good small bookshelf speakers?

G

GTPoompt

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 2, 2005
Messages
335
Hey,

I'm looking for 2 small bookshelf speakers to use on my computer. I would just buy from logitech etc, but I don't like the overpowering bass from the subwoofers etc. But I do like bass, just not boomy bass.

I've looked for 2.0 speaker sets from the big computer speaker guys, but most of the 2.0's are pretty bad.

I really want to buy the swans m-200 2.0 speaker set, but I can't afford $160 speakers. I figured I could just get 2 bookshelf speakers and a RCA (or is it 1/8") converter and just plug it into the computer. I guess I would need a smal amp to because I'm not using a reciever and just plugging into the computer?

Thanks for any help
 
if you want ones that plug right into your computer, a 2.1 is the best sounding, you can tune bass to your liking, but if you want to go SQ i recommend a pair of Polk Audio R15 Bookshelf speakers, they sound excelent! and are well under 150 dollars, you just need to power them with a reciever which is 200 lol but if you already have a reciever you can hook it up to your computer
 
so I really need a stereo reciever? Can't just get some amplifier and plug them into it?

I see car amps at wal-mart for pretty cheap lol, i was hoping for like a 100 watt amp that'll do the job :)
 
my old computer speakers were * 9.5" H x 6.75" W x 4.75" D. "= inches :)

so somewhere around that size or smaller.

EDIT: the reciever doesn't really need to be small. Just looking for something cheap.

So they maybe those swans 200 (check newegg, about $160) are probably the cheapest for some good 2.0's?
 
although you can run a cheap car amp off of a computer psu... (i have done it, i will post pics once imagelink comes back up if you care) i wouldn't do it.. that is bootleg as crap.. i would save up ad get those swans.. otherwise you will have to find a good deal at a garage sale, pawn shop, goodwill, or something on speakers and an amp..
 
EDIT: technically, i could plug in any satellites into a PC subwoofer if it's got the right hookups right? If the woof isn't powerful enough i would get enough watts but it', but that would just affect volume right?


you are right that does sound stupid and plus my psu probably couldn't handle it :) I gotta see a pic of that :)

maybe i'll just check the salvation army store, good thing it's only a 5 minute walk.

Those systems that they sell at best buy and stuff that are a dvd player set... would that work as a reciever, then i could line out it into my line in on my nforce 2 mobo and it could do the processing.
 
GTPoompt said:
so I really need a stereo reciever? Can't just get some amplifier and plug them into it?

I see car amps at wal-mart for pretty cheap lol, i was hoping for like a 100 watt amp that'll do the job :)
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You could, but you would be very likely to fry the tweeters from under-powering them if you go ampless.

The car amp is more expensive than the receiver...trust me, 100w amp needs minimum about 200w of power input. Now those amps at walmart are rarely true 100w, usually more like 25w, so you will need only 50-70watts of input power. Reason for this is how inefficiant amplifiers are. Keep in mind that is often max power. I've done car amp subwoofer setups, and it ended up costing 4x as much as an equally powered plate amp (which is what should be used with home subwoofers). So best bet, is the receiver.

If your on a tight budget, you can get a new reciever for as low as $80, used heck $20-30 can get you a decent 70s-80s fisher/pioneer.
 
yeah recievers are really cheap, i would just get a simple home stereo reciever and throw on some good bookshelf speakers if you want excelent SQ, but if you just want sound you can get a cheap 2.1 computer speaker setup
 
klowngoblin said:
if you want ones that plug right into your computer, a 2.1 is the best sounding, you can tune bass to your liking, but if you want to go SQ i recommend a pair of Polk Audio R15 Bookshelf speakers, they sound excelent! and are well under 150 dollars, you just need to power them with a reciever which is 200 lol but if you already have a reciever you can hook it up to your computer
Click to expand...

Would these provide suffiicient bass bass without a sub?
 
Just FYI, the Polk R15 bookshelves are..... $50/pair at Fry's (outpost.com)!! You better jump on those, at that price, I think they are already backordered.

If you want the floorstanders (Polk R50), they are also on sale for only.... $160/pair at Fry's as well. Imagine getting the R50s for the regular R15 price.... that's nuts man!
 
so_cal_forever said:
Would these provide suffiicient bass bass without a sub?
Click to expand...

The R15 are bookshelfs (entry-level at that) and I dont expect them to have much extension below 60hz. I own the top of the line Polk LSi9 bookshelves ($900/pair) for my computer and even these dont have much extension below 43-45hz... subs easily go down to about 30hz or below.

You will most likely need a sub, but if you go for the R50 floorstanders - those things should extend to about 35hz or so.
 
Hmm, so what would be a good but cheap sub to compliment the R15s? I'd most likely get the R50s in that situation, but just in case...
 
You want some suggestions regarding the subwoofer?

www.svsubwoofers.com (I have the 25-31PC+, their subs range from $400 to $5000)
www.hsuresearch.com ($200 to $800 or so)
www.av123.com (look for the $400 ULW-10 or $200 ELT sub)
www.partsexpress.com (look for the $99 Dayton 10 inch subwoofer)

I think those suggestions should hold you off for a while.... ;) .

