PC speakers - need a recommendation - The Something Awful Forums

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > PC speakers - need a recommendation

hellfaucet: Apr 7, 2009

Hey I was hoping some of the Audioengine A2 owners could post some feedback about them after extended use. I'm really looking to get rid of my junky Creative 5.1 system and reduce the amount of clutter on my desktop, but hesitant pulling the plug on a $200 set of 2 unless they really are that stellar. These will be my primary computer speakers, I'll be using these really just for music and games. Main questions I have:

1) Have you had any issues with the tweeter or woofers blowing? If so, did you have an OK experience with Audioengine's customer service?
2) Did any of you get stands to go with them? Read reviews stating that they sound better if not directly placed on your desk.
3) How loud are these little guys? Can they pack enough of a punch to play in one room and listen in another?

# ¿ Feb 20, 2012 19:42

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 05:52

hellfaucet: Apr 7, 2009

powderific posted:

First up, I'd say the same thing I said to someone earlier: they feel like $200 speakers. They're made of inch thick MDF, have a fantastic satin finish, and I do think that most people would be wowed by the sound they put out--as long as you're not expecting those little 2.75 inch drivers to defy physics. It won't have the same chest thumpiness as your 5.1 system but, to my ears, it's a much more pleasing sound all around and the bass is shaped in such a way that the music still has impact.

I have quite a few other speakers, including some DIY stuff with pricey components, and I find the A2's to be very satisfying for the money.

What kind of music do you listen to?

For your specific questions:

1) Three years after purchasing I'm having an issue with one speaker. Doesn't sound like the woofer is blown so much as maybe a connection is loose, or there's an issue in the amp. It still sounds fine most of the time but I'm going to send it in to get fixed. It's out of the two year warranty so I have to pay a $60 flat fee that covers fixing anything that's wrong (or a whole new set if they can't repair) along with return shipping. This seems pretty standard for audio gear repair out of warranty. Haven't actually sent them in yet so I'll have to report back afterwards. I'm not rough on them, but while I had them at work my coworkers moved them around quite a bit and they are not gentle with equipment.

2) I didn't buy stands, I just put them on some stacks of books. I would HIGHLY recommend getting them off the surface of your desk as they can get boomy otherwise (this is true of most any speaker though).

3) I think they're pretty loud. I use them in my one bedroom apartment when I'm cleaning or doing whatever and can hear them fine from other rooms. We used them in my office for a while and they sounded pretty good in a relatively large space.

This is awesome info, thanks for taking the time to get back to me. It's funny you mentioned these possibly not having the "chest thumpiness" of a 5.1 system as I feel that's all my 5.1 system has going for it.

I work at a company that deals with professional audio equipment and *could* get some crazy speakers if I really wanted to make a banging setup, but I'm not picky enough to shell out over $500 for a system like that. I'm really looking for a clean set of bookshelf speakers that deliver a pretty neutral sound but also isn't so neutral that I'd want to mix tracks on them. If that makes sense... I can get a deal on M-Audio speakers similar to these, but have had terrible experiences with Avid (owns M-Audio) and their customer service department and would pay a higher price to avoid bullshit.

I listen to all sorts of music, so it's not like I'm looking for something that's going to rattle my monitor off the desk. I own a pretty small home, so your analogy of your one-bedroom apartment and doing work in other rooms and still hearing the music is actually exactly what I meant with my last question.

# ¿ Feb 20, 2012 22:44

hellfaucet: Apr 7, 2009

Thanks so much for all the valuable input. I'm probably going to pull the plug on a refurbished pair direct from Audioengine tonight, sweet tip btw. I'll definitely report back my experience with them after I use them some. ~~Is there any worth to using my old sub with these?~~

e: Scratch that, this sub has only proprietary connectors on the back.

hellfaucet fucked around with this message at 01:24 on Feb 22, 2012

# ¿ Feb 22, 2012 01:17

hellfaucet: Apr 7, 2009

Anyone have any experience with the Focal Alpha 50s?

hellfaucet fucked around with this message at 20:14 on Jan 23, 2015

# ¿ Jan 23, 2015 20:05

hellfaucet: Apr 7, 2009

powderific posted:

Man, your prices are really tough. Entry level Polk bookshelf speakers that'd be at most a couple hundred bucks in the USA are around three times more expensive in Brazil.

The Brazilian government price gouges like crazy with any product being imported in. It's horribly restrictive.

# ¿ Jan 23, 2015 22:01

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