5.1 vs 2.1 - The Verdict (Poll)

Do you prefer to buy 5.1 speakers or 2.1 speakers???

  • 5.1

    Votes: 40 39.2%

  • 2.1

    Votes: 24 23.5%

  • both are good

    Votes: 32 31.4%

  • neither - (please give reason below)

    Votes: 1 1.0%

  • other - (please specify below)

    Votes: 5 4.9%
  • Total voters
    102
S

Sloth_Boy

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 14, 2005
Messages
131
It seems that as the years go on, people seem to be lured towards 5.1 speaker systems. Most people just get them because they think to themselves, jeese, 5.1 sounds better than 2.1, ill get them. But there are alot of advantages that 2.1 has over 5.1...

<<< Facts: 5.1 Vs 2.1 >>>

* Where are you going to put a subwoofer and 5 other speakers around your computer, they must be evenly spread and placed correctly around the room. For me and alot of others, that isnt just alot of cables everywhere, but alot more chance that someone will trip over or damage one speaker.

* If you buy a 5.1 and a 2.1 Speaker System both for $250 each, in most cases, the 2.1 System will produce alot better sound. This is becuase your money is going into features/soudn quality rather than extra speakers.

* 5.1 surround sound generally is useless unless you use your speakers for 5.1 surround sound. Other wise, when say a mono or stereo sound comes from these speakers from around the room (especially mono), you may sometimes experience a "audio illusion" which makes the audio sound distorted. What happens (in firendly language) is the audio kind of collides all at the center where your ears are and it basically makes a really weird distorting sound. Not a big deal, but can be annoying.

Also, who needs 5.1 sound, ive compared many 5.1 and 2.1 systems and found 2.1 systems are good allrounders and are very practical. unless your pc doubles as a media center. Then 5.1 is a waste of money.

There are many good 2.1 systems out there. Possibly the best value for sound quality would be the Altec Lansing MX5021 speaker set. I have them along with others i know, and they're the best performing speakers out of many.

When buying speakers, go to your local pc shop to hear a few, then go home and buy online (if cheaper online). Buying speakers online without hearing them previously is plan stupid really, unless you've only heard good comments from those speakers. Even then, they may not be right for your needs.

Anyway, please comment and recommend other good speakers below...

Cheers!!! :)
 
I chose other:

I use 2 Alesis studio monitors for music, subwoofer is not needed, and I use my headphones with an X-Fi for games. I can't find enough room for the complete surround setup.
 
I just really like 2.1! Why?:
1: Nott a HUGE mess
2: I dont have the room to put them
3: I agree that 2.1 for the same price as 5.1 sounds a LOT better

So, right now i have the Logitech Z-2300 and i love them, i know it may not be the best one ouit there, but i couldn't shell out the extra $50 right then, so, but i still reall like them! :D
 
Good for different things. Obviously, 5.1 is the only way to go for movies, but since I have a seperate home theater (two actually, one in the bedroom (same room as the computer) and one in the living room) I don't need to watch movies on my computer.

Therefore, for everything else sound/computer related, which is 90% of the time just listening to music while I work or using Sibelius, I like 2.1. I have my speakers set up kind of odd... I bought an Infinity Modulus 7.1 system a couple years ago with an HK DPR1001 7.1 receiver. Decided 7.1 sound was overkill for the bedroom, so I rerouted two of the speakers as a second room, and put the digital out from the comp into that input on the receiver, therefore I can have 5.1 sound for a movie or DVD-A disc going on at the same time I have seperate 2.1 going on from the computer, all through the same receiver. The sub is technically mixing two signals at once, but I've yet to hear any issues from that.
 
2.1 FTW. The extra power draw, expense, heat output, and complexity simply are bigger problems than the gains. I have a 5.1 system of about 750 watts, and most of the time I only use the two front channels and the sub. The only thing I use 5.1 for is DVDs that have real 5.1 mixes on the discs.

Music? 2.1
General TV? 2.1
Comp stuff? 2.1
Movies? 5.1

That's a tremendous expense for only one application :( Not to mention the Saturday I burned installing it.
 
I currently run 2.1 on my home PC, which is nice for what I require.

A 4.1 would be nice to do since I got the Sound Blaster Live!, but my room setup isn't feasable to that. If for some odd reason, my roommate and I decide to switch rooms, and the other one moves out, the loft would be perfect for a 4.1 setup :D
 
Doesn't anyone just run straight up 2 channel sound instead of 2.1? The woofers in my 3ways are bigger than most subwoofers in 2.1 computer kits, and they sound quite a bit better too. Now I do have a 5.1 setup in the living room for movies and such.

{magnetik} I do
 
i think 5.1 is great for games and movies...the effect of having speakers ehind me really give some depth and immersion into the sounds of the games.
 
