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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: notsonerd on Sun, 02 November 2014, 17:25:20
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I'm having a really tough time deciding between these two speaker systems. I have roughly a budget of $150 and these have been highly regarded at this price range.
I would've already gone with the Promedias except that the ones with such high regard were apparently the "old" version of the Klipsch set. The "newer," redesigned set has had a lot of complaints over the years about dying components as well as build quality changes. Yet the sound is still comparable with the Z623's.
Does anyone here have experience with either set? I'm also considering M-Audio AV 40's, but they MSRP for $199 and that's a little above my budget. Unless there's a noticeable boost to justify the $20 above my budget, I'll stick with the former two.
Any other backed recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
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ah.. they both suck.. maudio.. wtf is that ****.. naw jk..
basically everything from logitech Post-recession is awful, corner-cut junk..
the Promedias USED to be good Pre-recession, but post recession, everything is cut down and quality reduced dramatically.
What you want is a REAL amplifier and REAL speakers..
The most budget way is to get 2 small bookshelves,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882117424&cm_re=bs22-_-82-117-424-_-Product
like that, goes on sale for $79.99
and a stereo receiver..
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-Natural-Stereo-Receiver-R-S201BL/dp/B00F0H88SY/ref=sr_1_16?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1414972430&sr=1-16&keywords=stereo+receiver
together $230... but it's the LAST one you'll need to buy for a LONG LONG TIME..
if you want BASS..
get a $150 powered subwoofer.. it's not gonna blow you away, but it's way better than what you're looking at right now, which is just awful...
I am not an audiophile by any means.. I'm a realist.. and those ****ty computery speakers are just total utter garbage..
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You might be thinking.. Hell that's too much money...
what you should do is Save and get a real beginners setup.
because.... the performance to price ratio is at least 20x as good.
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I found a Logitech Z5500 setup and loved it at first until I started putting together my home theater setup. Come to find out the "500 watts" on the logitech set are in 6 ohms compared to an 8 ohm setup. Not to mention the sound quality wasn't that great compared to my Polk Audio speakers.
So instead I decided to find an inexpensive stereo receiver (got lucky and found a Pioneer Elite for $35), some nice speakers (Polk Audio TSx220B for $50), and when I had more money a nice sub (Polk Audio PSW110 for $50).
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I found a Logitech Z5500 setup and loved it at first until I started putting together my home theater setup. Come to find out the "500 watts" on the logitech set are in 6 ohms compared to an 8 ohm setup. Not to mention the sound quality wasn't that great compared to my Polk Audio speakers.
So instead I decided to find an inexpensive stereo receiver (got lucky and found a Pioneer Elite for $35), some nice speakers (Polk Audio TSx220B for $50), and when I had more money a nice sub (Polk Audio PSW110 for $50).
Yea... this is the plan if you want got some times, and want to go hunting..
My plan costs more but. is lazier..
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Yeah I would try going for bookshelfs if you could.
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don't be scared to check out thrift stores, a lot of times you can find a great set of older speaker for dirt cheap. :thumb:
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I've had my Klipsch 2.1's for 13 years and they still sound great. The connectors are cheap so I never mess with volume controls once they are set. I don't know what they would sound like now. My other PC has the M-Audio BX8a studio monitors (130watt bi-amped) directly connected to the motherboard sound output and these are amazing if you don't want a receiver. You need at least 8" woofers to get by without a subwoofer. I hate computer speakers too. :thumb:
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Klipsch from 13 years ago is not the same today. Look up the picture of it taken apart huge difference in component choice
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I actually read into setting up my own beginner's sound system. Unfortunately, it's way out of my budget x.x
Thing is, the computer boutique that's building my system (which I'm financing) also sells it with peripherals at MSRP, so I'm locked in at a certain price range. I could move some more money around and increase that range to close to $300, but that would only be for just one speaker combo. I don't exactly feel comfortable special ordering a lot of components.
I'm already getting the Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 external sound card with my system so I won't be relying on my laptop's crappy sound card, now all I need is a decent set of speakers or the best I can get with my current budget.
I'm currently using Arion Legacy's 2.1 "Home Theater" setup that I got for roughly $50. It sounds alright but I want to upgrade since I have some leftover money from my loan.
