M10 vs M12

Joined
Jan 13, 2006
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574
Has anyone gotten a chance to compare these 2 yet? I'm considering grabbing a set of speakers for my computer before I head to college and the general consensus seems to be the Swans are the best value right now. The M10s certainly have it better looks-wise, but I'm more of a function over form type of guy and the fact that the M12s have headphone and mic jacks is a plus to make it easy to switch between the speakers and my headphones (SB40s). Would be primarily used for music for times when I want to read or do homework away from my desk/computer or don't want to deal with headphones.
 
I believe the 12s are more for gaming, i.e. more bass. The 10s should sound better for music.

That and the 12s look like crap.
 
They both look like crap and want you to place a midwoofer where your monitor should be. Nothx.
 
Well, going the powered monitor + add a sub route solves that issue. Swan REALLY needs to redesign their setup. You could put the middle speaker behind your monitor. It will reflect a little bit but should sound fine. Somebody needs to engineer a work-around lol. Maybe me I guess. Seems to be my other job.
 
I don't think that would be a good idea. I would rather see it above the monitor angled slightly down which is still not optimal but is IMO better.
 
Man. I have a $50 solution to this. Just need to wait until I get my stuff back out of storage.

You can get metal shelving, build a bridge over the top of the desk or just behind it, and place the speakers on it. I did it before and it worked great.
 
You could do that. Better to not have to, though. At the very least, the tweeters should be aimed at your ears. Better would be on the same horizontal plane.
 
Well let's take it this way then: What would be your suggestion be to a college student who wants to keep price as low as possible while still getting quality?
 
Well, the M10 is the best deal. Just have to find a way to use it. Hell, build a little shelf on the wall above the monitor, put that stupid center there and tilt it down towards you.
 
Well, first of all, I would consider used equipment. Find an old stereo receiver on Ebay or Craigslist or from a family member or something for, say, $20 or so. Sometimes people give them away for free (like old 80s Technics ones, but if they work, they work). Then perhaps Paradigm Titan or Atom bookshelf speakers.

Check Ebay, Audiogon, Craigslist, etc.

Same with a subwoofer if you want one, but with the M10 and M12, you don't get a subwoofer anyways. The midbass module contains a regular woofer, which is what any decent bookshelf speaker will already have. The Swans will be worse at bass because there is only one woofer.
 
Well, the M10 is the best deal. Just have to find a way to use it. Hell, build a little shelf on the wall and put that stupid center there.

It's not a bad deal if you want something new and you don't have a receiver/amplifier to use, but it's definitely not "the best deal" otherwise. It is not without strong limitations. I have used Hi-Vi 3", 4" and 5" drivers in my own designs and while they are not bad for midrange, they are not very bass capable.
 
I'm not really familiar with using non-computer speakers with a PC. What exactly do you do? Also keep in mind that things need to be relatively small since I'll be in a dorm
 
It's not a bad deal if you want something new and you don't have a receiver/amplifier to use, but it's definitely not "the best deal" otherwise. It is not without strong limitations. I have used Hi-Vi 3", 4" and 5" drivers in my own designs and while they are not bad for midrange, they are not very bass capable.

True.

For a dorm system, just get a decent, entry level receiver and some speakers like the X-LS or if pressed for space, Mirage Nano Sats.

Honestly, I would stick to headphones in a dorm room.

but

The best deal for a student is to keep an eye on your local craigslist. Hit me up if you see something and want an opinion on it. I buy used gear every month lol.
 
O I'm definitely primarily going to be using my headphones. It's just occasionally I like to lie down and read while still listening to music, which isn't exactly comfortable with headphones. Or if I want to move about the room I don't want to be constrained by a wire. What type of things would you suggest I look for?
 
I'm not really familiar with using non-computer speakers with a PC. What exactly do you do? Also keep in mind that things need to be relatively small since I'll be in a dorm

Depending on the receiver, you just run a digital cable or a 3.5mm jack (the headphone type that your computer uses) to RCA cord like this one. Radio Shack has them also for probably around $5-10.
 
I love how most suggestions coming from even moderate audiophiles is still outrageously exuberant for the average consumer. Why are people always saying "get monitors and a klipsch sub and an amp and this ridiculous setup and that ridiculous setup and plug it all together and somehow try to fit it on your dorm desk. this obviously isn't the most sensible solution, but it will sound SO AWESOME AND YOU WILL CUM OUT OF YOUR EARS OMG!!!!!!!". Just answer the question: M12s > M10s? M10s > M12s? If you don't have the answer, don't respond. Bookshelf speakers aren't that sensible for a dorm setup at all. M10s will be fine. These suggestions should always be relative to the question. Yeah, you're going to get better sound quality from a setup of huge monitors with an amp and additional subwoofer. This is objective.

