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[harSon]

Wasn't sure where to post this but all of the Pioneer Andrew Jones speakers are on sale at Amazon right now.

The Floorstanding speakers are $70 each: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008NCD2S4/?tag=neogaf0e-20

The bookshelf speakers are $99 for the pair: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008NCD2LG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

and the center speaker is $50: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008NCD2EI/?tag=neogaf0e-20

It's not the cheapest each component has been separately, but they rarely all go on sale all at once. You can nab it all for $289, and it'll put everything else within that price range to shame. It's a darn good beginners audiophile set.

 

[kinggroin]

I used to use BL Jameson Sonique Studio series gold book shelf speakers but now I settle for my Elton Duwarts Cambridge series silver.

 

[morpix]

Entry-level Sony Home Theatre setup.

I play Rockmsith and have the PS3 output directly to it and there's no noticable lag after turning off normalization and other audio processing.

 

[blastprocessor]

2 x B&W M-1 speakers
1 x B&W PV1D subwoofer

Stunning setup.

 

[Bold One]

can anyone recommend a good set of speakers for less that 50 pounds sterling, my logitech x530s are 7 years old and dying, I am not rich right now, I looked into some logitech z323s and been seeing mixed reviews for them.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Just bought me a pair of Adam Artist 6. One of the rare active floorstanding speakers. Will probably add an Emotiva DAC and them I am done.

My headphones are Beyerdynamic DT 880.

Dang, dude. Nice. Post impressions once you've had some time to break those sonbitches in.

 

[GoofsterStud]

I'm still rocking my Logitech Z5500 for my gaming room. They work just fine.

 

[J-Rzez]

Outside of my tried and true Onkyo/Polk surround, I retired my Tritton AX Pros as they wree pretty beat up. Got a set of Sennheiser G4ME Zeros and using Razer's headphone software as a test, sounds really really good. Everyone says my mic is incredible.

 

[Respawn]

Outside of my tried and true Onkyo/Polk surround, I retired my Tritton AX Pros as they wree pretty beat up. Got a set of Sennheiser G4ME Zeros and using Razer's headphone software as a test, sounds really really good. Everyone says my mic is incredible.

J what consoles are you using with it? Or is it just PC?

 

[Tayaya]

I built my setup quite some time ago using a Yamaha receiver and some Polk RM95 speakers and Polk PSW10 subwoofer.

I'm not what I would call a rich man, and my goal at the time was to keep the cost of the setup under $1000. I was successful in that. For the room I have, the RM95s sound pretty great, though the subwoofer leaves a bit to be desired and it has to work too hard to cover the lower end of the spectrum (a common problem with small satellites).

The receiver I use is an RX-V659 - I'm due for an upgrade there, but when I bought it HDMI receivers were just showing up on the market and cost more than my whole setup. Getting this receiver for $300 with the features that it has at the time was a bargain. I am considering an upgrade to something more modern in the same price range, to get rid of a lot of my wire clutter. Replacing all those component/optical combos with single HDMI cables would be pretty nice!

 

[Arkanius]

Speakers?
I've gone full headphones:

 

[Gibbo]

Headphones for me as well.

HD650
NOVA AMP
SUDH1 Victor unit

 

[TyrantGuardian]

A pair of the tiniest Genelec monitors. So good.

 

[Rimshot]

I only run stereo at home, and no surround, but I'm quite happy with my Canton Chronos 503.2. A lot more preassure in the base than I expected as well.

 

[69wpm]

I'm running stereo too:

Those 2 Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 speakers are powered by my Pioneer X-HM71 sound system. Both speakers are sitting on Wharfedale stands. The living room isn't exactly big so the two speakers are more than enough.

 

[Arkanius]

This thread just came in handy by the way.
As you can see, I have an O2 Amp and the DT880.

My source however, is an X-Fi Titanium (non HD). Should I upgrade my soundcard? (External DAC? Maybe I should add the ODAC to it) or are there better soundcards out there?

I quite like X-Fi CMSS-3D for games with great 5.1 positional audio. Most software emulations don't cut it.

 

[GluedOnBeard]

Not sure if these have been mentioned but if you want the biggest price/quality ratio then and are not overly fussed by aesthetics then get the Pioneer Andrew Jones designed speakers.

For the price you can't get better SQ.

