What 2 & 2.1 speaker sets rank top notch?

G

goldznnz

Weaksauce
Joined
Jan 2, 2008
Messages
110
I've done some mad reviewing online on what are some great 2 & 2.1 speakers setup. Too many mixed reviews. need that "hardforum" feedback here:

what are some of the best/great computer speakers homeboyz?


i've been having my eye on some gigaworks (T20 &40's) but they don't come with no subs

checked out M-Audio, look sharp but never heard of them

i just watch movies, pron, music, and alot more pron. :D Need some good sounds
 
goldznnz said:
i just watch movies, pron, music, and alot more pron. :D Need some good sounds
Click to expand...

I'd invest in a bigger monitor then :cool:;):D

In all seriousness, I do like the new Swans M10 I just bought. Good detail, clarity, and clean bass. Looks great too... but you do have to put the sub on your desk. I also heard great things about the Audioengine A2. Their bigger brothers are the A5.
 
Edifier S330D
Swan M10

Both are considered top of the line for 2.1 PC speaker systems.
 
/\ /\

gots a 22 and a 24 taking up most of my desktop realestate :D

yeah, currently got my sub on my desk shaking thangs up time to time

will def check those Swans out
 
Depends on what you're looking for. I like either the Klipsch or LogiTech 2.1 system. The Z2300 has an amazing sub (probably the best you'll find for a PC setup), but I don't like the satellite speakers. The Klipsch has amazing satellite speakers, but I don't like the sub.
 
As an eBay Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Those Audioengines seem nice, I'd like to get those with my Z2300 and Yamaha sub. That would make for a killer setup.
 
Nasty said:
Those Audioengines seem nice, I'd like to get those with my Z2300 and Yamaha sub. That would make for a killer setup.
Click to expand...

No. Do not mix subs. Get two Dayton 8", one at a time, and then you will ROCK! Just make sure you have enough electricity lol. They each need a separate outlet straight into the wall if you can.
 
spaceman said:
No. Do not mix subs. Get two Dayton 8", one at a time, and then you will ROCK! Just make sure you have enough electricity lol. They each need a separate outlet straight into the wall if you can.
Click to expand...
Or maybe one Dayton 10" sub for $110 and free shipping? Should hit a little lower than the Dayton 8" and cost less than two of them together.

Personally OP i'd be aiming higher than multimedia speakers. $300 is a decent starter amount, you can go many ways with that, especially in the used and liquidation market. Hang around some audio forums for a few weeks, get a feel for whats out there, then pounce on deals as they come up. And since you're in hawaii you can browse your local craigslist every day ;)
 
I have these Logitech THX Z-5300e

Would it be an upgrade to get one of the 2.1 setups above?
 
I would get busy on the ebay/craigslist tip. You can get a good receiver, pair of decent speakers and a sub for $200 if you shop patient.
 
I wouldn't want to spend more than 150$ on a budget 2.1 setup. Therefore, I also don't see the need to get crazy with a dedicated receiver and bookshelf speakers.
 
excellsior said:
I wouldn't want to spend more than 150$ on a budget 2.1 setup. Therefore, I also don't see the need to get crazy with a dedicated receiver and bookshelf speakers.
Click to expand...

What is crazy about getting more for the $$?

Still, if space is at a premium, just get the Swan 1080s which are $129 now. Killer monitors for that price.
 
I just picked up a pair of M-Audio AV40 for $160 at guitar center and I love them. They blow the snot out my old Klipsch Promedia 2.1 which were put away to make room for the AV40s. The bass on these is sufficient for me so I do not plan on purchasing a sub woofer.
 
darkpark said:
I just picked up a pair of M-Audio AV40 for $160 at guitar center and I love them. They blow the snot out my old Klipsch Promedia 2.1 which were put away to make room for the AV40s. The bass on these is sufficient for me so I do not plan on purchasing a sub woofer.
Click to expand...

music to my ears lol

that is why I like them. You can easily live with them until you can get a sub. Perfect almost.
 
thanks for everyone's input, glad to have checked here first before jumping the gun!

i got my shopping list to choose from and here it is thanks to you guys:

Edifier s330D (damn sexy lookin)
Audio Engine A2
Logitech Z 2300
Swan M10
M-Audio
Creative Labs T20 T40

Man i must be a sucker for looks, but gotsta have speakers looking nice and pleasing since i will be looking at these ho's everyday :p

Looks like its gonna be a toss up between those Edifiers and Audio Engine.. ...:D
btw does anybody know if the Edifiers have a bass control knob/adjustment?
 
Rinthe said:
hmm i thought you said you NEED a sub with the AV40?
Click to expand...

I certainly do. You can live without one though lol.

They have bass level control on the edifier. Volume and bass control are pretty much standard.
 
