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I wonder which is the best 2:1 speaker system? I'm looking for something from Cambridge or Logitech, namely Creative Inspire 2600, Creative Inspire 2400 and Logitech Z340. Which system is the best out of those, or is there another system that you think is better?
good question ;)
Cambridge MegaWorks 210D
or better yet, if you got the dough, VideoLogic Sirocco Pro's
Well....
how about a 2.0 solution, hmmm?
http://www.av123.com/divaproducts.html
This guy did a comparison of the Videologic Sirocco Spirits, the Diva Swan M-200's, and the Cambridge 210D.
The swans came out on top...
warning, big long thread:
http://www.3dsoundsurge.com/cgi-bin/...fpart=all&vc=1
Anyway, if $200 + $25 S&H for the best 'hi-fi/music' multimedia system this side of the $900 Sirocco Pro is a little too rich for your blood, I would suggest the Altec Lansing 621's... you can get those for $100, and unlike the cambridges, they have tweeters, lol!
here are the 621's..
http://www.alteclansing.com/product_...?pID=621&sID=2
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/emscomputinginc/736961.html
What is your sound card, and (I am guessing here), you will use this mostly for music, right?
In the inexpensive side, I would suggest these, which have incredible highs, midrange and imaging:
http://www.monsoonaudio.com/mh502.shtml
http://www.pcstop.com/product_detail.asp?ProdID=383951
However, their 'sub' is only 4"... even the 5.1 MH-505's have a 5.25" sub... which is the same size (and extension) of each midrange/woofer driver in the Swans... that's right, each sattelite in the swan speakers has the same size driver as one of the .1 of one of the better-rated 5.1 systems out there...
i wish Swans would make a 2.1 setup
Swan speakers makes a few mostly multimedia sucky 2.1 setups... but they are only sold in China.
The North American dealer, www.av123.com, basically saw these systems, saw that they were much inferior to the 2.0 M-200's (in both measurements and hearing tests...lots of 'em didn't have a tweeter, and the specs seemed VERY comparable to the 210D's...), and decided to only sell the M-200's. Besides guys, 2.0 is enough... the -10 dB point of the M-200's is the same as that of the Klipsch Promedia 2.1....
Here, check out my M-200 review...
http://www.3dsoundsurge.com/cgi-bin/...=5&o=21&fpart=
ok, well let me restate me statement and make a restatement.
I wish Swans would make a 2.1 setup that sounded as good as the M200's and (of course) had more extension with a reasonably flat response graph while still retaining the musicality of the m200's.
that better?
[edit: don't bring promedia's into this... i have a set (which will probably get moved to my wifes computer once i can afford a set of Sirocco Pro's) :p ]
I talked to av123.com *big time* about this, and it's just not profitable... yea, you can order their onix preamp and the hsu sub and have that system, but it's not that well matched (crossover issues and stuff with lower midrange authority).
av123.com is, I think, not really gonna be staying in the multimedia market after the m-200's... this is just something i've kinda gleaned...
The margins are way too low (they barely were making a profit at $300 for the M-200's, and now have to sell them at a loss at $200, when, pound for pound, they might be worth more around $800...), and not enough people are interested in buying it to make it profitable. It infringes on the "Home Theater in a Box" territory way too much, and both HTiB and Multimedia speakers tend to be looked down upon by high end HT and Hi Fi, and making systems for either often can soil a company's reputation...
Now, as soon as home theater audio, pc audio, and home theater in a box start to meld a little bit more and some things and ways of thinking and maximum prices change, than things might change... like, if someone makes a system that is made to be both a HTiB and a multimedia system... maybe make it modular.. and as soon as LOTS of people would buy a $700 5.1 multimedia system over an equally priced HTiB, than it might be worth it..
read my statement at the end here...
http://216.37.9.58/ubb/Forum33/HTML/001850.html
Also, check out my discussion with Mark L. Schifter, the head honcho at www.av123.com, at pages 55-58 of this thread
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&pagenumber=55
(just skim it until you get to relevant stuff...)
Also, read this thread....
http://www.3dsoundsurge.com/cgi-bin/...=5&o=21&fpart=
ESPECIALLY look at my post where I start, "Okay, so a question..."
