Please help me pick a 2.0/2.1 speaker

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crazlunatic

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Hi. I need new speakers for my room / dorm room. I will be living with other people all the time so I don't think I need crazy bass, although when I'm by myself I would like to turn it up. Keep in mind I'm a college student. I'm looking to keep things under $200 but will be willing to shell out a little more if the speakers are really good (for example Audioengines)

With my speakers, I would mostly be listening to music. I'm not a hardcore audiophile but I consider myself a casual one (I can tell the difference between different bitrates.) My main thing is I don't want songs to sound stiff like you see with speakers in the $50 range.

These are my choices so far. Please tell me which one I should buy. Thanks.

- Logitech Z2300*
- M-Audio AV40*
- AudioEngine 2
- Creative Gigaworks T3
- Klipsch Promedia 2.1
- Altec Lansing SoundSticks

The ones in stars I am strongly looking at because they are under $200 in Canada. These are some I've looked at in reviews but not sure if I want:

- Altec Lansing Expressionist Bass FX3022

Also found this at local store that I've never seen in reviews:
Logitech (980-000085) Z Cinema Advanced 180 watts RMS 2.1 Surround Sound System -

Thanks in advance for your help!
 
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I'm in a very similar situation, what sort of music are you mainly interested in? I'm into hip hop and gaming so I'm looking for a set up with decent bass, just to highlight the details of the low end mainly, at least feel its presence. A few more worth considering are the Swan M20W 2.1 set up and the Swan D1080MKII 08 which are 2.0. I don't have the luxury of listening to any of these so I'm wondering how say 5" sub-woofers in bookshelf speakers compare to sub-woofer in a 2.1 set up both sonically and financially.

Anyway, I think I would personally pick the D1080MKII 08's over the M-Audios you have listed, you can find them for $170 at the audio insider.
I'm also strongly considering the audioengines, I'd also like to know where the klipsch speakers stand compared to other 2.1's.

Hope I was able to help somehow
 
Go for the promedia 2.1s. Disregard the messages below this one telling you that you should get d1080s or av40s or some other "audiophile's speakers". (hint: those hivi/audioengine speakers are not actually audiophile speakers :eek:) Such posts will most likely will be written by well meaning but ill informed individuals who lack real life experience with audio.

No matter what kind of music you listen to, or what your "sonic preferences" are, you should NEVER spend real money on a set of speakers if they aren't full-range, and by full range, i mean ~ down to 40hz -3db. Those av40s? d1080s? Not even CLOSE.

Why am I so passionate about this? Because I'm a musician, and it really pisses me off when people think they can pass judgement on my music after they hear their dinky little toy computer speakers attempt to play it back.

If I ran this town, I was pass a law making it illegal to sell speakers that aren't flat down to 20hz. That way, you'd never have to worry about how your mix is going to sound on your roommate's papery little "studiophile" speakers.
 
If you wanna dip into "real sound" territory, you could get a pair of polk audio monitor 30s and a polk audio psw10. If you power those 30s with this 100 watt mini amp

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-383

It'l be $299 + speaker wire, and will emasculate all the speakers on your list.

Actually the promedias are pretty decent, but those monitor 30s will image a lot better if you get them positioned correctly. Actually no they will just crush those promedias.
 
A13X said:
Go for the promedia 2.1s. Disregard the messages below this one telling you that you should get d1080s or av40s or some other "audiophile's speakers". (hint: those hivi/audioengine speakers are not actually audiophile speakers :eek:) Such posts will most likely will be written by well meaning but ill informed individuals who lack real life experience with audio.

No matter what kind of music you listen to, or what your "sonic preferences" are, you should NEVER spend real money on a set of speakers if they aren't full-range, and by full range, i mean ~ down to 40hz -3db. Those av40s? d1080s? Not even CLOSE.

Why am I so passionate about this? Because I'm a musician, and it really pisses me off when people think they can pass judgement on my music after they hear their dinky little toy computer speakers attempt to play it back.

