Bringing Home The Bass: 2.1-Channel Speaker Roundup

[Guest]

Great article! Please make more! Include other speakers as well

 

[drochse66]

Studio Monitors or the Swan computer speakers are really the only way to go. I looked at everything before I made my speaker choice last Summer (including computer speakers, studio monitors and home audio). I ended up buying some Fostex PM 0.5s for $135 used on ebay. Best speakers I have ever owned, its only competition came from the same class of speakers.

So look at the M-Audio bX5a, KRKs, Samsons, Mackies, etc. before you buy, you won't be disappointed.

 

[racermx187]

I have thought of buying a 2.1 system for a while but instead I have gone with a Sony receiver and a pair of Def. Tech Studio Monitor 350s. It sounds good but lacks real powerful bass.

 

[wolfram23]

I'm using 7.2 surround lol. Altec Lansing 2.1 + Logitech X540 5.1. Works great on my AuzenTech Bravura, but sadly, living in an appartment means I generally use my headphones instead... kind of sad, it's so fun to crank the volume.

Aw well. I hope Tom's does a headset round up!

 

[Darkv1]

I've always been partial to my Klipsch Pro Media 2.1's. Not that I'm surprised but it's impressive that they have been around for 10 years and still to some degree aren't matched. I've been enjoying the house-shaking sound of mine for years. If there's anything I don't like about them its that they have spoiled me with such great sound that they have made shopping for home theater speakers very expensive

 

[JOSHSKORN]

MEH, who cares. Attention gamers: Logitech G930 FTW!

 

[cmartin011]

UPioneer sc-37 with couple of pioneer s-1ex with a jl audio Gotham g213 . 2.1 done right. With creative sound card

 

[thegreathuntingdolphin]

Don. thank you for doing a 2.1 piece. I am a bit disappointed the M-Audio Studiophiles aren't on the list but they probably didn't send any samples in. I made the jump to 5.1 gaming recently and regret it. It is too cumbersome for most people PC gaming as I found out. Hopefully in a few months I will be able to invest in some good 2.1 speakers.

To all those complaining "where's Bose":

Bose is known as the joke in the audio community. There is a reason you don't see them advertised in audio mags and mostly see them on tv, at best buy, and in non-audio savvy magazines. I doubt they would send samples to Tom's anyways since Bose is notorious for using heavily optimized rooms (slanted in their favor) and suing those that give them a bad rating. I am not saying all Bose speakers are bad; I have heard a few that were pretty good....but they are not worth even half the price they charge.

 

[Eric The Red]

LOL these speakers are total trash! Just google the 'AudioEngine 5's or 2's', most audiophile sites regard the A5's as the benchmark in this price range and yet Tom's doesn't even include them in the list.

..Tom's please stick with stuff you're good at.

 

[Guest]

To this article is say, "well, duuhhh"
Klipsch Promedia 2.1 and Logitech 2.1 Z-series flat out rocks! You'd be crazy to buy any other 2.1 system other than one of these two. Both have really big sound capable filling any room. But of course, I'm no audiophile...so take it for what its worth

 

[teflon2287]

Couldn't agree more with the comments about a real amp... I couldn't believe the difference the first time I hooked my PC up with the hi-fi system!

 

[cleeve]

I am a bit disappointed the M-Audio Studiophiles aren't on the list but they probably didn't send any samples in.

On the contrary! We have a 2.0 speaker roundup I've already done that includes them, it should be published in the near future.

Yes, Bose completely ignored our attempts to include them.

Looks like people are hungry for 5.1/7.1 reviews. If we have a lot of interest I might give those a shot, too.

 

[Ford75chero]

I think these testers are definitely not idiots and have had a luxury we haven't had, a sit down with several sets of speakers. I like everyone here thinks my system sounds great if not awesome. But what matters is what you have to work with and what sounds good to you (my brothers standards are much lower for sound quality than mine but he loves his boomy 3 foot tall house speakers). I personally run a 7 year old creative labs 2.1 with a single 6.5 inch sub for sides ($70), a new Harmon Kardon soundstick (clear)$170 with a single 6.5 sub, and a 6 year old powered sony 12" (about $120). Windows 7 highpasses my fronts and sides at 70hz with everything else to the sony, Shakes the house great for clear music Dirt 2 Is awesome as is hearing footsteps in black ops. Everyone has different taste. My Harmon Kardons do rock though and they fill the entire house by themselves and sub.

 

[cleeve]

lol, i post what a joke the whole article is and tom's inability to understand how to review an audio product so they delete the post not to look so stupid.

It wasn't me, but It looks like your post was deleted by a moderator because of the vulgar nature.

Your opinion doesn't really bother us in the slightest, feel free to share it in an inoffensive way.
We wouldn't go very far as an internet publication if we were bothered by every forum poster who bolstered their own self esteem by putting down an article with a sweeping, non-specific complaint.