If you're geared more towards music, grab the M10s. They still do a fair job handling games. I have the M10s. I had them in my apartment at school last year and they will be in my apartment this year. Right now my LG L196WTQ is sitting on top of the midrange "subwoofer" and I have the two satellites angled upwards at me using Auralex MoPads. All of this is stationed on a shitty little desk I picked up from Best Buy last year. It gets the job done perfectly.

If you're going more for gaming, the M12s might be a better choice. From what I can tell, everything in terms of parts is the same.

I just checked audioinsider's site. The M10s are now $109. The M12s are $89. They both have the 20mm tweeter, 3" driver, 5" 'sub', etc

I'd say go for the M12s while they are on sale. The sound quality will be the same if not better with that subwoofer which is probably more of a sub than the M10s. You can probably keep it on the floor unlike the M10s (which you can keep on the floor, but it's obnoxious for most people).
 
True.

For a dorm system, just get a decent, entry level receiver and some speakers like the X-LS or if pressed for space, Mirage Nano Sats.

Honestly, I would stick to headphones in a dorm room.


but

The best deal for a student is to keep an eye on your local craigslist. Hit me up if you see something and want an opinion on it. I buy used gear every month lol.

Hope you are not referring to me. I am very practical in my approach. As you can see. Dorm rooms are tiny and you are on top of each other. Closed headphones and a small speaker setup ftw. I agree and said so FIRST! lol

peace.
 
No, I'm talking about people who are suggesting getting a receiver/amp w/ moderate bookshelfs or monitors for the sake of them being bookshelf/monitors. I'm also talking about other threads when people do this and how obnoxious it is. Can't people just answer the question straightforward without spewing their biased suggestions of audiophilic fanaticism?
 
My dorm room had 2 people in it and it was a good 5x the size of my computer room which can fit this stuff just fine.

p4gs, sucks for you that your desk seems to be tiny. That isn't a problem for all of us. We (I believe I speak for all of us) don't care what you find obnoxious. If the advice doesn't work for you then too bad for you. Doesn't make it bad advice. The guy seemed at least interested in the suggestion.
 
My dorm room had 2 people in it and it was a good 5x the size of my computer room which can fit this stuff just fine.

p4gs, sucks for you that your desk seems to be tiny. That isn't a problem for all of us. We (I believe I speak for all of us) don't care what you find obnoxious. If the advice doesn't work for you then too bad for you. Doesn't make it bad advice. The guy seemed at least interested in the suggestion.

It also helps to take into consideration what the person is asking from you. Yeah, everyone knows that an $800 setup of bookshelf speakers with an amp and dedicated sub are going to reproduce sound better than any computer speaker solution. My finding it obnoxious has little to do with it other than what my attitude is towards glorified and borderline arrogant responses to people's questions which do little more than letting everyone who reads the thread know how much you know about speaker quality and sound setups.

I find it much more reasonable to answer his question straightforward: "The M10s are a better choice for music, the M12s are a better choice for gaming even though both will get you great sound quality". Then, maybe on the side, add "but you'll definitely get better sound quality out of a bookshelf setup even though it is a little more tedious to setup and may take up more space than you have available" so he is aware of some alternative solution that he might be interested in but didn't previously know about. Ignoring what he's asking for and responding with something like "They both look like crap and want you to place a midwoofer where your monitor should be. Nothx. " is cool I guess, but it doesn't really help him out in any way. Does he know anymore about which speaker set is better than the other now? I guess it's funny since you ended it with Nothx.

Also, I'm not sure what my desk has to do with this. I mentioned it to reassure him that the M10s don't take up too much space at all even with the midwoofer place on the desk; thus, he shouldn't have to worry about any space requirements needed by his dorm room's desk since it is more likely than not going to be bigger than or equal to the size of my desk.
 
Did anyone recommend anything that costs anywhere NEAR $800? Because I don't see it.

The midwoofer is worse to place on a desk than most bookshelf speakers given that you need to raise it way off axis or you need to raise your monitor way off axis.
 
Did anyone recommend anything that costs anywhere NEAR $800? Because I don't see it.

The midwoofer is worse to place on a desk than most bookshelf speakers given that you need to raise it way off axis or you need to raise your monitor way off axis.

I was speaking in general terms about people's recommendations to certain users' questions. I was reiterating the fact that a lot of audiophiles (especially on this message board) will just regurgitate the same information over and over again to people asking about speaker/headphone recommendations while completely disregarding the question at hand.

Yeah, the M10s midwoofer is off axis (unless you place it on a shelf above your monitor and aim it down at an angle using something like Auralex's MoPads). Putting your monitor on top of the midwoofer won't necessarily raise it off axis if your chair is raised higher off the ground. For me, my monitor is aligned perfectly. It might not be the same for everyone I guess since I'm pretty tall and I have my office chair raised up almost to the max (which is comfortable for me so my legs aren't cramped).