Damn ncix wants $64+ sum just for shipping. that caps it out at $160 total for these edifiers

man should i spend $200 for A2 audiengines or the $160 for the edifiers.. ...?
infact if i get two set of edifiers shipping will just be $20 more... ...

guess i could smoke a blunt and get'em both, someone slap me in the right direction :confused:
 
I like my Behringer MS40's, I have them connected optically through my external X-fi 5.1 for my laptop. But if I had money to burn I'd probably go with the Axiom Audiobyte speakers w/ EPZero Sub.
 
Axiom sucks sorry. They are not legit. Stay away and do not believe that hype.
 
okay bit the bullet, got the Edifiers through ncix. if smack don't work out guess i'll have to go with audioengine. keeping fingers crossed :D
 
goldznnz said:
okay bit the bullet, got the Edifiers through ncix. if smack don't work out guess i'll have to go with audioengine. keeping fingers crossed :D
Click to expand...

Be sure to let us know how you like the Edifiers when you get them. :) I'm sure a lot of people are interested, including myself, since there aren't any reviews of it yet.
 
No way. They are way too bright. Sorry to disagree. They simply have no high end rolloff. The louder they get, the more piercing they become. At low levels that is cool and detailed sound ing but....I want to keep my hearing. The balance b/w highs/mids/lows is simply way too tilted upwards.

Speakers are always a matter of preference. Not saying that I am right but I am not alone on this.

I must step back and say that they are not junk. That was knee-jerk and I apologize.

Here's a good post comparing the X-LS to the Axiom:

I've owned Axiom M3's and to my ears they were bright. Actually
some people like the sound, and perceive the brightness as
detail. I know that the guy I sold my M3's to was thrilled with them, commenting how detailed they were.

Comparing the M3's to the x-ls speakers is like night and day.
The x-ls speakers are warm, sorta laid back sound. Very easy
to listen to and not fatiguing at all. Even though
mine were classic and not encore, there was plenty of detail
in the upper frequencies.

Axiom M3's are a "very" different speaker than X-ls's. When I the got the M3's
I thought they were pretty good, and a little bright. After a
while the brightness became an issue with me. I thought a
tube amp would help the brightness issue, but then tube amps
are expensive and I just didn't want to take a chance if it didn't
help. There are thousands of people that have Axiom speakers,
and they love them. They were not my cup of tea. The fit
and finish on them is very good, but not as good as AV123
speakers.

I've moved up to Rockets, and they have the same sound
signature as the x-ls's. Warm sound and not fatiguing.

Axiom has a fairly large forum area:

http://axiomaudio.com/boards/

Maybe sign up on the forum and post a question about the
M3's. No dought you will get a lot of good answers such as
"they are great", etc, 'cause they are biased towards their Axiom
purchases.

If you have to wait a month or whatever for the AV123 x-ls
speakers to ship, the wait will be worth it.
Best of luck....vardo
 
I've had the Axiom M22Ti SEs and they lacked bass extension. You really have to pair it with a subwoofer.

The Axiom's have a tipped up midrange which helps with vocals. The Axiom brand is primarily focused on home theater usage, much like the AV123 Rocket line. Very efficient speakers, don't exactly measure that well. In the case of the Axioms, their use of aluminum drivers means a lot of unwanted resonant noise. Do they suck? I don't know. I don't like the design, the looks, or the resonant problems, but I can see why a lot of people like them.

You know what's funny, I think there was a board member here that was parroting how great the Energy Veritas series was, but it lost horribly to the Axiom floorstander line in one of Craig Chases' AVS big beer & music get togethers circa 2006.
 
spaceman said:
No. Do not mix subs. Get two Dayton 8", one at a time, and then you will ROCK! Just make sure you have enough electricity lol. They each need a separate outlet straight into the wall if you can.
Click to expand...

Two 10" subs would be nice... either stacked or placed in different corners to fight room nulls. But are you serious about need a dedicated outlet for a driver that takes at most a 150W amp?

One 20A circuit was enough for my two 18"s running off 1400W amps each. Sure I could probably trip the breaker if I got nuts but 95% of the time you're using mere watts, not kilowatts. A 15A circuit delivers what, 1500W? That's more than enough for two 150W amps. Your PC is pulling more wattage than those two amps will most of the time.

Now you have me thinking about getting two 12" subs during the PE sale to stick under a couple X-CS since the X-Sub is no more. Dang it. :)
 
One socket can handle nearly 2000W of power. Even an Epik Conquest (1000W+ RMS) won't be stressing the outlet. But you probably shouldn't be running a powerful sealed sub like a JL Fathom F113 (2500W) without some backup power. But if you can drop $3500 on a sub you should be doing fine for power supply.

As far as mixing subs, there shouldn't be a problem if they are placed in different areas and used to even out response at the listening position.

If you want an awesome budget HT sub (and I mean REAL HT), look at the MFW-15 at $700 from AV123. I'm not a real fan of their speakers but that product is head and shoulders above what's available at that price.
 
spaceman said:
Axiom sucks sorry. They are not legit. Stay away and do not believe that hype.
Click to expand...

