Theater vs Computer Speakers

What is the different between the two kinds?

I am planning on buying Klipsch Promedia for my DVD player, is it a good idea?

 

When you say theater speakers do you mean like a set of bookshelfs/monitors?

Bookshelfs > any set of computer speakers hands down.

 

Not necessarily. There are definitely some junky bookshelves out there, some of them quite expensive. You also have to worry about a receiver. Monitors and satellite/sub systems are generally powered, so you don't have that extra cost of a receiver. Obviously as you start getting into the mid range you're not going to want powered speakers, but they can be done well enough that the convenience is well worth it in this situation up towards the $1000 mark. And while there are a lot of crappy to mediocre models out there, there are also some exceptional ones. I mean, Dynaudio makes some multimedia speakers, enough said.

But there are some other much less expensive options that are very nice for the price, like the Edirol MA-15D, Acoustic Energy Aegis, Audio Engine A2/A5, NHT M00/S00, and Klipsch Promedia among others.

 

They have a good rating by cnet, almost 8.6/10. But definitely there are much better speakers out there.

 

I Would recommend the Logitech Z-2300 for movies due to the 8 Inch Long Throw Subwoofer Heres a Clip of it playing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFcgKhdC-38

 

Whilst your speaker recommendation might well be good advice, I don't think providing a link to hear them is (necessarily) a good idea, since what we each hear, will depend entirely on what speakers we're using?

 

Specifically, I am aiming for a Klipsch Promedia, Creative L3800, and Bose CineMate.

The CineMate is a big brother here, but I wish to know how the other two do against Bose.

 

I am using L3800, and I am very impressed with it. I am just a afraid that it won't be powerful enough to power up my dad's dvd theater system.

There are reviews about the Z2300, some people love it, some said that the sound is strong, but muddy, and not as clear as its counterparts (though it is also good).

 

The Edirol MA-15D looks beautiful. I might also consider it.

 

That's what I have, and they do sound very good. They don't come with a subwoofer, which most people probably wouldn't appreciate for movies. They do have a subwoofer out, though, and I think they'd pair great with a small Hsu sub. For my uses they're fine, which is mostly music (acoustic folk, blues, jazz) and a little gaming, with the occasional movie while I sit at my desk.

The Acoustic Energy might be better suited since they do have a sub, and sound quality is just about the same level.

 

speaking of Klipsch Promedias i used to have a Klipsch Promedia GMX-A 2.1 speaker system but the right channel speaker gave out within 6 months. They sounded great while they lasted but in the bass department if you"re into heavy action movies and very heavy bass music i wouldn"t recommend the Klipsch. at half Volume the Subwoofer started to get distorted but the bass is quite clean however in some cases. I replaced the Klipsch Promedias with my Logitech Z-2300 and i can tell you that bass is extremely strong. cranking them up to about 65%+ you dont notice any distortion coming out of the Subwoofer or bottoming out.The Klipsch Promedia if you hit pass half volume the subwoofer starts to bottom out the the voice coil starts to hit against the magnet. The Sub on the Klipsch is 6.5" while Logitech uses a 8" Sub.

 

My problem with Logitech speakers (and I mean to generalize) is that the bass is very out of proportion, and has a tendency to take over the midrange. In my experience, it's far from accurate, either, leaning far towards slow and boomy.

But I will admit, that many people do prefer that to accuracy, and there's nothing wrong with that. To each their own.

 

I have logitech z 5500 and they are great. Don't buy them from logitech for $399, I got them from dell for like $220, just look around youl find a deal.

 

Sound like Z2300 is a good deal, cuz I can find a new one on ebay for under $100. But after all, is it good for a DVD player, or just a PC speaker?

 

That is how I feel towards all these "x.1 computer speakers" - to me, they sound awful, and I tend to avoid them.

My roommate had Promedia 2.0, and I wasn't impressed. It was alright, though. Of computer speakers I've seen, I liked Edirol MA-15D most.

Obviously, if you choose halfway decent bookshelve speakers and amp, it will crush any computer speakers. Even lowly (about 400$ a pair) KEF Q15, with a cheap receiver, sound way better than any computer speakers I've seen. But then, "cheap" as it is, it still is more expensive than any computer speaker setups, as well. And that is for 2.0 setup - building a decent 5.1 system can be quite expensive (and, frankly, I don't see much point - but then, I don't watch action movies)

 

Why don't you just buy a Sony HT DDW790, you can connect your PC to it through a 3.5 mm jack... The speakers are loud and pretty little

 

You know, I think we kind of cling to the Promedias because they were the first to offer a big improvement all those years ago. There is definitely better now, but it's hard to forget Klipsch.

There are definitely better speakers than the Edirol in the monitor world, but most of them require balanced connections. Also the Dynaudio I mentioned a bit ago, and others here or there that nobody really wants to spend out on.

I really want to try these Audio Engines that everyone is talking about these days.

 

I have the Z-2300 and I love it. Excellent sound for an unbeatable price: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Z-23...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1215892869&sr=8-1

However, I recommend you go to a store, bring a CD of your favorite songs and try out a few different speakers (assuming they're connected to CD players) and see which one you like best.

Amazon has them for around $80 (price fluctuates, linked above). I watch movies on my computer with the Z-2300 all the time and it's amazing.

 

What is the power range for the Z-2300?

 

Total RMS power: 200 watts RMS
Satellites: 80 watts RMS (40 watts x 2)
Subwoofer: 120 watts RMS

Total peak power: 400 watts

 

I have yet to hear something from Bose that sounds good. I think you'd be better off with about everything, like some cheap Logitechs. Bose speakers are horribly overpriced. For 1/10th of their price tag they might be ok.

 

I may have missed it later in the thread, but what is your application for these?

Are you using them with your computer and near-field to them (they are on your desk flanking your monitor)?

Or, are you using them in a living room in a typical home theater application?

 

Living room in a typical home theater application.