New PC speaker advice

[gupott]

Hi All,

I am planning a new PC build towards the end of this year, but I would quite like to update by PC speakers now. I currently have some ageing Creative 2.1 speakers - they are about a decade old that I would like to replace. I would use the speakers for games and music.

The budget is probably up to about £300 - £450.

I have been looking at desktop speakers mainly and I started with the B&W MM1's as I had lusted after those for years but I am now quite taken with Audioengine A5+ (in Bamboo and with the stands) with the Audioengine D1 Premium 24 Bit Dac also – does anyone have any experience with these?

If I didn’t get the Dac, I assume I should be using the 3.5 jack straight into the speakers, is that correct?However if I was using the Dac should I use USB or optical to connect?

Alternatively, I was also wondering about the Audioengine B1 DAC as it looks to be an alternative to the D1 as it has bluetooth capabilities; this is attractive as I think I could use speakers via my phone when the PC is off and it would also mean I could do away with my Sonus Play 1 as they are in the same room. Does that sound right to people?

Are there any other good quality speakers (and possibly a Dac) I should be considering at this price point?

All help and opinions most appreciated.

Cheers

Rossco

 

[David230]

Hi Rossco,

I have just bought some JBL LSR305's for desktop use as I like to listen to music a lot at my desk. They can be had for around £120 per speaker not sure if this is something you would be interested in but it would leave some cash for a decent audio interface (essential imo). I'm using mine with a Fiio 10K DAC using a 3.5mm to XLR conection temporarily. Granted there is interference like this which is why I am also buying a focusrite audio interface to run balanced connections to the speakers. I feel like I have been missing out now I have these active speakers but the need to isolate interference is a must! Also my desk is a cheap ikea linnmon so the isolation pads help a hell of a lot!

I have heard lots of audio equipment over the years speaker and headphone wise and these JBL's have given me by far the best bang for buck and are ideal for my room as excellent near field speakers.

PS. I was enjoying my philips fidelio L2 headphones but the JBL's offer a near identical level of clarity and natural sound just without the occasional harshness in the treble I experience from my headphones.

 

[Renegade]

The Audioengine A5+ are an excellent pair of speaks that have a DAC built-in. I have the smaller A2+ in my desktop setup and they're excellent for near field listening, albeit the bass extension is lacking, but they are physically small so physics is to be blamed rather than the speakers themselves. The reason I recommend the A5s is my friend has a pair and they're definitely a step up from mine.

If bluetooth is a requirement the Q Acoustics BT3 are an option. I've a pair in the sitting room connected to the TV via optical (as they have a built in DAC like the Audioengines). There's definitely other bluetooth options out there but only have experience with the BT3s.

 

[Marsman]

A5+ doesn't have a built it DAC. Good speakers and worth considering. LSR305 are £100 cheaper though. That's probably where my money would go if I were looking at 5" active speakers.

Audioengine while good are quite expensive in my opinion. Still, at least their speakers are good; unlike Bose, who are just expensive.

The B1 has only Bluetooth as it's input. USB is for power and the optical is output. In my opinion, £170 is quite pricey for just Bluetooth input. Adding Bluetooth to the D1 would have been better.

 

[Renegade]

A5+ doesn't have a built it DAC.

You're right. I always assumed it would/did seeing as the A2+ has digital in. Then it's the BT3s as an all-in-one solution, or the LSR305s with a bluetooth adapter.

 

[David230]

Also, just a couple of points to make on the JBL's that I recommend. If you plan to use them as near fields perhaps just slightly over arms length in a equal triangle arrangement like me you will hear slight hiss from the speakers regardless of source or inputs. This is apparently due to the class D amplifiers used in these speakers which could be a deal breaker for those using them in a completely dead room. I have been using mine with a focusrite interface as of yesterday and its cleaned up all outside influences except for what is already being outputted by the speakers themselves.

They produce a very clean and natural sound but dont extend down quite far enough for me to be 100% happy. Understandable for their size. Which is why I will probably end up buying the matching subwoofer. That does mean as a package you are talking around £550-£600..

 

[gupott]

Thanks very much for the replies - there is no stand out contender for me at the moment.

• JBL LSR305 (£234 for 2) - I am not sold on the looks and I assume I would need a Dac but reviews and above testimonies suggest good for task (eg desktop PC use)
• Audioengine A5+ (£379) - like the look in bamboo (they have to fit into a lounge type room) but might be too big for desk. Would also probably need a Dac to make most of them. Expensive.
• Q Acoustics BT3 - (£179) - I can't actually find them in black for this price which is frustrating. I could live with the looks and they have an onboard Dac so probably would be first if I could find a pair.

I am not sure what to do right now. A couple more questions though;

For this type of task, can anyone suggest a Dac which will work well with this type of speaker?
What is an audio interface? Is on top of a Dac - sorry if this is a stupid question.
Is there any others speakers to consider?

Thanks all.

 

[David230]

For this type of task, can anyone suggest a Dac which will work well with this type of speaker?
What is an audio interface? Is on top of a Dac - sorry if this is a stupid question.
Is there any others speakers to consider?

Thanks all.

