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Am I missing something with those graphs? The frequency response charts appear to show a D/A to A/D conversion stage with a sampling rate of 44.1khz and bandwidth miles higher than 50khz. What tha gently caress is going on there? It should be less than 22khz. WanderingKid fucked around with this message at 13:43 on Jun 22, 2012 |
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Jun 22, 2012 13:33
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Dumb question, but is it safe to leave my speakers on, or am I supposed to be turning them off? I've always had my computer speakers hooked up to a battery backup/surge protector, but in the past ~7 years I've gone through 2 sets of high-end Logitech speakers. The only thing I can think I may be doing wrong is I never turn them off. I'm going to order the Promedia 2.1 cause I'm sick of 5.1, but should I get into the habit of turning them off when not in use?
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Jun 26, 2012 19:51
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I've had Logitech Z560s for maybe 10 years. Is there any reason I would want to replace them for something newer? Assume that my PC usage habits haven't changed in that time. http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Computer-Speakers-5-Speaker-Black/dp/B00006B9CN/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
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Jun 27, 2012 18:52
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KingKapalone posted:I've had Logitech Z560s for maybe 10 years. Is there any reason I would want to replace them for something newer? Assume that my PC usage habits haven't changed in that time. Is this a trick question?
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Jun 27, 2012 18:57
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Too expand on the snark, Logitech speakers sound like resonant horse poo poo.
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Jun 27, 2012 19:00
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Even if they didn't a question like that is impossible to give any answers to. You've listened to those speakers for 10 years. Do they still work? Do you like how they sound? Have you heard what else is out there? If nothing has changed, why are you asking this question in the first place? I guess I could always repeat the age-old wisdom "go forth and listen with thine own ears".
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Jun 27, 2012 19:09
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They weren't good to begin with? They were extremely well reviewed when they came out and blew everything away while costing a lot less. If the competition improved enough where these now sound like resonant horse poo poo, then I'd be interested to learn more. I'm wondering if the technology has changed enough to warrant an upgrade. Have their been any breakthroughs? The question is independent from my usage habits because obviously I'd consider something new if I began watching movies on the computer and wanted 5.1, etc.
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Jun 27, 2012 20:51
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Speaker technology has not changed. PC speakers have not gotten meaningfully different. It's just that "PC speakers" and "gaming speakers" are just lovely. If your goal is positional audio to hear dudes in CounterStrike or huge bass so your chest thumps when there's an explosion nearby, that's what those speakers are good for, and that's why they got good reviews. If your goal is flat response and clear details when listening to music or movies (assuming you're not working from awful  versions thereof), PC speakers are entirely third-rate. They're built with different priorities in mind.Especially "gaming" products. One of the top priorities in "gaming" products is to flense low-information buyers.
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Jun 27, 2012 21:29
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Well, I doubt there have been any advances since then in the 5.1 pc speaker market, or audio in general. It's more that people seem to be moving towards higher quality two way speakers that look like something you'd see in a studio or 2 channel setup rather then the sub satellite style systems. Two way speakers tend to sound better than sub/satellite systems (this is a broad generalization obviously). There are probably more two channel style setups designed for computers than there were ten years ago, but it's not new technology. It's just a different setup that has always been better seems to be more common now. I'm not sure why this shift has happened--perhaps computers have become a default media consumption device for many, and the demand for quality has gone up as a result? In any case, you should see if you can find a good two channel system to listen to and see how you like it compared to the sub/satellite systems. AudioEngine A2, M-Audio AV40's (and studio monitors in general), Swan M200's, or even small bookshelf speakers. ^^^^ I may be remembering wrong, but it seems like it wasn't nearly as common to hook "good" speakers up to your computer ten years ago. The PC speaker market's last real advance was combining surround satellites with a powerful-ish sub. It's like the market apexed with the Klipsch ProMedia series and never went anywhere else. The only other change I can think of would be Logitech's set that could decode dolby streams. There are probably a lot of interesting market factors you could trace explaining why PC speakers were traditionally sub/satellite system (limited space on the desktop, lower quality audio not needing much more, ???) and the current trend towards higher quality two channel systems that have been possible for ages. ^^^^^^ powderific fucked around with this message at 21:41 on Jun 27, 2012 |
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Jun 27, 2012 21:31
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KingKapalone posted:I'm wondering if the technology has changed enough to warrant an upgrade. Have their been any breakthroughs? Not really. Speakers (and hi-fi in general) don't really advance at same pace as computers and other gadgets. Speakers several decades old can still sound excellent. There's three things mainly: - generally slow advances in tech. The last really big leap was CD. - matters of taste; is a horn-loaded speaker "better" than electrostatic? - relatively static target; the big challenge for all speakers is human voice, and if it does that well then it can be expected to do most other instruments well also. Your usage is a most central thing to the question at hand. So is your taste. If you listen to lots of music, maybe consider a good stereo setup or headphones? If you're satisfied with what you now have, then stick with them. Unfortunately there is no single "correct" answer, and I can't give you a neat performance table which shows how much "better" certain speakers are in regards to others.