In that, I basically type a quesiton for this sirocco-pro seeking person that may very well lead him to a better set of speakers, and give him some links to post it at... all you would have to do would be modify that question to suit you and post it wherever you can..
very true...
i have read many of your posts about buying components instead of a "multimedia" system. However, I think I would rather leave components to the home theatre and "living-room-stereo" realms.
My computer has enough confusing wires as it is, lol.
I'm not saying that your idea isn't a feasible one. I'm just saying that it's not for me. I have given it a lot of thought over the past month and decided that, for a computer, the Sirocco Pro's are more than good enough. Why waste my energy here when I could go overboard in the living room, anyway?... hehe
Although it may be possible to build a component system that sounds as good as the Pro's for 100-200 dollars less, I really don't think it's worth it(the extra time... extra wires in the way...). Of course, that may very well be an attractive and viable solution to someone else...
let me shut up now.. :cool:
Well, if you could save $100-$200 and get a system that uses slightly bigger midrange/woofer drivers than 5.25", and crosses over at a little bit lower than 125 hz like the Sirocco Pro, and uses a 10" sub instead of an 8" sub like the Sirocco Pro.... well, than, that might be worth it. If you can figure out a physically small bookshelf speaker that has drivers that big and a tweeter...
Hrm, Gluegun. It seems that the 210D's have the same sats as the 510D's, which would mean they'd be the best bet. The problem with them is the price and availability, from what I gather. They seem to be more expensive than the 510D's, just because they're so damned rare. :eek: :eek:
Now? I don't know your budget, but I picked up my Inspire 2400 2.1's for $40-50 at BB during the X-mas sale. If you can find a deal like that, they're very good for the money. :)
Hey I want some credit on that post LOL;)Quote:
Originally posted by Gluegun
I talked to av123.com *big time* about this, and it's just not profitable... yea, you can order their onix preamp and the hsu sub and have that system, but it's not that well matched (crossover issues and stuff with lower midrange authority).
av123.com is, I think, not really gonna be staying in the multimedia market after the m-200's... this is just something i've kinda gleaned...
The margins are way too low (they barely were making a profit at $300 for the M-200's, and now have to sell them at a loss at $200, when, pound for pound, they might be worth more around $800...), and not enough people are interested in buying it to make it profitable. It infringes on the "Home Theater in a Box" territory way too much, and both HTiB and Multimedia speakers tend to be looked down upon by high end HT and Hi Fi, and making systems for either often can soil a company's reputation...
Now, as soon as home theater audio, pc audio, and home theater in a box start to meld a little bit more and some things and ways of thinking and maximum prices change, than things might change... like, if someone makes a system that is made to be both a HTiB and a multimedia system... maybe make it modular.. and as soon as LOTS of people would buy a $700 5.1 multimedia system over an equally priced HTiB, than it might be worth it..
read my statement at the end here...
http://216.37.9.58/ubb/Forum33/HTML/001850.html
Also, check out my discussion with Mark L. Schifter, the head honcho at www.av123.com, at pages 55-58 of this thread
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&pagenumber=55
(just skim it until you get to relevant stuff...)
Also, read this thread....
http://www.3dsoundsurge.com/cgi-bin/...=5&o=21&fpart=
ESPECIALLY look at my post where I start, "Okay, so a question..."
In that, I basically type a quesiton for this sirocco-pro seeking person that may very well lead him to a better set of speakers, and give him some links to post it at... all you would have to do would be modify that question to suit you and post it wherever you can..
Yea folks, ictabor was a big huge help these past few weeks in helping gather information... lets give him a round of applause, folks..
:)
The soundcard will be an Audigy and it will be used for games and music. :)Quote:
Originally posted by Gluegun
Well....
how about a 2.0 solution, hmmm?
http://www.av123.com/divaproducts.html
This guy did a comparison of the Videologic Sirocco Spirits, the Diva Swan M-200's, and the Cambridge 210D.
The swans came out on top...
warning, big long thread:
http://www.3dsoundsurge.com/cgi-bin/...fpart=all&vc=1
Anyway, if $200 + $25 S&H for the best 'hi-fi/music' multimedia system this side of the $900 Sirocco Pro is a little too rich for your blood, I would suggest the Altec Lansing 621's... you can get those for $100, and unlike the cambridges, they have tweeters, lol!
here are the 621's..
http://www.alteclansing.com/product_...?pID=621&sID=2
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/emscomputinginc/736961.html
What is your sound card, and (I am guessing here), you will use this mostly for music, right?
