Trying to find good computer speakers, need help

I've been trying to look into replacing my current computer speakers with something newer.

My current speakers are Logitech X-230's, and I've had them probably close to ten years now. They've performed quite well, but they're starting to show their age, as the subwoofer has a tendency to cut out every now and then. I assume this is an early sign that the driver might be going bad.

Looking at the market now I see there's probably at least a hundred different options for purchase over at Newegg, and frankly I'm not sure which ones are any good, or what to look for in a good set of speakers. The various ratings are like trying to read Latin for me, as I'm not that much of an audiophile.

I do rather enjoy listening to music playing from my PC, so it would be nice if I could find a good set of speakers with a subwoofer with good sound reproduction so that said music would sound pleasant. I do also play games on the PC, so that's a secondary consideration. I listen to music far more than I play games though.

I would appreciate it if I could get some suggestions as to what some good speakers on the market now are.

http://www.parts-express.com/restoc...-1-2-2-way-bookshelf-speaker-pair--88-300-652
http://www.parts-express.com/restocked-lepai-21-2x40w-amplifier-1x68w-sub-output--88-310-308
http://www.parts-express.com/peerle...ld-sds-series-5-1-4-subwoofer-driver--299-125 (X 2)
http://www.parts-express.com/parts-...056-cu-ft-bookshelf-speaker-cabinet--300-7064


While the initial cost may seem high , and the required elbow grease , the above combination will provide very good sound. It will be a system that punches well above it's weight. For further savings just use one of the sub drivers and slap together a .25 cubic foot box and a 1.5" X 7 5/8" port. Or look around the Parts Express website and see if anything else appeals to you! I have used the above amplifier , and heard it with those speakers , and can vouch for the sound quality of both.
This http://www.parts-express.com/wired-home-35mrm12-35mm-to-rca-stereo-audio-cable-12-ft--181-435 opens up a world of options in amplification and speaker selection.

What's your budget?

I would recommend either the Swan M50W or AudioEngine A5+.

Not sure what your budget is, but I picked up A CA-3602 a few weeks ago and they certainly do the job.

They're pretty well-liked in their price range.

ninjacore said:

Not sure what your budget is, but I picked up a set of these a few weeks ago and they certainly do the job.

They're pretty well-liked in their price range.

http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?i...PbzEXM5MKswwr3mfWg1twaAkaH8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

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That link goes to Newegg's main page for me.

sobe said:

What's your budget?

I would recommend either the Swan M50W or AudioEngine A5+.

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The A5+ is way bleeping overpriced for what it is. DON'T DO IT. You could grab a pair of JBL LSR308s for the same price.

You will be happy with these , 20 off regular price and they are worth the regular price

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121048&ignorebbr=1

Darknecron said:

That link goes to Newegg's main page for me.

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Strange. Cyber Acoustics CA-3602.

I think I paid $30-35?

Witchdoctor said:

You will be happy with these , 20 off regular price and they are worth the regular price

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121048&ignorebbr=1

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Nope. Nope. Nope.

After a little research, you'll discover that the Klipsch Promedia 2.1's are better in every way.


For what has thusfar been suggested:
2xJBL LSR308 >> Swan M50W >> AudioEngine A5+ > KlipschPromedia 2.1 > Logitech z623 >>> Cyber Acoustics CA-3602

Forgot about the LSR308, but also at $200 per speaker, it's on the pricier end of things. Of course I also forgot about the A5+'s regular retail pricing, I picked them up for $300 from a slickdeals advert a long while back, I agree that I would not pay $400 for them. Speaking of which, I thought the more recent ProMedia 2.1's were having issues with quality (or perhaps bad batch?).

sobe said:

Forgot about the LSR308, but also at $200 per speaker, it's on the pricier end of things. Of course I also forgot about the A5+'s regular retail pricing, I picked them up for $300 from a slickdeals advert a long while back, I agree that I would not pay $400 for them. Speaking of which, I thought the more recent ProMedia 2.1's were having issues with quality (or perhaps bad batch?).

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Well, mine is still working five years later. It's one of the newer models with digital amps instead of analog.

Darknecron said:

Logitech z623 >>> Cyber Acoustics CA-3602

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Also 3x the price and still don't know OP's budget.

Z623 is without a doubt, far superior, but both should be considered within their respective price range.

Edit!!!!

