best speakers for under $200??

[Workin']

<< i'm going to buy the Altec Lansing 641's if they truly are the best. However, the 0.3% distortion at -10dB has me a little worried. I love listening to music. >>

The spec is <0.3% THD at -10dB full scale input voltage. I think that is a very respectable figure, especially given the price. That's well below the threshold of audibility, even if you listen only to pure sine waves. All it really means is to set the volume of your soundcard to about the middle of its range, to keep the input voltage to the speakers' amplifier at a reasonable level to avoid overdriving.

Now that I've had the 641's for a few days and done some tweaking and lots of listening, the only negative I have found is that the "large-ish" physical size and weight of the pieces made me have to rearrange a bunch of my stuff. And of course, like ANY speakers, the positioning of the units has a big effect on how it all sounds. I don't game very much, I mostly listen to music - and I am really pleased.

BTW, I have them connected to an OEM Audigy sound card, using the 4-channel settings for the card and speakers.

As to whether the 641's are the "best", that's my opinion, for under $300 I don't think you can do better.

 

[dejacky]

thanks. I'm going to listen to them at Best Buy tomorrow then buy them from www.neqx.com. peace!

-dejacky

 

[Workin']

<< thanks. I'm going to listen to them at Best Buy tomorrow then buy them from www.neqx.com. peace!

-dejacky >>

They sound MUCH better at home than they did at Best Buy!

 

[dejacky]

Well, it's going to be going through a Hercules Muse XL audio card based on that CMI 8738 chipset. So audio might not be that amazing unless i use the direct-out from my liteon cd-rom

 

[dejacky]

i listened to the logitech 560's and Altec Lansing 641 speaker sets at CompuUSA and both sounded horrible in my opinion. The high frequencies were very distorted and the bass was very sloppy with the 641's. This could be attributed to a sound source with too high an output, but the 641's woofer was distorting heavily and even on quiet settings, the overall sound was still sloppy & not accurate. My ancient altec lansing ACS90 stereo speaker pair with subwoofer sounded MUCH better than this. It was a real dissapointment. Can any audiophiles help me out? Maybe I'll pick up a 641 speaker system at Fry's and try it out. If it still sounds horrible, I'll return it. Sounds like a plan? calling all audiophiles 4 help .

-dejackyk

 

[Workin']

<< i listened to the logitech 560's and Altec Lansing 641 speaker sets at CompuUSA and both sounded horrible in my opinion. The high frequencies were very distorted and the bass was very sloppy with the 641's. >>

Well obviously something was VERY wrong with their setup! Hard to believe at CompUSA, I know, since they are known for doing a great job (that's sarcasm, in case you couldn't tell).

I consider myself an audiophile - my home stereo is top-notch, carefully set up and calibrated, and rather expensive. No Bose there! Of course the 641's don't really compare to a multi-thousand dollar set of high-end loudspeakers, but I hope that's not what you are expecting for about $170!!! However, the 641's are far and away the best-sounding speakers aimed at PC use - I've listened to every model that is commonly available (and some that are not so common), and that is the truth.

As far as sloppy bass - there is a bass adjustment, and properly set up the bass is pretty tight - not perfect, but quite detailed and MUCH "faster" than the Z-560's (which DO have sloppy bass no matter what you do). Improperly set, it CAN sound horrible. I've played my 641's hitting near-field volume peaks of 115db (measured using my SPL meter, and that is about as loud as anyone can stand), and haven't heard a trace of treble distortion - no "flattening", "splattering", or loss of imaging. Just scared the living hell out of my cats. Good thing the wife wasn't home. Overall, simply amazing - even at twice the price.

Pick up a set locally, at a place where you can return them if you don't like them, take them home, set them up, experiment with the settings and especially the placement of the bass unit and satellites, and see what you think. Just don't expect to take the pieces out of the box, plunk them on your desk, and reach audio Nirvana without some setup time.

I don't know what your audio background is, but if you have ever heard high-quality speakers - say over $1000/pr - I think you will be impressed with what you can get for under $200.

 

[wfbberzerker]

<< the Z560's from logitech are nothing short of amazing >>

 

[dejacky]

any other comments? i plan to buy on friday & I will post review.

 

[dejacky]

I got the ALtec Lansing 641's. The high frequencies seem to exhibit that "sizzile" that i don't like. I prefer a "clear smooth" sound with no extra distortion. Regarding the bass, what exactly does the phase switch do on the woofer? (It's currently set as "in") The bass seems a bit excessive & slow to me still. I'm hoping this can all be attributed to my "setup." I'd appreciate anyone's help in this matter since I have a feeling/hoping these speakers are better than they sound to me currently. Thanks! anandtech rules!