If I ran this town, I was pass a law making it illegal to sell speakers that aren't flat down to 20hz. That way, you'd never have to worry about how your mix is going to sound on your roommate's papery little "studiophile" speakers.
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unfortuantly not everyone can afford speakers that can hit that low of a frequency flat. myself also being a musician currently have a 2.1 set of altec lansings hooked up to my computerhere they are. they were 70 dollars and do a great job for what they are worth. in the lower frequencies they are not flat, but they put out a lot of bass when you want them too. normally i only use them to listen to music occasionally. actually for the most part i use my headphones more (audiotechnica ATH-M50) because i can turn them up louder with out disturbing others and have great sound reproduction. i wish i could tell you more about the speakers listed above but i am wondering much of hte same questions about those you have listed. Altec Lansing does produce fairly good speakers for what they are worth. i hope some one else chimes in about these speakers. however i have found that most people on this site will only recommend getting book shelf speakers or other such audiophile sound devices.

and speakers don't make a song good. the artist makes a song good. thats why thousands of people cant tell the difference between a $500 system and a $50 system. even if those people had a $500 system they wouldnt know what to listen for, and i would take their opinion for a grain of salt when it comes down to musicality.
 
Go for the promedia 2.1s. Disregard the messages below this one telling you that you should get d1080s or av40s or some other "audiophile's speakers". (hint: those hivi/audioengine speakers are not actually audiophile speakers ) Such posts will most likely will be written by well meaning but ill informed individuals who lack real life experience with audio.

No matter what kind of music you listen to, or what your "sonic preferences" are, you should NEVER spend real money on a set of speakers if they aren't full-range, and by full range, i mean ~ down to 40hz -3db. Those av40s? d1080s? Not even CLOSE.

Why am I so passionate about this? Because I'm a musician, and it really pisses me off when people think they can pass judgement on my music after they hear their dinky little toy computer speakers attempt to play it back.

If I ran this town, I was pass a law making it illegal to sell speakers that aren't flat down to 20hz. That way, you'd never have to worry about how your mix is going to sound on your roommate's papery little "studiophile" speakers.
Click to expand...

I think you may have interpreted my post incorrectly but researching those prices your recommended speaker set adds up to about $300 (assuming they come with the appropriate cables) which is a bit above the price range he has stated. You make them seem very promising and if they really are as amazing as you say I would side with you and recommend saving up a little more for them but I'd like to learn more about its competition if there is any.
 
Corban227 said:
unfortuantly not everyone can afford speakers that can hit that low of a frequency flat.
Click to expand...

Incorrect. You can get speakers that go well below 40hz for $50.

http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Tech-AR504LR-BK-Soundstage-Subwoofer/dp/B0029Z9UNW

Corban227 said:
myself also being a musician currently have a 2.1 set of altec lansings hooked up to my computerhere they are. they were 70 dollars and do a great job for what they are worth
Click to expand...

Those altec lansing speakers are full range and are not what I'm complaining about.

I would actually go so far as to say that they are in fact much better than any bookshelves in your price range.

I suppose you could save some money by leaving out a sub, but If you do that you'll be forced to plop huge 8" woofers [http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-B3000-Bookshelf-Speakers-Woofer/dp/B000OG6I6A/ref=pd_cp_e_1] on your desk, and you'd still need to go nuts with an equalizer to attenuate the treble in order to flatten out the sound down to 40hz.

Corban227 said:
speakers don't make a song good.
Click to expand...

Not true. It's a two way street: speakers can make a good song sound like shit (which is incredibly common) but in odd circumstances they can make songs "better" by distorting the sound. For example, if some 12 year old craps out a mix with so much bass that you can't even hear the song, the song could be made "better" on speakers that attenuate bass to the point where the song is reasonably balanced. Of course this is a purely hypothetical situation, but the point is that speakers are inevitably a part of the music and can take it away from the artist's "vision" better or for worse.
 
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A13X said:
Incorrect. You can get speakers that go well below 40hz for $50.

http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Tech-AR504LR-BK-Soundstage-Subwoofer/dp/B0029Z9UNW

Yes but are they even worth it for that price. i think you could get more for your money out of a good 70 dollar pair of computer speakers with smaller drivers considering they are going to be closer to where your sitting. just my opinion though

Those altec lansing speakers are full range and are not what I'm complaining about.

I would actually go so far as to say that they are in fact much better than any bookshelves in your price range.

I suppose you could save some money by leaving out a sub, but If you do that you'll be forced to plop huge 8" woofers [http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-B3000-Bookshelf-Speakers-Woofer/dp/B000OG6I6A/ref=pd_cp_e_1] on your desk, and you'd still need to go nuts with an equalizer to attenuate the treble in order to flatten out the sound down to 40hz.

Were you complaing about people who buy speakers that dont go below 60 hz or about speakers that aren't flat?