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I actually read into setting up my own beginner's sound system. Unfortunately, it's way out of my budget x.x
Thing is, the computer boutique that's building my system (which I'm financing) also sells it with peripherals at MSRP, so I'm locked in at a certain price range. I could move some more money around and increase that range to close to $300, but that would only be for just one speaker combo. I don't exactly feel comfortable special ordering a lot of components.
I'm already getting the Creative Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 external sound card with my system so I won't be relying on my laptop's crappy sound card, now all I need is a decent set of speakers or the best I can get with my current budget.
I'm currently using Arion Legacy's 2.1 "Home Theater" setup that I got for roughly $50. It sounds alright but I want to upgrade since I have some leftover money from my loan.
In your position I would go with the Klipsch 2.1 system. You will get better hardware and slightly better sound. Logitech speakers from my personal experience sound good but their hardware isn't that great.
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financing a computer ? is this the part where you tell us you also put ur student aid/loan into car parts LOL. hahahaha... jkjk lots of kids actually do that.. oh well..
yea.. it sounds expensive.. but in the end... it could very well be the last set you need to buy.. because if you spend any More money than ~400-500 for a 2.1 setup, it'll just be Bigger, not really better in sound quality.. again (audiophiles) will say otherwise.. but they're insane, and have superhuman hearing. (allegedly)
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financing a computer ? is this the part where you tell us you also put ur student aid/loan into car parts LOL. hahahaha... jkjk lots of kids actually do that.. oh well..
yea.. it sounds expensive.. but in the end... it could very well be the last set you need to buy.. because if you spend any More money than ~400-500 for a 2.1 setup, it'll just be Bigger, not really better in sound quality.. again (audiophiles) will say otherwise.. but they're insane, and have superhuman hearing. (allegedly)
It was the only way I could get a system I wanted as soon as possible =/
I'm definitely going down that road once my income allows, but for the time-being, maybe I should get some decent bookshelves and just get a subwoofer when I can afford it? The external sound card triples as a DAC and amp, and it's decent for the price. Would a stereo receiver make that much of a significant difference?
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financing a computer ? is this the part where you tell us you also put ur student aid/loan into car parts LOL. hahahaha... jkjk lots of kids actually do that.. oh well..
yea.. it sounds expensive.. but in the end... it could very well be the last set you need to buy.. because if you spend any More money than ~400-500 for a 2.1 setup, it'll just be Bigger, not really better in sound quality.. again (audiophiles) will say otherwise.. but they're insane, and have superhuman hearing. (allegedly)
It was the only way I could get a system I wanted as soon as possible =/
I'm definitely going down that road once my income allows, but for the time-being, maybe I should get some decent bookshelves and just get a subwoofer when I can afford it? The external sound card triples as a DAC and amp, and it's decent for the price. Would a stereo receiver make that much of a significant difference?
well the receiver is the only thing that will power the speakers, unless you get "powered" speakers..
powered speakers generally have way smaller components and therefore quality is usually worse..
The thing to do IMHO is just wait until you can buy the more expensive set.. you have speakers now.. just wait it out..
Tp4's motto, eat top ramen, save bux..
We see alot of buying everything UNTIL the thing you actually want in the computer electronics hobby..
Ideally, having a bit of patience makes it much cheaper all together, and you won't really have to upgrade by the end of it.
The external sound card you got is fine as a dac.. (all dacs are the same).. but it's not going to power speakers unless it can put out at least 30-40 watts.
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financing a computer ? is this the part where you tell us you also put ur student aid/loan into car parts LOL. hahahaha... jkjk lots of kids actually do that.. oh well..
yea.. it sounds expensive.. but in the end... it could very well be the last set you need to buy.. because if you spend any More money than ~400-500 for a 2.1 setup, it'll just be Bigger, not really better in sound quality.. again (audiophiles) will say otherwise.. but they're insane, and have superhuman hearing. (allegedly)
It was the only way I could get a system I wanted as soon as possible =/
I'm definitely going down that road once my income allows, but for the time-being, maybe I should get some decent bookshelves and just get a subwoofer when I can afford it? The external sound card triples as a DAC and amp, and it's decent for the price. Would a stereo receiver make that much of a significant difference?
well the receiver is the only thing that will power the speakers, unless you get "powered" speakers..
powered speakers generally have way smaller components and therefore quality is usually worse..