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Jun 27, 2012 21:33
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KingKapalone posted:I've had Logitech Z560s for maybe 10 years. Is there any reason I would want to replace them for something newer? Assume that my PC usage habits haven't changed in that time.
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Jul 11, 2012 04:50
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This might not be the right thread for it, but I'll go ahead and ask. Does there exist some kind of audio headphone/speaker switch box that's audiophile grade? I have a set of 4.1 ProMedia's that I occasionally listen to multimedia through/play games on, but generally I use my Sennheisser 558s. I know most sound cards have a feature where they disable the speaker output when the headphones are plugged in, but I prefer just keeping everything plugged in and would like some kind of hardware switch to change the output. Right now I just have to reach up and turn off the speakers and change the sound channels from 5.1 to stereo, but if there is something more streamlined out there I'd love to know about it.
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Jul 13, 2012 23:52
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Anti-Hero posted:This might not be the right thread for it, but I'll go ahead and ask. Does there exist some kind of audio headphone/speaker switch box that's audiophile grade? I have a set of 4.1 ProMedia's that I occasionally listen to multimedia through/play games on, but generally I use my Sennheisser 558s. I know most sound cards have a feature where they disable the speaker output when the headphones are plugged in, but I prefer just keeping everything plugged in and would like some kind of hardware switch to change the output. Right now I just have to reach up and turn off the speakers and change the sound channels from 5.1 to stereo, but if there is something more streamlined out there I'd love to know about it. 7" 6' They are gold plated, so I guess the next step up is solid gold? Sorry about the sarcasm and the bad advice. Reread your post. How about this? DinosaurHouseParty fucked around with this message at 06:39 on Jul 14, 2012 |
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Jul 14, 2012 00:25
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I think it'd probably be best to find a software solution that lets you use a hotkey on your keyboard instead of a piece of hardware as you're still going to want to switch from 5.1 to 2.0 in your sound card settings.
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Jul 14, 2012 00:29
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powderific posted:I think it'd probably be best to find a software solution that lets you use a hotkey on your keyboard instead of a piece of hardware as you're still going to want to switch from 5.1 to 2.0 in your sound card settings. What I had going for his exact same problem was I had onboard and a XONAR DG going at the same time. It was still a few clicks away from being a tactile switch so maybe he could utilize both options. DinosaurHouseParty fucked around with this message at 00:53 on Jul 14, 2012 |
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Jul 14, 2012 00:44
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Has anyone tried the Olasonic TW-7? The Audio Critic seems to like them - I'm considering getting a pair over the Audioengine's that seem to be the defacto standard for high quality 2-channel audio from a computer. http://www.olasonic.us/
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Jul 14, 2012 01:16
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pork never goes bad posted:Has anyone tried the Olasonic TW-7? The Audio Critic seems to like them - I'm considering getting a pair over the Audioengine's that seem to be the defacto standard for high quality 2-channel audio from a computer.
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Jul 14, 2012 03:55
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Reads like it uses some kind of capacitor thing to store up energy. They look neat and I'd be really curious to hear some impressions if anyone's heard them. I seriously doubt they'll sound as good as the A2s considering they're relying on a full range driver. On the other hand, they're probably much better than most USB powered speakers and cost half as much as the A2's. Here's a less positive review: http://peripherals.about.com/od/speakersandheadphones/fr/Olasonic-Tw-S7-Review.htm If you really like the shape and USB power is a factor, I'm sure they'd be good. But one amazon review suggested that they're "completely outclassed" by other powered speakers in the price range and specifically mentioned the $75 creative gigaworks, and many of the glowing reviews focused on how they compare to other USB speakers. http://www.amazon.com/review/RKSIRJ0AZOBD4/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0052L6RR2&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=
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Jul 14, 2012 05:10
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Has anybody tried out the Corsair SP2500 2.1 set? It looks pricey but reviews well in the few reviews I've found. Clearly better than Logitech, anyway.
