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Anything stopping you from just running the speaker output(s) to your stereo's receiver? You can get a stereo mini to RCA jack cable, use TOSLINK or S/PDIF, or use HDMI passthrough, and most computers are already equipped for at least two of those.
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May 9, 2012 11:53
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 21:49 |
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Well, you could get a small t-amp if you don't need too many Watts per channel. I don't have any recommendations because I went the self-powered monitor route, but that's what was recommended to me when I was considering bookshelf speakers.
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May 10, 2012 14:27
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Since you seem to have missed my SH/SC follow up, reposting:booseek posted:What kind of amp? Do you have any that you recommend for my purposes? This was my basic question. As I said, no specific recommendation. Just a simple T-amp, I would think, but you really should get info from somebody else for that. quote:I was thinking about an ASUS Xonar ST or STX, but I'm not sure how much of a difference I'd hear coming from an X-Fi XtremeMusic. The Xonar DX is about 99.9% the sound card the STX is, so there's no reason to go for the STX. It would take over $500 of speakers and a soundproof room to tell the difference. The difference between the Xonar DX and the XtremeMusic is conveniently quantified by TechReport. It's a decent increase in quality at most common source frequencies/bitrates and, at worst, matches the X-Fi XtremeMusic at its best. quote:What 2.1 Logitech speakers are you using? Logitech Z323. They weren't as cheap in late 2010 as they are now, either.
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Jun 21, 2012 20:25
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I checked, and the STX's headphone amp can actually output sufficient power for your headphones, but now you're getting into cost/benefit issues - an $80 difference for that headphone amp, assuming the sound quality is similar. And is it similar? Let's take some images from an STX review and a DX review using the same benchmark: Frequency Response   The DX is the smidgiest bit better at the upper end of human hearing. Perfect for getting top fidelity on the compression artifacts on lovely YouTube music  Dynamic Range   Welp, the STX is better, ain't gonna lie. But you still get over 100dB dynamic range. Is your hearing sensitive enough that you can hear a pin drop, yet your lust for loud so strong that you want the true experience of a lawnmower three feet away? Because if not, the STX won't do anything for you. Noise (SNR)   For common playback levels, it's pretty much a tossup. If you're recording, the STX is better because it gives you a bit more noise leeway at higher bitrates. Also, if you're planning to use the computer to drive concert loudspeakers, or if you want blow out your eardrums without any background hiss, the STX does better. Intermodulation Distortion   Largely similar, STX is better. Let's see the XtremeMusic. Because of the review I had handy, this is a number of different cards at CD quality (16-bit/44.1 KHz).  The Xonar DX is more of a step up from the XtremeMusic than the STX is from the DX. You can suss out the rest yourself.
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Jun 21, 2012 22:24
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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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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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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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