The thing to do IMHO is just wait until you can buy the more expensive set.. you have speakers now.. just wait it out..
Tp4's motto, eat top ramen, save bux..
We see alot of buying everything UNTIL the thing you actually want in the computer electronics hobby..
Ideally, having a bit of patience makes it much cheaper all together, and you won't really have to upgrade by the end of it.
The external sound card you got is fine as a dac.. (all dacs are the same).. but it's not going to power speakers unless it can put out at least 30-40 watts.
The $170 has to go somewhere, though. I could probably put it in another keyboard...They have a Blackwidow Ultimate + Taipan + Goliathus bundle that fits the budget, but I already have a keyboard, mouse and mousepad.
At this point it's really just gonna be the speakers or another keyboard. I'm gonna talk to a live chat rep.
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financing a computer ? is this the part where you tell us you also put ur student aid/loan into car parts LOL. hahahaha... jkjk lots of kids actually do that.. oh well..
yea.. it sounds expensive.. but in the end... it could very well be the last set you need to buy.. because if you spend any More money than ~400-500 for a 2.1 setup, it'll just be Bigger, not really better in sound quality.. again (audiophiles) will say otherwise.. but they're insane, and have superhuman hearing. (allegedly)
It was the only way I could get a system I wanted as soon as possible =/
I'm definitely going down that road once my income allows, but for the time-being, maybe I should get some decent bookshelves and just get a subwoofer when I can afford it? The external sound card triples as a DAC and amp, and it's decent for the price. Would a stereo receiver make that much of a significant difference?
well the receiver is the only thing that will power the speakers, unless you get "powered" speakers..
powered speakers generally have way smaller components and therefore quality is usually worse..
The thing to do IMHO is just wait until you can buy the more expensive set.. you have speakers now.. just wait it out..
Tp4's motto, eat top ramen, save bux..
We see alot of buying everything UNTIL the thing you actually want in the computer electronics hobby..
Ideally, having a bit of patience makes it much cheaper all together, and you won't really have to upgrade by the end of it.
The external sound card you got is fine as a dac.. (all dacs are the same).. but it's not going to power speakers unless it can put out at least 30-40 watts.
The $170 has to go somewhere, though. I could probably put it in another keyboard...They have a Blackwidow Ultimate + Taipan + Goliathus bundle that fits the budget, but I already have a keyboard, mouse and mousepad.
At this point it's really just gonna be the speakers or another keyboard. I'm gonna talk to a live chat rep.
I don't understand.. did you already commit to buying ? why not roll your own pc ?
what is ur rate for financing this pc.. and how is that different from creditcard finance. or bill me later from pay pal
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financing a computer ? is this the part where you tell us you also put ur student aid/loan into car parts LOL. hahahaha... jkjk lots of kids actually do that.. oh well..
yea.. it sounds expensive.. but in the end... it could very well be the last set you need to buy.. because if you spend any More money than ~400-500 for a 2.1 setup, it'll just be Bigger, not really better in sound quality.. again (audiophiles) will say otherwise.. but they're insane, and have superhuman hearing. (allegedly)
It was the only way I could get a system I wanted as soon as possible =/
I'm definitely going down that road once my income allows, but for the time-being, maybe I should get some decent bookshelves and just get a subwoofer when I can afford it? The external sound card triples as a DAC and amp, and it's decent for the price. Would a stereo receiver make that much of a significant difference?
well the receiver is the only thing that will power the speakers, unless you get "powered" speakers..
powered speakers generally have way smaller components and therefore quality is usually worse..
The thing to do IMHO is just wait until you can buy the more expensive set.. you have speakers now.. just wait it out..
Tp4's motto, eat top ramen, save bux..
We see alot of buying everything UNTIL the thing you actually want in the computer electronics hobby..
Ideally, having a bit of patience makes it much cheaper all together, and you won't really have to upgrade by the end of it.
The external sound card you got is fine as a dac.. (all dacs are the same).. but it's not going to power speakers unless it can put out at least 30-40 watts.
The $170 has to go somewhere, though. I could probably put it in another keyboard...They have a Blackwidow Ultimate + Taipan + Goliathus bundle that fits the budget, but I already have a keyboard, mouse and mousepad.
At this point it's really just gonna be the speakers or another keyboard. I'm gonna talk to a live chat rep.
