High Quality Computer Speakers?

My old Yamaha speakers with subwoofer are getting old and gets static every so often and losing sounds here and there.

I'm looking for a new replacement. I listen to a lot of soundtrack scores while study which means intricate instrumental music so a high quality pair of speakers (with subwoofer) is preferable. I'll be moving the speakers between home and college so portability would be nice but not necessary. And it'd be a plus if they look nice.

Any recommendations?

Thanks!

 

how about a set of klipsch pro media 2.1?

 

Klipsch Pro Media, Edirol MA-15D w/ a sub if you like (a small Hsu should match well), Diva Swan M200 (no sub), I think NAD has some good multimedia speakers...

I like my Edirols, the trade off of the sub on the Klipsch results in a loss of coherency I really enjoy in the Edirols. I'm really not into separate subs and satellites or towers, though. Even when they're designed for each other, you lose something when they're not in the same package.

 

i second that. i own a pair and they're wow

 

I third that. I love my Klipsch 2.1 setup. They're great for audio. I believe they also make a ProMedia 5.1 system too.

 

I too own a pair, and well, they're meh. Only meh. I don't even use them any more, they're in a box in the closet. Pretty damn far from hi-fi, but satisfactory sound given the price.

If you want great speakers, look no further than these:
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=NHTM00
They sound amazing for a speaker that size, and well worth the price. You'll need to buy two of them if you want a pair, FYI.

Here's the optional sub-woofer, which IMO, is unnecessary unless you want the walls to shake:
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=NHTS00

If you want even better than that, send me a PM. Be warned though that we'll be > $1000 but we're talking carbon-fiber woofer cones and liquid-cooled tweeters. Serious hi-fi!

 

Honestly, Logitech's X-230 speakers are some of the best 2.1 speakers I've ever heard. They get loud as hell, too. But seriously, they sound amazingly clear, especially considering you can buy them for like $35. I'd use them if I weren't so attached to my Z-5500.. which also sound amazing and I recommend to anyone looking for a 5.1 system.

Well, they're great for computers, anyway. Other than that, I dunno ^^;

 

It was those NHT I was thinking of, not NAD...

Speaking of which, we should do a swap, Lupin, so I can hear these speakers you keep going on about. It would be nice to know if these things are significantly better than my Edirols.

 

I just got the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0's. They're more portable without the sub and the bass is probably good enough if you're not into subsonics. I also considered the Bose Companion 2 Series II but the ProMedia Ultras had more control and inputs.

 

If you're ever in Washington, DC., you're welcome to come by for a listen!!

I used to own a pair of Edirol MA-10D's. Relatively clean sound given the price point, but lacking bass, and the amplifier seemed underpowered. Also the construction of them seemed a bit chintzy - I expected nicer construction for that price. Kind of silly, but I chose the MA-10D's at the time because the blue color matched the SGI Octane2 workstation I was using them on.

The pair of M00's have good bass (but not earth shaking), plenty of power to play music for a medium sized room, plus amazingly solid construction - the enclosures are made entirely of heavy cast metal! The other advantage of the M00's over the Edirol MA-10D's is that the M00's have a separate power supply and amplifier for each speaker, wheras the MA-10D's shared a single one. The M00's are a big step up over the MA-10D's, offering much cleaner sound and solid bass performance.

I've since upgraded from the M00's to the ADAM Audio A7's. The A7's cost twice what the M00's do, but are a significant improvement. The have the same wattage as the M00's, but the amplifier is much better quality. They also have carbon-fiber woofer cone where the M00's use traditional treated paper. Definitely audiophile grade components! They're a bit large however, so I have them on a pair of speaker stands, not sitting on my desk like the M00's were. An external DAC like the $700 Stello DA-100 or $1,000 PS Audio DAC is a must-have to realize the full performance of the A7's.

That said, I recommend the M00's because they have a great price/performance ratio. They are a genuine hi-fi component for under $500/pair, and sound leagues ahead of Logitech, Klipsch, and any of these other disposable plastic speakers. Plus, they offer a real improvement, even with the cheapo DAC's that reside on computer sound cards, alleviating the user from buying an expensive external DAC (well, at least until they catch the audiophile bug!! ).

 

You probably already sold your M00's, eh?

 

Yes, the were snapped up by an eager ebay bidder. Had to sell them to fund the pair of A7's.

Check your yellow pages for a local hi-fi shop - they may have a pair in the store you can listen to.

Or even find an internet retailer that will let you make a return without a restocking fee - that's one way to test them out.

 

Damnit... I'm never going to be able to afford a MBP.