New Speakers

[screwtype]

I've never much considered sound as a dimension of gaming. I've always soldiered on with a pair of the smallest, cheapest pair of speakers available.

Since I started playing DVD movies on my PC though, I've had problems with lack of volume. Now I was in my local electronics store the other day and I saw a set of 2.1 speakers for a remarkably low price - just $39.95 (about US$25). That's about the same price as the cheapest pair of speakers, so you're basically getting a woofer for nothing.

So I went and bought these speakers in hopes that they would improve the volume on my DVD player, and they did by a large margin. At last I can hear a movie sound track without having my head six inches from the sound source.

But when I fired up a game, I was really suprised how much difference a woofer makes. Whenever there's an explosion, the whole monitor seems to rock from it! It really does add a new dimension to gaming. And this just from a lousy 9 watts RMS!

This experience has led me to consider maybe going the whole hog and getting a decent set. Budget is limited so I won't be getting anything more than a 2.1 set. There's one selling at my local store by Creative for $150, anyone know if Creative speakers are good? Does anyone have any other recommendations for a speaker set?

[Beirut]

Sound is a real kicker for games. I had my flightsims booming through two Bose floor speakers powered by an old Marantz amp. When I hit the key for a fly-by view of my Spitfire, the sound would blow you out of your chair. Great stuff. Really helps with the immersion.

Right now I'm using a few of the 5.1 speakers I bought off a con man in a parking lot (Editor's note: Beirut is sooooo stupid!) They sound pretty good but I still haven't figured out how to set up the 5.1 with my sound card. Can't wait to get them going though.

I just bought a pair of Altec Lansing floor speakers at a garage sale last week for $7.50. Haven't tried them yet but they're heavy as hell and in very nice shape. Might end up with these on the computer and the 5.1s on the TV.

I'll dig through a few old PC Gamer mags and read the speaker reviews. I'll let you know if there is anything good to say.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Me and my dad are real audiophiles, and I've got a whole pile of cool speakers and amplifiers sitting around the house. I should probably give some of them a go with the PC one of these days.

I've actually got a pair of Kef monitor speakers sitting in my room at the moment, but they need replacement down-firing drivers. Maybe when that's done I'll rig them to the soundcard.

[screwtype]

I'll dig through a few old PC Gamer mags and read the speaker reviews. I'll let you know if there is anything good to say.

Thanks for that Beirut. I've just been doing a bit of research and the Logitech Z-2300 system is rated by many as the best 2.1 system ATM, although some say they lack a little in the midrange. With a 120 watt woofer and two 40 watt satellites, they output 200 watts total which is a fair bit for a PC system. Volume is said to be very good. I'd like a reasonable amount of volume since my CD player recently busted and I figure I might just start using my PC as my hi-fi.

Only problem, I'm not sure if I can buy these speakers in my part of the world (Australia).

The Klipsch Pro Media 2.1's are also said to be good, but they are more expensive.

[Beirut]

Talk about timing. I just got back from the flea market and picked up an "old" RCA home theater amp for $25. Clean, digital readouts, all kinds of effects. Pretty good. But for some reason the stupid thing shuts off if the volume hits 34 or more. Maybe BKS could give me a clue why it does that. Overheating, pre-programmed parental controls, vibrations? I have no idea.

Anyway, sounds good, looks good. Only have two speakers and the subwoofer hooked up. Going to attach the other speakers when I get out of here.

*Ha! I took off the two cheesebag mini-speakers I bought off the con man and hooked up the two $7.50 Altec Lansing floor speakers with the subwoofer, and at a lower stable volume setting on my new RCA home theater amp it ROCKS! I was just blasting Celine Dion with the windows rattling and the floor pounding from the subwoofer. Great stuff. Yeah, yeah, don't make fun, the chick may be an intellectual midget, but she's got serious pipes and I got da speakers to prove it.

Going to disconnect the system and hook it up to my Sony Wega tonight. The woman and kids are gone until tomorrow night and it's movie blasting time at Beiruts! Floyd at Pompeii. 2001. Maybe a war flick. Bachelor night rules!