-dejacky

 

[Workin']

<< I got the ALtec Lansing 641's. The high frequencies seem to exhibit that "sizzile" that i don't like. I prefer a "clear smooth" sound with no extra distortion. >>

I dialed mine back 1 click from the default and they sound smooth to me. Much less "sizzly" than Z-560's and especially Klipsch. Of course that's a matter of taste...

<< Regarding the bass, what exactly does the phase switch do on the woofer? (It's currently set as "in") >>

It changes the phase of the bass module - with it set one way the woofer moves in phase with the satellites, i.e., when one cone moves outwardly they all do. With the switch set the other way, the situation is reversed, i.e., the cones move n opposite directions, or out of phase. That's a big simplification but it should give you some idea. It can make a big difference in how powerful the bass sounds and can also affect the blend between the sub and satellites.

<< The bass seems a bit excessive & slow to me still. I'm hoping this can all be attributed to my "setup." >>

I dialed my bass 2 clicks back from default and switched the phase switch to the position that sounded better (I don't remember which position, I switched it so many times...). Also, keep the sub far away from any corners of your room and keep the back of it at least 6 inches from the wall.

I like mine more every day, as I tweak and fiddle to get them "just right". I watched the remastered "Terminator 2" on DVD yesterday and the sound was awesome, that was the first movie I've watched using these speakers.

 

[dejacky]

hmmm, still experimenting with my speakers. So far, they are OK. I'm thinking of returning them if I can't get them to sound better. I'll keep everyone updated. I just feel like the speakers are producing all the sound detail that I've heard in other speakers. Yes, I agree about the sizzleness of the Klipsch speakers, I never liked them either. The Logitech 560's seemed to exhibit a masking effect where audio details are meshed together. thanks for everyone's help.

-dejacky

 

[Workin']

One of the biggest problems is finding the right locations for 5 speakers. Especially 4 sort of big (for the desktop) satellites and 1 quite large bass module.

I've noticed that the 641's are quite sensitive to location for the best sound. I have 2 of the satellites on my desk on either side of my 21" monitor, and if any part of the plane formed by the satellite's front panels falls behind the front plane of the monitor, the high-frequency smoothness and particularly the imaging just fall apart. I have the "rear" satellites set about 8 feet apart directly to my left and right, they are not behind me but rather more in line with where I sit. I also recently backed the bass off another click (down 3 from default now), and the clarity is even better than before. The bass module is under a table to my left, away from any corners and with its back (and ports) not too close to the wall.

They also sound better using the 4-channel output from my Audigy than in "Stereo x 2" mode. Dolby Pro Logic II processing by PowerDVD for music also sounds quite good, and sometimes sounds amazing.

Of course it may turn out that you just don't like them. People have different tastes in sound - after all, some people think Bose sounds good, others like Klipsch, etc.

 

[gplanet]

The Diamond S2-4100 computer speakers are the best computer speakers under $200. They will cost about $200 shipped though. www.diamondmm.com. I have these and they blow away any Klipsch ProMedias or Z560s (not that that's saying much)

of course you can get better home audio bookshelf speakers for $200, but this includes the amp and subwoofer too

 

[dejacky]

couldn't find anything on those Diamond speakers. I think I'm going to return the Altec Lansing 641 speaker system. bah, i don't think a good surround speaker system can be had for $200. It's probably one of those systems that no one has heard of. .

-dejacky

 

[Workin']

Well, dejacky, I don't know what to tell you. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I did a quick look for a price on those Mackie 824's you suggested - and keeping in mind the subject of the thread was best speakers under $200 - the lowest price I could find for those was $679!!!. Not really the same league, not even remotely. And they don't have built-in amps, maybe you have your model number confused?

So, if your expectations are geared for $700 worth of performance, it's likely you would be disappointed with anything at $160. That's too big a spread for even the best "giant killer" to overcome.

 

[dejacky]

You found the Mackie HR824's for $679?! Please link 4 me. All my mackie nonsense aside, I believe there are speakers in the same price range that reproduce the high frequencies better. I just feel the high frequencies were cut short. However, these speakers are very "easy" on the ears, i.e. I can listen to them for long time & my ears don't ache from "harsh" sounds, etc. I may end up keeping them since it is surround sound for $200 after all . I don't know. I'll test some more this weekend & try to A/B some other speaker systems. Thanks for all the help workin .

-dejacky

 

[Atrail]

I ordered the Z560's on Tues. $138 shipped
From what I have read it will have been money well spent.