In the inexpensive side, I would suggest these, which have incredible highs, midrange and imaging:
http://www.monsoonaudio.com/mh502.shtml
http://www.pcstop.com/product_detail.asp?ProdID=383951
However, their 'sub' is only 4"... even the 5.1 MH-505's have a 5.25" sub... which is the same size (and extension) of each midrange/woofer driver in the Swans... that's right, each sattelite in the swan speakers has the same size driver as one of the .1 of one of the better-rated 5.1 systems out there...
Thanks for all your help, all of you! :)
With the DiN's, the 210D's might be your best bet.
They seem to be difficult to find, though. If you can find them at a good price, I'd dive for those. :)
Yea, I believe Creative rigged the 210D's and the 510D's to sound better with digital on the Audigy than analog on the audigy...
I *think* they tweaked the amp to get louder with digital, so people would think that digital is better. Whatever, I'd still prefer a Santa Cruz & analog to the 210D's if I were to get them...
But I wouldn't get the Santa Cruz and analog to the 210D's... I'd get the santa Cruz and analog to the M-200's, which is cheaper and better...
it just depends on what is more important to you. The M-200's may sound a bit better than the 210D's, but they, in no way, can match the bass extension of the 210D's.
And there is no way that the tweeterless 210D's will compare to the M-200's in the highs.
Your point?
Check out the ollllllld 'speaker comparison' thread at 3dss.com. Sanderle compared the 210D's and the M-200's, and the m-200's weren't just a *little bit* better... they were a LOT better...
I have the SoundWorks Digital 2.1 myself, good value. Paid $69.99 including S/H direct from HiFi.com for an open box version.
Actually, not a good value. You can get the 5.1 Inspire 5300 for $67 before shipping, and I would definitely take the 2.1 Monsoon MH-502's for $75 before shipping from www.pcstop.com over either the inspire or most any cheaper 2.1 system... however the 502 isn't strong with the bass, not by a long shot.
i didn't say a "little bit" better, i said a "bit" better. Also, as i stated, some people prefer sheer volume and loud bass capabilities to sonic quality. If I were in the market for a set of computer speakers, i would not buy either of these sets. I would save my money and get the Sirocco Pro's to get the best of both worlds.
Hey Triton! What have you decided on, or what are you thinking about getting?
What budget did you set for yourself? Why don't you wanna get 4.1 or 5.1 speakers if you have an Audigy and will be using your computer for gaming as well as music.
If you need style, and don't care much about the sound power, check those beauties out. You can impress any computer illetrate (or non-audiophile at that matter) with them! ;) :D
Not really? The 210D's are intended to be flat in response, not to have harsh, overwhelming highs.Quote:
Originally posted by Gluegun
And there is no way that the tweeterless 210D's will compare to the M-200's in the highs.
Your point?
Check out the ollllllld 'speaker comparison' thread at 3dss.com. Sanderle compared the 210D's and the M-200's, and the m-200's weren't just a *little bit* better... they were a LOT better...
That's the likely cause of it not having any tweeter.
(analog) TBSC + M-200's won't sound better than (digital) Audigy + 210D's.
Well, basically, Cambridge solved the problem of having harsh, beamy highs with multimedia systems by taking away the tweeter altogether, and Hi Vi solved the problem by using a tweeter that *didn't* suck...
Trust me, that silk dome tweeter is DEFINITELY a LOT better than what you see in multimedia...
Oh, and read Sanderle's thread... the M-200's get louder before distorting than the 210D's do...
And, YEA, Analog TBSC + M-200's *will* sound better than Digital Audigy + 210D's...
The Audigy is still upsampling the 16 bit signal to 24/96, and there isn't anything telling you that the 210D's DAC is quality...
READ Sanderle's thread, for the love of god!
http://www.3dsoundsurge.com/cgi-bin/...fpart=all&vc=1
So can you tell the difference between analog and digital mode with the 210D's or 510D's? And what exactly is "digital" about the digital mode? I don't quite understand that part of it.