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Good basic 2.0 system?

T

Tudz

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Jun 15, 2008
Messages
7,434
G'day all,

I'm in need of a 2.0 system of some description, hopefully around $100.

I'm only going to be in the country for a year, so it seems a bit pointless to spend more than that as it won't be terribly practical to transport them back half way across the world to get back home.

Something reasonably compact and portable that I could use either on my computer or next to my bed with an iPhone to play music softly as I try and sleep, so nothing too bulky or complicated that is simple to setup and move as needed. The noise around my apartment is a bit distracting for me so being able to play some music softly would be great. I know some speakers really need the volume up before they start to sound like anything, which is not what I want.

I was tempted by the Audioengine A2, but I've read they're a bit over priced and it seems $200 is a bit much to spend on speakers that I'll probably be giving away in a year.

Any suggestions?
 
The trouble is that there isn't much competition with the A2's (they're pretty good speakers in a small package). They're quite a step up from any cheaper speakers I've tried in the past.

If you look on ebay you can see that they do hold their value well, so you could sell them quite easily.
 
Yeah I was definitely trying for something cheaper than that. I'm not much of an eBayer and don't even have a paypal account so I'd like to avoid the hassle of trying to sell them when I'm busy trying to finish my research project and packing up to move back to Oz (not to mention the fact I'll have a million other things I'll be trying to get rid of that I can't fit on a plane easily).

I'll probably just be giving most my stuff away to friends, thrift shops and maybe pawn shops for things I can.

I've also heard mixed reviews on the A2s, though I haven't heard them myself. If the A2s were under $150 they'd be tempting me, but at $200 it's a bit "meh".
 
It seems all of the basic $100-ish 2.0 systems involve using Dayton B652s and a T-Amp. I'm using this combo with the Dayton DTA-100a T-Amp. I love it, but I'm no audiophile so I can't really compare it to much.
 
Medion said:
It seems all of the basic $100-ish 2.0 systems involve using Dayton B652s and a T-Amp. I'm using this combo with the Dayton DTA-100a T-Amp. I love it, but I'm no audiophile so I can't really compare it to much.
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Yeah, or the Lepai amp that Parts Express sells... Neither one is very expensive and they're small so you can take them back home with you and pair it up with other speakers later. You can also look at the Pioneer SP-BS21 or Infinity P153, Newegg will often run a sale on either and price them at or close to $50... So all-in you'd easily be under $100.

Either setup will sound better than the A2 tho they'll obviously take up a bit more space. The A2 are great for their size but not for the price, you can easily do better for less if you dont need the speakers to be super compact. If you want a pair of powered monitors like the A2 that's easier to transport but cheaper, take a look at the Samson MediaOne 3a ($100).
 
Thanks, those Infinity P153s look interesting, $75 at newegg at the moment. I could get the SP-BS21 for $100, can't really wait for them to go on sale, do you think it's worth paying the extra for them?

They are on the large size, but not excessive I suppose. It's more of a hassle if it's a 2.1 system and I have to figure out where to put the sub, I have a disdain of 2.1 systems because I can never position the sub anywhere that doesn't make it sound like all the treble is coming through the speakers and all the bass is coming through the sub (opposed to being nice and balanced).

How do you think those larger speaker systems would deal with lower volume levels (the sort of level I'd have it to drown out the road noise while trying to get to sleep and not wake up the neighbours)?
 
The Pioneers go on sale literally like every month, I think they might alternate between those and the larger BS41 but its usually a 50% discount either way. Keep in mind that's the price for the pair whereas the Infinity are sold individually (its a better speaker, worth $50 more for a pair but probably not worth $100 more if you catch the Pioneers at $50).

I think you'll be fine with any of those bookshelves, shouldn't have any trouble running them at a low volume to serve as background music while you go to sleep etc (I do the same thing).
 
Ah I didn't notice that the Infinity were sold individually.

I'll keep an eye out, but I can't really wait too long because literally my only speakers at the moment are the ones in my eeepc and the one in my iphone... I think an empty soup tin could produce a better sound :p
 
The Infinity's are the best in the lot your looking at by, quite a bit, but they are 2-5x more expensive than anything else listed.

if you can deal with the size and cost, go for it.
 
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The Infinity were actually $45 each just a few days ago, at the same time that the smaller Pioneers were down to $50 for the pair. The Polk M30 Series II are another decent option and they have a slight discount right now (bringing them to $90), better than the smaller Pioneers but maybe not quite on par with the larger ones (definitely better looking tho!).

I've been eyeing the prices because I wanna get a 2.0 set for my parents but the shipping to Puerto Rico from Newegg really kills the price (specially without a deal going on). Crutchfield has pretty mediocre prices but free shipping to PR, so I've been comparing back and forth. Best Buy's prices here are so terrible that even with $50 in shipping Newegg usually has them beat, before taxes even.
 
