Small Office Multimedia Speakers? 18
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? "
Use your ears (Score:1)
I am definitely no audiophile however, so YMMV.
Speaker Suggestion (Score:1)
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.
Sirocco (Score:1)
Molly.
Re:Speaker Suggestion (Score:1)
You get cute little tripods to mount the speakers on, as well.
Altec Lansing (Score:1)
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!
Altec Lansing ACS-45. (Score:2)
ANYway, get the ACS-45s. Trust me.
- A.P.
--
"One World, one Web, one Program" - Microsoft promotional ad
Altec Lansing ACS-45. (Score:1)
ANYway, get the ACS-45s. Trust me.
- A.P.
--
"One World, one Web, one Program" - Microsoft promotional ad
Tried the Shack? (Score:1)
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...
Yamaha YS-28 (Score:1)
Cheap non-computer speakers (Score:1)
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
Re:Don't Buy Altec Lansing, (but not for the quali (Score:1)
Boston Acoustics for a great price (Score:1)
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.
Yamaha M20DSP + MSW10 sub (Score:1)
Multimedia speakers vs Real speakers (Score:1)
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.
Try BOSE (Score:1)
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.