Best Multi-Use External Speakers

Hey guys!

I've been out of the loop for quite awhile. I'm in the process of moving, and will finally have a little office for myself, in which I plan on decking out with multimedia toys. I need to find a solid set of surround sound speakers that I can use both with my laptop, and with my TV for movie use. I'm trying to mix "best" with "cost effective" and really don't want to spend much more than $300 or $400. I've been using an old Logitech x230 set for the last 4 years or so, and they're finally just getting worn out after several moves.

Any recommendations?

 

I just got the Logitech X-540 today and for $80 they are a steal. They provide very decent performance and are well built. They are also not very bulky and an ideal small surround sound setup solution.

If you need more power have a look at the Logitech 5-500 system, it's $399 but delivers a lot more power than the X-540, it's also a bit bigger. Overall I was impressed by the quality and finish of the X-540 system. I would without a doubt recommend another system from Logitech.

 

Yes, consider regular home media systems. Since you plan to use them in an office/media environment anyway, there's really no longer much advantage to choosing laptop type speakers. Although there is a point where the two may eventually cross over, I think you'd be better served--and satisfied--by choosing the ones with the more robust design. At the sub-five hundred mark there are many to choose from.

 

Take a look at:

Logitech Z-2300 (I just got them, stellar system)
Logitech X-540
Logitech Z-5500
Klipsch ProMedia 2.1

If I had the money, I'd go for Z-5500 if I were you. But if you were going for the X-540, and you didn't need 5.1, the Z-2300 would probably provide better quality I have them and they are pretty amazing. The subwoofer makes my house rattle. What I'm trying to say is that a more expensive 2.1 system will provide better quality than a cheaper 5.1 system.

 

I personally would say go with a 2.1 system. But I mostly listen to music. But the 2.1 system I use costed me more than 500$, but it sounds amazing.

 

Wonderful suggestions everyone, I very much appreciate it. That will definitely put me in the right place to get the ball rolling. I loved my X230 system intensely, and I'll be moving into an apartment type complex, so anything with much more power will sadly go to waste anyways.

I'll probably end up sticking with one of the higher end 2.1 systems per recommendation. Thanks again!

 

AudioEngine A5. The "audiophile" standard for < $500 desktop systems.

 

Never, never, never, say that...please!! Power never goes to waste. Even at low volume, a powerful system will typically sound better than it's less power friendly relative. I just had to say that for the record though, I understand your point.

 

For 2.1, logitech Z2300. To me, there are no other 2.1 speakers.

For 5.1, have you considered one of the home theater in a box setups? I'm using an old samsung 5.1 set and it sounds great.

 

If possible go for a pair of Genelec 6010A. Logitech is simply crap.

 

I disagree, i also have good experience with creative, but logitech are definatley not bad, they just require sometimes a small bit of time positioning correctly.

Im using x530s, the 540s earlier brother, they have pretty rediculous bass when the dial is on 0.

 

Logitech is not crap.

 

I think that most people here would beg to differ. Logitech provides extremely good speakers for the price that they are, and my Logitech Z-2300's are the best 2.1 system I've ever had.

 

Well honestly different speaker sets sound different depending both on what's playing and on who's listening. Therefore, there is no "best" in the proper way.

I find that for non-bassy content, Logitechs are a bit mediocre compared to other sets, but for anything with bass, it sounds pretty darn good. I agree that given their price and ease to find, Logitechs are a pretty popular choice for computer speakers.

Nonetheless OP, if you're considering using this for a multimedia environment outside of computing(you mentioned home surround and such), I'd personally look into multimedia speakers rather than computer ones as they generally provide better and crisper sound than a computer speaker of a similar caliber.

 

As I said. Take a look into something more hifi: Genelec 6010a.
These popular brands like logitech and creative are less than mediocre compared to real speakers.
May be a bit more pricey, but it is definitely worth it.