Suggestions for a good cpu speaker

[raytyej]

Hey guys! I need help real bad! i'm getting a new cpu so i intend to get a good sound system also.i'm a music junkie but i watch movies and play games. Probably 60% music 30% movies and 10% games.

I have a budget of $500 and have been considering the A5's as i've read good reviews about it. so what do you guys think about it? and if i'm getting an A5, what else should i get to go with it?

Also, if you guys have any better suggestions please feel free to suggest.

Thanks and merry christmas! =D

 

[raytyej]

By the way, i mostly listen to metal, rock and jazz songs

=D

 

[GranteedEV]

Off Topic: cpu stands for central processing unit. It's only one part of a computer. Calling a computer a cpu is like calling a person a cerebral cortex or something.

On topic: A5s are nice but I recommend a pair of active Behringer Truth monitors and then see how much you've got in a budget for a sub. Getting an outbound DAC always helps improve sound quality too.

 

[raytyej]

oh sry my bad..haha..

first time seeing these speakers. hmmm...any reason for recommending these speakers over the A5?

yeah about external DAC, i've heard that External DACs are needed in correctly setup. what does it mean by that?

THANKS!

 

[sholling]

The A5s have a great rep and a few members use them but unfortunately I haven't heard them. If you go that route I'd pick up an inexpensive subwoofer to go with them. That assumes that your sound card has a subwoofer-out. The only challenge will be balancing the speaker and subwoofer volume.

I have used Behringer B2030P studio monitors for computer speakers and they rock. The only thing is that you'll need to find a used receiver ($50-75) to drive them and you'll want an inexpensive subwoofer to handle everything below 80hz. I used the digital audio output from my motherboard's built in sound card and connected it to the digital audio input on the receiver.

I have no idea which option is better.

 

[raytyej]

The A5s have a great rep and a few members use them but unfortunately I haven't heard them. If you go that route I'd pick up an inexpensive subwoofer to go with them. That assumes that your sound card has a subwoofer-out. The only challenge will be balancing the speaker and subwoofer volume.

I have used Behringer B2030P studio monitors for computer speakers and they rock. The only thing is that you'll need to find a used receiver ($50-75) to drive them and you'll want an inexpensive subwoofer to handle everything below 80hz. I used the digital audio output from my motherboard's built in sound card and connected it to the digital audio input on the receiver.

Thanks!

alright..i get it..if i get the A5, what sub should i go with?

oh..how does the Behringer B2030P studio monitors fare against songs of different genre? i have heard of the Behringer B2030P studio monitors and was considering them too..hmmm...does the receiver need to be vry gd? is the HRT streamer gd enough? and what sub do you reccommend that i should get? Also, which sound card should i get?

Anyway, i saw the PSB image b5 and people recommended it too. Whats your take?

 

[GranteedEV]

Thanks!

alright..i get it..if i get the A5, what sub should i go with?

oh..how does the Behringer B2030P studio monitors fare against songs of different genre? i have heard of the Behringer iB2030P studio monitors and was considering them too..hmmm...does the receiver need to be vry gd? is the HRT streamer gd enough? and what sub do you reccommend that i should get? Also, which sound card should i get?

Anyway, i saw the PSB image b5 and people recommended it too. Whats your take?

faring well has little to do with genre and has more to do with mixing process. even within a given genre you can have albums mixed for car stereos etc and albums mixed on quality monitors. what ive found is that the better mixed songs will sound better as your speakers get better and the worse mixed songs wont really get worse so it's a worthwhile tradeoff.

regarding a sub i reccomend waiting until you have everything set up and a proper budget in place. 'which sub' depends on your room and available eq options. a sealed 10 like the emotiva ultra sub may be perfect for one room but lack low end in another and likewise a ported 12 like the dayton 120 may be a better fit in one room and sound awful in another. and both may be a poor fit in a given room and require eq ie a minidsp.

now regarding behringer 2030p i recommend 2030a instead as they have built in amplification.

 

[raytyej]

faring well has little to do with genre and has more to do with mixing process. even within a given genre you can have albums mixed for car stereos etc and albums mixed on quality monitors. what ive found is that the better mixed songs will sound better as your speakers get better and the worse mixed songs wont really get worse so it's a worthwhile tradeoff.

regarding a sub i reccomend waiting until you have everything set up and a proper budget in place. 'which sub' depends on your room and available eq options. a sealed 10 like the emotiva ultra sub may be perfect for one room but lack low end in another and likewise a ported 12 like the dayton 120 may be a better fit in one room and sound awful in another. and both may be a poor fit in a given room and require eq ie a minidsp.

now regarding behringer 2030p i recommend 2030a instead as they have built in amplification.

thanks for your input! what do you mean by mixing process? how do you better mixed your songs?

yeah..it's true about the sub.i guess i have to wait. However, is sub very important? or is an external DAC more important in audio quality?

 

[just-some-guy]

what do you mean by mixing process? how do you better mixed your songs?

that is when they are making the song, how it is put on the recorder, and the equipment used.

