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    Speaker System Question

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by BlueDevilTide, Nov 29, 2006.

  1. BlueDevilTide

    BlueDevilTide Notebook Geek

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    I hope this is the right place for this question...

    I still use my graduation present, a rather cheap GPX 2.1 stereo system as the sound solution for my laptop. Everything about it lists it as "40 watts of total power." It has 2 medium sized cubes for sattelite speakers and a separately powered subwoofer. All in all, I love the thing, because it sounds a lot better than you'd expect for a discount brand.

    However, I have come across another system that I'm interested in, a Labtec 5.1 system. I don't know if it's really an upgrade, however. This is just a speaker system, not a CD-player/Radio like the old one, but I don't even use CDs and have my notebook next to it, so no biggie.

    Here is what I'm confused on: the wattage. The listing is as follows:


    26.5W RMS Total Continuous Power
    53W Total Peak Power

    I don't know what that means. How does that compare to the 40w listed for the GPX system? The GPX also has the powered subwoofer which I imagine sounds better, though the Labtec set up seems to be a power plug into the subwoofer, which connects to all the sattelite speakers as well.

    Is this an upgrade or a downgrade? 5.1 would be nice, but not completely necessary. A quality 2.1 replacement would be nice, but then again, if I am going to spend money, I don't see too much of a need to change the GPX which I am satisfied with. This is just a great deal and it's "surround sound" so to speak.

    As for connections, I will either use a Headphone to RCA to hook up to the aux connection on the sub, if it takes it. Otherwise, just to the "audio" connection from my laptop's headphone jack. I just have some old sound card from my Thinkpad T23, just one audio port. Is this perhaps an issue I'm overlooking? I am pretty good with sound, and my current stereo has not had any problems, but this is a speaker system not a stereo....

    So in summary:

    -"40W" 2.1 Stereo with powered sub vs. 26.5W RMS Total Continuous Power 53W Total Peak Power speaker system...which is better?

    Anything I haven't cleared up, I would be happy to do so. Thanks!
     
    BlueDevilTide, Nov 29, 2006
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  2. 4cefed4

    4cefed4 Notebook Evangelist

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    The 40W listed for your GPX 2.1 system is definitely peak power. Rule of thumb is that the RMS (root mean sqaure) power is usally about half of the peak power in watts. Drive sizes, build quality, and sensitivity play a much bigger role in how the speaker system will sound than the power the speakers are receiving. Unless you are making a digital connection between the labtec 5.1 system and your computer, it's not going to be true surround sound. The best way to buy speakers will always be to listen to them. Head over to a Best Buy or another chain that gives you the ability to test out demo speakers they have set up and see what you like.
     
    4cefed4, Nov 29, 2006
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