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Jul 14, 2012 06:44
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DinosaurHouseParty posted:5.1. . . right. Technically the above dongle should still work. This is precisely the solution I came up with after thinking about it for a bit. I just ordered a Xonar DGX and will use that for the headphones and the onboard sound for the ProMedias.
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Jul 15, 2012 18:41
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For anyone wondering about the A2s, they are decent. The highs were good the mids get a little lost with a thumpish bass, excellent stereo separation (might be just because I'm very used to headphones). I'm packing em up though. The main reason is a loud hum when I went to hook up my Wii and my computer up to both the RCA and the 3.5mm (TRS) at the same time. When only one source is plugged in its fine but when both are there is this very loud buzzing humming noise. I was able to reproduce it with both my onboard sound and a Xonar DX paired with a 3.5mm from my TV and RCA straight from the Wii. I would really like to keep em but can't justify it since my $200.00 budget was for my all encompassing AUDIO SOLUTION. They were sounding better and better too. It would also be awesome if the speakers had a grill of sorts. I had a nervous attack every time I accidentally touched the silk tweeters.Factory Factory posted:Has anybody tried out the Corsair SP2500 2.1 set? It looks pricey but reviews well in the few reviews I've found. Clearly better than Logitech, anyway. I'm gonna do a little more research before bed but this is the direction I'm headed. Best Buy has em right now for $205 ship to store. DinosaurHouseParty fucked around with this message at 10:47 on Jul 21, 2012 |
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Jul 21, 2012 10:34
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Weird, I use the RCA jacks with a USB output from my computer (also played the Wii through the input/monitor on that box) and the minijack with my 3DS occasionally. I don't think I've heard a loud hum like that except maybe on initial plugging in of the 3DS.
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Jul 21, 2012 19:17
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japtor posted:Weird, I use the RCA jacks with a USB output from my computer (also played the Wii through the input/monitor on that box) and the minijack with my 3DS occasionally. I don't think I've heard a loud hum like that except maybe on initial plugging in of the 3DS.
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Jul 22, 2012 00:58
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Think maybe you have a ground loop going on, which might still be a problem with the other set. http://siber-sonic.com/electronics/GLoopwhatis.html I can have both inputs connected at the same time with no hum issues. powderific fucked around with this message at 01:28 on Jul 22, 2012 |
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Jul 22, 2012 01:24
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powderific posted:Think maybe you have a ground loop going on, which might still be a problem with the other set.
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Jul 22, 2012 01:43
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I'm not knowledgeable enough to give great advice, but I think having both of your sources on the same strip as the speakers would be the best way to test it. It's worth trying anyway.
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Jul 22, 2012 02:13
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DinosaurHouseParty posted:My onboard, a VIA Vinyl chipset, outputs a substantially lower volume hum than a Xonar DX but a hum non the less. I don't fully understand this statement though, do you mean when have the RCA and TRS jacks both in at the same time there is no appreciable noise? It was then when my trouble started. DinosaurHouseParty posted:So I put my computer and the A2s on the same power strip and I should be GTG? Alternatively, if your computer is on all the time, maybe try running the TV output to the computer input then passing the audio through. Or I guess some cheap AV switcher type thing.
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Jul 22, 2012 03:31
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Oh thanks for the help everyone. Turns out to be GPU folding or more specifically 100% GPU utilization. This is all independent of outlets (a ground loop was the first possibility I ruled out as a source of the interference). Now to decide if I want to keep the SP2500 or the A2s or to figure out even if the SP2500 will be affected at all (since the folding computer never had a problem with the A2s when it was the only input).
DinosaurHouseParty fucked around with this message at 05:36 on Jul 22, 2012 |
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Jul 22, 2012 04:03
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I ended up having to fix a ground loop. It was just my folding habit was only making things worse. Here is my solution (one for my monitor one for my rig). I hope the only explosions I hear come from my SP2500s  .Edit: My skin is tingling I thinks its the ungrounded electronics. DinosaurHouseParty fucked around with this message at 02:03 on Jul 29, 2012 |
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Jul 29, 2012 00:20
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Goldmund posted:PC speakers suck. I'd grab something like this Pyle amp and these Pioneer speakers Is this a good idea? Should I buy this? I have a $50 logitec pc speakers set but I'm looking to upgrade to something better.
