Computer speakers?

[specialk]

I'm looking for some above-average speakers for my iMac. I'd like to spend $150 or less. The Harmon Kardon Soundsticks II caught my eye:

http://www.harmankardon.com/EN-US/Products...D=SOUNDSTICKSII

They get pretty good reviews. Does anyone here use them?

[mathman]

Those are pretty good, I heard them at other schools nearby. I bought some of these

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/StudiophileAV30.html and

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/StudiophileAV40.html

And they both sound really good. They have real cabinets and sound good with solid bass. Plus the 40's have extra connection options.

[Feynman]

I bought these (in black):

http://www.audioengineusa.com/a2_home.php

I love them. They sound way better than they should.

They sell returns and 2nds on eBay for under your budget.

I bought the old style (has a logo) for $150, and they were in perfect cosmetic shape even though the company says they might have scratches, etc. I guess you get whichever one they grab from the retun pile.

I don't hesitate to say that if you can't find them cheaper than full price you will still be happy.

It's $199 bargain in my opinion.

[Mike Lee]

The M-Audio AV40's are good. I tried them and like the sound, but the spring clip style speaker terminal on one was bad so I returned them to GC. I always seem to get broken stuff from GC. I tried some M-Audio BX5a studio monitors and found them too bright.

Right now I am using some KRK V4 monitors. Compact and powerful, with a full sound that works great for guitar. And that's good because I use them with a Line6 TonePort UX1 that doubles as a USB audio output interface for my iMac. The UX1 is convenient because it has 1/4" outs and the KRK's have combo 1/4" and XLR inputs.

Best recommendation is to skip all of the "computer speakers" if you like good sound. I found most of the them to be hyped up in the treble and humped in the bass. Find a set of inexpensive new or used self powered studio monitors. I got my KRK's on clearance at GC and they were a steal. I might even try to find the 10" sub that goes with them...

[azatplayer]

How about 50 old school watts?

Old watts

About the right money

[JohnnyB]

I bought http://www.audioengineusa.com/a2_home.php]these (Audioengine A2's in black). I love them. They sound way better than they should. They sell returns and 2nds on eBay for under your budget.

I bought the old style (has a logo) for $150, and they were in perfect cosmetic shape even though the company says they might have scratches, etc. I guess you get whichever one they grab from the retun pile. I don't hesitate to say that if you can't find them cheaper than full price you will still be happy. It's [a] $199 bargain in my opinion.

I have read so many positive reviews of the Audioengine A2's--not just from computer mags but from the high end audio mags as well--that are universally astounded by how hard these punch outside their price class. If I were in the market I would get the Audioengine 2's and never look back. They look uber-cool too!

I guess Feynman really does say it best.

[specialk]

Yep, those Audioengine A2s do look good, and the reviews I've read of them make me want to look closer at them. Amazon has them, here:

http://www.amazon.com/Audioengine-Powered-...8301&sr=8-3

As for the Harmon Kardon Soundsticks, no. I got the chance to give them a good listen-to at an Apple Store shortly after it opened, when very few people were there. Crisp and punchy, but they really emphasized the highs with no mids at all. And the subwoofer looks like it'd make a great fly trap in no time. I guess for jazz-only listening they might be worth a look, but not much else.

Feynman says it best? Wow, that just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

[specialk]

How about 50 old school watts?

About the right money

Old school is right! CPS instead of Hz. Sorry, but I think Feynman's recommendation wins.....

[JohnnyB]

Yep, those Audioengine A2s do look good, and the reviews I've read of them make me want to look closer at them.

The Stereophile review is here. Stereophile is the original, longest running high end magazine. They have very high performance standards. For them to gush like this the AE A2's must be pretty special.

Other high end evaluations: Enjoy the Music

Positive Feedback (scroll down)

Six Moons

Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity

[doody]

I run my pc sound through my video card(Yes, video card) ATI 4670 via HDMI through my living room 47" LCD/home stereo. Add wirelss keyboard and mouse and surf from the comfort of your couch with 5.1 surround. I was pleasantly surprized to find netflix streams in dolby surround. Add in Hulu, Amazon on Demand, Youtube, etc and cable becomes kinda redundant. Not to mention Call of Duty rocks in surround sound. I wish I would have had this setup back in my AirWarrior days!

[specialk]

The Stereophile review is here. Stereophile is the original, longest running high end magazine. They have very high performance standards. For them to gush like this the AE A2's must be pretty special.

Thanks for the link, JohnnyB! The AE site offers free shipping on these, something Amazon doesn't.

I kinda like the white ones....

BTW, I was at University Village this AM, not Alderwood.

[specialk]

I'm getting a $300 HP credit when I sign up with Verizon pretty soon. I see the Logitech Z-2300 2.1 THX computer speakers on the HP web site. Anyone try them?

http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/compute...FT894AA%2523ABA

[karmma1]

I use these for my recording comp:

Alesis M1 Active 520, I run them from the balanced outputs of an Emu 1212m.

A bit above your budget at around $200 (though i've seen them as low as 185) but they are pretty hard to beat in the price range.

I've had them for about 9 months now, like them just as much as day one. Excellent clarity, very easy on the ears fatigue-wise, and no reliability issues so far (some older powered Alesis models were known for occasional power-section failure).