I don't understand.. did you already commit to buying ? why not roll your own pc ?
what is ur rate for financing this pc.. and how is that different from creditcard finance. or bill me later from pay pal
I "bought" the PC a little over six weeks ago. I had to re-order it entirely as stated in this thread (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=63823.msg1494490#msg1494490).
The rate is bad, I'll tell you that much. It was paid for by a loan. Origin PC is the only PC boutique that advertises financing for their systems. For someone with un-established credit and not a lot of cash, the option to finance when PayPal's financing declined me was very appealing. I couldn't get the amount I got from a credit card, either.
Back on topic, I think I'm gonna go with a decent pair of headphones instead of the speakers. Any recommendations? The Audio Technica M50s is what I'm mostly looking at right now. Price range is still at $170.
Edit: Found the M50x here (http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00JZRXWRW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415043417&sr=8-2&keywords=ath+m50x) for a good price. Detachable cables. Yum.
It even comes with an amp. Neat.
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Definitely get the headphones. Especially if you don't have a nice set already. The headphones are more versatile, neighbor friendly, and with a good sound card they will sound great.
That lets you upgrade your speakers to a better set later.
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Definitely get the headphones. Especially if you don't have a nice set already. The headphones are more versatile, neighbor friendly, and with a good sound card they will sound great.
That lets you upgrade your speakers to a better set later.
My headphones definitely need an upgrade. I use these cheap Monoprice cans (http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=108&cp_id=10823&cs_id=1082302&p_id=8323&seq=1&format=2) that sound like meh without a decent sound card. With just my current laptop's onboard, I much prefer to use my Arion Legacy 2.1 speakers.
Anything else other than the M50x I should be considering?
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Look at open headphones if you're going to be using them at home. They just (in my opinion) sound better. ATH-M50 headphones are really, really overrated in almost every way possible.
EDIT: Wow. They charge $170 for those now? Bahahahaha. No.
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Look at open headphones if you're going to be using them at home. They just (in my opinion) sound better. ATH-M50 headphones are really, really overrated in almost every way possible.
EDIT: Wow. They charge $170 for those now? Bahahahaha. No.
What makes them overrated? The M50x is the more expensive model, the M50 and M50s can be found on sale regularly for roughly $120.
And they'll be used at everywhere, not just at home.
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Look at open headphones if you're going to be using them at home. They just (in my opinion) sound better. ATH-M50 headphones are really, really overrated in almost every way possible.
EDIT: Wow. They charge $170 for those now? Bahahahaha. No.
What makes them overrated? The M50x is the more expensive model, the M50 and M50s can be found on sale regularly for roughly $120.
And they'll be used at everywhere, not just at home.
They just aren't worth the money, in my opinion. They're boring. They're clunky. They're not too comfy. And the "cheaper" model doesn't have a removable cable, which is kinda crap, especially if you're going to be about with them.
Anyway, if you're going to be around with them, closed is the way to go then. I wouldn't drop $170 on them, personally. Maybe $90 - 100. I don't have a lot of opinions to offer up on closed headphones, though. Not really my bag. Good luck!
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Look at open headphones if you're going to be using them at home. They just (in my opinion) sound better. ATH-M50 headphones are really, really overrated in almost every way possible.
EDIT: Wow. They charge $170 for those now? Bahahahaha. No.
What makes them overrated? The M50x is the more expensive model, the M50 and M50s can be found on sale regularly for roughly $120.
And they'll be used at everywhere, not just at home.
They just aren't worth the money, in my opinion. They're boring. They're clunky. They're not too comfy. And the "cheaper" model doesn't have a removable cable, which is kinda crap, especially if you're going to be about with them.
Anyway, if you're going to be around with them, closed is the way to go then. I wouldn't drop $170 on them, personally. Maybe $90 - 100. I don't have a lot of opinions to offer up on closed headphones, though. Not really my bag. Good luck!
Mm. I've yet to own a "proper" entry-level headphone and I've had my eye on this one for a while. Based on what I've read on how it sounds, it suits my listening preferences so I think I'll go for 'em. You've made me curious about open-sound cans now, though. Might look into those in the near future.
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I used a set of AKG K-702's and between them and some of the closed back design the 702's have the edge on sound quality. Low's were surprisingly good too.