The only issue I have is the center is too big so need to find a small center to match.

 

[Frostburn]

I wanted a small pair of Active speakers and landed on the Audioengine A2+ model (They have a built in DAC)

I will be adding an S8 sub in the next month or two but they sound so clear and amazing for the price. For headphones I am still rocking the Sennheiser PC360s driven by a Soundblaster Z PCI-E sound card, the headphone amp on the card is pretty great.

 

[NinjaCatfish]

I use an AudioEngine D1 DAC as my source, which feeds AudioEngine A2 speakers out the back, and can feed headphones too.

I have two pairs of headphones I use for different things.

Audio Technica ATH-AD700's for when comfort is super important, when sound leak isn't a concern, and when I want an open soundstage.

And a paid of ATH-M50x headphones for situations that call for isolation, like audio production and just when I generally want to block out external noise.

For the TV, I have all my audio running through an Onkyo TX-SR313 reciever that I stupidly paid too much for,

And speaker wise, I have some old but fantastic Wharfedale Delta 30-2 speakers I got super cheap from a local guy who had owned them since the mid nineties.

 

[DemonCleaner]

i'll use this thread to give kudos to sucker punch for including a decent stereo mix in infamous second son. most games nowadays are cleary mixed multichannel only, which becomes really annoying cause you allways have to adjust music, voice and noise volumes to understand anything at all when using a linear stereo set up.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

Looking to replace my (2005 vintage) Logitech 5.1 system. It set me back a whopping 50 bucks at the time and they've served me faithfully. The rear speakers don't work anymore and now one of the cables is starting to fail.

At any rate, a reputable Australian electronics retailer is having a 20% off sale on their E-Bay storefront until thursday, so I thought that might be a good time to make a purchase. At the same time, they don't have the greatest selection ever, it's just logitech sets.

I'm probably thinking a 2.1 system because my room isn't built for rear speakers. I already have a good set of headphones so the quality doesn't have to be perfect or anything. My main objection is that they look hideous, every single one of them. The ones I currently have aren't lookers, yet don't manage to be as ugly as that bullshit.

My eyes are on the Microlab FC360, but after postage that would be like 120 bucks. I can definitely afford this, but I'm wondering if any of those logitech sets are "decent", or if there's a really amazing 2.1 system in a similar pricerange (50-150 bucks) I should get instead of any of the ones mentioned.

 

[Deku Tree]

Looking to replace my (2005 vintage) Logitech 5.1 system. It set me back a whopping 50 bucks at the time and they've served me faithfully. The rear speakers don't work anymore and now one of the cables is starting to fail.

At any rate, a reputable Australian electronics retailer is having a 20% off sale on their E-Bay storefront until thursday, so I thought that might be a good time to make a purchase. At the same time, they don't have the greatest selection ever, it's just logitech sets.

I'm probably thinking a 2.1 system because my room isn't built for rear speakers. I already have a good set of headphones so the quality doesn't have to be perfect or anything. My main objection is that they look hideous, every single one of them. The ones I currently have aren't lookers, yet don't manage to be as ugly as that bullshit.

My eyes are on the Microlab FC360, but after postage that would be like 120 bucks. I can definitely afford this, but I'm wondering if any of those logitech sets are "decent", or if there's a really amazing 2.1 system in a similar pricerange (50-150 bucks) I should get instead of any of the ones mentioned.

I'm using the Logitech Speaker System Z623 with my home computer. I got it with expiring airline miles. It sounds really good, certainly "decent". Deep bass. And crisp sound.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VAHYTG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[RoadHazard]

I have a 5-speaker Jamo setup. Nothing especially expensive, but it sounds nice enough.

 

[jacobeid]

On my PC I have a set of Sony CMT-MX500i bookend speakers and they sound really great for everything that I do on this set up, though I am looking for a new set these days so I can retire the Sonys to other uses.

 

[GavinUK86]

I've been using the Creative T20 desktop speakers for years (since they came out which I think is about 3 years ago) and they haven't let me down once. Contemplated replacing them many times because of their age but I can never bring myself to do it because they're so good.

The aux in on the front of the right speaker is a live saver. The amount of things I can just pop into that and get instant sound is phenomenal. I have my PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and PS4 connected to them at the moment.

Headphones wise, I use the Creative Fatality's which are unbeatable for price and performance in my opinion.