IMO both have their merits but I feel 2 speakers are more practical than having 5 seperate speakers. Most movies and games don't really take advantage of the rear speakers unless they've been made in the last few years, and these movies/music are often poor anyways. In most movies that do support 5.1 you're lucky to hear a truck passing by behind you or some chatter in a few scenes. I'm not completely sure about games since I've never tried but I imagine they're a bit better (though I haven't figured out how I would set up 5.1 next to my pc without it looking excessive or crappy) So I feel that 5 might be nice but are kind of excessive with the extra speakers going unused Most of the music/movies I like are stereo or even mono anyways so in my case they might even go completely unused which is why I only bought 2 speakers with my 7.1 receiver.
 
I would have to say that I prefer 5.1 over 2.1 any old day. It sound more whole to me. In 2.1 mode it seems like I have to pump up the volume to hear everything in a room. But with my 5.1 setup (really I use it in 4.1) I don't have to blast the tunes, and I hear the music from every corner of the room. I have always been able to hide the cords and been able to set the speakers in different parts of the room. In the future I might have problems with cord when I get my own nice pad (not dorm/college housing situations) and I'll try and buy a system that has satillite speakers.
 
5.1 FTW. Immersion is important to me. Couple that with good gameplay and great graphics, and I'm all set.


For those of you wanting to give 5.1 a comparative try or just simply upgrade the boring old 2.0/2.1 setup, check the HotDeals section for the Logitech X-530's. Very good surround speakers for under $35. I have 2 sets in my house and got a set for my gf. People damn near shit their pants when I tell them how little they cost after they hear them.
 
DougLite said:
General TV? 2.1
.
Click to expand...

Do you have an HD feed yet? A lot of shows I have started watching lately that broadcast in native HD (Threshold, CSI, NCIS, CSI: NY, CSI: Miami, NFL Football, any HBO series, cool Discovery HD stuff) all broadcast in Dolby Digital 5.1 too. The mix is usually very good, makes it much more immersive. I am surprised how much it helps NFL games, making you really feel like you are part of the crowd (plus it is fun to hear interesting heckles coming from over your shoulder on occasion).

Jpmkm -

I'd rather run straight up 2 channels if I had really nice floorstanding or monitor speakers, but the Modulus sub does a great job blending with the MS-1 sattelites, especially after you run the R.A.B.O.S. system. Though I admit at 12" and 300 true watts RMS it is a bit more than your average multimedia system sub.
 
I have a rather high-end (not crazy though) system in my theater room.

Paradigm Studio 100's, 20's and adps in a 7.1 configuration. Rotel 1068 and RMB-1095 for the source and a CS Ultra sub to round it all out. Anywho, gaming on that is very nice, but not practical.

After hearing really good immersive sound, I would rather have a very nice 2 channel setup to any pc-based media speaker setup. I know many like their logitech setups, and I am not here to say its crap. However my opinion is I would rather have a good 2 channel system than a poorly placed 5.1 channel system.

So on my computer I have Swan M200s and a hand made Sub with a Stryke Audio 12. Overkill for a computer, yes! Does it sound great? Yes. Will most with 5.1 like my setup? yes.
 
2.1 if it's gotta be speakers, and I'm not buying a kit. The smallest amount worth investing in speakers is probably $300 unless it's for a "breakable" application - college dorm, for your kids, car audio.

 
I say both are good. 5.1= better gaming and you can pump the stereo out of all/most of the speakers to have a wider range.. 2.1= Can pay the same amount as a 5.1 system but has better sound quality :p
 
My personal preferences:

2.0 or 2.1 for music (including headphones!)

5.1 for movies

headphones for gaming (and perhaps 5.1 also)
 
I prefer headphones for everything, but I'm mainly basing that on my experience with A3D and wavetracing.

Unfortunately, there's nothing available on the market that comes close.
 
Sloth_Boy said:
It seems that as the years go on, people seem to be lured towards 5.1 speaker systems. Most people just get them because they think to themselves, jeese, 5.1 sounds better than 2.1, ill get them. But there are alot of advantages that 2.1 has over 5.1...

<<< Facts: 5.1 Vs 2.1 >>>

* Where are you going to put a subwoofer and 5 other speakers around your computer, they must be evenly spread and placed correctly around the room. For me and alot of others, that isnt just alot of cables everywhere, but alot more chance that someone will trip over or damage one speaker.

* If you buy a 5.1 and a 2.1 Speaker System both for $250 each, in most cases, the 2.1 System will produce alot better sound. This is becuase your money is going into features/soudn quality rather than extra speakers.

