Best Speakers available?

Hey guys,

I just the new Alienware Area-51 ALX. It is all maxed out. I want to buy speakers that match the desktop. My previous speakers was the Logitech Z5500. They're good but I don't have the perfect room setup for 5 speakers.

I am looking for 2 speakers + sub woofer that can deliver 5.1 surround sound. I was thinking of the Bose Companion 5. But I am hearing some negative reviews.

I am looking for the top of the line, best sound for music,movies, games, etc.. The very best. Money is not issue.

Your help is very appreciated

 

If you're not an audiophile, I'm pretty sure spending $100,000+ on speakers won't appeal to you... Personally, I think Bose is overpriced for what you get. What is your sound setup? What DAC/amp or soundcard are you using or plan on using? What are your listening habits (ie. music, movies, games - which ones?)

 

2 speakers in a sub is called 2.1, 5 and a sub is 5.1

the designation is the number of speakers and the .1 is a sub.

So its impossible for two speakers to give you 5.1, thats like saying you want a 2 wheel motorcycle to be a 4 wheel car.

What it can do is simulate 5.1, but that that is nor here nor there and can be done by any speaker set if your audio card is doing the processing.

I would not worry about any 5.1 simulation just shoot for a high quality pair of speakers with a matching sub.

In computer land my recommendation goes to the Klipsch Promedia 2.1's but overall my highest recomendation goes to DIY by getting an amp and some home theater speakers. They will ultimatly be a much higher quality than any PC targeted ones and leave you with more room to grow (get a 5.7 or 7.1 amp, get 2 speakers and a sub. Later in life when the room allows for it get the other speakers to make a true 5.1 set.

 

Like ViciousXUSMC said, you wont get the surround effect with a 2.1 system, but if your using them mainly for music then you don't need anything more than 2.1

I personally use some Wharfedale Evo2-10's with a Cambridge Audio Azur 640 and a Sunfire Jr subwoofer. Retail this system would cost 2500, but lets be honest, no one is going to pay retail. You could get it for ~1400 new, cheaper if you find used stuff. I love the sound of my Evo2-10's but they could benefit from a little more mid range, but the highs on them are just exquisite.

I've also got some Definative PowerMonitor 500's and some NHT 2.5's But size for sound I like the Evo2-10's. The PowerMonitors are good, they have a better mid range, but not as much lows and they have powered amps in them, so you kinda need them close to an outlet. And the NHT's are floor standing.

 

Every time someone says 'money is not an issue' and I recommend what I have or what I'm looking at, it seems money is an issue after all so I tend not to do that anymore. If money really isn't an issue and I was really after surround, personally I'd start looking at how I could fit a 5.1 setup in the room.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665361523

The CT100 has a good rep for an unobtrusive system. It's designed to sit over/under a TV and the sub hidden away. You stick your 5.1 signal in the back, and it comes out faux-5.1 from the two-module system.

The emphasis is on faux: You're not going to get a true surround experience out of any of these and arguably, Bose - in the form of the Cinemate systems - is actually one of the better options.

 

If you like your Z-5500's, you might want to check out the Z-2300's. Basically the same thing but in 2.1 instead of 5.1.

 

+1 for the Z-2300 2.1 set.

Also... http://forum.desktopreview.com/index.php

 

Why not just use your Z-5500's as a 2.1 system, yes all you have to do is unplug the other 3 speakers and it will work fine.

 

^ then whats the point of buying the Z-5500 if u dont want 5.1? i'm no audiophile but ive read a lot of comments by ppl who know what they are talking about regarding speakers (syndrome is one of them obviously he knows his stuff with a setup like that...), and ppl say the Z-2300 is good for an average listener, but if you are very particular in ur sound, then Z-2300 is horrible. thats at least what ive found seraching for my pair of speakers. ask some true audiophiles on the subject if logitech = crap speaker wise...personally i would like some high-quality speaker when dishing out 100-200USD.

i narrowed my list down to 4 of em, the 5th being a logitech z cinema (i know, logitech?!?!, but i can get it @ <100bucks on ebay)

1. klipsch ProMedia 2.1 (possible the best <200USD speakers...if not, plz tell me which are)
2. edifier S530D (really hard to find in america...)
3. edifier S330D (same as above)
4. Swans M12 (high-quality speakers, not the best looking tho)

 

Oh, I misread his first post, thought he still had the Z-5500's. I used to use Klipsch 5.1 system as a 2.1 because the 5.1 systems come with bigger subs, and usually put out more power per channel. The Z-2300's aren't really that bad for the price either, and much easier to find than the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1(but I prefer the Klipsch).