Not true. It's a two way street: speakers can make a good song sound like shit (which is incredibly common) but in odd circumstances they can make songs "better" by distorting the sound. For example, if some 12 year old craps out a mix with so much bass that you can't even hear the song, the song could be made "better" on speakers that attenuate bass to the point where the song is reasonably balanced. Of course this is a purely hypothetical situation, but the point is that speakers are inevitably a part of the music and can take it away from the artist's "vision" better or for worse.
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i see your point but i would still disagree. before i had money, i had crap speakers. i still enjoy the same songs i used to back then that i do now. also i stil dont like the songs i never did like. the speakers just made the music sound clearer and brought out certain details, but for me they did not improve the quality of the music or the creativeness of a song.
 
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Hey guys, I've knocked the Promedia 2.1 off my list. I know they're great but I also heard the build quality is bad and I'll be spending too much money to risk them not working in a year or two. Hope you guys can keep giving me advice on what to choose.

I'm leaning towards the AudioEngine2, M-Audio AV40s, and Z2300s.

One question I have with 2.0 speakers, will the woofers shake my desk and cause rattling?
 
iwould shy away from the z2300s also. ive been reading lots of bad stories about them recently. and are you for sure wanting a 2.0 set up? i would defiantly head over to target and or best buy and check out the altec lansing speakers they have for display. seriously they will not disappoint and you would save a lot of money on them. then you could use 100 dollars or so to get a killer headset..
 
I'm not a true audiophile, but I have had the opporunity to listen to a wide variety of speakers including low to high end from Paradigm, Bowers and Wilkins, Lynn, Sonus Faber, AVI, Magnepan, Wilson, Audioengine, KRK, Klipsch, Martin Logan, Definitive etc etc. In fact, my first set of "real" computer speakers were the Klipsch Promedia 5.1s. Before that I had some type of Cambridge soundworks 5.1 setup that I don't remember the name of. As a teenager in highschool, I thought they sounded amazing.

I later "upgraded" to some Swan M10s. Then I moved on to a setup using Paradigm monitors and floorstanders along with an Elemental Designs subwoofer. That system cost me over $3000.00.

I am now running a more musical setup, including Era Design 4s and a REL subwoofer powered by a Peachtree audio Nova.

My point being, there is more to a speaker than just one statistic. Just because a speaker is "full range" doesn't automatically make it better than one that has a smaller spectrum. For instance, my old set of Klipschs certainly went deeper than the Swan M10s, but their sound was muddy and jumbled in comparison. It was less musical.

I also do not think you can call the Promedia 2.1 full range since it uses a subwoofer to reach the lower frequencies. Full range would be something more like Wilson Audio Watt Puppies which I have also listened to and they cost well over $30,000.

I think instead of concerning yourself over which set has the most output, the largest range, etc you should consider how they sound and where and what they will be used for. Music? Gaming? Movies? Speakers with more output might sound better to you for gaming or movies.

However, I would be more concerned with how music sounds, as games and movies will fall into place after that. In terms of musicality and ease of use for COMPUTER SPEAKERS I would recommend the Audioengine A2 or A5. I use the A5s with my computer and I think they sound very musical and engaging, with great sound stage. Yes, they do not really go below 60-80 hz depending on your room, but you can always add a sub later. Plus, if you buy a crappy system now just so you have a sub, you will certainly regret it when you feel the need to upgrade shortly after.

Anyways, that is my opinion.

And should you consider to save for awhile longer and are looking for active speakers, then consider Quad and AVI in your search at Audiogon.
 
I've edited my first post to make myself a little bit more clearer.

Primary use for the speakers are music.
Secondary use movies but I prefer to use headphones since sometimes I need to turn it up very high to hear speech.
I would occasionally use them for games.

Are the Audioengine A2s MUCH better than the M-Audio AV40s or Logitech Z2300s? AV40s are considerably cheaper and if the gap is not that huge I might get them instead. I'm also afraid of the woofer's shaking my desk, will that be an issue?
 
I wish I could comment on the AV40s, but I have not listened to them. I can say that either of the Audioengine speakers will sound better than the Logitechs, and I would assume that the AV40s would as well.

My opinions are also biased towards 2 channel (or 2.1) and against 5.1 or 7.1. I think two channels well done is much, much better than 5 mediocre ones.
 
If you have a guitar center or a best buy nearby you might be able to hear one for yourself. I like my AV40's, If I had a slightly higher budget I would've gone with the Audioengines. I would advise against the Z2300's as they just don't sound that great.
 