Impulse said:
The Infinity were actually $45 each just a few days ago, at the same time that the smaller Pioneers were down to $50 for the pair. The Polk M30 Series II are another decent option and they have a slight discount right now (bringing them to $90), better than the smaller Pioneers but maybe not quite on par with the larger ones (definitely better looking tho!).

I've been eyeing the prices because I wanna get a 2.0 set for my parents but the shipping to Puerto Rico from Newegg really kills the price (specially without a deal going on). Crutchfield has pretty mediocre prices but free shipping to PR, so I've been comparing back and forth. Best Buy's prices here are so terrible that even with $50 in shipping Newegg usually has them beat, before taxes even.
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Doh! I would have snapped them up at $45 had I known. The room is decent sized (it's a studio apartment, so bed/living/kitchen all in the one large room) so larger speakers probably wouldn't hurt anyway, I was just hoping to be able to move them around a bit, but I think with just 2.0 system that shouldn't be too much of an issue even of that size.

EDIT: Is this the amp you'd be recommending to drive them?

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=310-300
 
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Yep, if you want something better or with more input/output options you can look at the Topping amps too. Those amps are all tiny so its really not much harder to move that around than something like the A2, just one more small thing in between the cables to move around. Makes placement a bit more flexible tho since you can have the amp nearby for volume control.
 
Ok, well the P153BK just went on sale for $55 each and the Pioneer SP-BS21-LR for $50 for the pair. I could get the Infinity's for $110+$25 for the amp = $135, which is a bit over what I wanted to spend but still reasonable (especially if I can flog them for $50 or something when I leave). Or else I can get the Pioneer $50 + $25 amp = $75.

You think it's worth the extra $60 for the Infinity ones?

They aren't much larger, 0.3" wider, 0.4" higher and 2.4" deeper, so the dimensions that matter are much the same, but they are quite a bit heavier (13.5lbs vs 8.4lbs).
 
Told ya they go on sale all the time. ;)

I'd say the Infinity are $60 better for sure, if the difference was larger it'd be harder to justify... But if you're on a strict budget or you don't think it's worth it for a year's use then you can't go wrong with the Pioneers either.

The Infinity have a larger woofer so they'll probably have deeper bass, and they're front ported so it's not as big a deal if you have them close to a wall. On the other hand, the Pioneer's permanent (and uglier) metal grill might protect them better if you're moving them around a lot.
 
Bah! Newegg doesn't like international credit cards, so even though I'm in the US and want it shipped to the US they won't accept my Australian CC. Parts Express seems to be ok, but they don't leave enough space in the "address" field for me to put down my work address and I don't really want things shipped to my apartment (given I'm pretty much never there). Apparently the egg doesn't like your delivery address and billing address to be different and won't accept international CC's at all which is a bit of a pain in the arse!

Doh!
 
I've had that happen at Newegg even tho Puerto Rico isn't really international... They've never accepted my bank issued Visa (something about country codes) yet they'll happily take my American Express or a Master Card I used to have.

You could try using Paypal... Amazon has most of these as well but I'm unsure how often they'll mark them down (Amazon won't ship electronics to PR so I never check there). They also have the smaller/larger P143/163. You could try Vann's or uh...
 
I could try my BOA debit card, but the card I currently have is only the temporary card they give when you initially open the account so I don't know if that will be problematic. I only just opened the account so they haven't got my proper card to me yet. Also I've read that newegg needs you to have the shipping address listed as a 2nd address on your card. I feel a bit like...

shut-up-and-take-my-money1.jpg
 
They say that about the shipping address but then you call some CC companies and they act like you're speaking Chinese when you bring up listing a second address... I've ordered stuff from Newegg to several states in the continental US and to my own home address in PR while using my P.O. Box billing address without issue tho.
 
I find everyone I ring in this silly country acts like I'm speaking Chinese, apparently Americans don't understand Australian accents too good :p

Maybe I'll just give it a shot then with the BOA debit card. Still need to figure out the amp through parts express coz I don't really want it sent to my apartment.
 
try amazon for the amp, as they will send to any address you like. they dont care.
 
Well I couldn't sort it out in time and the sale is over :( dammit!
 
I just got the AudioEngine A2 + the D1 DAC and it sounds fantastic!

Previously have used the Klipsch Promedia's + the Logitech Equivalents (forgot the model)
 
bjonbjonbjon said:
Or opt for a pair of headphones. You don't have to worry about not bringing it back down under.
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I already have a set of HD439s, but they're really not comfortable to wear in bed, I have tried :D Back in Australia I have a nice set of HD650s running through a Xonar ST... but I left them in Oz because they're huge and expensive and I didn't want them broken/stolen in my journeys. Speakers are just a bit more practical for having on while I work or sleep or do house work. Plus the headphones mess up my hair, which I know makes me sound like a woman or something :p But it's annoying because I have soft hair and so if I wear them in the morning I'll go to work with a big trench across the top of my head.
 
I would get a pair of jvc FX40 iems. They game well and you can sleep ok in them. Go with a pair of pioneers, audio express or even monoprice book shelf speakers and a t amp. Done. None better for 2.0 on a budget.
 
