Might try Audioengine for new computer speakers...

[Irvrobinson]

"1/4" Phone plug" = TSR. = In the case of LSR305 it accepts both balanced and unbalanced connections.
You'd just a cable like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Tisino-Stereo-Y-Splitter-Cable-Breakout/dp/B07K58VX13

Thanks. I only looked at the photo of the rear panel, I didn't read the manual, and the label says "balanced". What does TSR stand for? I don't ever remember seeing that abbreviation for a 1/4" phone plug.

 

[bingotem]

Thanks. I only looked at the photo of the rear panel, I didn't read the manual, and the label says "balanced". What does TSR stand for? I don't ever remember seeing that abbreviation for a 1/4" phone plug.

I think it is supposed to be TRS, tip ring shield.
I soldered some of these for some monitor speakers in a church. If I recall the tip is + the ring is - and the shield goes to the ground.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I think it is supposed to be TRS, tip ring shield.
I soldered some of these for some monitor speakers in a church. If I recall the tip is + the ring is - and the shield goes to the ground.

Long ago and far away I was an AT&T employee, so it's always been a phone plug to me.

 

[KEW]

"1/4" Phone plug" = TSR. = In the case of LSR305 it accepts both balanced and unbalanced connections.
You'd just a cable like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Tisino-Stereo-Y-Splitter-Cable-Breakout/dp/B07K58VX13

I don't think that specific cable would do the trick (if you want to separate the speakers without adding extensions)! Both of the cables come together only ~7 inches from the 1/4" plugs:

 

[KEW]

This one looks like it would do the trick - you can see the two cables going into the 1/8" plug, so presumably, you can pull the two leads apart to allow up to ~12 feet between speakers.
Caveat: There is some risk that the cable in this photo might cover where plastic is over-molded to form a coupling (kind of like the tie wrap below, but actually part of the cable) that keeps the leads from splitting apart. In that case, I have found careful use of a razor/box cutter to remove the over-molded piece works well!

https://www.amazon.com/Plated-Premium-Breakout-Connecting-iPhones/dp/B073WS5F17/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=1/8+Inch+TRS+Stereo+to+Dual+1/4+inch+TS+Mono&qid=1570306647&s=electronics&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFBR1ZWVEs3Q0I1VFAmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAyNjA3NDAyNENWUFJETUs3N0FRJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4NTM5MjUzVTFXNTIxQUM5VklZJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

 

[Irvrobinson]

I think it is supposed to be TRS, tip ring shield.
I soldered some of these for some monitor speakers in a church. If I recall the tip is + the ring is - and the shield goes to the ground.

Yup. Amazon calls it TRS, in the link in Kurt's post. I learn something every day in the most unlikely fields.

 

[Alex2507]

IMO the A5 is what you want.

QFT

When I first heard those I was surprised by their ample bass (relative to their size). Later, another member (P-dawg) got 'em and talked about how much better they sounded with some Mo-Pads decoupling them from his desk. I could see how you wouldn't want them energizing the desk while you sort of corner load them with the desk and wall that the desk is up against (or is that better referred to as boundary gain? Same thing?).

Having heard 8" Rokits, I would try the 5" version as a blind buy for computer/desk-top duty. That is if you can get past the bright yellow cone.

EDIT: I say 5" version because I'm not at all informed on how the various offings in that size ( G3/G4) stack up against each other. Size matters.

 

[ryanosaur]

I'm back!

Sorry guys... family issues and life get in the way of what's really important, sometimes.

*scratches head quizzically

As an aside, mom finally succumbed to whatever was going on, passing last wednesday. She was 83, a life-long smoker and longtime diabetic with many other issues complicating everything, not least among them was her choosing to become an invalid; allowing vitality to slip away without taking a stand for herself.
I've shed many tears over the years as her decline unfolded. This round, the last 2.5 mos, was no different.

Please, no need to reply to this one. All is well, life continues. And so on.

 

[ryanosaur]

So I chose to try the Audioengine 2+. No harm with their policies. I can, and may very well, choose to return them.
That said... I am impressed with these little boxes!
They arrived yesterday. I haven't done much with them other than set them up and listen to some Melody Gardot, Currency of Man:Artists Cut. This is a tricky album and I find it is a good one to use when testing speakers... but with a caveat: it throws some tough challenges that can make you think the speakers are crashing. I'm familiar enough with the album now to know what's going on. That I enjoy her voice, the music and style of the album, and that it is well produced make it a good tool in my opinion.
Also, I used Joe Lovano, From the Soul. (Great FiretrUCKING album!)

