Need some advice for speakers

Y

yourmojo

New Member
Hey guys, I'm fairly tech oriented though I know nothing about speakers and what to look for. I like to listen to classical, metal, techno, opera...Wide range of preferences.

I've basically been using $40 headphones for months now because I have no speakers, and I love hearing the vibrations when the bass matches the melody (hard to explain) but anyway....Can't be good for the ears.

Can anyone recommend a good PC speaker set within $100 range. Give or take, if it's really worth it. I'm not looking for intense surround sound, but rather something that can deliver good quality sound. Preferably a 2 or 3 piece set, but it doesn't really matter.

-------------------TL;DR VERSION-----------------------------------

Budget: ~$100
Music: Classical, metal, techno, opera, gaming
Need: PC speaker set; Quality sound

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?minorcatid=103

Thanks in advance.
 
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Take a look at these from the website you listed. Honestly, you won't get something with a lot of punch for $100, but these are decent.
 
Zatharus said:
Take a look at these from the website you listed. Honestly, you won't get something with a lot of punch for $100, but these are decent.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply:

I'm not particularly looking for something that I can really crank, more like something that sounds nice. What would be an approximate price of a good set of speakers? I listen to alot of music, if it's really worth it I can save up for longer and get a proper set. Or is the problem that you can't get great sound from only two speakers? :D Yea I'm pretty green...

Just from reading reviews, people are saying that at higher volume the sound is really bad. I dunno how loud they are cranking it though. I'm not the "shake the walls" kind of listener; I live in an apartment.

How about a slightly more expensive one, does this look good?
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=28062&vpn=9900-52367-00&manufacture=M-Audio
 
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The M-Audio's that you listed will be great for what you need. They are more about being accurate than being loud so they fit your criteria perfectly.
 
yourmojo said:
Thanks for the reply:

I'm not particularly looking for something that I can really crank, more like something that sounds nice. What would be an approximate price of a good set of speakers? I listen to alot of music, if it's really worth it I can save up for longer and get a proper set. Or is the problem that you can't get great sound from only two speakers? :D Yea I'm pretty green...

Just from reading reviews, people are saying that at higher volume the sound is really bad. I dunno how loud they are cranking it though. I'm not the "shake the walls" kind of listener; I live in an apartment.

How about a slightly more expensive one, does this look good?
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=28062&vpn=9900-52367-00&manufacture=M-Audio
Click to expand...

You can get great sound out of a nice pair of speakers. You don't need a separate sub if the mains are well designed. The sub does come in handy when you want to extend the low-end range of your listening experience beyond what your main speakers can reproduce.

If you can afford going a little higher, check out the M-Audio AV-40s. Beyond that, and for a more proper fine listening speaker you are looking at getting away from the traditional "PC desktop speaker" market.
 
Thanks for all replies:

I think I'll go with M-AUDIO Studiophile AV30. I would love to have surround sound but I just don't have the space or the proper seating arrangement to get it done. I've read a few reviews and most people are very satisfied with the results. Hopefully I will be too.

Again, thanks for taking the time to reply.
 
I think you did fine. Surround sound isn't usually practical on a computer. Not that it doesn't work. It does. But it doesn't have the same effect as it does in a full blown home theater. The speakers will make more difference in your music listening enjoyment than everything else combines times 10. I think you'll be fine with your choice.
 
Agreed, the only good use for surround sound speakers is in many stealth games. If an enemy makes a noise behind you, you don't have to guess where they are.
 
kookooshortman55 said:
Agreed, the only good use for surround sound speakers is in many stealth games. If an enemy makes a noise behind you, you don't have to guess where they are.
Click to expand...

What, surround isn't good for movies anymore? :P

I have a surround setup specifically for listening to and mixing surround music and sound tracks. I also quite enjoy having surround in multi-player FPS matches for the same reason you mention.

I do agree with fmw in the computer speakers vs proper home theater setup. No argument there. :):good:

Though, in a comparably priced speaker set, I have not found a better critical listening environment than my Sennheiser HD650 headphones. I can't wait to see how they hold up to the new HD800s when they come out...
 
Alright guys, I bought the M-Audio Studiofile AV30s. I would like to say I am thoroughly satisfied with these speakers. I'm so glad I didn't settle for cheaper speakers, the sound these pump out is exactly what I was looking for.

Right now the volume is not even at 1/4 and it's playing fairly loud for your average user. I can crank it to 1/2 and it's louder than I would ever need to exceed. I've been testing out various songs; techno, opera, metal, classical...These things can pump it all out beautifully.

I was particularly impressed by the way the sound is projected out of these things. I have them on either side of my monitor, but the sound seems to be coming from all around me, even behind the monitor. I was really looking for something that could just kind of "surround me with sound" but I didn't want surround sound, these work very well. 100% recommended product. These produce very nice bass even without the booster, and it isn't "directional" like regular desktop speakers. It's nice full sound, even with onboard high-def audio.

Thanks again for the recommendations.
 
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