Yeah I can't stand IEMs. Things in my ears just aren't comfortable. I actually bought a set of Klipsh S4's for the plane flight and wore them for about 30 minutes before throwing them back in my bag and digging out the HD439s for the other 14 or so hours. A friend has some custom made IEMs and I'd love to get some made for myself to see if they are comfortable, but off the shelf IEMs I can't stand, even the S4's I bought largely because they had great reviews as far as "comfort" was concerned but I can't stand them.
 
You could try different tips on them like Complys or the cushiony squeezeable ones JVC uses... I'm not too picky I guess, I use some old JVC Marshmallows to run and Meelec M9Ps with double flange silicon tips around the house or on the go, either one seems comfortable enough tho the latter seal better (but I think the former stay in my ear better, not sure, I've yet to run with the dibble e flange tips).

Anyway, if we're tossing out random headphone recommendations, the Koss KSC75 are worth a look... Cheap as heck but an amazing value for the money... They're on ear clip ons so they won't mess up your hair or bother your ears, the clip is kind of a bad design in that it sometimes falls off (not off the ear but while stored or while first putting it on), not hard to re attach or adjust tho.

Koss has a pretty good warranty, not that you'd need it considering how cheap they are... I've got the KSC50 too which I think were discontinued but sound exactly the same, clip on those was spring loaded and held very firmly (it sorta rotates) plus they look way cooler, heh; but the clip pinches sometimes (on the rotating edge), kind of tricky with longer hair until you get used to twisting it open when taking them off.
 
I don't have terribly long hair, it's just short and spiky and very soft and I don't use any sort of product in it, so when I put on my headphones it leaves a trench in my naturally spiky hair, lol. I'll have a look at those options.

The main thing was having music that I can also play while I sleep, the past couple of weeks I've just been leaving my iphone playing through it's speaker next to my bed and it's better than the road/people noise but it still sounds terrible.

I'm in the US for a year doing research. I'm a engineering postgraduate doing research in fluid dynamics, so I get paid a stipend by the Australian government to come over here and uses the laboratories of a University here as an "exchange scholar" or some such. Given the stipend doesn't pay much I'm living in a crappy studio apartment (which is actually quite clean and stuff, it's just in a noisier part of town than I'm used to so I struggle to get to sleep without music).
 
Procyon12 said:
your thinking way too much for a temporary setup / white noise machine.
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Yeah, I think I've spent more time on this than I spent looking for my temporary car while I'm here :p

It won't just be a white noise machine though, I'm gonna use it all the time coz even though I own a lot of nice headphones, I much prefer the ambiance of speakers more. Despite owning the HD650, to be honest I prefer listening to speakers of the same price even though they have much lower sound quality. You'd think I'm a headphone kinda guy if you looked through all the headphones I've gone through, it's just headphones are necessities for work and not disturbing housemates rather than something I actually prefer. Back home I have a Sony boombox style stereo system that my Dad bought back in 1986 which is pretty good quality.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251125990596
http://www.ebay.com/itm/180478893684

when your done, sell the spekers and take the amp back to ozzie land.

where are you by the way, in the US?
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Those look good, I actually don't have a paypal account so I'd have to set that up. I've never liked the idea of buying speakers 2nd hand because I know people so often blast them to the point of clipping, but since I'm only here for a year it might be ok. Also I don't know much about speakers so I wasn't sure what to look for in the 2nd hand market.

I'm in Pennsylvania, about an hour outside of Philly.
 
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speakers rarley blow due to abuse. most of the time its worn out woofer surrounds (which are replacable) which is why i didnt suggest a pair thats that old, because it normally doesnt happen for atleast 15 years)

if by any chance you had been in southern california, i would have offered to help you find some good used ones where you can demo them.

and im like you by the way. i always like some ambient noise, and especially when falling asleep. speakers are much better in this regard.
 
The Primus P150 are just an older/discontinued version of the P153, it's pretty similar tho (and not too old, came out maybe 5-6 years ago). $65 for a pair looks like an amazing price... Is it me or does that Ebay link state it's $100 for shipping tho? :rolleyes: That kinda kills it if I'm reading it right. Might as well just get the P153 from Crutchfield shipped free for $150/pair (or wait for the next Newegg deal).

$20 shipping on the Topping amp puts it pretty much in line w/Parts Express too... Though I guess if Ebay facilitates things as far as shipping then you might as well go that route. If you're gonna set up a Paypal account to pay there anyway you can also pay thru Paypal at Newegg and other places tho.
 
ehh sorry i didnt see $20 shipping on the topping. most of those on ebay have free shipping.
 
Buahahahaha!!

The P153BK was on sale again this weekend for $55. I saw it yesterday, but since I don't have internet at home (just using my phone) I figured I'd come in to work today (Sunday) and order them and they're sold out!

I think there must be some divine or satanic force keeping me from buying speakers. I think I'll just go to Walmart this afternoon and see what they have instead!
 
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