-I have been using a Fiio E10K DAC with a 3.5mm to XLR cable but you will get interference coming still from any frequency generated components inside or around your PC. Mouse, GPU's, motherboards etc

-You can use the same cable I used with the DAC above to connect to the output of your soundcard for the most straight forward setup but you will definitely get interference there too.

-An audio interface like the focusrite scarlett 2i2 that I use has a very clean output compared to my Fiio and the only reason I went with this was so I could use Shielded 1/4 jacks and isolate interference. Plus being an interface I can plug my guitar into one of the inputs. So basically a DAC with more input/output options.

 

[David230]

Just bare in mind that these do hiss very slightly and can be audible in very quiet environments. So on a desk while browsing on the computer the hiss is slightly noticeable.

 

[gupott]

Thanks David230, do you use the Fiio and Focusrite together? e.g. can you clean up the interference before sending to the Dac?

Do you think if I did go the Audioengine A5+ and Audioengine D1 DAC there would be much hiss etc?

 

[David230]

I just use the Focusrite as it gives a much cleaner sound and no interference. Tbh my biggest issue now is the room and my ikea desk made from particle board. I use isolation pads which do help up to a point.

No I use my Fiio for my Headphones only when I'm needing something portable. The focusrite is used for the JBL's and the guitar.

I doubt the Audioengine combo will hiss much if at all its not something people bring up about them from what I can tell not having much experience with them myself. The JBL's on the other hand are known for the hiss.

 

[Marsman]

Thanks David230, do you use the Fiio and Focusrite together? e.g. can you clean up the interference before sending to the Dac?

Do you think if I did go the Audioengine A5+ and Audioengine D1 DAC there would be much hiss etc?

You can't use them together. Audio interfaces such as the Scarlett 2i2 function as a DAC as well.

If you are considering an interface, I wouldn't look at a Scarlett 2i2 because it uses balanced outputs. Such an audio device with balanced outputs is best use with speakers support that, such as the LS305 and many other monitor speakers do. The A5+ have unbalanced inputs, so the Scarlett Solo would be a better choice as it has unbalanced RCA outputs.

For just DAC usage, the D1 might be the better choice though; and if you plan on using headphones, the D1 has a better headphone amp.

 

[David230]

Yeah sorry I should have mentioned also that they are used independently. THe fiio as it helps to give perceived depth to sound in my headphones. The focusrite output gives more of a flat wall of sound and quite forward if that makes sense so not always ideal for music listening as such. Connected to the JBL speakers on the other hand it works quite well.

 

[nicknack35]

I use a pair of Ruark mr1 active speakers with a musical fidelity v90 Dac and they sound great. You can get them for £269 now and the newer model for £329 which has optical and they look really nice in walnut

 

[gupott]

Thanks for the replies.

The Ruark mr1 look lovely as do the Mk 2's. The only thing missing seems to be hi-res support and I am not sure how much of an issue that would be. I currently use Spotify and I know that is not high res anyway. I have tried Tidal before and no overly impressed but that was largely due to how I would use it around my house with Spotify being much easier to implement.

My current thinking seems to be on the Audioengine A5+ along with the Ruark mr1 mk2. However I am not sure yet about the Dac. Its got me thinking about desk space too. Its never easy!

 

[nicknack35]

Dacs come in all different shapes and sizes the new Audioengines have there D1 Dac in the speaker which cost around £400 ive not heard them so cannot comment on them but the Ruarks are very good the v90 Dac i use with mine is only small and that Dac has optical it all depends on what you are looking for with connections exc. My MR1's do not have optical but my Dac has if you was going for a Dac without optical input then the MR1's wont be the choice incase you want to use them for TV also. My Dac also supports high res 24/96 it doesn't matter if the speakers do not support high res as a lot of the Dacs do

http://audioengineusa.com/shop/wirelessspeakers/hd3-wireless-speakers/

 

[David230]

I was also very tempted by the MR1's they were at the top of my list as I thought the size probably would have worked better with my deskspace. However now that i have the JBL's on the desk (albeit with less than desirable rear wall clearance) they sound good and they give the expansive sound I wanted most of all. Something nearly every other speaker I have heard around the same size or smaller which seem to suffer from the "boxy" sound. The JBL's are pretty natural and airy sounding with very little to make you think artificial. Cabinet resonance is minimal even when cranked up.

 

[nicknack35]

I use Atacama stands for my Ruark they look and sound great better then just having them on a desk you get more of a stereo image and base is a lot tighter

 

[David230]

Desks are hopeless I know. Especially mine. I use isolation pads and the sweet spot is expansive so I get away with it to a degree but I know I'm missing out on a more solid and defined sound. My bass is slightly boomy but a lot of it comes from the corners. I created make shift bass traps and heard an instant improvement in bass clarity. They extend in the bass much better than any bookshelf hifi speaker I have owned at their size. Without being overblown or bass heavy.

I'm probably going to invest in a better setup for my office in time just to get the most from these.

 

[nicknack35]

Well my desk is not very wide so i wasn't getting that stereo image now i have them on stands there about 3 feet apart and just right i use tidal and with my Dac producing 24/96 i get HI FI sound but the only downside for me with Tidal you don't get oldskool house mixes only remastered high res CD's like Madonna exc i like soundcloud and mixcloud for that i use Bumble bee which gives me a lot of preset options its one of the best Media players out there for music