The M12 might be the better solution then: they are cheaper right now and the sub is designed differently which may enable it to be placed on the floor for proper sound reproduction.

A bookshelf setup is always another option if it's within your budget and any other requirements.
 
If I were to go the bookshelf route (or whatever), what would I be looking for? Models, brands, etc?
 
If I were to go the bookshelf route (or whatever), what would I be looking for? Models, brands, etc?

It depends on your budget but for ~$500-600, I'd start with a receiver like the XR-57, and pick up a pair of X-LS encores. For a much lower price point, I'd suggest the Insignias. Really though, just save up until you have enough money for bookshelves + speakers. Incremental upgrades aren't always great. Also, I'd recommend JUMPING on sales, as they can save you a lot of money. I was never going to get my X-LS encores and X-Sub, but then they had a sale, and being cheap + having enough funds brought me this setup right here.

Also, p4gs, that is the result of having a forum that's split into two fairly distinct levels of performance and desire when it comes to audio. If they were to split this forum into "Low-End Computer Audio" and "High-End Computer Audio" (which compared to more serious audiophiles, may be pretty low), I wouldn't even browse the former. Though, you'd still have people that don't know what is what coming into the latter forum and asking whether or not they should pony up for a Z-5500 which has "great" reviews.
 
I realize this. Still, people should take into consideration what a person is asking for rather than saying "omg lol midwoofer sux0rz, get bookshelfs swans is weaksauce"
 
I'm looking to spend about $100 max (cheaper would always be nice). I'm in no way an audiophile. Just a soon to be college guy looking for the best value, reasonable quality speakers for when I don't want to be constrained by headphones.
 
I still say used equipment is the way to go. The M10s are better than most computer speakers in quality, though.
 
I still say used equipment is the way to go. The M10s are better than most computer speakers in quality, though.

Well, yeah but most folks are not going to want to buy used. Shyness I suppose. Just easier to order something online right? lol

Man, you don't even want to know about my project. Looking at concrete forms for the sub woofer. Concrete forms.....yikes.
 
Again, what type of things should I be looking for if I were to go with used equipment? Brands, models, specs, prices, etc?
 
Again, what type of things should I be looking for if I were to go with used equipment? Brands, models, specs, prices, etc?

People have told you numerous times that the M10s you suggested in the OP were a good plan. What more would you like answered? This post is a little vague.
 
Well, yeah but most folks are not going to want to buy used. Shyness I suppose. Just easier to order something online right? lol

Man, you don't even want to know about my project. Looking at concrete forms for the sub woofer. Concrete forms.....yikes.

My computer subwoofer will be a ported Aurasound NS10 when I get around to building the box. My HT will probably use 4 AE IB15s as an infinite baffle. Or maybe I'll change my mind again tomorrow.
 
People have told you numerous times that the M10s you suggested in the OP were a good plan. What more would you like answered? This post is a little vague.
People have also suggested used equipment such as bookshelf speakers and the like. I'm asking what to look for in that type of equipment. Just exploring my options here
 
Used M10s, for one.

As far as the sub-$100 bracket goes, that's a really good choice for 2.1 speakers. If you go used, it might also let you get something a bit more expensive...but anything much better would probably entail quite a bit of luck. And possibly the added expense of an amplifier.
 
People have also suggested used equipment such as bookshelf speakers and the like. I'm asking what to look for in that type of equipment. Just exploring my options here

Keep an eye on our hot deals forum and bensbargains.net and slickdeals etc. for some entry-level bookshelf speakers from a reputable company like Polk, Paradigm, Energy, etc. Then just find a cheap receiver locally that works.

Hell, you could probably buy new Polk R150s and get a cheap receiver for around your price. You would have a little more bass than M10/M12, though I personally would still want a subwoofer.
 
Outpost.com (Fry's) tends to have Polks for $100 a pair fairly often. But then you need a separate sub and something to drive them with. If you can get all that for under $100...well...really lucky.
 
True, true...but since real subs tend to start at $100 the most you're going to get under that is a Logitech wannabe.
 
Well, yeah but most folks are not going to want to buy used. Shyness I suppose. Just easier to order something online right? lol

Man, you don't even want to know about my project. Looking at concrete forms for the sub woofer. Concrete forms.....yikes.

I personally don't like buying used unless I know exactly how it looks like first. A scratch, a dent, etc., they all ruin the perfection of a product that you might take better care of, but then again, not everyone cares about looks.
 
I personally don't like buying used unless I know exactly how it looks like first. A scratch, a dent, etc., they all ruin the perfection of a product that you might take better care of, but then again, not everyone cares about looks.

Not nearly as important as sound as far as a lot of us are concerned. I'd rather have good sounding speakers in unfinished MDF boxes than the best looking boxes with Goldwood drivers. Or Hi-Vi drivers ;) (Note: I use Hi-Vi as my midranges currently)
 
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