which one you can recommend me or what experience do you have gained? You can also recommend me another sound system.


Thanks in advance!

PS: I'm from Germany, so have regards for me and my mistakes. ;)
 
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1. nice, also makes some other good low-budget stuff
2. bordering on crap, too many better options for the price
3. not as bad as #2, not as good as #1 or #4, hard to find stock
4. good, probably a bit less so than #1, stock varies regionally

I'm deriving from this list that you want powered, non-portable stereo speakers for about $100-150. AV40s sometimes dip into this range depending on sale. Headphones are far and above the best sound quality for the price, but you need to be comfortable with using headphones all the time. Used gear will also give you a bit more oomph for your money, possibly letting you get at the next "tier" with externally amplified speakers and so forth if you get lucky.
 
Hi, thanks!

Can you tell me the different between the Swans M10 and the AV40? I only know that the AV40 are powered speakers so there is no need for a sub.
 
1stone said:
Hi, thanks!

Can you tell me the different between the Swans M10 and the AV40? I only know that the AV40 are powered speakers so there is no need for a sub.
Click to expand...

The fact that the AV40's are powered has nothing to do with them needing or not needing a sub, it just means the amplifier is internal. The M10's are "powered" aswell. The AV40's are a 2.0, not a 2.1 system. FWIW, the "sub" on the M10's isn't really a sub at all, more of a detached mid-bass driver. To small to be a real sub.

If it was me, I would go with the AV40's.
 
Everything listed so far is powered.

Powered means that there is no need for a separate amplifier, as one is built into the speaker chassis. This is done in many lower-budget speakers (often it is in the left speaker, and the right is connected to the left instead if directly to the source). In functional terms, this means you can buy the speakers and hook them up directly to a computer or other source using only cables and passive adapters (e.g. to change TRS plugs to RCA plugs or whichever).

There's not a word for "no need for a sub" because it's really the only thing that does that job. BUT if you have a low budget, I would not put any priority whatsoever on whether "kit speakers" come with or without a sub. Generally the one bundled with them is not a true subwoofer and is instead some sort of subwoofer/midwoofer hybrid which may or may not improve the bass extension of the system. In terms of sound quality, the priority is to find the best 2.0 sound - the .1 is strictly optional. In some systems, it is more optional than others, true. A "proper" subwoofer also makes a great addition to the system later on when you have $80-200 to throw at it, and the use of a powered subwoofer means you can attach it to your existing system with only a few (very cheap) passive splitters.

I believe the AV40s have larger drivers and larger cabinets. To a point, the size of the midwoofer driver and the size and thickness of the cabinet dictate how good your resulting sound will be. (Satellite speakers usually have 2+ drivers, a big "midwoofer" for mid-to-low frequencies and a small "tweeter" for high frequencies.) This is most influential in lower-budget speakers and in midrange to bass frequencies.
 
I have one question left. How is the regulation of the bass by the AV40 and M10? I know I can activate the bass booster by the AV40. But is there any other possibility to regulate or to deactivate the bass? How it is by the M10?

The problem is that I'm student and living in a dormitory. So there should be the possibility to regulate the bass.
By the way I have a real small room. Something about 10 m² and the speakers will be between a half and one meter in front of me.
 
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Neither of those speaker systems will produce enough bass to bother anyone outside your room.
 
Hi,
if possible I want 2 or 3 more opinions which sound system i should buy. AV40 or M10. Both will cost around 130€.

Thanks in advance!
 
There are technical differences between the two, so it's not just a "chocolate ice cream or rocky road" question. Did you look at their spec sheets yet?
 
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