 

[just-some-guy]

i take it that you are looking for desktop speakers ?

i used to have these next to my office tv. they were installed "free air". they rocked pretty good for what they are = my neighbors didn't like them . and they didn't "need" a sub. but when i added a dayton sub120, my neighbors really didn't like them. put them next to your monitor with a wall behind it for the money.

http://www.swans-europe.eu/typo3temp/pics/Swans_D1080MKII_Aktivmonitor_Lautsprecher_a35847a032.jpeg

 

[raytyej]

i take it that you are looking for desktop speakers ?

i used to have these next to my office tv. they were installed "free air". they rocked pretty good for what they are = my neighbors didn't like them . and they didn't "need" a sub. but when i added a dayton sub120, my neighbors really didn't like them. put them next to your monitor with a wall behind it for the money.

http://www.swans-europe.eu/typo3temp/pics/Swans_D1080MKII_Aktivmonitor_Lautsprecher_a35847a032.jpeg

thanks! hmmm..yeah..im getting speakers for my pc

oh..whats their model and pricing? It looks expensive! haha..i have quite a tight budget

also, i've heard if i get such a good speaker i should get an external DAC so that i will maximize the potential of my speaker. Is that true? Also, is it advisable to get a sub too if i get the SWAN?

 

[just-some-guy]

mine are the older model, they have a newer model. i expect them to be pretty similar . you can see the difference here.
i think they are under $200, but search, you will find what they cost.
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&biw=1024&bih=681&gbv=2&tbs=isch:1&sa=1&q=swans+1080mkii&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

 

[just-some-guy]

here ya go.
http://www.ozhometheater.com/ozht_prodcat_multimedia_d1080

i thought they had sold all of em.

 

[just-some-guy]

http://www.theaudioinsider.com/product_info.php?p=swan-d1010mkii08&products_id=144

 

[just-some-guy]

btw. i am not saying these are the best and better than anything else. as i doubt they are.
but for the money, they do sound pretty darned good.

i wish i could use mine. but they do not fit the layout of my desk. i would have em on my tv, the 65". but the darned tv doesn't have variable line outs

 

[dbpolk]

Chase Home Theater Gizmo,WAF-1

I just bought two sets of WAF-1s and little Gizmo amps for the kids desktop two channel systems for Christimas. I was impressed by the build quality. Haven't heard them yet. Will on Christmas. They were $234 with shipping each system setup. Very inexpensive, real rosewood looked beautiful.

 

[sholling]

The reason that I recommended the B2030P and an old used receiver was that the amplifiers that are built into the B2030A have a so-so reputation for reliability. Keep in mind that's third hand information so take it for what it's worth. The second reason is bass management.
http://diplo-best.com/review/BEHRINGER/B2030A

Sound cards: If you go with a receiver and passive speakers then the sound card isn't all that important as long as it has a digital output. The reason is that it's just passing bits to the receiver and the receiver is doing any decoding the high quality DACs in the receiver are doing the digital to analog conversion. If you go with a good powered speakers then you'll want a sound card with good quality DACs and a good clean preamp section. Both Asus and HT:Omega make top quality internal cards for PCs for around $170ish. I have no idea about external or Mac cards.

 

[raytyej]

The reason that I recommended the B2030P and an old used receiver was that the amplifiers that are built into the B2030A have a so-so reputation for reliability. Keep in mind that's third hand information so take it for what it's worth. The second reason is bass management.
http://diplo-best.com/review/BEHRINGER/B2030A

Sound cards: If you go with a receiver and passive speakers then the sound card isn't all that important as long as it has a digital output. The reason is that it's just passing bits to the receiver and the receiver is doing any decoding the high quality DACs in the receiver are doing the digital to analog conversion. If you go with a good powered speakers then you'll want a sound card with good quality DACs and a good clean preamp section. Both Asus and HT:Omega make top quality internal cards for PCs for around $170ish. I have no idea about external or Mac cards.

yeah i've heard about the B2030P. As for bass management, which is better?

also i've been recommended the Onkyo TX-SR508 7.1-Channel 3-D Ready Home Theater Receiver. the point is is receivers very important/troublesome? the receiver looks like a handful to me. haha

as sub i've been reccommended the dayton sub 120-HT which looks good too

so the main question is i'm getting these stuff for a room of about 16ft X 16ft. so will it be an overkill? haha..

Thanks! =D

 

[sholling]

yeah i've heard about the B2030P. As for bass management, which is better?

A receiver with bass management just allows you to balance speaker volume and subwoofer volume (and crossover point) and the just control everything from a single volume knob. No rocket science. There are no right or wrong answers (passive vs active speakers) just different ways of doing things.

also i've been recommended the Onkyo TX-SR508 7.1-Channel 3-D Ready Home Theater Receiver. the point is is receivers very important/troublesome? the receiver looks like a handful to me. haha

If you aren't going to be using the video side then it's overkill. I wouldn't spend $200-300 for a receiver for a computer. A cheap 5-7 old used AVR is all you need.

as sub i've been reccommended the dayton sub 120-HT which looks good too

so the main question is i'm getting these stuff for a room of about 16ft X 16ft. so will it be an overkill? haha..

I haven't heard the sub-120 but that's a good sized (2000cuft) room.

 

[raytyej]

A receiver with bass management just allows you to balance speaker volume and subwoofer volume (and crossover point) and the just control everything from a single volume knob. No rocket science. There are no right or wrong answers (passive vs active speakers) just different ways of doing things.

So what receiver should i get?

If you aren't going to be using the video side then it's overkill. I wouldn't spend $200-300 for a receiver for a computer. A cheap 5-7 old used AVR is all you need.

o..ok..cause i will be watching videos from time to time although not as often as listening to songs.So..what should i do? haha

I haven't heard the sub-120 but that's a good sized (2000cuft) room.

So what do you suggest i should get for a decent sub?

Also, i have been recommended the audioengine A5 with an external DAC. What's your take on it? and is the external DAC very important?

Thanks!! =D