Speaker system for Dorm

I'm going to college in a month and need a decent speaker system to hook my laptop and ipod up to. I'm not looking to spend more than $50, just has to be good enough sound quality to listen in my dorm w/ my ipod and to connect to my laptop for when I watch movies or listen to music.

 

The Logitech X-230s is one suggestion for that budget. It's pretty compact to boot. I believe Creative should also have a 2.1 speaker system that's about the same price.

 

good post, i'm looking for some speakers too. I was looking at the Logitech x230 which seem pretty good for about 40. i might just drop the 100 for the z 2300s though.

 

The Z-2300's are cheaper (about 80-75.00USD). Now im interested in the z's now. I gotta make sure that I dont scare the crap out of the RA so he doesnt bust me hehe.

 

well you need to take into account 20 for shipping. the z 2300s are nice, i've heard them. the woofer is huge (8 inches) and everyone in the compusa was looking at us for blasting it so loud.

 

x230 is a great sounding sysem. It will definitely fill your dorm room with deep, good quality sound.

 

but the z2300 is "at least 3 times bigger" wattage wise. the x230 will probably enough, as much as i want the Zs

 

is it possible to only get the woofer and not the whole set?(It would be cheaper in some sense). The ones lower seem good too(the Logitech Z-4's)

 

I think ima go w/ the X-230...newegg has it for $33 which is the cheapest

 

good thread. i have the same question. would the x-230 be the best for under 50? i don't really want to spend more than $50.

 

For its wattage and power, yeah, its good for what its worth. The system is pretty compact and small so that shouldnt be a problem.

 

is there anything else you would recommend better than that for the price?

 

hmmm, Creative is ok but sounds kinda tinny. Go with either Logitech or Altec Lansing

 

IMO Logitech has too much bass, and not enough midrange and high clarity.

 

Quite true, Logitechs (at least the ones I've tried) seem to be tuned for those who love doof music. I've got a set of the X-230s at home and run the bass volume at no more than 15-20%, otherwise it overwhelms everything else.

I rarely trust the sound of speakers as set up in store, they tend to over do the bass to attract the aforementioned doofheads.

Still, the X-230's are pretty good for the money.

 

I like base, but there clear.(Coming from 12" Alpine subs from buddies car , man its good to have something smaller)

 

I've got a creative 2.1 speaker system and I'm in love with it. I bought it one year ago and it sounds perfectly.
I think that creative is less expensive than logitech.

 

whats the difference between the retail version and the oem version?

 

i am actually looking at the x-530's and the x-230's now. hmmm decisions decisions.

 

no question - logitech z-2300

i am also a college student and when i first moved in freshman year i had the 230's in my dorm room and they were nice but i wanted a bit more bass so i found the z-2300's for $59 including shipping one day on buy.com after rebate so i figured id get them.

WOW.... your whole dorm can have a party with these speakers/sub. when i crank it about 1/3 of the way up the windows in my dorm room rattle and the plastic wrapper on the trash can's outside will make noise.

not only does it have amazing bass but the speakers are great too.. a little lacking in mid but i listen to mostly rap and hip hop so not a big deal for me.

whichever choice, i think logitech makes the best bang for your buck. never had a single problem with them.

the only assurance i can make is that you will not be disappointed with the z-2300's, especially in college!

 

thanks...but I don't want anything that loud you know...just enough that I can chill back w/ some music when people come over or just by myself, if I want to hear loud as hell music I'll just go to a party

 

well it has a subwoofer and volume dial? you can turn the sub almost off if you want.

i'm just saying it has the potential to boom. if you want soft hearing you might want to just get a good 2.0 system without the sub then.

and if you want to hear loud music, parties don't always play the music you want

 

i'm looking out, i missed the buy.com deal they had on the z2300s a while back yeah the 2300s have the power to crank for a whole floor to hear

 

yeah i love them for when a lot of ppl are over but they are still good for casual listening while playing video games or reading.

they also come with the adaptor to hook up to your dvd player or game console

 

IMO u don't need a good sound system for your dorm. maybe 20~30 speakers so that u can play music when you have your friends over. They won't be paying attention to the music anyway. Just get a very comfortable headphone. If you are rooming with someone, u wouldn't want to bother them so they don't bother you with their music. In my experience, having a sound isolating headphones were a big help because your roomie's friends might be over and they will be chattering away, yet you won't hear a thing. Look into a good headphones.

-sunjin

 

unless you plan on being the loud roommate

 

what about the z2300 for 104.99 incl. shipping, vs. the thx z5300e for 119.99 incl. shipping?

 

Well that's more of a case of wanting a 5.1 vs a 2.1 system. One thing to think about being in college is the possiblity of having to move. Moving out of a dorm room can be much simpler with fewer speakers, not to mention less weight to carry.


Not to mention where would you put the rear speakers if you're going to be living with someone in the same room

 

Small, compact, and VERY good for music (IMO) -

The bose companion series. I got the Companion 2 since I already have a great sound system at home. Listening to music is a problem for all time with notebooks - no one is serious enough to make a complete audio treatment for notebooks. You can plug in a 5.1 or 7.1 system to Creative's Audigy 2ZS, but then again, if you seriously listen to music all this 5.1/7.1 is meaningless unless the drivers are well made.