* 5.1 surround sound generally is useless unless you use your speakers for 5.1 surround sound. Other wise, when say a mono or stereo sound comes from these speakers from around the room (especially mono), you may sometimes experience a "audio illusion" which makes the audio sound distorted. What happens (in firendly language) is the audio kind of collides all at the center where your ears are and it basically makes a really weird distorting sound. Not a big deal, but can be annoying.

Also, who needs 5.1 sound, ive compared many 5.1 and 2.1 systems and found 2.1 systems are good allrounders and are very practical. unless your pc doubles as a media center. Then 5.1 is a waste of money.

There are many good 2.1 systems out there. Possibly the best value for sound quality would be the Altec Lansing MX5021 speaker set. I have them along with others i know, and they're the best performing speakers out of many.

When buying speakers, go to your local pc shop to hear a few, then go home and buy online (if cheaper online). Buying speakers online without hearing them previously is plan stupid really, unless you've only heard good comments from those speakers. Even then, they may not be right for your needs.

Anyway, please comment and recommend other good speakers below...

Cheers!!! :)
Click to expand...

Facts or your opinions and feelings?

5.1!

Donnie27
 
I have my Z-680 surrounds on little end tables. Perfect 5.1. I like my headphones too so I voted both are good.
 
2.0 monitor speakers here. Swan's M200.

(I can't afford a good surround setup, and listen to headphones most of the time anyways. By "good" I mean better than Creative/Logitech..)
 
an old set of Yamaha Z-580's I believe. 2.1 serves me well. I want to get a 5.1 setup and would prefer it be optical. Too bad the login to the LogiStore is no more. =(
 
I would say the answer depends on the intent. Theater or gaming purposes a 5.1 system is going to provide a more ambient audio environment. But for music systems (unless you are using DVD-A or SuperCD) 2.1 is all you need, and I'm assuming the question is for computer audio not Home Theater audio. Either way is good (so long as you have something decent). But I'd rather have 5.1 and not need more than 2.1 than have 2.1 and need 5.1. ;)
 
I just bought a set of Logitech Z-5500s. They're really nice for movies and games, and my computer room is set up in such a way that I can actually put the speakers where they should be without much hassle or mess.

At the same time, if I really just want to listen to music, I'll probably put my Sennheisers on my head.
 
I put both are good, because since I use a receiver with my computer I don't have to worry about quality of packages, but when it comes to packages of course you'll find a 2.1 system with the same price to sound much better. What about setups like the Klipsch 4.2 setups though?
Movies definitely do sound good in surround which I've never gotten with stereo, except with headphones with seem to work great, especially with a dolby pro effect on.
Games are perfectly fine in 2.1, I've found little benefit with surround.
 
5.1 is unbeatable. After that 5.1 headphones. After that stereo headphones. Steeo speakers is a last resort for me.

However I don´t listen much to music I use my computer primarily for gaming and secondary for movies. Both these stereo speakers just stinks. Headphones works a bit better for gaming giving a closer experience so to speak. However it doesn´t give the room feeling of 5.1 speakers.

True it becomes more expensive to use 5.1 speakers but it´s all worth it really. Going from 5.1 gaming to 2.1 gaming is not that fun really. You do miss a dimension.

However I do agree that stereo speakers is a lot more practical ;)
 
I would personally love to have a nice 5.1 set but being in college I don't have a whole lot of room to mess with speakers. As a result I have my Logitech 2.1 set which fits my purposes very well. Big enough sound to easily fill a dorm room with music but doesn't have a ton of wires and stuff to clutter everything up. Once I graduate, though, I'll probably upgrade to 5.1 just because I think you can never have enough good sound while playing games, watching movies, listening to music. etc...
 
5.1's are awesome... there's nothing more fun than playing a game and being able to hear everything around you.

For competitive multiplayer games (like CS) I prefer headphones... since you can hear a bit better (with the speaker so close to your ear)
 
is there any [H]ard Gamer in here, that has actually thought about soundproofing their computer room or bedroom (where the computer is at) or possibly even a Theater room? I have seriously contemplated a couple times of soundproofing my computer room. It is awesome to play games at semi-full lvl of sound, it feels like you get involved more in the game ( I do agree that headphones will give you a similar experiance, but without depth.) I remember a couple times (when no one was home) playing a few games loudly and it sounded awesome, I could actually feel the rounds pulse my chest when I fired a few. It was awesome. It felt like a step closer to being there. :p

To add to the OP I use 5.1 and love them....it involves you in the experiance. It adds ALOT of depth and is far more enjoyable than 2.1. Of course, this is just my opinion alone. I will never go back to 2.1 as long as I can help. I have however heard a lot of good 2.1 setups and liked them very much, but for me, I use my computer to play movies and games and it just seems like 5.1 sounds much better.
 
5.1 its so much better for gameing if your wanting good music quality 2.1 may be better but not always. i have 5.1 that i got for $80 and it sounds really great!
 
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