BoneyardBrew Member Posted May 29, 2010 Member Share Posted May 29, 2010 I'm looking for a new set of speakers and I am unsure what set to go with. Before anyone recommends anything, I will give you some information on the sets I have already researched and/or tried out. I have gone to the store and tried both the Logitech Z-2300s and the Klipsch Promedia 2.1 sets. I was not impressed at all with the Z-2300s; the bass was too muddy and there was a lack of highs. The Klipsch set was very well rounded and they were a pleasure to listen to. Now, the one thing that has turned me off of that set was the high rate of failure. Does anyone have any suggestions for a 2.1, or possibly even a good 2.0 set besides the above two sets? I want something with a full sound overall, crisp highs, mids, and well defined bass for around ~$150. I have also looked at the Harmon Kardon/JBL SoundSticks II, but have not heard them. Does anyone have any first-hand experience with these? I have listened to an older set of Harmon Kardon speakers that I can't recall the name of, and they were relatively impressive if I remember correctly. Would my best option be choosing the Klipsch set mentioned above and just purchasing a 2 year warranty from the store for $20 for ease of returning later on? The reviews are pretty much guaranteeing I will have problems down the road with them, and I definitely don't want to purchase this set without a warranty that will allow me to replace them without a hassle. Then again, I shouldn't have to spend the extra money at all, and this is another turn off for this set. I'd rather spend the extra $20 to get a set that has a lower rate of failure if possible. Any suggestions or recommendations are welcome. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riot Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 I have the Klipsch 2.1's, and in my opinion, there isn't any better in this price range. Now I will admit, this is my second set, the first set died. I had a product replacement plan on them, so the replacements were free. I push them pretty hard, so I'm not surprised they died. And the replacements have been kicking for about three years now, so I've got my monies worth. Just my two cents... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shra1 Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 Assuming you are from USA, buy the Pillips MMS 430. Maximum sound for the price. 100 watts rms!! http://store.high-techoffice.com/phmm21muspsy.html Cheers =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneyardBrew Member Posted May 29, 2010 Author Member Share Posted May 29, 2010 I have the Klipsch 2.1's, and in my opinion, there isn't any better in this price range. Now I will admit, this is my second set, the first set died. I had a product replacement plan on them, so the replacements were free. I push them pretty hard, so I'm not surprised they died. And the replacements have been kicking for about three years now, so I've got my monies worth. Just my two cents... If I got the 2 year protection plan and it died within the warrantied period I would be perfectly fine. So long as the replacement lasts for several years after that of course. I have a set of Logitech X-230s sitting on my desk right now and they have been working fine for many years now. It seems as though most people are getting lucky and have received a reliable set, I just hope I'm not one of the ones who doesn't!:p Assuming you are from USA, buy the Pillips MMS 430. Maximum sound for the price. 100 watts rms!! http://store.high-te...mm21muspsy.html Cheers =) I can't seem to find those at my local Best Buy or Micro Center, which is where I planned to buy them. Thanks for the suggestion though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trag3dy Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 Nvm, I'm slow. Should read the entire post before I reply. :blush: Though I've had a few friends that had the Klipsch pro media speakers and they never had any issues with them. For what that's worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneyardBrew Member Posted May 29, 2010 Author Member Share Posted May 29, 2010 Nvm, I'm slow. Should read the entire post before I reply. :blush: That's quite alright. :p Were you going to recommend the Z-2300s or the Promedia 2.1 set? If it was the Promedia, I'd love to hear your experience with them so far, as that as the set I am leaning towards so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trag3dy Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 That's quite alright. :p Were you going to recommend the Z-2300s or the Promedia 2.1 set? If it was the Promedia, I'd love to hear your experience with them so far, as that as the set I am leaning towards so far. I edited my post above. Anyways, I had a few friends that had the Promedias and they never had any issues. And while never personally having heard the Z-2300's, I have an older set of logitech 5.1 speakers and they've lasted me years and sound great, imo. The z-2300's are just a 2.1 version of their high end speakers minus the control pod thing. So they're probably pretty decent. That's my opinion on them anyways. And the JBl's seem like they might be decent, and they certainly look cool, definitely a conversation piece: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836101057 But I've never heard them either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giga Veteran Posted May 29, 2010 Veteran Share Posted May 29, 2010 My suggestion would be to go with a cheap t-amp to power some regular bookshelf speakers, but that?d probably fall over the $150 line. Read some reviews on these: M-Audio AV 40: http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Studiophile-AV-Powered-Speakers/dp/B000MUXJCO Swan M10: http://www.theaudioinsider.com/product_info.php?products_id=89 Swan D1080MkII 08: http://www.theaudioinsider.com/product_info.php/p/swan-d1080mkii08/products_id/144 Either should sound better than the regular stuff that Logitech produces these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneyardBrew Member Posted May 29, 2010 Author Member Share Posted May 29, 2010 My suggestion would be to go with a cheap t-amp to power some regular bookshelf speakers, but that'd probably fall over the $150 line. Read some reviews on these: M-Audio AV 40: http://www.amazon.co...s/dp/B000MUXJCO Swan M10: http://www.theaudioi...?products_id=89 Swan D1080MkII 08: http://www.theaudioi...products_id/144 Either should sound better than the regular stuff that Logitech produces these days. I was looking into the M-Audio set, but I didn't actually get a chance to hear them. I'm probably going to go back to the store tonight, and if they are there I will give them a try. I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to go to the store is, so I'm going to try and make a decision tonight. Of course I have a good 30 days or so to return whatever I choose if I decide I'm not happy with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Angry Bunny Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 I highly recommend the swan M10's. I recently bought a pair, and the sound quality is phenomenal. When you first listen to them, they sound like they will severely lack bass, but after they're broken in the bass gets better. The only real downside I have with them is the subwoofer (or midwoofer) needs to be placed on the desk for optimal sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trag3dy Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 My suggestion would be to go with a cheap t-amp to power some regular bookshelf speakers, but that'd probably fall over the $150 line. Read some reviews on these: M-Audio AV 40: http://www.amazon.co...s/dp/B000MUXJCO Swan M10: http://www.theaudioi...?products_id=89 Swan D1080MkII 08: http://www.theaudioi...products_id/144 Either should sound better than the regular stuff that Logitech produces these days. I've been wanting to try a set of bookshelf speakers and an amp but I never know what amp to get and where to buy it. I've been looking at the M-Audio AV 40's and I really like the looks of those Swan M10's but again..just don't know about the amp part. Anyways, sorry for thread hijacking. :rofl: I highly recommend the swan M10's. I recently bought a pair, and the sound quality is phenomenal. When you first listen to them, they sound like they will severely lack bass, but after they're broken in the bass gets better. The only real downside I have with them is the subwoofer (or midwoofer) needs to be placed on the desk for optimal sound. Do you need an amp for that set? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giga Veteran Posted May 30, 2010 Veteran Share Posted May 30, 2010 I've been wanting to try a set of bookshelf speakers and an amp but I never know what amp to get and where to buy it. I've been looking at the M-Audio AV 40's and I really like the looks of those Swan M10's but again..just don't know about the amp part. Anyways, sorry for thread hijacking. :rofl: Do you need an amp for that set? Once you go bookshelf, you don?t go back. Be prepared to set aside around $300 though to start yourself with a pair of speakers and an integrated amp/receiver. The Swans and M-Audios are both powered speakers and don?t need an amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEX4S Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 I have the Klipsch 2.1's, and in my opinion, there isn't any better in this price range. Now I will admit, this is my second set, the first set died. I had a product replacement plan on them, so the replacements were free. I push them pretty hard, so I'm not surprised they died. And the replacements have been kicking for about three years now, so I've got my monies worth. Just my two cents... Yeah the Klipsch and M-Audio are awesome sounding speakers, no doubt. I used to have the Klipsch 5.1 Ultra and thought they were amazing The M-Audio do sound very nice The Logi 2300 - I think are good to, maybe not as good as the Klipsch, but still pretty nice IMO If you want to go nuts, and raise your budget from $150 - to - $500 -- Then these B&W come highly recommended: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaCrip Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 i got Klipsch Pro Media 4.1 (the 2.1 are the same besides the extra 2 speakers in rear) and i had them for MANY years now (probably got them around 2001 or so) back when they where new i paid 250 dollars for them and sound quality is pretty hard to beat as i don't really see a PC Speaker set being noticeably better than those. 400watt total power. 60watt x4 (240watt total) (for the regular speakers) and 160watt for the Sub.... so i am pretty sure the 2.1 would be the same which would give you 60 watt (each) front speakers and 160watt sub. i play HD x264 720p movies with the blu-ray audio track on my PC and sound quality seems like it's better than DVD on these speakers as lesser speakers i don't think it would be noticeable. because take a MP3 song for example... playing the same from MP3 (or a DVD Movie) and then play that same thing with the high bit rate (blu-ray audio track) audio in the movie and i swear something feels clearer in the HD movie vs the mp3/dvd. hard to explain and i don't think it's in my head. bottom line... in terms of sound quality i don't think you will complain with the Klipsch Pro-Media brand ;) p.s. my only real complaint about Klipsch is that the wiring seems cheap as i wished they used a more heavy duty wiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trag3dy Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 Once you go bookshelf, you don't go back. Be prepared to set aside around $300 though to start yourself with a pair of speakers and an integrated amp/receiver. The Swans and M-Audios are both powered speakers and don't need an amp. So which would be the better set to get then? M-Audio or the Swan M10's? Sorry again, I'm totally hijacking Boneyards thread. :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneyardBrew Member Posted May 30, 2010 Author Member Share Posted May 30, 2010 Yeah the Klipsch and M-Audio are awesome sounding speakers, no doubt. I used to have the Klipsch 5.1 Ultra and thought they were amazing The M-Audio do sound very nice The Logi 2300 - I think are good to, maybe not as good as the Klipsch, but still pretty nice IMO If you want to go nuts, and raise your budget from $150 - to - $500 -- Then these B&W come highly recommended: I'd love to spend that much on speakers, but I just don't have that much to spend on them right now. Thanks for the suggestion though. :p i got Klipsch Pro Media 4.1 (the 2.1 are the same besides the extra 2 speakers in rear) and i had them for MANY years now (probably got them around 2001 or so) back when they where new i paid 250 dollars for them and sound quality is pretty hard to beat as i don't really see a PC Speaker set being noticeably better than those. 