 

[Later Alligator]

polk rti a3 fronts (~$400/pair)
polk csi a4 center (~$200)
polk rm751 rears ($120/pair)
polk sub but cant remember the model (~$250)
pioneer 5.1 3d receiver (~$300)

seems like i have a hard on for polk, but really we found the center, rears and receiver for a smoking deal off kijiji so my gf got them for my xmas present. there was another set of 6751 included for fronts which i upgraded to the rti a3s, then i went out and bought a mid range sub

for the room that i have it in, it sounds amazing

 

[Gorthaur]

I'm using a 2.1 from Edifier, the C2XD:

They sound very good, the have an integrated amplifier, optical input, remote control, and cost only 100-120 bucks.

 

[FuriousOne]

I am currently using Definitive Technolgies Pro Monitor 1000 setup. Great bang for the buck and reasonably sized for smaller spaces. Great sound as well. Receiver is a recent Yamaha release, can't remember the model at the moment.

 

[dannethmps]

Just swopped the Mordaunt Short's in exchange for some Focal Sib XXL's

 

[wowzors]

I actually just got my new set up up and running, I will be posting pics in the New pickup thread in the next week (awaiting Sub still).

I previously had an Onkyo HTIB from around 6 years ago.

I just bought a set of Monitor Audio Silver 8's in High gloss white, a Silver Center in high gloss white, right now using a Sony STRDN840 (i know it SUCKS) AVR, awaiting the SVS Sound SB-1000 Sub in white.

Currently dealing with just some onkyo surrounds and an onkyo sub until the rest of it comes in.

 

[wowzors]

just a little bump, i got all of my audio equipment in. Pics are in the pick up thread.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=123734987&postcount=42

 

[lumzi23]

No speakers. HD 600 paired with O2+ODAC, haven't really game tested them (doing so right now).

 

[ValfarHL]

I've spent waaay too much money on mine, but my god I love it.

Amplifier: Line Magnetic 218IA tube amp
DAC: Current: Line Magnetic 502CA. Coming next week: Audio GD Master 7.
Speakers: Klipsch Cornwall III

I'll post pics if someone quotes me.

 

[Finaika]

I've spent waaay too much money on mine, but my god I love it.

Amplifier: Line Magnetic 218IA tube amp
DAC: Current: Line Magnetic 502CA. Coming next week: Audio GD Master 7.
Speakers: Klipsch Cornwall III

I'll post pics if someone quotes me.

.

 

[tronic307]

I am contemplating buying three of these Ascend Acoustics CMT-340 SE MINI-TOWER MONITOR's as front speakers. They seem to be highly rated, reviewed, and respected by Audiophiles on the internet...

So I am curious to ask what kind of speakers other people use, and what they think about their audio setup in regards to gaming?

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cmt340m/cmt340m.html

I have those, they sound like studio monitors. I have the Rythmik F15 subwoofer too, you can't get more precise bass. There are better speakers out there, but not many for that price. I also have a pair of Gallo Reference Stradas, cleanest most three dimensional speakers I've owned. But they only go down to 120Hz, so you need stereo subs, the more articulate the better.

 

[Netherscourge]

Two Panasonic Earbuds.

Full-bodied sound, great directional audio, smooth bass.

Cost $12 on Amazon.




And my 4-year-old can sleep in peace while I destroy worlds.

 

[lazer_bean]

Genelecs all the way. They are used by Bungie, Kojima productions / Platinum and many others to actually make game soundtracks. And unlike many monitors, they work great at home and don't break the bank.
Here's from Bungie's Destiny documentary, nothing like hearing it exactly the way Marty intended it to be heard:
Konami and Platinum used them for Metal Gear Rising
Remedy used them for Alan Wake
Here's my living room 7.1 setup. 3 x Genelec 8040 in the front, 4 x Genelec 8020 in the back plus a Genelec 7050B sub
Love my Genelecs.

They might be great for making music, as it is monitor speakers' primary use but not so for listening to music or games/wahtever.

Monitor speakers don't add colour to the sound, they don't enhance bass or treble for example. Again this is great for making music but I don't think anyone should get them for listening to other stuff

 

[tronic307]

They might be great for making music, as it is monitor speakers' primary use but not so for listening to music or games/wahtever.

Monitor speakers don't add colour to the sound, they don't enhance bass or treble for example. Again this is great for making music but I don't think anyone should get them for listening to other stuff

There's nothing wrong with a flat frequency response, monitors just expose so much detail that they might get fatiguing. Audyssey makes them listenable for long periods, though.

 

[Respawn]

Finished PT [Silent Hills] with my Klipsch towers and Polk Audio sub combination on lastnight. I'm still shaking lol

 

[Deku Tree]

Here is my updated audio setup



(It is hard to get good lighting on my setup without a flash.)

Now I have a PS3-PS4-WiiU-Bluray player-Denon AVR-Cable Box-AirportExtreme-Panny 50" Plasma (wall mounted by myself)-B&W 683's-Klipsch RW12d Subwoofer (boom!)-and surround speakers too.

 

[DagsJT]

Can anyone recommend a decent pair of speakers that I can use with my PC, PS4 and Wii U. My PC and PS4 can use optical so I'd like to use those. The Wii U is more limited and will require a cable going from my monitor headphone jack to an analogue connection in the speakers.

I dont want to spend hundreds but I'd like something decent with good bass. I'm based in the UK too.

Thanks!

 

[ngower]

Bumping an old thread rather than making a new one.

I'm in the market for a 5.1 setup. Last night I went into Best Buy expecting to pick up the Pioneer Andrew Jones 5.1 speaker setup with the Denon AVR710W for around $800-$1000. They didn't have most of the speakers in stock so I was looking at other options and got some recommendations from the Magnolia dudes. Walked out with a Denon AVRX2200, pair of B&W 686 S2 and an HTM62 center channel.

I don't have the center-channel in hand yet so I wonder if this is just buyer's remorse or what, but I'm beginning to second-guess if I shouldn't just order those other components online. Seeing as I still need some satellites for the rear and a subwoofer, if I stick with B&W I'm looking at another $1000 for a total of $3000.

I have a fairly good 2.0 system for vinyl and I've used a DAC to hook my PS4 up through that for movie-watching over the years. That seemed to push out better sound than what I was getting from the B&Ws last night.

My question to you all is simply this: can I spend my money more wisely buy sticking to my original plan, or is the path I'm on genuinely the route to go?

 

[Applecot]

Can anyone recommend a decent pair of speakers that I can use with my PC, PS4 and Wii U. My PC and PS4 can use optical so I'd like to use those. The Wii U is more limited and will require a cable going from my monitor headphone jack to an analogue connection in the speakers.

I got a Logitech Z906 pretty much expressly for this purpose. It's far from what I'd consider cheap though...


You could try to bootleg a system which utilises your PC passthrough to get all the sound going, which works perfectly fine. It's just going to be a bit of work.
It would be something like:

Consoles -> Monitor / TV -> PC input -> PC output -> Speakers

Anything that outputs RCA would be fine once converted to 3.5mm.

 

[Deku Tree]

Bumping an old thread rather than making a new one.

I'm in the market for a 5.1 setup. Last night I went into Best Buy expecting to pick up the Pioneer Andrew Jones 5.1 speaker setup with the Denon AVR710W for around $800-$1000. They didn't have most of the speakers in stock so I was looking at other options and got some recommendations from the Magnolia dudes. Walked out with a Denon AVRX2200, pair of B&W 686 S2 and an HTM62 center channel.

I don't have the center-channel in hand yet so I wonder if this is just buyer's remorse or what, but I'm beginning to second-guess if I shouldn't just order those other components online. Seeing as I still need some satellites for the rear and a subwoofer, if I stick with B&W I'm looking at another $1000 for a total of $3000.

I have a fairly good 2.0 system for vinyl and I've used a DAC to hook my PS4 up through that for movie-watching over the years. That seemed to push out better sound than what I was getting from the B&Ws last night.

My question to you all is simply this: can I spend my money more wisely buy sticking to my original plan, or is the path I'm on genuinely the route to go?

You can save money IMO.

Technically if you a have a golden ear then you might hear the difference between different speaker sets. Say if an airplane is flying across your screen and the surround sound kicks in then you could try to notice it.

But for most people you don't really notice.

On the other hand B&W's center channel has a bad reputation in the audiophile community, and the rear speakers are not as important.

I have a "phantom center channel" setup with two B&W 683s in the front and two older rear speakers by a different company. IMO it sounds fantastic.

 

[Auctopus]

I see a lot of people recommending monitors. OP please ensure that the monitors you buy are not flat response. These are for music producers that require the sound to come out with no type of filter or booster.

For example, I have a pair of KRK Rokit 6s for music production, they're excellent but they're nowhere near as good as home speakers when it comes to a gaming experience.

 

[RipperGrim]

I see a lot of people recommending monitors. OP please ensure that the monitors you buy are not flat response. These are for music producers that require the sound to come out with no type of filter or booster.

For example, I have a pair of KRK Rokit 6s for music production, they're excellent but they're nowhere near as good as home speakers when it comes to a gaming experience.

Need dat bass!

 

[123rl]

I'm running stereo too:

Those 2 Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 speakers are powered by my Pioneer X-HM71 sound system. Both speakers are sitting on Wharfedale stands. The living room isn't exactly big so the two speakers are more than enough.

I used these and moved them to my surrounds when I upgraded. I love these speakers. They have no right to sound this good for the price I paid. My current front speakers are Monitor Audio Bronze

 

[Conduit]

Dang, dude. Nice. Post impressions once you've had some time to break those sonbitches in.

Entry-level Sony Home Theatre setup.

I play Rockmsith and have the PS3 output directly to it and there's no noticable lag after turning off normalization and other audio processing.

Price for that?

 

[tokkun]

Bumping an old thread rather than making a new one.

I'm in the market for a 5.1 setup. Last night I went into Best Buy expecting to pick up the Pioneer Andrew Jones 5.1 speaker setup with the Denon AVR710W for around $800-$1000. They didn't have most of the speakers in stock so I was looking at other options and got some recommendations from the Magnolia dudes. Walked out with a Denon AVRX2200, pair of B&W 686 S2 and an HTM62 center channel.

I don't have the center-channel in hand yet so I wonder if this is just buyer's remorse or what, but I'm beginning to second-guess if I shouldn't just order those other components online. Seeing as I still need some satellites for the rear and a subwoofer, if I stick with B&W I'm looking at another $1000 for a total of $3000.

I have a fairly good 2.0 system for vinyl and I've used a DAC to hook my PS4 up through that for movie-watching over the years. That seemed to push out better sound than what I was getting from the B&Ws last night.

My question to you all is simply this: can I spend my money more wisely buy sticking to my original plan, or is the path I'm on genuinely the route to go?

I haven't listened to either of those systems, but I think the appropriate advice is still pretty clear.

If you don't like how the B&W system sounds in your room, return it. You shouldn't spend $3K on a system that you have to convince yourself you like. If you buy the Andrew Jones system online, shop at some place that allows returns so you can send it back if you don't like it better than your current 2.0 system either. Every room has different acoustics and every person has their own preferences in what sound they like. You can use others' opinions to narrow down your choices, but ultimately it's important to make your decision off of what sounds good to you in your own room.

As for the receiver, you can often get steep discounts on refurbished Denon's once they have been on the market for a while. Take a look at Amazon or accessories4less. In my personal opinion a lot of people allocate too much of their budget to the receiver. The receiver is not going to be nearly as important to the audio quality as the front speakers or subwoofer. Receivers also seem to become obsolete more quickly these days with new formats, connectors, and networking technology, whereas your speakers and subwoofer may hold their value for many years.

 

[ngower]

You can save money IMO.

Technically if you a have a golden ear then you might hear the difference between different speaker sets. Say if an airplane is flying across your screen and the surround sound kicks in then you could try to notice it.

But for most people you don't really notice.

On the other hand B&W's center channel has a bad reputation in the audiophile community, and the rear speakers are not as important.

I have a "phantom center channel" setup with two B&W 683s in the front and two older rear speakers by a different company. IMO it sounds fantastic.

I do have a fairly fickle ear, so I hesitate to get something that won't sound great. I also have concerns about the size of the Pioneer setup in my room.

That said, I've got a pair of PSB Image B5s that I'm using for my hi-fi setup and I'm thinking about doing just what you've got going on right now: PSBs in the front, B&Ws in the back. Get a subwoofer down the line. But I'd rather keep my music setup solely for music.

Hm. Well I've got 14 days so I'll tinker a bit more with the B&Ws but I'm leaning towards going to the cheaper 5.1 setup.