 

[MrDudeMan]

another vote for logitech z560's

and even the z340's sound AWESOME for 46 dollars SHIPPED at newegg! im not even kidding...these were insane

they sound great, sub sounds nice, and everything is just awesome for the money


and i assume the z560's would be even more perfect because its the same speakers, but more of them!

 

[nortexoid]

dejacky, the reason you can't find those diamond s2-4100 speakers is because DIAMOND DOESN'T MAKE SPEAKERS.

unless you count those ones on their modems.

MIDILAND MAKES THEM.

diamond and midiland....hmmm - quite different companies...ah well.

i find my 4 year old altec lansing ACS 45.1s not bad...i'm not audiophile tho...of course you can get these for under $90 CDN...but anyway, I've never had an urge for those crappy 4.1 and 5.1 computer setups...they all look cheap to me.

 

[Workin']

<< You found the Mackie HR824's for $679?! Please link 4 me. >>

I wish I could remember!

<< I believe there are speakers in the same price range that reproduce the high frequencies better. I just feel the high frequencies were cut short. However, these speakers are very "easy" on the ears, i.e. I can listen to them for long time & my ears don't ache from "harsh" sounds, etc. I may end up keeping them since it is surround sound for $200 after all . I don't know. I'll test some more this weekend & try to A/B some other speaker systems. >>

That's why there's a lot of different models on the market. Everyone has a different idea of what sounds "good", and since it's strictly a matter of opinion who's to say anyone is wrong?

<< Thanks for all the help workin . >>

That's what (I hope) we are all here for!

 

[dejacky]

Workin, just so u know, The Mackie HR824 Monitor's are self powered. (no amp is needed). I actually think I'm going to keep these Altec Lansing 641's since I want surround sound for <$200 & I listened to the logitech's midilands & the rest of those stupidly designed speaker sets. My conclusion is that the Altec Lansing 641's sound better than anything currently in the market for this price range. I'm trying to maximize the smooth high frequency perceived sound via speaker placement & adjusting treble/volume levels. One ?, what is a cheap way to put these speakers on the wall? <--*** Thanks! anandtech rox!

-dejacky

 

[Workin']

<< Workin, just so u know, The Mackie HR824 Monitor's are self powered. (no amp is needed). >>

Yeah, I figured that out - $679 was for the 624's, which don't have built-in amps. My mistake.

<< My conclusion is that the Altec Lansing 641's sound better than anything currently in the market for this price range. >>

My conclusion as well.

<< One ?, what is a cheap way to put these speakers on the wall? >>

The set should have come with 2 little flat brackets that can attach to the back of the satellite, just screw that to the wall using some drywall anchors and attach the speaker to the bracket. The metal stands that they come with have to be removed, but that's easy to do, thge speaker just sits in it like a cradle with a little tab on the back holding it in place.

 

[TheWart]

music student over here casting my vote for the logitech z560s. don't know what people are thinking when they don't like the sound! these rock every type of music. if they have issues with the bass, i suggest they get a good soundcard (mine is the Phillips Acoustic Edge) that has the best equalizer i have ever seen [Tone Control]).

for more $$$ i would go with the Klipsch ProMedia 4.1 tho, we have them at home and they are high high quality.

 

[Workin']

<< music student over here casting my vote for the logitech z560s. don't know what people are thinking when they don't like the sound! these rock every type of music. if they have issues with the bass, i suggest they get a good soundcard (mine is the Phillips Acoustic Edge) that has the best equalizer i have ever seen [Tone Control]).

for more $$$ i would go with the Klipsch ProMedia 4.1 tho, we have them at home and they are high high quality. >>

No offense, but sound quality is pretty subjective. For instance - if you think the 560's have accurate bass then in my opinion you likely have never heard speakers that have accurate bass. All the equalizer adjustment in the world can't increase the definition of the muddy thud that passes for bass in the 560. Furthermore, the crossover frequency between the bass unit and the satellites is so high that way too much midrange is handled by the bass unit - which makes the midrange sound very weak unless the satellites are sitting very close to the woofer.

And many people find the Klipsch's treble WAY to "sizzly", and again equalization can't really help with that, either, without totally demolishing the upper registers. They also are ridiculously overpriced compared to the competition.

So really it comes down to a matter of personal preference and budget. Some people like anchovies. Others do not.

 

[dejacky]

i heard the logitech 560's several times, & it "masks" the midrange frequencies whereas the Altec lansing 641's seem to reproduce a sginificantly more accurate midrange sound.

-dejacky