These 2.0 speakers are pretty good!

I just bought these from Wal-mart tonight. They are 2.0 speakers for $59.97 plus tax.



http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5044151

Philips MMS321 speakers, which I can't find on anyone else's website. No subwoofer, but each speaker is rated for 20W, total system power 40W, with peak at 80W.

There are no controls on these speakers for bass or treble, just the volume. I like the look of these with their brushed metal face, and black trim and housing. Very understated and elegant.

But the bottom line is they sound GREAT for a 2.0 system. Bass is strong, and the music coming out is crisp and clean. You won't mistake these for a 2.1 system, though, but if you want a small footprint and no sub to deal with, these are hard to beat. The only other 2.0 speakers I would get would be the Creative Gigaworks T20 speakers, but they are sold at around $40 more.

The only thing I didn't like about the Philips MMS321 system is that the amplifier on the power cord is HUGE. I mean it's a monster, about the size of a Holy Bible.

Considering the price and the quality of sound, though, that's a minor quibble. I wonder why it is not more readily available. Newegg doesn't carry Philips PC speakers, and most the reviews I found on the web on it were from the UK.

Overall, I am happy with this purchase.

Here is a link to the Amazon page on it.
http://www.amazon.com/Philips-MMS321-Channel-Multimedia-Speakers/dp/B000FCN6SG

And here is a Youtube video of someone demonstrating their MMS321 speakers. (Pretty impressive)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhaqQc4ZjYQ&watch_response

 

I hear they are great for 2.0, and a good choice between 2.0 systems, but lack of features may be a let down, i.e no head phone jack and such, but sound should be decent.

 

There is no way they can compare against a dedicated subwoofer, but this system was for my laptop, so I really wanted a 2.0 system. I believe this is the best value for what I was looking for.

 

I wouldn't be able to live without my Sub. My logitech 2.1 is great for my computer, or my 5.1 system for those special times. They look good, but without the sub, the price just doesn't justify those.

 

i still prefer 2.1 over 2... but to be fair they are nice looking speakers!

 

Yea...at that price I would definitely be expecting a 2.1 system. You can grab the X230 on Newegg for about the same price. So portability is really the only reason to pay the price premium...but it isn't really a premium since you're losing the subwoofer.

 

I had those and sold them, they don't perform well at high volume and techno and rock are only good at the lower volumes....didn' try other genres. I eventually got a pair of x-230's and then the z-2300's then the Klpische pro media 2.1(because I wanted two pairs of speakers).

 

Well, I admit these speakers because don't have the oomph of my 2.1 system, but late at night, I disconnected my 2.1 system and put these Philips on instead.

It's a more lighter sound for nighttime listening without the boom of the subwoofer. Plus, the music coming out is still clean and clear, just not overpowering. There is a time for everything.

Plus, I can FEEL the bass on my desktop as the bass no longer comes from the subwoofer below. It's kind of cool, actually.

 

If you look hard enough, I picked up the x-530s for $55 Canadian

It's emulating bass, which is pretty cool.

 

I also adjusted the equalizer to maximize the bass and it sounds so much better. Also, the fact these speakers are two feet from my face on either side of my monitor also help in their perceived power. They sound great. You DO need to play with the equalizer to get rid of the flat sound.

 

For around $10.00 to $20.00 more you can get a pair of Klipsch promedia 2.0s. I've had the opportunity to hear several different 2.0 and 2.1 systems including the Phillips and the Klipsch and IMO the Klipsch are by far the best in that price range.

 

What equalizer? and I will admit, at lower volumes these speakers do sound pretty good, but if I ever go back to 2.0, it will be for a pair of Klipsche Pro Media 2.0's.

 

These Klipsch Promedia 2.0 seem to be getting love, but are there alternatives apart from them and the ones in the OP? Looking specifically for 2.0 speakers - no subwoofer for me. I have the money but its £60 I could spend on both seasons of Prison Break, so it needs to be worth it

 

I'll definitely recommend the Creative GigaWorks T20. It seems like a lot of people take thumping bass at face value. In fact without a good sub, it just detracts from the sound quality. It depends on what you're after - for movies, you may want a sub, but for most genres of music I'd much rather fidelity than random thumping bass.

Of course, you can have the best of both worlds and go for a high-end 2.1 or 5.1 system, but those $50 sets are not going to do it.

 

Thumping bass is bad. I prefer a more balanced sound, perhaps erring on bass slightly, but I still want to hear the mids come through. Don't want highs that are too much as my ears are sensitive but I do like to hear the detail in my music. Then again I've been down that road with headphones and I should just save my sanity and just buy any old set of headphones

 

The Edirol MA-7A would fit well within your budget. I haven't heard them specifically, but I love my bigger MA-15D

 

So far I am looking at the
Philips MMS321
Creative I-Trigue 2200
Creative Gigaworks T20
Klipsch ProMedia 2.0
Edirol MA-7A

The last one may be too hefty I may buy the ones in the OP but then there are the others... ha! Just gonna draw one out of a hat. Seems fair

 

How is the last one working for you? Good sound? Interesting stuff, the UK audiophiles release a lot of great speaker units like the Canadians. Have you heard of KEF speakers? Rega?

 

No I don't own any of them, sorry I was merely speculating that the Edirol's may be too big and/or heavy for this student. Hence why space is a big factor - my DVDs take up 2 suitcases as it is

I may have 5 portable headphones, but why would I need 5 speakers?

 

To all those slamming 2.0 systems for not having a sub...

A subwoofer will never ever match the mids and highs as well as a good woofer in the cabinet. Sure, that's not possible with a multimedia speaker or small monitor, but the problem is even worse than in larger and more expensive speakers because the R&D just isn't there. I've not once seen a multimedia subwoofer that adds much more than boom with a complete lack of fidelity. Klipsch Promedia offer a decent sub, but still, not very musical at all.

 

I just bought these Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speakers and they really rock the room.


For me Philips is not a really good brand when it comes to speakers, and how can my neighbors downstairs listen to my new speakers without a subwoofer?

 

I hate myself. Set out to buy some speakers, minimal money, end up going to spend double what I wanted to

After 2 hours of research on head-fi and avforums I've decided to get the Acoustic Energy Aego M 2.1. At least AE is a proper speaker brand and know what they are doing. £90, but hey, I was only going to waste the money elsewhere Seems unlike others, big sound for a little system and the sub apparently works. Will pop into superfi for a demo to make doubly sure, but I think these will christen the new flat nicely

 

Welcome to audio

Don't feel bad, I just did the same thing with my first guitar yesterday, and it was a lot more than £45 more. That koa back just sounded so much nicer than the spruce, though...

Let us know how you like them, I don't think I've seen much about those yet.

 

Yeah I fell into the trap with headphones but having never got into speakers, I did not want to fall into the trap

Of course its one thing to own 5x headphones, its another to own 5x speakers, so I think I am safe

Impressions could be a while. Moving house means everything will be boxed and two hours at a time wondering where you put something