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Hardware

Small Office Multimedia Speakers? 18

Posted by Cliff from the audiophiles-welcome dept.
BiLlCaT asks: "I am looking to buy a nice set of speakers for my PC in my new office. I want something that will sound excellent, yet maintain a small package. I am also looking to get the most "bang" for my buck. I have two scenerios to pose; one, where i have $250 to spend and the other, i have $500 to spend. Any ideas? "
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Small Office Multimedia Speakers? More

Small Office Multimedia Speakers?

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  • I suggest you go to Fry's or Compusa or whatever and try out all the speakers they have on display. They should have a setup that allows you to sample them. Try listening at a range of volumes and bass/treble settings. I was surprised to find several cheaper speakers sounding better (to me at least) than more expensive big name ones. I ended up going with some cheap (~$50) Labtecs that I think have richer sound over a better range than the Campbridge Soundworks & Bose models I looked at.

    I am definitely no audiophile however, so YMMV.

  • I would recommend the Creative Labs 4 point speaker system with sub:

    4 point surround [soundblaster.com]
    my friend has them running from an Aureal Vortex 2 sound card, the sound is stunning! Even a friend who is into real Hi-Fi said he was impressed with how good they sounded. Sweet trebble + solid bass

    Get someone to demo them for you, you won't be disapointed.
  • VideoLogic's Sirocco speakers are rather good. A few new models have recently been added to the range. Have a look at www.videologic.com.

    Molly.
  • Yep, me too. I've got a set and they are amazing playing Unreal!!! The whole floor shakes if you give the bass a little tweak...
    You get cute little tripods to mount the speakers on, as well.
  • I picked up a set of Altec Lansing's ACS-44 at a computer show for $29 !! I think they're like last year's models, so I guess they're kinda closeouts. There is still info on them... Check 'em out: ACS44 PowerCube Speaker System [alteclansing.com]

    They're a 3-piece set, two very small satellites (approx 3x3x3 inches) and a subwoofer (approx 10x6x6).

    They have more than enough power too!

  • At $150, they sound much better than just about anything out there, even Altec's newer USB speakers. That having been said, I recommend you also stay the hell away from USB speakers. I originally picked up a Philips USB speaker set with a sub since it sounded pretty nice in the store. Problem is, since I use linux, I needed to use the line-in jacks on the speakers and not the onboard DSP through the USB port. Well, Philips must've decided that nobody in their right mind would buy a pair of USB speakers and use only the line-in port, so they decided not to shield it at all. The end result was that the speakers picked up each and every little bit of RF noise in a 5 mile radius (perhaps an exaggeration, but it didn't sound like it.) I took them back the very next day during my lunch break and exchanged them for the ACS-45s, which weren't in stock when I originally picked up the Philips pieces of garbage. Remember, when you buy USB speakers, you're paying firstly for the sound card inside them, and whatever's left over is put into the speakers. I figure I spent about $149 on the sound card in those Philips speakers.

    ANYway, get the ACS-45s. Trust me.

    - A.P.
    --


    "One World, one Web, one Program" - Microsoft promotional ad

  • At $150, they sound much better than just about anything out there, even Altec's newer USB speakers. That having been said, I recommend you also stay the hell away from USB speakers. I originally picked up a Philips USB speaker set with a sub since it sounded pretty nice in the store. Problem is, since I use linux, I needed to use the line-in jacks on the speakers and not the onboard DSP through the USB port. Well, Philips must've decided that nobody in their right mind would buy a pair of USB speakers and use only the line-in port, so they decided not to shield it at all. The end result was that the speakers picked up each and every little bit of RF noise in a 5 mile radius (perhaps an exaggeration, but it didn't sound like it.) I took them back the very next day during my lunch break and exchanged them for the ACS-45s, which weren't in stock when I originally picked up the Philips pieces of garbage. Remember, when you buy USB speakers, you're paying firstly for the sound card inside them, and whatever's left over is put into the speakers. I figure I spent about $149 on the sound card in those Philips speakers.



    ANYway, get the ACS-45s. Trust me.



    - A.P.
    --


    "One World, one Web, one Program" - Microsoft promotional ad

  • Yeah, I know they'll gore you in the wallet any which way, but in this case, it might be worth it:

    Radio Shack sells a shielded 2-way mini speaker, catalog #40-2080 for $59.99 each (as of this writing, they are on sale for $39.99 each). The speaker has a 4" woofer and a 1" soft dome tweeter, and is magnetically shielded, so it can be used near a monitor. It handles 50 watts, and has a 90-20,000 Hz frequency range. Comes in an aluminum die-cast cabinet with a punched metal grille.

    Now, you may think you are getting ripped, but I can tell you from experience that these speakers sound excellent. The cabinets make for a nice "no rattle" sound (which you can easily get from cheaper plastic speakers). If you can do it, place them in the front upper corners of your office for the best bass response (though I can say that this is not a necessary thing - the woofers on these are pretty powerful - I used a pair that they sell bare to build a subwoofer once), and good stereo separation.

