i want new speakers for my laptop inspiron 2200. i was thinking about a 5.1 system, i have a sound blaster live 24 bit external sound card so that i can support the new speakesr but i dont have the speakers yet becuase i dont knwo what to get. Ive read some reviews on the logitech z-5500, z-5300e and klipsch pro media 5.1. all the the reivews praise them except for the short leghth of the cables (which isnt a problem for me) so im not sure which to get. i have about a 200$ budget and am looking for some speakers with nice deep bass. im mainly looking for speakers for Music (from my laptop) and am not too worried about useing them for home audio or gaming. anyways.....any suggestions on the 3 i have mentioned or even any(5.1 speakers) that you know of that i havent mentioned????????????????????
Klipsch, definitely. But if you have $200 to spend on a sound system for a computer...wow. I would save an extra $100 or so for an all in one theater system with AV receiver and nice speakers included. Preferably from Onkyo. The most I would EVER spend on computer speakers would be $50 for either the Bose MediaMates, or one of the Harman/Kardon's with the white sub and satellites with the silver speaker cones.
Otherwise, all computer speakers are created equal-low powered, frequency shy, cheaply made trash.
Yo Jexx, how's it going in the iPod world? Any new questions besides "How do I transfer songs to my iPod from Limewire?" and the old standby "My computer won't recognize my iPod---help!"
Yeah, the Onkyo speakers aren't wonderful, but they fit in his price range...heh.
And Berny, two new questions have appeared! "Can I rip DVD's to my iPod video?" and "My songs are gone/don't work right!" minus the correct grammar and spelling!
That's insane, dude! iPod is just coming up with more stuff everyday. Everyone keeps buying but some really do not have any right working in front of a computer or any sort of technology.
I can't think of anything worse than Bose. They use stiffened paper cones with foam surrounds, cheap plastic cases and do a horrible job on circuit design for the amplifiers. What's worse is the strange parameters the speakers require and how the poor amplifiers in their equipment has to make up for it. There is nothing even natural about Bose speakers. They add a highly damaging warm flavor to any music played through them.
The only thing Bose has come close to doing right are the MediaMate computer speakers. They aren't great themselves, but relatively speaking, other computer speakers really can't compare...
I will have to agree with Jexx... I own a Bose Companion 3 speaker system, and IMHO it wipes the floor with the Klipsch. The klipsch is bright, hollow, and has a very easy to locate woofer that also sounds hollow to my ears. I owned the ProMedia 2.1 for a year, and was never really pleased with the sound quality. The 5.1 uses better speakers, so i can't compare the sound of all the klipsch computer speakers.
IMHO, the companion 3 sounds much better than both the Promedia 2.1 and their own acoustimass home speakers. There really isn't a discernable gap in the frequency response, and the treble is smooth out to roughly 16k, and rolls off from there. The TrueSpace processing makes it sound like you are listening to a nice home stereo, it really works, and expands the image far beyond what you would think speakers this small could produce. They are $250 for a 3.1 set, but show up on eBay for less than that.
Also, Bose is no longer using foam surrounds in the 201 and 901. I asked when I ordered my QC2, but forgot to post it.
I listen to anything, provided it isn't metal. IMHO, the Klipsch would be better for metal than the Bose.
Also, I like the warmth that comes from the Bose Companion 3, versus the analytical brightness from the Klipsch Promedia, which always caused me to become fatigued. The Bose has yet to do that.
thx certified...does that mean relatively nothing? klipsch computer speakers are thx certified meeting certain standards...looked up the Bose Companion 3 Computer Speakers and couldn't find anything saying they were thx certified. just wondering not being cocky in any way
"thx certified...does that mean relatively nothing?"
Basically. Buying what you think sounds best generally wins the day over buying for a thx certification. Of course I don't think the Bose set could actually meet the standards, but thats another story.
Jexx, nothing wrong with paper cones and foam surrounds if the speakers are properly designed and built. I have some subwoofers with treated paper/foam that were built in 1989 and still are some of the best subs I've heard for the price (Cerwin Vega LE-12D) I ran both in a ported enclosure with 160 watts RMS each for several years and won several championships in IASCA with them for sound quality and overall system design.
My KEF Reference 104/2 mains also use paper and foam woofers (to each) and they are still considered some of the best home speakers you can buy for under $5000/pair, even though they were discontinued in 1992.
It you really want to be picky about audio though, you can listen to my Martin Logan Oddyssey mains on my Krell amplifier. I'm sure they'd make any PC sound alright.
I completely agree that there is nothing wrong with paper cones and foam surrounds if properly designed, but the fact of the matter is that this is a great way to cut costs and isn't entirely appropriate for modern designs now that other materials have come out. Unless otherwise stated, it seems that a contemporary company using paper/foam for speakers is cutting corners.
I happen to have some Kenwood JL-700W's back from the 70's that were included with a system that retailed for $1000. The speakers have paper cones and some sort of fabric surround. Most people would look at them and mock them saying they belong in a dump, thrift store, or grandma's house. They're some of my favorite speakers with great bass, natural treble, and a nice midrange punch. At one point I had them hooked up to an Onkyo DS-939 (a $3k receiver) and it was bliss. Didn't even need a subwoofer. Of course matching them to speakers is impossible and they're only good for stereo listening. And to get modern speakers with the same quality would cost me so much, that it simply isn't worth it.
On another note, wow, two years between our posts here...means I probably won't see you reply to this until 2012 haha.
Too bad you live on the other side of the nation. It would be a blast to hear your Martin Logan's on the Krell, or go for a ride in your Charger with its sound system. ;)
Can't say for sure about the 4 speaker setup, but I'm not really all that pleased with a Santa Cruz and Klipsch 2.1 setup. I get too much distortion if I go past half volume.