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Beirut what soundcard do you have? Mine work fine with my Audigy 2 ZS or whatever it is called, just have to select it in the sound cards program.

I use a Logitech X-530 5.1 system, great sound, awesome woofer and not even very expensive. I wish there was an easier way to arrange my satellites than 2 on my desk, one on my monitor and 2 on the ping-pong table behind me though. Linky: http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/pr...CONTENTID=9067

[Beirut]

I have a Creative Sound Blaster PCI. I had a better card installed but it buggered up my joystick and all kinds of things, when my computer dude put in this one, all was fine, so I kept it in. It's set on 5.1.

I've got the Altec Lansing floor speakers, the subwoofer and the center channel speaker up and running and all sounds great. Loud and clear. In all honesty though, I probably wouldn't get any real benefits from having the 5.1 set up as it should be. I'm completely deaf on my right side, always have been, and have very bad positional audio capabilities. Try finding the cordless phone under the couch when you have no audio triangulation happening, I just spin in circles trying to hear where it is until it stops ringing and that's pretty much that. I miss a lot of calls.

[BDC]

Don't underestimate the value of good sound in games... Much more important than graphics in my opinion.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

I have a Creative Sound Blaster PCI. I had a better card installed but it buggered up my joystick and all kinds of things, when my computer dude put in this one, all was fine, so I kept it in. It's set on 5.1.

I've got the Altec Lansing floor speakers, the subwoofer and the center channel speaker up and running and all sounds great. Loud and clear. In all honesty though, I probably wouldn't get any real benefits from having the 5.1 set up as it should be. I'm completely deaf on my right side, always have been, and have very bad positional audio capabilities. Try finding the cordless phone under the couch when you have no audio triangulation happening, I just spin in circles trying to hear where it is until it stops ringing and that's pretty much that. I miss a lot of calls.

Ah, well I have no idea. My 5.1 sounds really great in some games, though it can mess with me in RTW to hear the guys fighting behind me when my camera passes. It is great for shooters though. When I first got it I spent an hour playing games that supported it just to turn around and hear the noise from behind me.

Good luck with your speakers Beirut!

[Kongamato]

I have the Klipsch Promedia 5.1 ultras. I've no complaints about the sound, but this has been the second replacement set I've had to order from them. The series has been racked with amp problems and it seems that these replacement ultras are doing OK, but I have yet to check and see if my shipment has had any problems. I hear Logitech and Videologic make sets of comparable power and performance. Shop around.

The sound is quite powerful for a set of PC speakers. Klipsch has some 2.1 PC setups available, I'd check them out. I've not read of any problems with their 2.1 setups. I also think that they also have modular additions available if you want to upgrade to 4.2 or some other setup.

If you get these and want to use speaker stands or something like that, be careful when removing the screws. The screws are crap and need to be removed carefully or else you're stuck with the regular stands.

[screwtype]

I have the Klipsch Promedia 5.1 ultras. I've no complaints about the sound, but this has been the second replacement set I've had to order from them.

Yeah, I've read of quite a few returns for the Logitech z-2300's as well. I guess either PC speakers are made from not very robust components, or else all those loud bangs from game sound effects don't do them a lot of good :)

I am probably going to end up getting the Logitech X-230's because they are here and they are cheap. I can't source a set of 2300's anywhere, let alone the Klipsch. I guess this is the price one pays for living on the outskirts of Empire ;)

That's a pretty weird sig you've got. What's it from?

[Uesugi Kenshin]

I had to send my speakers back when I first got them. The front right speaker was dead!

[Kongamato]

Klipsch's 5.1 series was their first set of speakers to use outsourced labor. Many blame that for the problems. Perhaps the same thing happened with the Logitechs.

My sig is a quote from the Japanese post-war reactionary Yukio Mishima, who committed ritual suicide. I guess I've been doing a disservice not adding his name to the quote. I'll change that.

[screwtype]

...who committed ritual suicide

Well, I did say it was weird :)