Hey man Ive been in your situation just recently, and I did a lot of searching and reading before I made my choice. I hade read many good things about the Klipsch pro media but the price was what turned me off (thats what she said :p). SO i was down to Swan M10's and the M-Audio Studiophile 40's. I listen to a lot of music all day since I got an electro music site so I was in need of some good speakers at a decent price. Well I decided to go with the M-Audio's and so far I got to say I am extremely pleased!

MUSIC:
-------------------------
My impressions so far, while listening to electronic music such as Daft Punk, Danger and MSTRKRFT I have no complaints. I don't like a lot of bass (well an overload) and these speakers are perfect. There is an option for bass boost on the speakers but I dont even use it. Since most electronic music deals with lows I got to say it does a really good job. The perfect thing bout you is that you dont want to put it really loud, well the good thing bout these speakers is that you dont need to put them really loud to be able to here and appreciate every piece of the music.

Now when I listen to rock such as; The Black Keys, Unkle, Th Strokes, Led Zeppelin and everything in between, once again I was very pleased with the results. One thing I liked the most about these speakers was their ability to really bring out the vocals and the high hats of the drums. It just sounded so good, and at one point while listening to DFA 1979 my brain felt like it was in the music (I know its a bit fucked up but I mean thats how good it sounded.)

Overall when it comes to music, I got to say it was 137$ very well spent! :D

MOVIES:
----------------
Now here is where I was a bit worried, because some reviews said the m-40s were lacking in the bass department. In all honestly given that this is a 2.0 system one should expect this. Well I have watched 4 movies so far; Batman: Red Hood, Kill Bill 1 n 2, The Losers and Kick Ass and when it came to the explosions and action sequences, I was once again very pleased. Now I must tell you that so far I have never even bothered using the bass boost option on the speakers since I was satisfied, with the lows it was giving out. Once again I did not even half to turn up the volume that high to feel the bass vibrating the floor. I rarely turn the knob passed halfway. And of course a sub would add to the experience but I mean in your situation being in a dorm full of peeps and well, not being isolated these are in my opinion, ideal.

Games:
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Now I don't know if you play video games but here's my little review during game playing.. I have my PS3 hooked up to my screen and during games like GOd Of War and Uncharted 2, the sound was great. I just recently got Bioshock 2 and being a game that relies on the environment to convey a message I must say so far so good. Everything sounds like what you think it should sound like, nothing sounds washed out and once again very happy!

OVERALL
------------
I am very pleased with these speakers. I haven't even had them for more than a week and I am extremely happy. After a while the bass will sound even better since it'll need some time to break in but so far its good! They are pretty big so keep that in mind (6inches W, 7.5 inches depth and 8 inches high) They are also surprisingly heavy 6lbs each, but this also shows the build quality, which is excellent! When I am doing 3d animation and such I am roughly 24 inches away from my screen and the sound is great, and when I am watching a movie or playing games I am roughly 30 inches away. Also keep in mind like others mentioned thes speakers are directional, so it would be ideal to point them towards your ears and to get the best sound they should be at ear height. I am always sitting in the center of both and so far I've had no problems!

Sorry for the wall of text but I hope this helped! So my final words would be; "They aren't that expensive, they do the job very well and make my ears very happy! :D"
 
crazlunatic said:
One question I have with 2.0 speakers, will the woofers shake my desk and cause rattling?
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If your desk is made out of loose bolts and is completely unstable maybe.

I have Event TR-8's on one of my desks and even at medium-high listening levels they don't really shake the desk. I had them decoupled for a while using stands and foam but I've been lazy lately since I don't really do any important monitoring + playback anymore.

If you're not a giant pain in the ass, all of this stuff will sound reasonably good. I'm wary of M-audio's quality just from their instruments and other stuff but maybe their speakers are ok. I don't like baffles on the enclosures on the Audioengine A2 set but for nearfield maybe it works. They're reviewed well. I'd probably choose them over any of the swan choices considering the drivers.
 
pick up a set of these on ebay. HK395's.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/images/products/large/313-1695.jpg

I still have mine from my computer i got in 99. My favorite computer speakers that i've ever heard, and i've heard many. Harmon kardon computer speakers have never been as good imo.


There are better out there of course, but i REALLY like these ones. And i have a pair of totems hooked up to a fatman idock :D. so i guess thats saying something.

Oh, and im wearing shure e4c's right now. Much better than the newer se310's i have. Them SE's have terribly harsh treble :p
 
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I bought the D1080s, and bought the AV40s for my brother.

I like the sound of the 1080's better, for the midrange and highs. Even though the AV40's have more bass, the 1080 + a subwoofer would sound better than the AV40 + subwoofer
 
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