    But what good are these speakers without an amplifier? Radio Shack once again offers a solution - catalog #31-1957, thier Mini Stereo Amplifier. This device is small - 2-3/4x9-1/2x6-1/2" - so it can easily sit on your desk or a bookshelf. It has various inputs (phono, CD/tape and tuner) to hook up a selection of devices, tone adjustment and balance controls (which, for a computer, may be of limited use depending on your sound card). However, no information is given on it's technical details - I would guess it to put out about 25 watts (which is about what you will get on cheap computer speakers anyhow - sure, they may say 150-200 watts, but any speaker can do this, and distort like crap - better computer speakers will go up to 50 watts - if you don't believe me, open up a pair of el cheapos and look at the rating on the speaker magnet - one popular pair of ultra cheapos was being sold at one time rated at 160 watts - yet the speakers inside the box were rated at 7.5 watts - 160 watts, maybe - at 90% THD!). If you want a better amp, RS sells a 50 watt one here as well, but it is in a larger cabinet, so it may or may not fit on your bookshelf - catalog #31-3047 - for $149.99 - but it does have a tuner and a remote...

    So, our total comes to - on the low end (I am not using sale prices here) - about $180.00, and on the high end (with the 50 watt amp and remote), $270.00. Add on $20.00 or so for cabling.

    You might be wondering about a subwoofer, though. Seriously question whether you need one for your office - consider the size of your office, and where you could place such a sub. Also, consider your neighbors - would they enjoy the sound of a chaingun firing, or the heavy beat of techno (or the gut renching, thunderous boom of a kettle drum in a classical piece, if that is your style)? Ten to one odds may get you a no on both measures. Try out the system I outlined with just the bookshelf speakers - you may find that they are perfect as they stand...
  • These are pretty good speakers, and cheap. My wife has a pair of these connected to a Soundblaster 512-PCI and gets very nice sound.

  • Cheap non-computer speakers (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Check out http://www.goodsound.com/speakers.html [goodsound.com] for a good list of speakers that aren't necessarily marketed as computer speakers. They don't, however, have built-in amps or subwoofers, etc.

    Check out http://www.goodsound.com/other.html#receivers [goodsound.com] for a list of some low cost receivers ($250+).

    $250 for a set of bookshelf speakers and $250 for a receiver -- might work for the $500 scenario.

    Of course, the speakers and the receiver are a probably a lot bigger and clumsier than a set of computer speakers.

    --
    Edward
    erb@modesto.quik.net

  • I'd like to see a lot more in the way of details before I believe any of the above. I'm not saying it's impossible to believe, but did your grandfather never think to consult a lawyer? A handshake implies an oral contract. Oral contracts aren't necessarily unenforceable. A house built by people who worked for your grandfather, using materials paid for by your grandfather, should also be pretty good corroborating evidence of said oral contract. Especially as James B. Lansing's brother Altec (sorry, old, old joke)wouldn't have any sort of receipt to show that the materials didn't still belong to your grandfather.

  • Boston Acoustics makes a great set of speakers called the Media Theater [bostondirect.com]. For $250, you get 2 high end satelites, a kick ass subwofer, it suports Dolby Digital Surround, and, if you have a digital audio out on your soundcard, you can utilize this feature to the fullest. But even if you don't have the Digital Audio Jack, youre still getting a kick-ass system. They also ofer surround-sound speakers for $99.

  • Well, I've had these nice combo for over a year now, and I still love them. Cost me AU$320 all up, too. But if you're looking at getting a set now, I know of (but can't remember the model number) of a sub + satellite set Yamaha have, with two standard inputs and one USB input (great for playing CD audio on a system that supports it..). The main advantage is that the sub goes down to 32hz, whereas the MSW10 only goes down to 35hz. Not much of a difference, but I could pick it. They go for AU$399. Alternatively, the M100 speakers for AU$199 simply kick ass, again by Yamaha. Then again, I suppose it's personal preference. Some people prefer their $40 sets to mine. It's best to listen to them all and then make a decision. No, I don't work for yamaha, but their stuff rocks in my opinion. Heck, I'd get a set of those vs. BOSE computer speakers anyday. But if you had a few grand for a BOSE lifestyle system ....
  • If you are spending more than $100, then you are probably better off getting `real' speakers (like for a stereo system). For example, speakers advertised as `surround' or `rear' speakers are smaller than full hi-fi but generally sound quite good. The downside of this is that you will probably need a separate power amplifier (although older sound cards such as the SB16 have built-in power amps that eliminate this need, a separate amplifrier sounds better & louder).

    On the other hand, I know someone with Yamaha "multimedia" speakers that sound quite good and cost below $250. Beware of the power ratings of multimedia speakers, which are normally given in Watts PMPO ("Peak Music Power Output", which is nearly meaningless). Other speakers are normally rated in Watts RMS. But none of these terms really defines how loud they can go, or how good they sound.

    Of course, it all depends on the situation and what you will use them for.
  • Have a look at www.bose.com, some very small speakers and the sound is great for something so small, even got some bass !

    Have a look at the Acoustimass®-3 Series III [bose.com] for example, about USD 300.

    If you want half decent quality it's worth getting a seperate power amp and real home/sterio speakers rather than the evil PC ones with built in amps. If you got the above you could add a little amp and still be under you USD500 budget with great sound.

    Cheers,
    R.

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