Question New PC Speakers

[altamira]

Hi,

I would like to buy a new pair of speakers to connect to my pc. I´ve been using my classical Cambridge Soundsworks for around 20 years.
Im an avid music listener and also movies. Im a bit overwelmed by the options on the market.
I suppose for me the best options might be powered speakers, but please guide on the advantages and cons of that route. My Home office is rather small, around 11 square feet. Im not much of a gamer, yes i play ocasionally but not regularly. Im not thinking about surround. My desk has space enough. I would like to spend around 500 Dollars at max.
Brand that seem to pop up frequently are: JBL, Edifier, Klipsch, AudioEngine, Ruark, Yamaha

Thank you

 

[delaro]

Edifier S350DB Bookshelf Speaker and Subwoofer $299

All the Edifier bookshelf sets lack Bass, this one does not and it has the same great balance of everything you get with Edy's. Bluetooth, Aptx and easy controls make a great option the only downside is the Sub is rather large.

Audioengine A5 Plus Classic $399
These have better clarity and separation but also less bass, for a small room though they are fantastic but without the thump from above. You also lack Bluetooth and the ease of use control dongle you get with the edy from above.

Ruark-
Those are more of a regional product and kind hard to find. They are not ideal for movies since they lack bass and overall loudness.

JBL-
This isn't a niche they target. If you're looking for a home theater setup "Soundbar + Sub" or a setup using an amp "Cinema 510 or 610" then they offer a good value that is less for critical listening and more for Movies.

Klipsch-
Lots of options here.

PROMEDIA 2.1 $129
Overall decent PC speakers but they are not even close to the audio quality of anything else I am listing.

Klipsch R-51PM $412
Great sounding... nowhere near the Sixies for a little more.

THE SIXES POWERED SPEAKERS $479
These are large but they sound amazing and if you're buying them from Klipsch they are nearly $400 cheaper then everywhere else.


Yamaha-
Not a niche they target, they are more large scale but they do have a few Monitors they could work unless you're interested in a soundbar or 5.1 setups.

HS7 or HS8 Powered monitors- They have a great range and a unique sound that is tailored to music as a first but could handle movies just as well.

 

[hang-the-9]

Something you may want to look at for the price alone as well as quality of audio, JBL 104. Under $100, sound pretty much in line with anything double the price. No need to spend 500 when 80 will do IMHO For a small area and listening on a desk, I think those are the best speakers to get even if you can spend more.

If you don't have a decent headphone/amp/dac setup you may want to look into putting some of that 500 budget into those along with the JBL 104s. I think you will get more enjoyment form doing that since you will have more options and the good DAC will help with audio in most computers.

 

[delaro]

Something you may want to look at for the price alone as well as quality of audio, JBL 104. Under $100, sound pretty much in line with anything double the price. No need to spend 500 when 80 will do IMHO For a small area and listening on a desk, I think those are the best speakers to get even if you can spend more.

If you don't have a decent headphone/amp/dac setup you may want to look into putting some of that 500 budget into those along with the JBL 104s. I think you will get more enjoyment form doing that since you will have more options and the good DAC will help with audio in most computers.

JBL 104- These are great for around 3 feet but after that, the magic wears out pretty fast. Placement is key since bass-reflex cuts out at 60hz @ 30W and can easily be absorbed by other things in the room, you also can't place them in any other way but straight up.

LSR 305s- Are just flat out better than the 104's, they fill a room evenly which the 104's won't do and they get a little lower in the bass range which makes media use more enjoyable. The 2nd gen will also self adjust to room placement.

The R-51M's and Sixies are overkill but the sound quality across all uses is just in a different category of enjoyment. The Sixies the be honest is something straight out of Fantasia with home media.

The 350B is another overkill for a small room but when your mixed a good movie experience in with music listening and not mixing and you want the room to be plastered with even sound they do the jon well plus your neighbors will like/not like the bass than can produce. I ended up running 0 or +1 on the sub across a room about 15 square feet.