Normal price on z623 is $120+

Here's a refurb, OP, for less than half that!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00SL...&dpID=410vwBoaGiL&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

Looks to be sold out. Hope you scooped a set up, OP.

How anybody would recommend logitrash speakers that don't even have tweeters over Klipsch Promedias I don't understand. IMO, the best set of computer speakers ever created were the short-lived Klipsch Ifi. You can't get those new in stores any more but they were spectacular.

Moving down from that, nowadays you'd be looking at either Klipsch Promedia 2.1, or Corsair SP2500.
Having quality integrated audio or a decent soundcard will make a difference with these speakers.

Just get a used receiver with S/PDIF or HDMI input (the ones without HDMI tend to go really cheap nowadays) and some used but good condition stereo speakers, preferably the ones with a 12" or so woofer. Check places like Goodwill.

NiHaoMike said:

Just get a used receiver with S/PDIF or HDMI input (the ones without HDMI tend to go really cheap nowadays) and some used but good condition stereo speakers, preferably the ones with a 12" or so woofer. Check places like Goodwill.

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^^ +1 For 9$ I picked up an old Onkyo receiver (35 wpc) and an additional $10 got me a pair of monkey coffins with 12" woofers and about 95db sensitivity. Throw in a $6 mini jack to RCA stereo adapter from Radio Shack (RIP Rat Shack!) and my daughter has a laptop that will rock the (neighbor's) house for $25. Good , cheap , fun for the whole family.

edit: I just found out I can replace the very tired 15 pin amplifier module in the Onkyo with a new 50 wpc module from a popular auction site for $ 20. That , and a quick recap of the speakers and fresh Mills resistors , and I'm still under $ 75 by a wide margin.

I just bought audioengine a5+ & their d1 dac. I looked at everything except for those jbl's mentioned. The jb's are nice but don't have the connectivity options as do the a5's. The a5's are 50-22 khz with a thd of <0.05%. The freq response is fine for speakers attached to a std pc setup and I plan on getting their sub later anyways. If you want to get sound that will not be outdated I would suggest some Classico CL-2's from roundsound.com (anthony gallo acoustics). They have a sound signature similar to the jb's (undoubtedly better I would say) but are not powered requiring a separate amp and are almost $400 ea.
Eventually I will get an onkyo or similar receiver and then get some gallo's or something equal. In the mean, I have no problem with my $570 audioengine setup. I just wish the dac came with a toslink cable. I got a nice one from monoprice for about $9.

Those speakers look like an outdated design with no digital inputs. On that budget, a modern digital amplifier is a must have unless you're specifically looking to stick a tube in the signal path.

BTW, IPMs, MOSFETs, IGBTs, HVICs, etc. don't "wear out". There is no good in replacing one that still works. Resistors should also last near forever unless they're being run near their ratings, in which case it would be a good idea to use a higher rated replacement. What might be worth replacing are electrolytic capacitors, but they should last a very long time if you're not running full power very often. An ESR meter would be very helpful in checking caps before replacing them. Upgrading to higher value caps for the power rails can help, although there is a chance of overstressing the PSU on startup.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/definit...lack/1903004.p?id=1219066875626&skuId=1903004

Definitive Technology - Incline Desktop Loudspeakers Bought them for my office and they are just stunning for Music

Guess Mike is talking about Amp specs and parts, which may have outstanding endurance with the exception of caps... caps sadly tend to dry out or go boom after 5+ years, except for super high grade caps that may last up to 20 years or so i think. The size of the electrolytic caps matters a lot, because higher capacity means less chance to dry out... many very aged audio devices may still run up to 40 years or so because super huge caps. But those stuff is rarely ever used and never used in any of the mainstream devices.

The speaker itself... they can slowly become depleted by the aging progress, mechanics wear out and the magnet will lose efficiency with age (if any Neodymium magnet is heated up above 80 C it can even suffer permanent damage at any given time). But it usually takes a very long time... i guess good speakers can last up to 20 years before they slowly start to become exhausted.

Although i would not place a bet on cheap mainstream Amps, they are usually the first parts to die... and even a company such as Goldenears is only handing out 3 year warranty on a Amp. The speaker is 5 year... so they clearly set low trust into their own Amp, else they wont give way lower warranty to the Amp. My Onkyo Amp was destroyed after only 2.5 years... yet some people was telling me "it only have to last as long as the warranty period", and the only answer is "crying", any other answer is probably wrong.