Premium Two-Channel PC Speaker Roundup

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[citation][nom]icehot[/nom]Nice review, I bought the Creative Gigaworks T40 Series II about 4 months ago, and have loved them, the sound is superb.[/citation]

+1
I use the T40 for my laptop setup when I'm on the go. Them and an old 22" BenQ screen. I really like Creatives latest efforts and use a T-3 system for my desktop at home.
 
i couldn't interpret the T40 Series II frequency response curves. There are three curves but only two settings...min and max?
 
[citation][nom]bubbachuck[/nom]i couldn't interpret the T40 Series II frequency response curves. There are three curves but only two settings...min and max?[/citation]
And neutral, maybe? :)
 
I'm surprised the built-in DAC of the B&W's performed that bad compared to the Realtek output (according to the graph).
I'm not, however, surprised how many "audiophiles" ,thinking they have "golden ears" that comes down on a review like this. It never fails.

This is a review of small speakers specifically built for people not wanting anything else connected to their computer, or cluttering up their setup.
 
Why is AudioEngine A2 not included ?

It sounds very good. Bass is great for a 2.0 speaker

I am using it for my Sony PS3
 
i couldn't interpret the T40 Series II frequency response curves. There are three curves but only two settings...min and max?
Click to expand...

Bass and Treble have variable knobs on the T40, so you can set it to taste anywhere in the range.

The middle curve is in the neutral position.

 
This is a buyer's guide not a comparison review, there are more manufacturers that are not on this review and you can't really compare them to one another since the products are in different price category. 2.1 systems are not even considered here so I'm sure that would be on a different review.

I think the article is good and informative, I hope to read more of other company’s offerings.
 
[citation][nom]Cleeve[/nom]I think it's quite appropriate. Sound is an important part of the PC experience, so it's just as appropriate a topic as graphics cards. And if you consider yourself a sound enthusiast, then you agree with our conclusion with the AV 40s. So we can't be all that bad.[/citation]

I guess I should not have used the word "appropriate," rather, I should say, It is not the "best" place to talk about 2.0 speakers as a lot of people here do not seem to appreciate the fact that for the same money, a 2.0 setup could have a much higher chance of sounding better (in the audiophile sense) than a 5.1, or even a 2.1 setup (You should understand what I mean after skimming through the feedback). So I thought this review (or guide) kinda got caught into a weird scenario where you wanted to talk about 2.0s while others people would start saying X.1 set up sound better, cheaper, etc.

 


As mentioned in the review tho, some folks will prefer 2.0 over 2.1, 5.1, etc. because of ease of installation and space issues. Not everyone wants to mess around with subs or a bunch of satellites. That's the focus of this piece.

I don't think it makes the venue 'inappropriate' or 'not the best place' because the focus of this review is not exactly what every reader would wish for. That's like complaining that Road & Track isn't the best place for an article discussing the most expensive 4-cylinder cars ever put out by various auto manufacturers because some readers would prefer to see an article about 6 and 8-cylinder cars.

It seems to me the issue is that you might have liked to see a different focus for a speaker review. That's valid, if folks want a different article about speakers, they can request it. I honestly think that Tom's Hardware is an appropriate, very good place to make review requests when it comes to any PC components, speakers included. :)
 
It would be better to do the subjective review before the objective measurements, less bias that way.

The Mako gaming speakers from Razor are missing from the comparison and would be a good addition for several reasons. First, the are priced in the middle of the range, second they sound great playing music, and most importantly they are designed to work behind the monitor. The satellites work by bouncing the sound of the desk with openings on the bottom. Sounds weird, works great, can't see 'em and no desk space.

Great idea for a review subject, good article, nice to see measurements.
 
I believe this review notes, 2 channel setup which does not include 2.1, or any other multichannel setup. For me the words "premium" convey that this is not a review for "budget minded" folks. I too was going to jump the gun about the Klipsch's Pro-Media but they are 2.1 afterall. How come the Harmon Kardon GLA-55 didn't make this review, or are they in the Luxist category?
 
I own a couple of B&W speakers. My current favorite is the B&W 602 S3s that I use on my dedicated 2 channel listening setup. I also have a surround setup using B&W speakers and two Dayton 12" subs. With that being said... B&W's foray into computer speakers... blah. $500 is heady. Most audio coming from computers are compressed formats so "audiophile" listening isn't relevant. They don't even look that stylish. As much as I like the B&W brand, I'm not a blind fool. B&W with this move is already moving down the road of Bose land.
 
