Vote on your fav speakers!

[Eratosthenes]

I'm in the process of picking out some speakers to go with the system (1.2 Athlon, GF2 Pro, DRR, LG 995e) I'm building for college. I'll be using the setup for all my music and I'm looking for more quality than volume. In your personal experince which of these sounds the best:

Labtec Pulse-424 ($38)

ACS 45 ($45)

Altec ATP3 ($51)

Midiland 4060M ($69)

Boston Acoustics BA790 ($78)

or should I spring for the BA 4800's at $115?

Vote for the best! Or maybe, more importantly, the worst.
If you have any other suggestions they're welcome too.

So far (on sharky) I've had 2 for the ATP's, a BA790, and someone who likes Labtec.

Thanks.

Era

 

[Jeff H]

Eratosthenes, until recently I had the predecessors to the BA790, the MicroMedia, and they were a fine speaker setup. IMO one of the hallmarks of good speakers is when you finish listening your ears don't feel like they've been assaulted. The Boston Acoustics speakers are tops in this criteria.

What you'd get w/ the 4800's vs. the BA790's is a larger subwoofer, and maybe a few decibels more output, along w/ the obvious two extra speakers.

I swapped out my MicroMedia's for the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1's, and after some mixer tweaking I have to say they are an awesome setup. The highs are much brighter than the MM's, due to the horn tweeter. But where they really shine is in sheer output. If you're familiar w/ the THX theme you hear at the beginning of some movies, it will literally make the floor and walls vibrate. And, I'm hearing things in songs (fingers over guitar strings, background instruments, etc.) that I didn't know existed in songs.

I'm not a big gamer, playing mainly Links2001. But, you haven't lived til you heard a rocket impact in Quake3 w/ the ProMedia's. I haven't found the upper end of these speakers as I'm afraid I'll do some damage to either my ears or the speakers!

 

[Toejam31]

None of the above! (Not you, Jeff.) <GRIN>

The best computer speakers I have ever heard are the Klipsch 4.1 THX 400watt ProMedia. Four satellites, with a 160watt subwoofer. The newest version has an improved crossover in the subwoofer, and a headphone jack in the right front speaker.

Klipsch

They are also coming out with a new 5.1 digital system, which from all appearances, will stand a good chance of being the finest desktop speakers ever made. Period.

I was a professional musician for over twenty five years, and spent many an hour washing out stage setups, all over the country. My ear is in reasonably good shape. And the Klipsch sounded amazing to me, the very first time I heard them. Even after owning them for over a year, I still get a kick out of watching my friend's faces when I play an MP3 for them, run a DVD, or start up an EAX game. At low volumes, despite the wattage, the speakers have plenty of clarity and depth ... and at higher volumes, you'll have to struggle to find distortion, even in the lower frequencies.

I have never turned them all the way up. But I managed about 75% once! The sound surpassed anything I have ever heard in a movie theatre, even with Dolby 5.1. (Turning them up any farther would have required putting tape on the glass panes in the windows and leaving the room before an ear drum burst!)

The 4.1's are analog ... but believe me, you won't care. If you want quality ... this is the way to go. Nothing else comes close.

I'm drooling, thinking about the 5.1's!
Man, those oughta be something to write home about.

Toejam31

 

[Dundain]

I just bought the Altec Lansing ATP3 speakers, and I have to say Im rather impressed with them They make alot of noise, and it sounds pretty good considering Im using onboard sound, for a cheap price and really really small size.

 

[Jeff H]

Eratosthenes, Toejam31 has a point. W/ the possible exception of the Boston Acoustics BA4800's, none of the speakers you listed can hold a candle to the Klipsch offerings, whether they be the 2.1 or 4.1's.

I was trying to stay w/i the models you listed, and offer some comparison and contrast. Your ultimate choice will be driven as much by budget as by model. If $$ isn't an issue then the Videologic speakers also deserve consideration.

 

[titanium]

I've used Creative stuff for years. Never went wrong with that. You may want to check into the new TDK bad boys. They look great and sound even better for a 2.1 system. Around the $130 make i think.- HAve fun at school

 

[Soldat]

i love my Klipsch's and coupled with my new Hercules Game Theater XP the setup can really crank out some crisp, loud music. Of course....the only thing i can compare them to are those little stock speakers that ship with HP systems : ).

 

[AMB]

I like my Videologic Digitheatre.

 

[gregshin]

I've had the BA-4800's for 6 months now...I paid $150 for them at a B&amp;M store. You cannot go wrong with this 4.1 setup. Everything from DVD's, MP3's, Counter strike and Evercrack sounds great. I think they are the best bang for the buck. I also love Boston's customer service...i broke a speaker stand and they sent me the replacement in 1 week without any hassles regarding registration and stuff. Why not try both out and see which one appeals the most to you. Good luck!

 

[whitelight]

3dsoundsurge.com has some thorough reviews on the speakers you're considering.

 

[BillMartin12]

I am an Altec Fan myself!


Bill Martin

How To Build Your Own Home PC for Under $700, even if You're a Techno-Dummy!

 

[nnnyyy]

Another vote for the BA4800s!

 

[pillage2001]

GO BA4800!!!

 

[billyjak]

Klipsch, if not the BA4800's