speakers for college

for a college dorm room, what would be the best type of speakers, 2.0, 2.1, or 5.1? I have a G1s, so I'm not really sure how I would be able to set up the 5.1 system unless i get something like http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=205&product=9103

I'm looking at Logitech right now, and I'm considering the X-230, X-140, V20, or the V10.

My price range is up to $80, but less would be great.

otherwise, would it be better to look into purchasing some good headphones?

 

2.1 for sure. I had 5.1 but found it impossible to find the room for the rear and center speakers.

The Logitech Z-4 is a good 2.1 system, but everyone's ears are different. I suggest going to a local store and listening for yourself.

If you can push yourself to spend more, the Logitech Z-2300 is the best in terms of 2.1 speakers.

 

these are just a tad bit out of your range:

http://www.securemart.com/cgi-bin/future/LOB33563.html?pcode=1

i think im going to get these. does anyone else know of some good 2.1 speakers that are sub $100? i'm ready to spend up to $100 on some good loud 2.1's that have good quality and base.

(sorry to steal the thread ktang )

 

For the good speakers you have to break the $100 barrier. I really do advocate listening to everything for yourself -- speakers are very subjective since hearing ability is very different from one person to another.

Remember that you [usually] get what you pay for.


BTW speakers for "college"...don't get anything too obnoxious or you will get in trouble with your RA or whatever. I know my old Creative 5.1 system was only 75W and they would still yell at me once a week.

But then I moved out of the dorms and it wasn't a big deal.

 

For a college dorm definatelly 2.1 system is the best, Depending on what type of music you want to hear you'll get different recomendations.
I personally love the Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 system, you might get lucky and be able to find it for sale for about $100, but usually it goes for $160.

There are also alot of threads in here about people wanting speakers for college. As well as some of the 'best" 2.1/5.1 system you can buy.
A quick search will give you lots of advice ^.^

Edit: ok sorry didnt see about your budget :s
but ill agree with thegsrguy that you should save up like $200 and buy a great 2.1 system or 5.1 instead of an "ok" 2.1 system.
Keep an eye out for special offers from stores like Best Buy/Circuit City.

 

Don't listen to anyone else. The Logitech Z-2300 are simply the best 2.1 speakers. The end.

However in college, you will have serious volume issues. Even with medium volume, the bass can be felt by your neighbors, and dorm mate. Trust me with this one, otherwise you'll regret it. I would highly recommend a good set of headphones for college. Look at the sennheisers.

 

I disagree, I've heard the 2300s and the Klipsch 2.1's and I prefer the Klipsch. Both are excellent sets of speakers however, and you'll be happy with either.

I disagree with the whole, "you can't have loud speakers in the dorms thing." Most of the time it isn't an issue, even fairly late, as long as it isn't finals, and the people next door don't have a test in the morning most people don't care. I was an RA for a year and I NEVER got called to talk to people just because speakers were too loud, with one unique exception that doesn't apply here.

 

The Bose Companion 2 is a very good 2.0 speaker set.

 

Logitech Z-2300s are phenomenal. I have the Klipsch but the logitech's subwoofer seems better while the klipsch satellites seem a bit better. The logitechs are cheaper though but both are good.

 

I was in the same situation and ended up buying a nice pair of 2.0s. The sub was a pain to carry around (I move every 4 months due to the co-op program) and for the price range I was looking at, I couldn't find a set of 2.1s that would provide better sound quality.

I settled on the Creative Gigaworks T20s, but the Klipsch 2.0s are also a very nice set (a friend has those).

 

Got the Logitech X-540 5.1 for my son going to college. Most kids at his school set up rooms in loft style (like a bunk bed above with desk and dresser below). Should be room to suspend all the speakers overhead under the bed(except sub, of course) if the cables are long enough.
Got the X-540 for $60 at Sam's Club. Seemed like a steal at that price.

If there isn't room for the center channel and the rear pair do you get full sound from just the 2 fronts and the sub? Does it channel all the sound through those three or do you lose the center channel and rear tracks completely when doing 2.1 with 5.1 speakers? I wouldn't think so but not sure how the 5.1 works.

 

I also got the X-540 for $60 at Sam's Club. I'm a college student and this was a sweet deal for me. The speakers are nice and I did some research on them before buying them. Almost every review I saw gave them a high rating. Other places such as Best Buy are selling it for $100+.