Anyway...
These are bigger little speakers than the Logitech z623 I am replacing. Footprint is at least half-again as large... if not 2/3-again as large... of course there is no "sub" included, so this is a naked listening experience. The woofer is 2.75" on the AE-A2+ compared to probably 3" on the Logitech (surround included). I don't think the Logitech has a tweeter, whereas the A2+ does.
Listening... is tricky. To level the playing field I compared both with the Logi's bass turned all the way down.
Damn. No contest.
With the Bass turned to zero on the Logi's... well, lets just call the SQ anemic. It is a ghost of a sound of a memory of a whisper that you almost forgot you heard but can't quite remember hearing in the first place.
The A2+ on the otherhand has a bit of... soul. Not Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Cornmeal Waffle, Molasses Gastrique, Tabasco-Butter SOUL... but it has some semblance of soul! The vocals were clear and present, as was everything else... down to the Bass (electric/upright) which was ther, but lacking any punch...
And then there was the Kick Drum.
*sad trombone
The A2+ has no Kick Drum Attack. Not surprised... but somewher between bass guitar or Upright, and Kick Drum... It falls away hard.

Now... back to the Logi...
Turn up that "sub" just a skosh, and boom.
Not gonna lie, it's an impressive package. The Klipsch option is fitty clams more.. For not a reference, critical listening system...

Or...
I look at the:
KRK Rokit 5 G4 or JBL 305P mkII
RSL Speedwoofer 10S
and a
MiniDSP 2x4HD



Remember, these are 9' away!

 

[TitaniumTroy]

I have Magnepan Mini Mags for my desktop Speakers, won't play to earth shaking levels. However they are very detailed with that ribbon tweeter, I have added second DWM woofer. I didn't feel one was doing the job in the bass dept. I have a shared wall with my duplex neighbor in my computer room. My old Speakers had a sealed woofer, which caused my neighbor to bang on the wall.

No problems with my dipole/open baffle bass and it mates much better to the midrange/tweeter satellite panel. They are not cheap though, but I believe they are worth it.

 

[lovinthehd]

So I chose to try the Audioengine 2+. No harm with their policies. I can, and may very well, choose to return them.
That said... I am impressed with these little boxes!
They arrived yesterday. I haven't done much with them other than set them up and listen to some Melody Gardot, Currency of Man:Artists Cut. This is a tricky album and I find it is a good one to use when testing speakers... but with a caveat: it throws some tough challenges that can make you think the speakers are crashing. I'm familiar enough with the album now to know what's going on. That I enjoy her voice, the music and style of the album, and that it is well produced make it a good tool in my opinion.
Also, I used Joe Lovano, From the Soul. (Great FiretrUCKING album!)

Anyway...
These are bigger little speakers than the Logitech z623 I am replacing. Footprint is at least half-again as large... if not 2/3-again as large... of course there is no "sub" included, so this is a naked listening experience. The woofer is 2.75" on the AE-A2+ compared to probably 3" on the Logitech (surround included). I don't think the Logitech has a tweeter, whereas the A2+ does.
Listening... is tricky. To level the playing field I compared both with the Logi's bass turned all the way down.
Damn. No contest.
With the Bass turned to zero on the Logi's... well, lets just call the SQ anemic. It is a ghost of a sound of a memory of a whisper that you almost forgot you heard but can't quite remember hearing in the first place.
The A2+ on the otherhand has a bit of... soul. Not Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Cornmeal Waffle, Molasses Gastrique, Tabasco-Butter SOUL... but it has some semblance of soul! The vocals were clear and present, as was everything else... down to the Bass (electric/upright) which was ther, but lacking any punch...
And then there was the Kick Drum.
*sad trombone
The A2+ has no Kick Drum Attack. Not surprised... but somewher between bass guitar or Upright, and Kick Drum... It falls away hard.

Now... back to the Logi...
Turn up that "sub" just a skosh, and boom.
Not gonna lie, it's an impressive package. The Klipsch option is fitty clams more.. For not a reference, critical listening system...

Or...
I look at the:
KRK Rokit 5 G4 or JBL 305P mkII
RSL Speedwoofer 10S
and a
MiniDSP 2x4HD



Remember, these are 9' away!
View attachment 31853

I'd be curious what you thought about the JBL LSRs....305s, 306s or 308s....and there's a good sale going now....

 

[ryanosaur]

Man, I thought I updated this...
Oh well...
For some various pragmatic and budget related reasons, I stuck with the THX-BS-Certified "box" solution. I went Klipsch on this one. Still have the Logitech setup in another room.

For my own ears, I kinda like the Logitech maybe a little more. The Klipsch set has a 'weirdness' to their sound I haven't quite gotten used too, but am willing to consider it is the micro-horn tweeter as these are true 2-way speaker-ettes unlike the single-driver design of the Logitech. Placement is probably more a thing, and I haven't fully solved for that yet.

I'd be curious what you thought about the JBL LSRs....305s, 306s or 308s....and there's a good sale going now....

I was definitely interested and considering them. The biggest drawback to me was the rear port and how I would be using them in a very near field configuration, in a tight corner.

The Rockits kinda won me over by looks and front-port orientation.

Even with JBLs Sale right now... ~$89 ea for the 5" driver... I'd still be looking at the Speedwoofer as the better budget solution for a Sub. So there's still that.