Spaceman, could you suggest a few reliable sources for speaker reviews or audio equipment review in general?

There's loads of data out there, but better than half of it seems to be useless or worse than useless. I've seen a lot of reviews lately where they listen to a few songs and make a few vague nothings and don't do much. One in particular had a system with a very solid sub (per other more thorough reviews) but very small sats. They offhandedly acknowledged the small sats in the intro paragraph, but did nothing to test it - chose songs that were either high frequency or bass heavy, which of course sounded fine since they played to the strengths of the setup instead of trying to hunt for potential weaknesses. I also want to see information on the construction and tests designed to actually expose potential weaknesses. How's the build quality, what material are the cabinets made from, are there weak areas in the frequency response...stuff like that. Analytical data like frequency charts is always a bonus to the subjective components too.

Basically, what's [H] for audio? :D
 
Not saying that I am right but I am not alone on this.
Click to expand...

I would say you're very much alone in saying that they suck, they're all hype, and that they're not legit.

I think you need to take a serious look at the advice that you're trying to dispense on this forum. Axiom is a well respected, well reviewed company with thousand and thousands of customers that love their sound. For you to come in here and give advice to newcomers saying nothing more than "they suck" and they're "not legit" is absolutely ridiculous and will do a serious disservice to newcomers to the audio hobby.

You don't know what kind of sound everyone likes, and your personal opinion (or what you read on head-fi or av123s forums) is not the final arbiter in what is good sound.
 
LOL

Ok man. I do not know how much more balanced an explanation I could possibly give. If you think I was still unfair with my APOLOGY and then adding a thorough, descriptive and FAIR post then so sorry if it wasn't enough. Where do I send you flowers at?

There isn't really a fair and balanced review site except for maybe a few guys like Affordable Audio who do as I do and look for the best components within a reasonable budget. Sound is relative to the listener. The Axioms that I heard where driven by a ss amp and I think that was a baaaad idea. My ears HURT. WTF do you want me to say? GO get them, enjoy the hearing loss? Maybe at low levels with a tube amp they would be fine but like I said IN MY OPINION, not that I am the fucking end all be all, and others whom I think have decent ears, they are BRIGHT speakers. My opinion is that the av123 offer a better value than axiom atm. I already said that I overstated how bad they were. I already said I was going to far. I already made a good post explaining the situation as I agreed with the poster. Here's more on it real quick, not that these guys know anything more than I do but at least have heard BOTH brands of speakers. I know that you have too. It is the only way to make a fair assessment. Do a double blind test and write down what you hear and think about it some more. Be fair and honest. They are tilted too far upwards in my opinion and I will stand behind that.

http://av123forum.com/showthread.php?t=36028&highlight=axiom

Flowers? How bout a big pink bouquet with a six pack of Schlitz?
 
I already said that I overstated how bad they were. I already said I was going to far. I
Click to expand...

That's the point, you shouldn't need to be called on it to avoid saying crap like you did. As long as you understand that (and refrain from continuing to do it) then we're cool.

Have you even heard them, or are you just parroting what you've read elsewhere?

When you quote a review of an Axiom product that you took from an Av123 website you also might want to AT LEAST say where its from, as well. You really think you're going to get an unbiased picture of a companies product on one of their competitors websites?
 
Nicolaskl said:
That's the point, you shouldn't need to be called on it to avoid saying crap like you did. As long as you understand that (and refrain from continuing to do it) then we're cool.

Have you even heard them, or are you just parroting what you've read elsewhere?

When you quote a review of an Axiom product that you took from an Av123 website you also might want to AT LEAST say where its from, as well. You really think you're going to get an unbiased picture of a companies product on one of their competitors websites?
Click to expand...

Spaceman is the same guy who *claimed* he compared a $120 receiver with a $500 receiver, a $1100 receiver, and a receiver from 1996 (for no apparent reason), and decided the $120 receiver (his precious Sherwood) blew everything else away, with no explanation why he even chose to compare products 10x apart in price range.

The same guy who said "Creative speakers are garbage". I pointed out that the Gigaworks T-series were pretty high quality and his response was "the Gigaworks T40 'suck' because the Swan M200 are better", even though the M200 costs more than twice as much.

When actually pressed for "why" he made these incongruous statements, he simply changed the subject.
 
All true. 100% my opinion. Yes I have heard the axioms personally. I do not comment strongly on anything that I have not personally heard.

The T40s do suck compared to the Swans and I do like the Sherwood for my current stereo setup b/c with what I am driving for my tv (those little xbox mirage nano-sats and a self powered sub) there is no difference except for price. If I went multi-channel and a bigger room needing more power then sure a better receiver is a good idea. Common sense.

Bring some more to the table before you try me astrallite. That was completely weak! If you want an argument start a thread and air it all out. I will always admit when I am a dumbass. No problem there. Happens often enough lol.

Cheers!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top