[JohnnyB]

I'm getting a $300 HP credit when I sign up with Verizon pretty soon. I see the Logitech Z-2300 2.1 THX computer speakers on the HP web site. Anyone try them?

http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/compute...FT894AA%2523ABA

For the money, and if you know where to shop, the Logitechs are good. I used a sat/sub Logitech system on my last desktop computer. It sounded pretty good, but I got the whole 5.1 setup for about $55 at Sam's Club. The packaging was different from the one you picture, but they're probably in the same ballpark. They looked more like this package currently offered by Sam's Club:

In other words, the HP redemption center might value them at $169, but you could pick up something similar by the same maker for under $100 at a wholesale club, and they're not in the same class as the AudioEngines. At all. The Audioengines push up against the powered monitors by KRK, Alesis, and Mackie, but from what I've read, offer more refinement.

The Logitechs won't suck, however. Mine sounded great for $55.

[specialk]

I'm getting a $300 HP credit when I sign up with Verizon pretty soon. I see the Logitech Z-2300 2.1 THX computer speakers on the HP web site. Anyone try them?

http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/compute...FT894AA%2523ABA

So I just got the Logitech Z-2300 speakers in.

They do sound pretty good, a lot better than the internal iMac speakers I've been using. Good volume without distorting, good frequency response, and the aluminum/black matches the iMac. Plus they were free with the gift certificate.

If I were paying, it would have been the Audioengine A-2s. But I'm happy with what I have.

Thanks to all of you for sharing your advice and experience in this matter. It learned me some stuff.

[Jimbilly]

I'm still using an Acoustic Authority powered system, - powered sub with built in 50w stereo amp for the 'mains', this is the setup JohnnyB recommended some years ago. I replaced the tiny 'satellite' speakers with some decent bookshelf speakers and I'm still very happy for not much $$.

[Hamerhack]

Since we're discussing home recording rigs, anything new in the "Hamer of computer speakers" department?

Audioengines still good?

[Feynman]

I've moved from the Audioengines to the Blue Sky EXO2 setup, which is really nice. It sounds fantastic, and has a small desktop control box with XLR/RCA/mp3 inputs, a headphone out and controls for the sub and master volume. You can find this setup for not much money, and I don't think it would disappoint many people. I paid $230 for mine on eBay, but that was a really low price.

I run my PC into the RCA jacks and modeler into the XLR.

Did I mention they sound great? The control unit sitting right on the desk at your fingertips sure beats reaching down and behind the sub to make adjustments.

Of course there are much better setups out there, but I am a happy user.

[JohnnyB]

Since we're discussing home recording rigs, anything new in the "Hamer of computer speakers" department?

Audioengines still good?

Definitely AudioEngines are still good and they've expanded their lineup to include subwoofers and passive versions of their speakers. But since we're talking about the Hamer of computer speakers, If you're willing to part with $350, I'd sure give these a look.

These air motion transformer type tweeters are smooth, fast, and extended. 5-year warranty and 30-day return period. If I were in the market this is what I'd probably get, though my respect for Feynman's audio background would motivate me to try his Blue Sky EXO2 setup.

If you want the best there is, it would be the $1500/pair Mini-Maggies. These are dipole panel speakers with a matching woofer and they are stunning.

That is the Hamer of desktop loudspeakers.

[Uncle Thor's Hamer]

I'm using the M-Audio AV40. The stereo imaging is astounding. To my ears the sound quality is very natural and clean. I like listening with these speakers better than using a good set of headphones. While I can't compare them to other brands in the price range, I am very impressed and pleased with these.

[JohnnyB]

I'm using the M-Audio AV40. The stereo imaging is astounding. To my ears the sound quality is very natural and clean. I like listening with these speakers better than using a good set of headphones. While I can't compare them to other brands in the price range, I am very impressed and pleased with these.

Get a http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/m-audio-studiophile-av-40-red-editionspeakers'>a pair for the Holidays! What a nice departure from man-cave black.

[Armitage]

The AudioEngines are rediculously good sounding for the money and size.

[JohnnyB]

The AudioEngines are ridiculously good sounding for the money and size.

They have the additional advantage of providing an array of compatible desktop audio products, so you can expand the system as the needs arise--DAC, wireless DAC, amplifier, passive speakers, subwoofer, wireless adapters and speaker stands for the desktop. Stands probably have the most influence on getting the best sound out of desktop speakers; you want to eliminate that initial sound bounce off the desktop plus the resonance that comes from the cabinet sitting directly on the desktop.

To explore their full range of desktop products, check their website.

[Feynman]

The AudioEngines are rediculously good sounding for the money and size.

Agreed! They also fit easily in your luggage for carrying along on trips. My A2s provided many a hotel room with a quality musical experience.

[Armitage]

So YOU were the guy in the next room blasting the Polka music!

[Zork]

$150 Stupid Deal of the Day at MF. 12/7/12

I'm using the M-Audio AV40. The stereo imaging is astounding. To my ears the sound quality is very natural and clean. I like listening with these speakers better than using a good set of headphones. While I can't compare them to other brands in the price range, I am very impressed and pleased with these.

Get a a pair for the Holidays! What a nice departure from man-cave black.