400watt total power. 60watt x4 (240watt total) (for the regular speakers) and 160watt for the Sub.... so i am pretty sure the 2.1 would be the same which would give you 60 watt (each) front speakers and 160watt sub. i play HD x264 720p movies with the blu-ray audio track on my PC and sound quality seems like it's better than DVD on these speakers as lesser speakers i don't think it would be noticeable. because take a MP3 song for example... playing the same from MP3 (or a DVD Movie) and then play that same thing with the high bit rate (blu-ray audio track) audio in the movie and i swear something feels clearer in the HD movie vs the mp3/dvd. hard to explain and i don't think it's in my head. bottom line... in terms of sound quality i don't think you will complain with the Klipsch Pro-Media brand ;) p.s. my only real complaint about Klipsch is that the wiring seems cheap as i wished they used a more heavy duty wiring. I think that is what I am going to finally pick up. I tried the M-Audios and I'm not very satisfied with the sound quality of them (see below). I did hear the same thing about the wiring, but I am going to just take the plunge and buy the extended warranty should anything go wrong. So which would be the better set to get then? M-Audio or the Swan M10's? Sorry again, I'm totally hijacking Boneyards thread. :o I have absolutely no problem with this. As long as the topic is still on speakers, I'm fine! :p I actually just bought the M-Audio set last night, and I wasn't very impressed with them to be honest. They seemed to be lacking bass to me (could it be possible they need to be broken in?) which threw off the whole experience. Besides, they were a bit too large for my desk, and I really have no place to put them! :laugh: I have a set of Polk Audio bookshelf speakers for the living room and those seem to be far more rounded than the M-Audios, even directly out of the box. They are not PC speakers though, so I can't even consider them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trag3dy Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 I'd love to spend that much on speakers, but I just don't have that much to spend on them right now. Thanks for the suggestion though. :p I think that is what I am going to finally pick up. I tried the M-Audios and I'm not very satisfied with the sound quality of them (see below). I did hear the same thing about the wiring, but I am going to just take the plunge and buy the extended warranty should anything go wrong. I have absolutely no problem with this. As long as the topic is still on speakers, I'm fine! :p I actually just bought the M-Audio set last night, and I wasn't very impressed with them to be honest. They seemed to be lacking bass to me (could it be possible they need to be broken in?) which threw off the whole experience. Besides, they were a bit too large for my desk, and I really have no place to put them! :laugh: I have a set of Polk Audio bookshelf speakers for the living room and those seem to be far more rounded than the M-Audios, even directly out of the box. They are not PC speakers though, so I can't even consider them. The reviews I've read about the M-Audio speakers did say that they needed 3-4 hours to be broken in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiv_ Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 i was looking for speakers a while ago, but never bothered in the end, but i did seriously consider the M-Audio's, and i really like the look of those Swan M10's. First looks at both say bass is a little weak (product reviews) and i like my bass (dubstep, DnB etc.), so this thread is definately relevant for me, since i dont want to spend much more than the M-Audio's are worth. just found this in another forum through a quick google. its a comparison on the M-Audio's and the Swan D1080MkII08's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneyardBrew Member Posted May 30, 2010 Author Member Share Posted May 30, 2010 i was looking for speakers a while ago, but never bothered in the end, but i did seriously consider the M-Audio's, and i really like the look of those Swan M10's. First looks at both say bass is a little weak (product reviews) and i like my bass (dubstep, DnB etc.), so this thread is definately relevant for me, since i dont want to spend much more than the M-Audio's are worth. just found this in another forum through a quick google. its a comparison on the M-Audio's and the Swan D1080MkII08's I agree that the bass was lacking on the M-Audio's. I couldn't find the Swan M10's anywhere (they were probably too big for my desk anyway, much like the M-Audio's) so I just decided on the Klipsch Promedia 2.1 speaker set. There is definitely enough bass, and I only set it at the recommended setting,which is about a quarter of the way to max. The highs are clear and the mids are definitely present, unlike the Z-2300s from Logitech so overall I am happy with the purchase. I also made the decision to get the 2 Year Extended Warranty from Best Buy should anything go wrong within that period of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anibal P Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 bought the Pro Media 2.1's and I am completely satisfied by them, they replaced an older Logitech 5.1 set, and they blew them out the water before I even got around to adjusting the levels Dubstep sounds great on them and so do movies (they are THX certified), I'm actually worried about the bass, it can get a bit loud and don't want the neighbors complaining :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmented Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 My vote goes for the Logitech Z-2300s. I have them and love em for the price. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002SQ2P2?tag=slickdeals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiv_ Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 The only speakers i can find a UK dealer for are the M-audio's and the Logitechs :( those swan D10's look so nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts