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well, space is a factor, I want them to sit on my desk (with the exception of a sub)
I've been eyeing the Bose Companion 2 Series II (if what you say about a subwoofer is true), are they a good choice? 
Also, are a monitor's built-in speakers ever any good?

so basically you're saying that anything small that would fit on a desk for under $150 is not worth it?

dcalfine wrote:

so basically you're saying that anything small that would fit on a desk for under $150 is not worth it?

In my humble opinion, that's a definite possibility.

I would be pleasantly surprised to find out otherwise, but my experience with computer speakers says no.

I got my current setup after being incredibly underwhelmed by a $100 set of 2.1 speakers from CompUSA. I don't remember who made them, only that CompUSA let us return them.

well, for most intents and purposes, my Pro Speakers have suited me fine.  I understand your reasoning, and, though I largely agree with you, there isn't room for a stereo in my room.  My reasons for upgrading are twofold: i need something with a stereo minijack instead of the pro speaker jack and a getting better sound would be nice.

So that narrows it down to what would be considered unappealing by you, but which is the lesser of unappealing options for under $150?  Those look nice, but are a tad out of my ballpark.

Last edited by dcalfine (2006-10-28 4:58 pm)

dcalfine wrote:

So that narrows it down to what would be considered unappealing by you, but which is the lesser of unappealing options for under $150?

Well, getting a pair of those Sony speakers for $50 each and a used amp off of craigslist would come in under your price limit. Otherwise, I understand that Altec Lansing gets generally good marks, and their "Gaming" speakers are actually fairly affordable - th most expensive system in that area of their website is a 5.1 setup @ $149.99 USD.

dcalfine wrote:

i'll check them out, thanks
what do you use for headphones?  Got anything special?

Nope. I got a $13 pair of Jensen headphones in 1998, sent in a $10 mail in rebate, never recieved it, and they've been chugging along ever since.

If I were to do it over again, I'd shop around for one with a thicker, shielded cable. I can hear hiss sometimes, and can actually make the hiss "move" by playing with the cable. But otherwise, these have been good to me.

+1 on the Bose advice. Generally Bose speakers sound decent but not for their price.

And dvpierce is right, you'll never get any computer speakers to sound quite like a nice set-up, but that's not practical. As much as I wanted to go for something like that I ended up getting a little 2.1 setup from the store. Life is about compromise they say.

I've tried a generic-looking black Altec Lansing set, and the Harman Kardon 'wine glass' ones. Both were ok but I am partial to JBL speakers so now I have a set of those Creature ones. They were like $90 cdn and sound great while taking up hardly any space (the speakers at least - the sub is big, like 9"x9"). I think they've been replaced by Alien-head ones so they may be even cheaper now.
They come in grey (not sure if they match all G4's exactly though) as well as white and navy blue. And in Dubai they have them in Glossy Black and the most badass Red I've ever seen in my life. I never saw those two in North America though.

Where would you put the subwoofer?  On top of the desk or under it?  If the bass unit is under the desk the speaker system will sound pretty bad.

Just get some good monitors!  No need for a sub.  Although a sub will extend the bass somewhat.

M-Audio StudioPro 3 desktop speakers

And tiny speakers with a "subwoofer" are a waste of money if you want to crank up the volume.  Get some larger speakers so they can move some air!

dcalfine wrote:

Okay, I'm now torn between the M-Audio StudioPro 3 (or Studiophile DX4, ZipZoomFly has the two similarly priced) and the Altec Lansing FX6021.  I can get them for about the same price.  Which should i get?

I'd go for the M-Audio, myself. he Altec setup might give you beefier bass, but the M-Audio stuff will likely provide you with better all-around sound.

And is the general consensus that a $13 pair of headphones is substantial?

I think everybody missed that. No, a good pair of studio headphones is quite a bit more expensive, and up to a point, probably worth the money. I know nothing about them, though.

Okay, I'm set on the StudioPro 3.  I looked at the Studiophile DX4 but heard complaints about lack of grills.

as far as headphones are concerned, how is the Sennheiser PMX100?  Bass is a concern, as is durability.

ok, i'm gunna go with those two.  off amazon, it's about $100 total including shipping!
thanks so much for your help, Dunkin', DV, and everyone else!

thanks, critter, i'll check those out

I'm starting to have second thoughts about the StudioPro 3.  I hear the bass is weak.
What should I get then?