 

[b23h]

Yes, I concur with a number of the posts here. I've got a decent Altec Lansing 2.1 system attached to the computer; but I also have a toslink out to a Marantz amp with a couple of ancient yet beautiful Pinnacle bookshelf speakers. If I don't really care about what I'm listening to, then I might switch on the Altec's, if I do then it's the Marantz/Pinnacles. The computer gets the castoff's from my main stereo/TV system.

 

[omgitswes]

waiting on a 2.0 one. I really don't want a sub in my bedroom.

 

[rrplay]

This is an interesting read and the comments are great as well. I have Monsoon Planar Media 9 [2.1] since they came out and just love them, accurate clear mids and tight bottom end .yeah sure the 'puck on this thing needed a fix a while back. wish they still made them cause I 'm pretty sure they would have done very nice in this review. they are similar to Magneplanars in a way they "incorporate a lower-cost second-generation flat-panel transducer"
think I paid about 99.00 for then back in '03.you can check out some tech info here at
http://www.pcmag.com/print_article2/0,1217,a=29250,00.asp?hidPrint=true

although they are not capable of bringing down the house' the crisp and natural clarity and tight bass have worked for me.

 

[Guest]

A number of years back there was a company who took audiophile quality speakers seriously. That company was Monsoon (later Sonigistix, then Planar Media) and they produced a series of planar speakers that could rival audiophile quality of many larger speakers. Unfortunately, the sound cards of the era were not of audiophile quality. There are a couple very good sound cards out there today. I recently purchased the Creative Labs HD X-Fi and combined with my Monsoons I have been more than surprised with the quality which easily rival the Magnepan speakers I use in my living room. If you can get a hold of a pair of Monsoon 1000's or 2000's grab them. They may be a little directional, but when used for music, the result is more than pleasing

 

[ChromeTusk]

I'm using 7.2 surround lol. Altec Lansing 2.1 + Logitech X540 5.1. Works great on my AuzenTech Bravura, but sadly, living in an appartment means I generally use my headphones instead... kind of sad, it's so fun to crank the volume.

Aw well. I hope Tom's does a headset round up!

I am right there with you. I had an older Logitech 5.1 system arranged on an L-shaped corner desk and I miss the bass from the woofer. Unfortunately, no one else wanted to hear it, so I use my Logitech usb laptop headset. Decent sound, a good mic., and easily portable with the included case.
Cannot remember the model of my 5.1 because I put it in storage and it seems to have gone missing .

 

[Guest]

Hi, i am an audio engineer and i have the Harman Kardon Soundstick and i tested them myself and they sound better that the other ones that you have tested, i sugest you to try it and i assure you its the best of all of them.

 

[bv90andy]

I was recently in the market for one of these 2.1 but after literally days of reading reviews, and remembering my previous experience anything under 100£ is useless, so I went out and bought an old second hand panasonic hi-fi with 10£ that put out 300 ACTUAL Watts and I have no regrets, sound is brilliant

 

[rohitbaran]

Maybe, sometime you guys could do an article for sub $100 speaker sets as well. The point is that everyone can't spend a huge sum on speakers and it is possible that those who want good music without going too loud can possibly use low RMS power speakers but with good sound quality, which I presume can be found under $100.

 

[rohitbaran]

In fact, it would be really nice if you can publish a list of good speaker systems on a price and configuration (2.0, 2.1, 5.1, 7.1) basis every month (or every quarter, considering speakers aren't launched every now and then), similar to the list of gaming CPUs and Graphics cards (where the list is somewhat simple as there are only two major vendors).

 

[Brechan]

Is it just us, or are 5.1- and 7.1-channel speaker systems impractical for PCs? In our 2.1 speaker roundup, we look at the Corsair SP2500 and Antec/Soundscience Rockus 3D|2.1, along with the Creative Gigaworks 3D, Klipsch Promedia 2.1, and Logitech Z623.

Bringing Home The Bass: 2.1-Channel Speaker Roundup : Read more

While some balk at the mere thought about using any form of "PC" speaker, I for one have enjoyed many hours of listening to music and playing playing PC games with my old Logitech 540's.

That being said; I have been looking for a better speaker setup for my PC, and a couple of systems here might just do it for me.
I like the idea of being able to connect a pair of Energy speakers to the bass unit of either the Soundscience Rockus; or the better of the 2, the Klipsch Promedia 2.1 system without the need for any special connections/ adapters.

It's also good to know that that a 2.1 speaker system that was produced just over 10 years ago (Klipsch Promedia 2.1), can still amaze people with their clarity and bass management...and the fact that they're still around at all.

 

[pwnagehobo]

Personally, I think custom sound systems use the same business model as $170 HDMI cables, where they sell you the same crap and mark up the price by 1000%.

My friend brought over his $250 pair of bookshelf speakers, and I tried them against some old Philips speakers from a tape/cd player that I just had lying around. The old Philips ones sounded so much better. I lol'd at that for like 10 minutes.

Sure if you're going to go out and buy a Sony Muteki 2, go for a custom system instead, because you could probably get something decent for that price. But if you're just looking at less than that, I wouldn't bother.