Any audiophiles in the house? I need a new pair of speakers.

[frogbeastegg]

The speakers I used for my PC broke ... well, months ago. Some time last year, probably. Took me ages to notice that one out of the two wasn't producing any sound, and that's why games sounded so off-balance. Yep, I'm not an audiophile at all. Since then I've been playing in silence, or using some headphones which came free with my phone. I hate headphones! Now I'm finally in a position to begin looking for replacements. I'm useless with audio stuff, so I wondered if anyone could make some suggestions.

What I want:

• Stereo speakers. I don't have space for anything more. Small would be preferable. Tiny would be even better. Tasteful design is a plus.
• Clear audio at a low volume level - I do not want something designed to be loud! Nor do I want rumbling bass or any of that. If I can't easily talk over the top of it without raising my voice it's too loud for my preferences. I'm a quiet frog.
• Speech is my main concern. I want that to be clear and stand out from the rest of the audio. Too many games/speakers/mixers/whatever muffle the speech or drown it out with music and sound effects.
• Nothing too expensive. I'm not going to spend £80+ on anything audio related, I just don't get enough out of it for it to be worthwhile.

I'd go out and buy a set after a bit of browsing, only it doesn't seem like many are designed for my kind of preferences nowadays. It's all aimed at loud, unless you go for extremely cheap and crappy, in which case even I can tell that the audio quality is poor.

Thanks.

[Husar]

I'm not an audiophile but heard good things about Edifier, if they have anything that suits you. Generally small speakers seem to be bad though, might want to try and make a bit more room.

Last time I tried to find some decent small, cheapish speakers, I couldn't find anything great either, settled with some Logitechs that do fine as secondaries for the notebook etc. but wouldn't recommend them as "main speakers" or because their voice output were great.

[Fragony]

Beolab 3500, you will have the entire orchestra in your room and it's tiny. They aren't that expensive anymore 1000 euro or so if you buy a used one

http://www.bang-olufsen.com/sound/lo...olab-3500.aspx

It may not look as much but it's really good. Because it's an active speaker (no amplifier needed) it will outshine anything on whatever volume.

[Lemur]

Audiophile here. Best way to get fantastic sound for cheapies from a PC is headphones. (I know you hate them, but it's true.) Something like this or this.

If you need good 2-speakers on a budget, the best reviews have been going to Logitech. Their 2.1 systems come in various flavors, from smallish to THX-room-fillers. I would recommend reading up on the different models. (I have no personal experience with Logitech speakers, all I know is they have been getting very good reviews.)

Another option is to go for something high-end, but used.For example, you can pick up some deluxe Klipsch speakers on eBay for about eighty bucks, which is a steal.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Beolab 3500, you will have the entire orchestra in your room and it's tiny. They aren't that expensive anymore 1000 euro or so if you buy a used one

http://www.bang-olufsen.com/sound/lo...olab-3500.aspx

It may not look as much but it's really good. Because it's an active speaker (no amplifier needed) it will outshine anything on whatever volume.

I know there's supposed to be some kind of Euro related crisis going on, but I don't see £80 being worth more than €1000 just yet.

Given the requirements 2.1 or any .1 setup is presumably out of the question (the bass unit will be too large) so the best bet is a cheap stereo setup. Logitech sells plenty of those, and compared to the headphones you're used to they'll offer a lot better sound anyway. €20 - €50 buys you a set.

[Fragony]

I know there's supposed to be some kind of Euro related crisis going on, but I don't see £80 being worth more than €1000 just.

There are no good speakers for 80 quids, if you want quality it costs money. She asked for audiophiles, not tincan apoligists. Just steering her right.

[HopAlongBunny]

I bought a Klipsch 2.1 set-up years ago. Still delivers clear strong sound.

But then, I do care about sound somewhat. As said before, the Logitech set ups have good reviews and can often be found at a good price. Listen before you buy; take a representative sound sample with you; and look for a sale.

Just thought I would add something. If it's one speaker that appears to have cut out, fiddle with your connectors before spending any money. I thought my left speaker had packed it in, but when I rotated the jack to the computer it "lit up" with sound again.

[frogbeastegg]

Thanks. I'll look into these options.

Just thought I would add something. If it's one speaker that appears to have cut out, fiddle with your connectors before spending any money. I thought my left speaker had packed it in, but when I rotated the jack to the computer it "lit up" with sound again.

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, no joy. I think something is dead within the left speaker itself, or something is wrong with the wiring going to it. Can't complain - I did get them back when MS DOS was the PC standard!

Beolab 3500, you will have the entire orchestra in your room and it's tiny. They aren't that expensive anymore 1000 euro or so if you buy a used one

As awesome as that sounds (har har), with the localised UK prices it costs more than I earn in a month before tax and deductions! Something to add to the wishlist for when I win the lottery.

[Lemur]

You know, in a professional setting what you're looking for would be described as "nearfield monitors." So I took a moment to see what was being marketed as a nearfield monitor for PC ... there are some results. All are worth investigating.

Still, once you get into studio-style nearfield monitors, I see the price rarely dips below $100, so maybe this is the wrong direction to bark. I would consider going back to the Logitechs. Cheap, well-reviewed. Ideally you would stop in a shop that carries them, and bring a CD with which you are familiar. Hear 'em. There's no substitute.



-edit- of the edit-

These might be in your price range, and they are well-reviewed, esp. for voice and mid-range.

[frogbeastegg]

Thanks for the review links. I'll read them over the weekend.

[Xiahou]

These might be in your price range, and they are well-reviewed, esp. for voice and mid-range.

Hey, those look like a solid recommendation. They seem oddly familiar though....

Edit: Also, frog, do you hate headphones because of comfort or other reasons? I always had issues with headphones because, as a glasses wearer, on-the-ear headphones become painful over extended wear at the point where my glasses stems go behind my ears. I bought a nice pair of Plantronics over-the-ear headphones and love 'em. With over-the-ear, they sit on the head, not the ears so they're much more comfortable- and they sound pretty good too. The pair I bought have been discontinued, but these look pretty similar.