 

If you're living in the dorms, you'll want a 2.0 system. Trust me. Here's why:

1. A subwoofer, no matter how low you turn the volume, will piss off all your neighbors, not just next to you, but above and below you as well. You'll constantly get complaints and you'll end up unplugging it.

2. As a college student, you are moving twice per year. For four years (at least). Moving sucks. You want the least amount of stuff to carry around. Bulky subwoofers and associated cabling are no good.

3. Dorm rooms are cramped. You'll have no room for a surround system. Just a pair of speakers for your desk.

4. Dorms are roudy. Buy some cheap speakers that you don't mind tossing in the trash after 4 years. Don't spend more than $100 on them. People will knock them over and/or spill food and beer on them.

This is advice coming from someone who's spent a few years in a dorm and know's what he's talking about.

 

@lupin..the..3rd : it really only depends on who you live with. i purchased my klipsch 2.1 system for $70 after getting to know my suitemates. none of them are messy and are respectful of my stuff, so i guess i got lucky there.

subwoofers aren't that hasslesome to carry around, just keep the box that came with your speakers and you're good to go.

i do agree with subwoofers being too loud. i got a complaint from 1st floor and i live on the 3rd floor. and my subwoofer was only turned a quarter of the way up. (way to go klipsch!)

i'd recommend either the logitech z-2300s or the klipsch 2.1 promedia. the promedia can be bought off of ebay for less than $100 brand new. that's where i got mine. haven't regretted it since.

 

i think i will end up getting a 2.0 system. the portability is definitely something that i find a plus, and most of the music and games i have don't really require a heavy bass, and i probably won't notice it that much even if i have it.

thanks for all the input guys. very much appreciated

 

can anyone advise on the best 2.0 system that isnt horribly overpriced? ktang put into my mind the thought of just a 2.0 system lol.

 

the one i plan on getting is the Logitech V20 on buy.com

http://www.buy.com/prod/logitech-v20-notebook-speakers/q/loc/111/201967900.html

the retail on these are $69.99 i believe, so the price buy.com is selling them for is great. I'm not sure how they will compare to speakers with a dedicated ac power source (cause these provide both power and sound through USB), but i don't plan on cranking out music in my dorm room anyway...at least not on speakers.

others that people have suggested were the creative gigaworks t20 and the bose companion 2. personally, these were a little out of my price range and was more stuff to carry, so i decided on the Logitech V20. once i buy, i'll put up my opinions on it, if you want.

 

alright. thanks ktang. im still leaning towards the x2300's as of right now hehe

 

Since you've decide on a stereo set up how about a pair of sub $100 sealed headphones. Listen to whatever you want and as loud as you want leaving none to complain.

For example...
http://www.headphone.com/products/headphones/full-size/sennheiser-hd-280-pro.php

Just a thought

 

i plan on getting headphones, but truthfully, i don't know what's good or not and i also don't know where i can go to try out some of the more expensive/possibly good ones. speakers i can at least go to best buy or circuit city to look at. for th ones you put up there, bryank89, i'm not sure where i could go to see if i like them or not.

 

I had the klipsch 2.1 system and I loved it, until I heard better. I had to sell them because I couldn't stand the way they sounded.

I would highly recommend headphones, for portability, sound quality, and isolation (sometimes).

Check the Head-fi forums for recommendations. Some of them are way too picky about their audio, but they are quite helpful.

and Headroom, a very helpful online retailer.

 

Anyone have any comments on using part of 5.1 systems to downsize them to 2.1 or 2.0 or 2.0 with a center channel w/o the rear and sub?

 

Wouldn't that make it a 3.0 system (left right, center)?

Anyway, don't do it. You can live without the rears, but removing the sub will cut off a large part of the frequency spectrum.

Also, many systems include the amplifiers for the satellites in the sub box, making it an essential piece.

Why do you ask?

 

Anyone have experience with the bose companion set. I am close to buying them for my college-laptop-situation and was wondering if they are a good buy for the money.
I am always impressed with bose but I dont really know how they rank value-wise.

 

Because so many posters warn against using 5.1 or even 2.1 in a dorm. I think if you tone down the sub and keep some quiet hours you will be OK with a 5.1

 

I think a lot of people are overstating the issue with subs in a dorm. I was an RA in a 700+ student building and we took turns being on call for the entire building. Aside from one very special case I never got a call for just speakers and never heard of anyone else getting a call for just speakers.

As long as you are respectful and reasonably sane you should be fine (i.e. playing the Stalingrad levels of call of duty at 4am on the night before finals start is a bad idea).

 

Poor people, so much to learn

Loud music is an insignificance. Broken lights, setting off fire extinguishers - my first year was epic

Lost £90 of my deposit though :laugh: Stupid flatmates

 

I had a group of residents install a kiddy pool in one of their rooms, hook it up to the shower with a garden hose (instant hot-tub) and then come get me because one of their (extremely inebriated) roommates had passed out in it after trying to use the hot-tub to make Kraft Easy-mac.

Like I said, mildly loud music isn't really on most RA's enforcement radar.

 

i just bought the logitech z-2300's and they look and sound great but the problem is that the bass is just too much for me lol. even when i turn the bass knob all the way down, it still shakes things in my house when the volume is about 1/3 up. ill try it out for a few more days but if its too much, i think i'll settle for the bose companion 2's.

plus the sub is just way too big and heavy.

 

I would get a pair of at least circa $100 Sennheiser cans. They have pretty good bass, nice mids, and good highs. Cheaper Sennheisers are kind of hit or miss depending on your tastes. They also do not piss off your neighbors. The problems with (some) headphones are that they can give listening fatigue, so you want to take them off once in a while. $100 headphones have much better sound quality than $100 speakers (in general).

 

If you're looking for a good 2.0 or 2.1 system, look at the NHT M-00 speakers. Those are the absolute best 2.0 and 2.1 computer speakers available, at any price. period. They're relatively small, but produce incredibly clean sound. They're all metal - no chintzy plastic housing like best buy speakers have. With the 2.1 setup, it's enough bass to shake the walls. The NHT M-00's are used in recording studios they're so good.

 

This. In fact, this is exactly what I was going to recommend. The Sennheiser HD555s, in particular. I have a pair, and they're amazing. Cost me about $100 off of Amazon.

Here's a review: http://www.dansdata.com/hd555.htm

 

I'll vouch for the HD-555 as well. It's the cheapest you can get quality sound. Also see the Grado SR-60 or SR-80 headphones.

 

The Sennheiser HD-555 sound pretty darn good. The HD-650 sound really good to me, but those are going to cost more than twice the cost of the HD-555. So for the value, the HD-555 are better.

 

i picked up some bose companion 2's. they are really good quality and i love them. not bulky at all either. great sound as well of course, bose duh

 

amen my brother, I got written up left and right for my 40 watt altec lansing ACS 54 speakers (it was a 4.1 setup).

 

What advantages are there to usb speakers? Some of them have displays but what is the difference, sound-wise?

 

Well, seeing as how USB speakers get their power from the computer, they're noticeably weaker. Sound wise, they will generally be poorer than standard PC speakers. Definitely saves you space, but I would steer clear of USB speakers if sound quality is really important to you.

I would have to say that the best 2.1 system (which I find is far more economical than 5.1, in terms of space and cost) is the Logitech Z-2300. I picked this thing up 2 weeks ago and have been very impressed. I paid $120 CAD for them and it was worth every penny. Soild construction for both the satellites and the sub-woofer rocks my socks. Sub woofer has a solid wood construction, with 200W of power to boot.

It might be out of the OP's price range, but anyone else considering a 2.1 system should definately pick up the Z-2300!

 

funny....i had my klipsch promedia system and the only time i was bothered was during finals week and i was watching a movie. apparently they can hear it from first floor when i'm on third floor. but back to the point...my system is at least 200 Watts with the woofer and no one complained.

 

I have the Altec Lansing MX5021 and they're pretty much amazing, apart from a noticeable hiss when no audio is playing:

http://www.alteclansing.com/product_details_MX5021_OOS.asp

The Sennheiser PMX100 are amazing and cheap headphones, but they don't block out all that much sound:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106024

 

I also have the sennheiser hd555 speakers with my g1s laptop, so I would recommend those as well.

 

I got Harman Kardon Soundsticks II. They're great speakers and really cool lookin. I got em off of Amazon for $70 or $80 last year. I think everybody jumped on the deal since the next day they were priced back to what they are now.

 

Hi. After all the discussion this might be a stupid question.

But does the G1S sound card support a 5.1 speakers system? Or do I have to get a 2.1?

 

I have a 2.1 logitech system that I will be taking with me. small speakers adn sub will fit easily under the desk.

 

IMHO, the best bang for the buck would be the X-230s