So one other note regarding the placement of these little Klipsch-ettes: The sound really seams to "come together" in an isosceles triangle with a time-intensity-trading set up... I need to be almost twice as far away than the speakers are from each other. Toe-in is gentle with them in this setup... still aimed at the "equilateral" point, but I'm standing twice that distance back. They do not want to play well with me standing at my keyboard, even with an extreme toe-in, I think the spacing is just all wrong in such a near-field placement, plus as I try to toe them in, I really get strong reflections off the monitor screen. *shrugs

Its interesting to consider for that only $150, I could be so lackadaisical in my attitude toward their SQ. But increase that cost by a much-needed Subwoofer in the case of the Audioengines and Studio Monitors... For $600+ total cost, they need to sound F'n Stellar!

Cheers, All!

 

[Irvrobinson]

I bought a set of Audioengine 2+ for my wife's desktop set-up and they sound rather remarkable for their size (which is tiny). I paid $219 for the pair, but Audioengine is having a Black Friday sale today, and I see they're $179. Figures. At $179 they're a great deal.

 

[ryanosaur]

I bought a set of Audioengine 2+ for my wife's desktop set-up and they sound rather remarkable for their size (which is tiny). I paid $219 for the pair, but Audioengine is having a Black Friday sale today, and I see they're $179. Figures. At $179 they're a great deal.

Agreed! These are some pretty nicely engineered and put-together boxes. If I could've justified the added expense, the A5+ are super attractive too. (Still for me, the rear port would've been an issue, I think.)

Regardless, the sale pricing is Aoudioengine has right now is pretty nice.

Just don't anyone go and buy their sub. Reviews I saw were not favorable.

But the A2+ and A5+, with a good sub added on...

 

[Irvrobinson]

Just don't anyone go and buy their sub. Reviews I saw were not favorable.

But the A2+ and A5+, with a good sub added on...

I agree. I think the SVS SB1000 is a much better choice, and seems to perfectly mesh with the A5+. I haven't tried it with the A2+.

 

[ryanosaur]

Had a side convo with Shady about the A2+ and sub integration... it was pointed out that the A2+ rolls off pretty high and would need a Sub capable of going up higher to integrate well. My original thought of the Sub1200 went out the door as it's limited at 150Hz. Looked at Bic and several other budget options... why I came to look at the RSL Speedwoofer as a possible solution. Little less $$ than SVS and Hsu options.

 

[KEW]

Had a side convo with Shady about the A2+ and sub integration... it was pointed out that the A2+ rolls off pretty high and would need a Sub capable of going up higher to integrate well. My original thought of the Sub1200 went out the door as it's limited at 150Hz. Looked at Bic and several other budget options... why I came to look at the RSL Speedwoofer as a possible solution. Little less $$ than SVS and Hsu options.

SVS's Merlin tool recommends XO at 120Hz for the Audioengine A2+. I have a hard time believing 150Hz is not high enough for the XO! (SVS suggests 80Hz if you are using the sub's LPF to match the natural roll-off of the a2+)
I would generally not worry so much about the 20Hz response for a desktop system and pairing with small monitors! I would look at something like this 50lb (!) 10" sealed sub for $190 assuming this is primarily for music:
(only 10 hrs left on this one)

SUB 550P | 500W, 10-inch powered subwoofer

What makes you feel the music in a professional venue is the same powerful force that will make you feel it at home: massive amounts of low-frequency bass. Through its light yet rigid PolyPlas™ cone frame, the Studio 550P subwoofer delivers powerful, nearly tangible deep notes and effects that...

www.jbl.com

 

[Irvrobinson]

SVS's Merlin tool recommends XO at 120Hz for the Audioengine A2+. I have a hard time believing 150Hz is not high enough for the XO! (SVS suggests 80Hz if you are using the sub's LPF to match the natural roll-off of the a2+)
I would generally not worry so much about the 20Hz response for a desktop system and pairing with small monitors! I would look at something like this 50lb (!) 10" sealed sub for $190 assuming this is primarily for music:
(only 10 hrs left on this one)

SUB 550P | 500W, 10-inch powered subwoofer

What makes you feel the music in a professional venue is the same powerful force that will make you feel it at home: massive amounts of low-frequency bass. Through its light yet rigid PolyPlas™ cone frame, the Studio 550P subwoofer delivers powerful, nearly tangible deep notes and effects that...

www.jbl.com

Just running some test tones on the A2+, I'm thinking 90Hz would work well. On the A5+ I run them full-range, and use approximately a 60Hz low-pass filter.

 

[Alex2507]

and use approximately a 60Hz low-pass filter.

What do you low pass it with? And is this backwards in my head but wouldn't it be a 60 Hz high pass filter? As in everything higher than 60 Hz gets passed to the speaker?

 

[ryanosaur]

As I think back on it, and hopefully recall correctly, the FR of the A2+ is far from perfect and the suggestion about subwoofer integration had more to do with getting a more-flat response than not.
I think the bench test I saw had the speaker rolling off up around 110Hz. Based on everything I think I understand you want at least a half octave overlap at your XO... so yes, a 150hz upper limit on the Sub1200 would probably be fine. What’s another 15Hz among friends?
Regardless, for me the point is moot, now. I like the suggestion of a 120Hz XO, though. And for that reason, I was looking for Subs with more capable upper end. *shrugs