 

That is true, but I have noise supression Headphones, and sometimes you need speakers when your away from your own set at home. Also its good sometimes to have the power to piss off the RA when they get mad at you for no reason.

 

Yes the bose companions are nice, but for the money? I prefer the sound of the z2300s in all of its 200watt 8 inch subwoofer glory to the companions 2 and 3. anything more than 2.1 is inconvenient and difficult to take full advantage of, as was said, because of drivers, media that utilizes all the channels, and actually placing the speakers for proper sound fielding. I don't see the real practicality or neccesity of having more than 2 speakers and a sub if you feel like it.

 

now remember, once you actually start school, you won't have theis much money to just buy speakers and ****e. SO remember, money will be tight.

 

bose is way overpriced for what you get....but yeah the logitech z2300s are best for college if you can afford to spend a bit more..my bro has a set of 2300s and my friend has the 230s..to be honest the 230s are plenty loud..but all logitechs will be bass heavy..creative's tend to be better in the highs and mids..but are extremely lacking in the lows

oh something important to consider is that since the 2300s is the more powerful of the two you'll need to dedicate some space for the HUGE woofer..whereas the 230 sub takes up a more reasonable amount of space..u know what i mean if u've ever seen these two side by side

 

My buddy has the older version of the z2300s, and yes they do take up alot of space(and make a bunch of heat). Its just a matter of thinking how much power do I need? . And with the money issue, thats what graduation parties are for, so you can get a boat load of money to save and spend carefully

 

Another option if you're worried about finding room for a massive sub are the Klipsch Promedia Ultra 2.0... A friend of mine just bought a set of these and I was astounded how good they sound for a 2 piece speaker system.

Price is around $100 USD, but can be had for less if you search.

 

The logitech x-530's should be one of your top options i believe. 5.1 surround sound and huge bass for $54.50 from buy.com(free shipping, i got mine in three days). The bass Is a little too strong i think, but hey they are only 54.50 u cant expect them to be perfect, and other than that, they sound great, very nice speakers.

 

so i finally decided on going with the x-230's, i couldn't justify spending an extra $70-80 on something that i might not use that much (i.e. roommate). i got the x-230's for $33.99 incl. shipping though, so i'll make sure to give you an update once i try them out.

 

sweet. buy.com right? i'm gonna have those shipped to my dorm in the weeks after i get there (unless i change my mind and get z2300s

 

what about the logitech z4? how does that compare to the logitech x230? i'm considering both sets for dorm use, music, occasional movie and game. the most important aspect is the sound quality. which set gives a crisper, clearer, well-balanced sound? (bass must be rich enough but not overwhelming...)

thanks in advance!

 

i got the x-530's also along with my z-2300's and the 230's are basically the same things as the 530's except 2.1 instead of 5.1.

subwoofer is good (not as powerful as my 2300's but still very good and not overpowering), speaker sound is good also. i use these for my xbox 360 and the 2300's for my desktop and mostly music and some pc gaming... can't complain since i got the 530's for 29.99. any logitech product you will be pleased with for how much you pay for them.... can't go wrong with anything they put out.

 

thanks for the input chonga. yeah i'm torn between whether the extra bass and volume is worth it/will be utilized...

 

If music is your primary use for them, I'd try to pony up the extra cash for the Z4. The X-230s, while excellent for the money (I own a set myself), can be a little bass heavy unless you really wind the sub back, and a little lacking in top end reach. Adequate for music, good for movies and games is how I'd sum them up.

 

thanks a lot TedJ! after some research i now know that i was comparing two sets that were of slightly different classes.

my next question is: how does the z4 compare with the altec lansing vs4121?

 

adequate is what i would expect for 35.

What exactly ist the difference between the z4s and z2300s? THX vs non THX. Wattage obviously. Sound wise, the z4 has more smaller drivers, are they lacking in mid or significantly brighter than the 2300s?

 

The Z4's are a bit lower than the z2300's(and that 120wt sub !!!). Im really leaning towards the z2300's, but I might get it before school starts and not right now as the headphones are in prime use right now.

 

like i've said previously, you will not be disappointed with z-2300's. it's like a high powered car. you don't have to drive fast.... but if you wan't to, you can

 

I got in late on this thread, but I do agree with some of the comments about keeping in mind space of the system. When I was at school, I had a heck of a time trying to fit my subbox and speakers in a bad location (location of desk, configuration, cables not being long, etc.). The sub actually ended up sitting on the floor in most instances.

Also, I would recommend getting a decent system overall. Chances are you'll end up using the system for a while and you don't want to keep buying speakers/systems on a regular basis

 

hm... i've decided to scrap x-230 as an option. instead, does anyone know how the z4 performs against the altec lansing vs4121? both are around the same price range, but which one has greater clarity and bass definition?

thanks in advance!