You should also check out the soundMAGIC HP200's. I haven't tried them personally but they are going to be my next set.
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I used a set of AKG K-702's and between them and some of the closed back design the 702's have the edge on sound quality. Low's were surprisingly good too.
You should also check out the soundMAGIC HP200's. I haven't tried them personally but they are going to be my next set.
How do the 702's sound when compared to the M50's? The 702's are way out of my budget and the HP200's slightly so xD
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You might be thinking.. Hell that's too much money...
what you should do is Save and get a real beginners setup.
because.... the performance to price ratio is at least 20x as good.
Lemme just quite this for truth in the LTS topic.
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I used a set of AKG K-702's and between them and some of the closed back design the 702's have the edge on sound quality. Low's were surprisingly good too.
You should also check out the soundMAGIC HP200's. I haven't tried them personally but they are going to be my next set.
How do the 702's sound when compared to the M50's? The 702's are way out of my budget and the HP200's slightly so xD
The 702's sound fuller...that's about the best I can describe it. Incredibly clear, crisp, and comfortable. Only downside was the size. They are pretty huge.
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I'm having a really tough time deciding between these two speaker systems. I have roughly a budget of $150 and these have been highly regarded at this price range.
I would've already gone with the Promedias except that the ones with such high regard were apparently the "old" version of the Klipsch set. The "newer," redesigned set has had a lot of complaints over the years about dying components as well as build quality changes. Yet the sound is still comparable with the Z623's.
Does anyone here have experience with either set? I'm also considering M-Audio AV 40's, but they MSRP for $199 and that's a little above my budget. Unless there's a noticeable boost to justify the $20 above my budget, I'll stick with the former two.
Any other backed recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
With regards to your original question, I actually do have a PM2.1 and a Z623:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/mikeysg/20140921_211927_zps8d73c6a5.jpg)
Both are pretty damn good for games and movies, but the PM 2.1 stands out from the Z623 for being more 'musical'. That is, it handles music better than the Z623 which I've found to be pretty muddy sounding, instruments seem to blend together and, to me, just doesn't sound right. The PM2.1, while NOT being an audiophile speaker system, has better transparency (NOT that it's transparent per se) and definition when compared to the Z623. I'd say that my PM2.1 is pretty old, easily 10 years old or more, the only issue I'd had with it was the foam seal disintegrating on the sub due to my leaving it in my storeroom (I'm in the tropics) for a couple of years or so. Had it resealed and it stills has more bass punch compared to the Z623 (which is no slouch either).
I've not tried the M50x myself, though I can say it's well regarded by the audio community as a whole. I do own an ATH-AD700X and I can say that due to it being open, it's quite airy and soundstage is pretty decent. I can't say with absolute certainty, but I've been told mids and highs are better for gaming in that they are better for positional audio. I don't use my ATH-AD700X for gaming, so I can't say for sure, but from what I've gathered, mids and highs are better for positional audio....bass tends to muddies the mids and highs, obfuscating them.
You can also consider Kingston HyperX Cloud headset, I have it as well, it's a closed back design and comes with a volume control attached to the headset (the headset can be detached from the volume control) and while not being airy as the AD700X, with narrower soundstage due to its closed back design, it's still a good gaming headset that can double up as a decent sounding cans for music. Just don't expect the kind of soundstage that open cans have.
Bear in mind that this is just my opinion, I'm no audiophile nor do I wish to pretend to be one......when it comes to sound, it boils down to personal preference and bias most of the time.
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For a simple setup and great sound, I can personally vouch for the Promedia 2.1s. I've had them for roughly ~3 years and I put them through their paces every once in awhile. Great for movies, games (if I'm not using headset), and music.
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Since I already have a PC-speaker setup, I've decided to stick with them, though they may not be as good as the Promedia 2.1's or the Z623's. I opted for the M50X, though I'm also considering the Onkyo ES-FC300's. They're not over-the-ear, but they look so slick.
I probably would've gone with the Promedias if they were the ones from over a decade ago. For now, I'm happy with using a DAC with a decent pair of cans. Kinda left gaming headsets out of consideration since I don't want to sacrifice sound quality for the convenience of a semi-crappy mic with mediocre sound. Plus I wouldn't be going out in public with 'em, so...
@PadawanGeek: Geezus, two KBP V60's? Nice.