[citation][nom]illskematiks[/nom]I believe this review notes, 2 channel setup which does not include 2.1, or any other multichannel setup. For me the words "premium" convey that this is not a review for "budget minded" folks. I too was going to jump the gun about the Klipsch's Pro-Media but they are 2.1 afterall. How come the Harmon Kardon GLA-55 didn't make this review, or are they in the Luxist category?[/citation]

Hey I run the Klipsch Pro-Media 2.1 - sounds good and has plenty of thump for a den. Almost too much thump... but you can always back off the bass.
 
Finally a decent 2.0 desktop review. After going with sub-woofer setups for over eight years, I purchased a Creative T10 2.0 speaker system locally. This works well because thumping bass is not ideal for my new living arrangement. What I found was that while the T10 is far from a audiophile offering, the single speaker design delivers the whole spectrum better as it is focused in a small area and directed at the ears. With a sub you need to invest time to calibrate the satellite/sub speaker position to eliminate frequency dead spots which can be a pain in restricted areas. At one time i used to take pride in positioning my Logitec Z-5300 5.1 system for which my room was custom arranged and the THX setup in my Audigy software fine tuned for its use; now with time and other constraints the convenience of the unpack and setup 2.0 is preferred. BTW the creative T10 is a budget system for around $45 and offers decent audio at mid to low volume. They are not for those that like to seriously open up their volume. I think the T40 is a good upgrade if I can get my hands on one.
 
[citation][nom]jeverson[/nom]For that kind of money I would rather just get this...http://www.klipsch.com/na-en/produ [...] -overview/That way I also get a dedicated sub.[/citation]
Props for a link to a great sound system.
M-Audio and Klipsch definitely make some of the best sound products.
 
[citation][nom]Cleeve[/nom]...in this case I looked for the highest-end 2.0 speakers from a number of manufacturers. The idea is that if the readership responds well it justifies a follow up... We ask companies if they'd like to participate and if they don't want to there's not much we can do, so the roundups you see typically include a fraction of the products we tried to test....- Don[/citation]

Thanks for the reply Don. You'll notice that I didn't pan what you wrote, just what the strategy was, because it wasn't clear. It was a good article given the products you had to sample from and knowing that you requested samples, and this is what you got in response, makes it all click together.

I hope there is enough of a response to justify another article. High-End 2.0 can be really nice and sometimes people just don't have the room to layout anything bigger. A headphone review would be cool too. I concur that audio is a huge sensory experience and should be given a little more attention as it will enhance your experience with the computer and media.
 
Got my M-Audio AV 40 speakers for $130, then two months later accidentally plugged them in to a power outlet that was on a dimmer switch. They stopped working, totally my fault. I called M-Audio and they said that they could send me a replacement of the combo logic board / power supply thing for $40. They were very sorry that they didn't have any in stock, so they gave me the cell number of their parts warehouse guy! He kept me informed of availability and got me the plug-in replacement thing shipped free. Awesome service, and they didn't try to make any money off of the repair. :)

Aside from that, I'm very very happy with the performance of the speakers.
 
It's funny you can tell how everyone here is computer enthusiests and not audio. In music production M-Audio is known as the LOW end. Check out Musicians Friend. Any studio monitors you can buy are more expensive then M-Audio.

W/O a doubt the BEST 2.0 system that can or "should" be used on a PC for size and sound are the Audio Engine A2's.

Toms Hardware rocks but this is one fail of a review.
 
Realtek on-board sound card, are you serious? All that common ground, IC related noise. Eww...

Perhaps try your tests with an Edriol or Focusrite audio interface for home studio grade signal before testing the capabilities of the speakers 😉
 
[citation][nom]berglh[/nom]Realtek on-board sound card, are you serious? All that common ground, IC related noise. Eww...Perhaps try your tests with an Edriol or Focusrite audio interface for home studio grade signal before testing the capabilities of the speakers[/citation]

Integrated audio has come a long way in the last few years.

We tested the Realtek Hi-def audio vs a AKM AK5358B DAC (the same one used in the Denon AVR-4311) and found almost no difference whatsoever except a small 5 dB dip below 30 Hz. You can see the results here:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pc-speaker-2.1-channel-subwoofer,2835-9.html
 
Another thumbs up for the Audioengine A2 speakers.

I needed smallish speakers to fit in my work rig. I don't game on this machine, but do listen to music all day long. It's an office environment, I can turn it up a little bit, but don't ever crank it. The A2's are perfect for this setup. With two inputs, I can get my work rig's audio, as well as the music feed from my personal laptop (via a nuForce µDac2). Music sounds great at moderate levels, they look really good, and fit very well on my desk. I love 'em.

If I needed a more highly powered system, I'd surely look first to the Audioengine A5's.
 
I've had the AV-40's for about a year now and I love them! My only complaint is the lack of bass. If you're the type of person that likes to feel bass, these are not the speakers for you.
 
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