 

1. I'm not average. (re: 'Z-2300 good for an average listener')
2. High-quality @ $100~200 US? I don't think so.
3. A so-called audiophile would not be listening to music via a computer to begin with.

Let's face it, we're talking computer speakers here. For the money you can do much worse then Logitech. I personally think you'll be fine with either the Kilipsch you're considering or Logitech if you'll allow yourself to stoop to us "average listener's" level.

 

lol, why wouldn't a pedophile use a computer for music? You can get some pretty impressive sound cards for computers, and if you get your music in flac then its pretty close to CD.

 

Probably because they have other interests other than music? LOL! That's quite the typo.


I know what you're saying, Syn', and I totally agree. I do the whole FLAC/LAME VBR thing myself. But to a bonafide audiophile "pretty close to CD" is just not good enough. You ever visit head-fi or hydrogen for a good read and laugh when it comes to the rants from audio purists?

 

Yeah, I got to head-fi right after I get caught up on my favorite comic strips. Patrick82 is hilarious.

 

I'm sure many pedophiles use computers, but not for music.

Since I've lost interest in dealing with the mind-numbing speaker threads here, I'm going to make my recommendation to the OP simple. Get a desktop amplifier and buy bookshelf speakers. If bebarhood really believes that money isn't an issue, then stop putzing around with mediocre-at-best computer speakers and pay the minimum of $100-150 to get a dedicated standalone amplifier that will give your speakers a cleaner signal. Run a subwoofer at speaker level with a two-channel amp or get a 2.1 channel amp like the Tweak City Audio Gizmo. I won't even bother recommending a set of speakers and/or a sub because once you free yourself from the restriction of computer speakers, your choices are almost limitless for any budget past the price of the amp.

 

WOW.. So many comments. Thanks guys. Like I said, I am not a genius when it comes to sound. You could tell by I not knowing the difference between 5.0 and 5.1.

My Z-5500 is great, but I can't handle the space of it. That's why I wanted the 2 speakers producing the 5 channel surround sound. I am making sense?

Oh, and my sound card would be the Creative Sound Blaster Titanium.

Thanks again for your help

 

You set your settings to 2.1 and your 2 speakers will make all the sounds. But they aren't behind you so they wont sound like they are behind you. No 2 speakers will sound like a 5.1 system, because it isn't physically possible. But you can set it so all sounds come out of the two speakers by simply changing your settings to stereo(2.0, 2.1)

 

Fixed for you.

To the OP: Take an audition of the Bose Cinemate.

 

just what i expect from an audiophile

im talking about high-er quality compared to all the n00b speakers out there. and if u didnt realize, i bet my most ppl listen to music via their computer. im thinknig klipsch has the best system for sub-200, when u pay more u get into those 1000usd studio quality ones, which i honestly will never need.

hmm, i would love a pair of z-5500, lolz. wanna sell it to me and i give u my about-to-purchase klipsch PM 2.1?

 

why dont you just disconnect the rear 2 channels from your current system and change the properties in your soundcard to 2.1 instead?

if you really want to spend some money you could look at near field monitor speakers. not to everyones taste but i find the detail in them phenominal, although they lack the sparkly highs that hi-fi speakers give you, something i want. grr. damn speakers for being so expensive!

 

http://www.hphdx.net/Forum/tabid/55/forumid/63/threadid/1911/scope/posts/Default.aspx

This is another Discussion about speakers... maybe it helps you with your choice.

It will spin you back to... http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=372042

But my find(s) are pretty good on the first one as well..

Be well, JW

 

lolwut?

imo, mastering is the most important part, everything else is secondary, unless you have ibuds or something.

 

http://www.theaudioinsider.com/product_info.php/p/swan-d1080mkii/products_id/113

Great for between $100-150