And the Lord said, Let there be another speaker request thread..

DeathofRats · 12 Jun 2017 at 22:05

Hi guys

I know this forum is awash with these requests, but I need to add another...

I'm looking for a decent 2.0 or 2.1 set, and don't really want to spend more than £200, less if I can get away with it. I've been looking at some powered bookshelf like audioengine a2s, but since I play as much BF1 as I do listening to music I'm also considering SoundblasterX Kratos S5 for that extra bass from the subwoofer for a slightly more immersive sound (it's also a lot cheaper than the a2s)

Saying that, so long as explosions are full, footsteps clear, and Nils Lofgren guitar solos soar, then I'm open to any and all suggestions. If it makes much difference my soundcard is an Soundblaster Z.

Space is currently a little cramped, but hopefully in a little study room again sometime soon - so no need for anything to rock the house down.

hornetstinger · 12 Jun 2017 at 22:09

Personally I would go for better quality stereo speakers, rather than a 2.1 system. Buy a subwoofer later.
Go for standard seperates, rather than "PC" speakers that way not a complete unit, and can remove or replace components.

I would go for something like Wharedale Diamond 9.0 and a T-Amplifier.

David230 · 12 Jun 2017 at 22:35

Would headphones be out of the question?

Good for music and great for extrating details and positions of things like footsteps in game.

DeathofRats · 12 Jun 2017 at 23:38

Well I do have a pair of sennheiser 598s my wife bought me a few Christmas ago, but I prefer speakers generally - admittedly I lose out on a little clarity for directional audio, but I'm not so competitive at BF1 that it makes a massive difference.

The Sbz has a powered headphone amp, but I still need to add some sbz EQ to get a fuller more lively sound. Also makes me wonder whether the Realtek ALC1220 on my Taichi mobo is better than the sbz too...hmmm....

DeathofRats · 12 Jun 2017 at 23:45

hornetstinger said:
Personally I would go for better quality stereo speakers, rather than a 2.1 system. Buy a subwoofer later.
Go for standard seperates, rather than "PC" speakers that way not a complete unit, and can remove or replace components.

I would go for something like Wharedale Diamond 9.0 and a T-Amplifier.

You think they'd still offer enough 'hmmpphh' (technical term) for gaming ? I had liked the look of the wharf dale diamond 210s but I don't know how they differ from the 9. Is there an amp you'd recommend? Preferably something that can drive the headphones too?

Sgt_Pepper · 12 Jun 2017 at 23:55

From another thread, I have one of these and it drives the Wharfedales great, not tried headphones yet as i don't game anymore. but this review guy likes it.

I'd prefer the 9.1's or 9.0 over the 210's for desk use just because of the front facing ports.

https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/posts/30844777/

JasonM · 13 Jun 2017 at 04:22

The problem with most 2.1 setups is the satellite speakers don't cover the mid range correctly.

I'm running a Edifier S530 below
http://www.edifier.com/int/en/speakers/s530d-2.1-subwoofer

However the satellite speakers it came with are not so good (mids washed out). To solve the problem I purchased 2 sets of Edifier R1600 plus speakers, and used the two passive side speakers with the S530 above. (these speakers below)

https://uk.hardware.info/reviews/47...with-or-without-subwoofer-edifier-r1600t-plus

So I have the best of both worlds, quite good desktop speakers, with nice fill in of bass. BTW I got all the above on the cheap from OCUK when things were on clearance a few years ago, thats how I could justify buying 3 speaker sets to make just 1!

Going back to the S530, without changing the speakers, the overall sound was worse then a single pair of R1600t's (The S530 retailed about 4x a pair of R1600t's). So be careful, if the satellite speakers of a 2.1 setup look small you most likely won't get the overall sound quality from them, and a quality 2.0 setup would probably be better, or at least for music.

hornetstinger · 13 Jun 2017 at 07:50

DeathofRats said:
You think they'd still offer enough 'hmmpphh' (technical term) for gaming ? I had liked the look of the wharf dale diamond 210s but I don't know how they differ from the 9. Is there an amp you'd recommend? Preferably something that can drive the headphones too?

Get larger speakers and they provide plenty of bass. Typically subwoofers at your sort of budget are more boom boxes than subwoofers, so I'd put the the money speakers. Speakers with 6.5" drivers for close monitor use will provide more than enough bass. I'm using these myself for the computer

http://www.audio-database.com/CELESTION/speaker/a1-e.html