Let me know if you need more help.

Personally though, I would go for the uber-cheap R50, the price is good because you dont need speaker stands at all.... figure you add $50 for some decent stands (in addition to the R15 price). Also, with the R50, you can hold off on the sub for a while.
 
That's it! Those are real good for the price.

Also, if you want something with a little more flair in looks... I forgot to mention the Infinity Entra subs.

Let me look for a link for you.
 
Alright, this is getting ridiculous... I dont know why I cant post all my thoughts into one post... lol!

Anyway, I just remembered about a company called Fluance. They make some pretty decent speakers for an almost UNBELIEVABLE price. For your budget of $200, you will be VERY surprised what you can get.

Look here and tell me you're not impressed by the prices. I know several people who bought from Fluance and it has been a great experience for them.
http://www.fluance.com/

For a little more money - there is another company that makes better speakers for just a bit more cash. They are called Hometheaterdirect and several people have bought from them and they are gaining an impressive following.

Here is their link:
www.htd.com

I was about to go for the Level 4s until I decided to go all out with the Polk LSi speakers.

I bet you're awfully confused now.... lol.... I would be... so many choices. :p
 
To get a set of decent speakers and a good amplifier it would cost you more than buying a set of active monitors like Event's, KRK's, Alesis or M-Audio's.
 
But going with conventional speakers (not monitors) would allow for easier system integration in the future. It is difficult to upgrade around a set of monitors.

Besides, price is about the same in the end.
 
It begins.... mwahahahaa.... your entry into real speakers... mwhaaahah.. :cool: .

Let me know what you go with.
 
Another question: Am I gonna be forced to buy a reciever with RCA input if I wanna get some new speakers?
 
No. Speakers use speaker wire and plug in directly to terminals on the receiver. RCA has to do with connecting the receiver to tv, vhs, dvd, things of that sort.
 
Good stuff. So, how is the subwoofer connected?

And also, what cord will I need to connect the reciever to my soundcard?
 
Subs are usually connected via a subwoofer pre-out. Should be labeled "subwoofer" on the receiver... should look like any RCA plug.

You can connect it to your computer easily using an adapter going from the 3.5mm jacks of your computer's soundcard to the 1/4" RCA jacks of the receiver. Just go to your local radioshack and ask for 3.5mm to 1/4" adapters. These should cost near nothing.
 
Based on my experience with studio monitors vs. budget hi-fi, I'd have to say, for a good amp you'll pay about $100-200 and for good small speakers about $250-400 a pair. An alternative would be something like Event TR-5's or some small monitors like that.
 
This is about how the back of my reciever looks:

TX8211r.gif


No specified spot for a sub. Have I run into trouble?
 
That picture is tiny but you need RCA inputs. I can't tell if you have any digital ins or even a DAC on that from looking at the back. How many watts per channel RMS is that? You might be able to drive some speakers that don't need a sub.
 
Well, that was really just a comparison. My reciever is a Yamaha RX-300U, which specifies 120v - 180w on the back of the reciever. No given specifications on watts-per-speaker. No manual or online info either.
 
Some subs have the speaker inputs, I was wondering can you connect ur sub to the reciver like you would with ur speakers then connect the speakers to the sub?
 
Here is how you should hook it up:

From PC to Receiver:
-Do what I told you (using adapters) and hook up a single connector to your main output from your soundcard to a Y-cable with the ends being RCA into the CD inputs of your receiver.

From Receiver to Speakers:
-The outputs are right there.... good ol' speaker wire into the clips should be fine.

For the subwoofer:
-Since the receiver is probably from a time when subwoofers didnt exist (or werent as popular, most probably since they used full range speakers more so than today)... you will have to do a Y-connection on the main output of your soundcard (yes, the same one you use to connect to the CD-in of your receiver). The sub will use a coaxial cable (very similar to an RCA cable) and you can easily use 3.5mm to 1/4" adapters to hook it up to the main output of your soundcard.

To explain better, basically, the main output of your soundcard holds ALL audio information. All we have to do is send part of that signal to the receiver so it can power the speaker with that info AND send another part of that info into the subwoofer.
 
Cool stuff. I really hope my reciever has enougher power for the 2 bookshelfs and sub, or at least 2 bookshelfs that are good with bass.
 
CompUSA has the Infinity Primus 150s right now for $49 each. You could have your local BB or Circuit City price match as well. Ended up getting em for $100 / pair @ circuit city. These are excellent speakers @ MSRP and even better at that price.

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=305163&pfp=SEARCH

Heres a highly credible review:

http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/404infinity/

If you want more bass, add a Velodyne VX-10 sub like I did for $165 shipped from here:

http://www.6ave.com/product.jsp?x=VX10
 
I would also recommend the Primus speakers.. those are also pretty good.

Dont bother with that particular Velodyne though, the Dayton will mop it.
 
so_cal_forever said:
Cool stuff. I really hope my reciever has enougher power for the 2 bookshelfs and sub, or at least 2 bookshelfs that are good with bass.
Click to expand...

Your receiver ONLY powers the bookshelves.. the subwoofer has its own amp. It should be enough... have fun!!
 
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