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Aug 21, 2012 08:19
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Getting a set of bookshelf speakers and an amp is a great way to go, but I don't know that those particular items would be the best. Looks like the amp is really more like 15 watts? You'd probably want more than that unless you were looking at really efficient speakers. Even so, the studio monitor style speakers people in this thread have been looking at are excellent and aren't really what people are talking about when they say computer speakers suck (mostly anyway).
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Aug 21, 2012 14:19
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Good to know. Would you be able to recommend an appropriate receiver for these book shelf speakers? http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-TSi200-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B0018QRO9A
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Aug 21, 2012 16:17
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It's been a while since I last bought an amplifier so I don't have any great tips. Parts Express has a neat squarish amp that should be powerful enough and looks like it'd work well on a desk. I have a Panasonic XR55 which is a great stereo amp if you can find one. If you're looking at that price range, do check out the Audioengineusa A5+ and A2. They're great, self powered speakers and they might be a bit better than those Polks.
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Aug 21, 2012 17:11
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Opus125 posted:Is this a good idea? Should I buy this? I have a $50 logitec pc speakers set but I'm looking to upgrade to something better. Why not? I have B&W 683 and Marantz PM7004 as my computer speakers. Of course, I have the option of kicking back and listening to a CD with the same setup. Sometimes the best thing you can do with one hour of your time is to play a record.
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Aug 21, 2012 21:22
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This is my current setup. I was happy with the setup until about 2 months ago when the fronts started doing some nonsense with the highs. I'm thinking of getting replacements that are a bit higher quality, but don't take up much more desk space. Any suggestions?
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Aug 26, 2012 00:02
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Hob_Gadling posted:Why not? I have B&W 683 and Marantz PM7004 as my computer speakers. Of course, I have the option of kicking back and listening to a CD with the same setup. Sometimes the best thing you can do with one hour of your time is to play a record. That's something I'd never thought about before, getting a receiver/speaker set up for my pc. I imagine it sounds pretty incredible for leisurely listening. I wonder how it would fair up when trying to use it to record your own music.
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Aug 26, 2012 02:18
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I've been using this setup for my PC, mostly for games: -Onkyo 507 receiver connected to my video card via HDMI -A pair of Polk AUdio TSI 500 front speakers -Polk Audio TS2 center channel -A pair of Polk Audio Monitor 40s for the rear -Dayton 10" subwoofer Sounds great, but takes up a lot of space. Dominoes fucked around with this message at 20:23 on Sep 4, 2012 |
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Sep 4, 2012 13:52
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Stereo-only and a bit more budget-minded, but I'm using a similar setup for my PC and in fact as my main stereo in the living room:
The amplifier was free because my dad upgraded to surround sound, and I bought the speakers used from a colleague for less than a quarter of their original price. It blows any PC speaker set ever made clear out of the water with no effort at all. For the bedroom, I use my Audioengine A2s with a FLAC-capable MP3 player and/or a netbook with an Edirol UA1X USB sound card. This also trounces any PC speaker set ever made.
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Sep 4, 2012 14:40
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I'm on the hunt for some new speakers of the wireless variety. The idea is to get rid of all the cords hanging out of my iMac bar one (the power cable). I tried a bluetooth adapter but the sound quality was horrible, it would disconnect when I used skype (no idea why) and there was annoying audio delay during video playback. I think the new apt-x standard might solve the sound quality issues though not sure about the others. I've had a look at Airplay enabled speakers but it's not clear whether I can push audio from multiple applications to the speakers at once. Can anyone clear that up for me? The speakers I've been eyeing are the: Philips Fidelio Soundsphere DS9800W  Nocs NS2 Air Monitors  Audio Pro Living LV2e 
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Sep 6, 2012 10:29
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KingEup posted:I'm on the hunt for some new speakers of the wireless variety. The idea is to get rid of all the cords hanging out of my iMac bar one (the power cable). You can get a wireless audio adapter from Audioengine that's essentially a wireless 3.5mm jack cable that can also function as a USB sound card. You can use it to turn an amp or a set of powered speakers wireless. http://audioengineusa.com/Audioengine-W3 I'd go for that (or another similar product) and the best set of powered speakers you can find, no use limiting yourself to only speakers with built-in wireless. If you can find a set of speakers with a USB port, you don't even have to use an additional power adapter for the receiver. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 12:01 on Sep 6, 2012 |
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Sep 6, 2012 11:58
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