Is my setup wierd?

[Blind Man]

Just been thinking recently about my setup compared to what everyone else seems to be using. Right now I have my x-fi xtreme music with a little miniplug -> 2x RCA connectors, both going into the sub then to the monitors all of which are self-powered so I don't have an amp/receiver. I do think they sound great though (had the monitors for a year now and the sub for 6 months), thing is I have never heard any other 2.1 setups to compare it to, all I know is that this single old computer speaker i've had to live with for a month is KILLING ME (living in an retirement center while I attend some summer courses >.>)

so yeah, am I dumb and would have been better off with regular bookshelf's instead of studio quality monitors, considering the highest quality audio that ever get's played are 320kbps mp3's?
another quick semi-unrelated question.. is it possible to damage speakers by turning the volume up too loud? because the way everything is configured right now if the windows volume is turned all the way up it's like boom! (aka when noobs go on my comp and hit up youtube and spin the volume dial on my keyboard -.-) .. I have heard stuff about how trying to max volume speakers that don't receive enough power from the amp = bad but not much otherwise, I guess apart from the drivers physically breaking, which is a pain now cause the monitor drivers don't really move with the sub connected and behind that grill it's hard to see how much the driver is moving at a given time.

 

[spaceman]

First off it is weird not wierd. Second is wtf are you asking? Thanks for confusing the crap out of me so early.

lol

Serious, please try and explain what you need.

 

[mgars]

Studio quality monitors should deliver good, clean, crisp sound reproduction with tight bass. What's weird about wanting that? My assumption here is that they are also very well constructed. As for your question about damage, I would think that only playing music for a prolonged period of time could damage the speakers. But again, being high-quality speakers with no extra power from amps, I wouldn't think you could get enough gain to physical tear the cone or surround. I know that recording studios (from being there) playback at VERY high volumes.

 

[Blind Man]

First off it is weird not wierd. Second is wtf are you asking? Thanks for confusing the crap out of me so early.

lol

Serious, please try and explain what you need.

pretty much i was just wondering whether the money would have been better spent on regular bookshelves and a receiver

 

[spaceman]

ah ok sorry btw. cranky in the am ya know?

um, to answer the question: A receiver is more important when you have to choose btw it and speakers.

this, only as the first step towards a real stereo. consider it the building block upon which you build a good stereo. aka get the receiver, then save up for decent speakers. your existing speakers will benefit from the receivers dac and sound better than they do now. when you get some decent, un-powered speakers, you have a better amp than the speakers you have now run on.

cheers and apologies again for the snippy.