Recommend a replacement PC speaker system

[Papa Bear]

I got one of these http://www.amazon.com/LP-2020A-Lepai-Tri...;keywords=lepai around Christmas time and am quite satisfied with it's performance. Good sound and runs cool as a cucumber.
Driving a pair of old radio Shack Minimus 7's. Life is good.

 

[KB2008X]

I did go ahead and buy the Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 speaker set. I've had those on my short list for years and at $140 at Best Buy, out the door at $152, the price is not bad and is actually a great value so far. They sound great, especially the bass and the horn is not the least bit objectionable, which was a concern. I'm really pleased. After the speakers get "broke in" I'll file another report. 15 days until the Best Buy return period expires, but I don't think that will happen.

They'll replace a Monsoon Multimedia MM-700 2.1 planar set, made in Canada. Right now the Monsoons, bought in 2001 have been on 4 computers, counting this one, and have seen many hours of use. The only problem with them has been the narrow ideal listening point. With the satellites angled optimally on my desktop, directly at my head, the sweet spot has a depth of about a foot and a half. But the sound is still hard to beat, and I've tried several times.

The Klipsch do beat the Monsoon's and I can move about freely, now.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Papa Bear

Driving a pair of old radio Shack Minimus 7's. Life is good.

That baby amp is neat, but your Minimus 7 speakers only have 4" drivers, don't they? Aren't you longing for a better bass response?

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: KB2008X
I did go ahead and buy the Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 speaker set.

Good choice when it comes to computer speakers in that price range. Hope they serve you well.

 

[Papa Bear]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear

Driving a pair of old radio Shack Minimus 7's. Life is good.

That baby amp is neat, but your Minimus 7 speakers only have 4" drivers, don't they? Aren't you longing for a better bass response?

It's a computer sound system not a concert hall sound reinforcement ....

Have you heard Minimus 7s at work? They are more than ample for the duty.


Put my amp with these speakers http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR...6725&sr=1-7 and you got one sweet sounding system at a tick over $100.

 

[The_Eric]

Thank you for all your input guys! I went ahead and spent a few extra dollars for the Klipsch, due to so many recommendations and glowing reviews here and also online.

I made the purchase through Best Buy and will have my wife pick it up sometime, so hopefully I can give some feedback soon.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Thank you for all your input guys! I went ahead and spent a few extra dollars for the Klipsch, due to so many recommendations and glowing reviews here and also online.

I made the purchase through Best Buy and will have my wife pick it up sometime, so hopefully I can give some feedback soon.

Can you link the one you bought?

 

[The_Eric]

This is the one I bought- Klipsch 2.1

Just got it temporarily wired in tonight and played two songs through it before my wife went to bed. So far, it's definitely better than my old Altec sytem, but then that wouldn't take much. I also have the sub mounted on the desktop for now, until I can take some time to place it under the desk, so I'm sure I'm losing some sound quality there...

More to report later.

Thanks again guys for the reviews and Quattro Pete for recommending it!

 

[KB2008X]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: KB2008X
That looks interesting. Is that the Onkyo CS455 ?

Yup. It's the CS455 mini-system. Goes for about $200 on Amazon. I have it supplemented with a 10" Velodyne sub which was another $100 or so. I picked this Onkyo mini-system specifically because it has a dedicated subwoofer RCA output.

But if space is not an issue in your garage, you might be able to do it cheaper just by grabbing a used receiver and some tower speakers off CL, as someone else suggested.

Quote:

How would it hook up to the computer ?

Just a regular mini-RCA to standard 2xRCA cable.

Larger tower speakers just won't work. In my garage/workshop the floor, wall and even ceiling space is pretty much maxxed out.

I've gotten by with mediocre boomboxes for the garage over the years, but I'm long overdue for an upgrade and I believe that mini Onkyo just might do it. I have a few old Dell PC towers, one of which is now a dedicated digital jukebox, and the combination of the Dell & the CS455 might be perfect. I can run the speaker wires through the kitchen/garage wall so only the speakers are in the garage.
So thanks for the suggestion.

And thanks for the Klipsch suggestion, too. They are working out great so far.

 

[The_Eric]

A small update on the Klipsch 2.1. I got the sub moved under the desk and all I can say is WOW! WELL worth the 140.00 in my opinion.

I still haven't really cranked it up yet, but I suspect it will be more than enough for our little house!

I'm very impressed with the bass in this little system. It packs a fair punch for being so small. Mids and highs aren't too bad, but I haven't gotten a full selection of songs through it yet either. We used to have an Onkyo receiver and a pair of MTX 2230AL floor speakers that would all but raise roof. The Klipsch speakers, while not as "big" of a sound or as loud is by far a better "bang for the buck"...

This weekend I'll have some alone time with the new system, so I'll crank it up to 11 and see how she does.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: The_Eric
A small update on the Klipsch 2.1. I got the sub moved under the desk and all I can say is WOW!

Any time you place a sub near a corner, it will tend to amplify its response. Sometimes it's undesirable, but typically it's a good thing. Gotta experiment with different placements and see what sounds best for you.