Thread: New Speakers!!!

So I finally retired my old Logitech X-230 2.1 speakers. They were great for what I needed them for... something compact enough to drag along to a LAN party, decent sound quality for gaming, and acceptable for listening to some music in my office.

I decided it was time to upgrade to something that really sounds great. Something that covers a much wider range of sound frequencies without distorting and breaking up the sound, with a great sounding sub with great bass response. My office/desk cannot accommodate surround sound, and if I am going to spend some serious cash, I am considering only the higher end 2.1 solutions. I did my online research from various review sites and I narrowed it down between the following:

Logitech Z623 - $125
Speaker System Z623

Corsair SP2500 - $230
Gaming Audio Series

Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 - $150
ProMedia 2.1 iPod/Computer Speaker - Computer Speaker System, PC Speakers, 2.1 Computer Speakers - Free Shipping - 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee - Overview

Antec Rockus 3D Speaker System - $250
Antec.com - Product: ROCKUS 3D SPEAKER SYSTEM

There were other options out there. I even considered looking into a used (or new overstock) set of Razer Mako 2.1 speakers. While shopping, I really wanted to hear what the speakers sounded like before I spent upwards of $250 on them. I was able to demo all of the speakers with the exception of the Antec Rockus 3D set as nobody carried them locally. After hearing the Klipsch and Logitch speakers at Best Buy, I eliminated the Logitch speakers as in my opinion (or my ear's opinion), Klipsch simply delivered superior sound quality.

I then went to Comp USA who actually had the the Corsair speakers setup as a demo on a PC. I was absolutely blown away at what I was hearing. They had a music demo CD with several different tracks, from some Cheryl Crow song, to classical, Jazz, and some My Chemical Romance song. We then switched it over to play Star Craft II so I could hear them while gaming. Again, the sound was crisp and full range. The high frequencies were present. Almost too present where they actually started to hurt my ears. This is not typical from PC speakers which are normally full of mid range and begin to distort as you crank the volume. As I continued to turn up the volume on the Corsair speakers, they simply got louder with very little loss of sound quality.

But I wasn't 100% sold on the Corsairs as they did cost about $80 more than the Klipsh Promedia 2.1 speakers. I went bask to Best Buy and listened to the Klipsch speakers once more. I cranked the levels and they did start to distort a bit. I knew then that I needed to get back to Comp USA and pick up the Corsair system.

Thus far, I am extremely happy with my purchase. I spent almost all night listening to music and thoroughly enjoying the quality of sound they produce. They are not the prettiest things to look at. The speakers themselves are in an odd looking enclosure. The paper (yes, paper) cones are blue and are easily seen through the speaker grille. The sub woofer enclosure is huge, so it has to go under the desk rather than on top. The controller is really cool as it has a separate control for the main speakers, the sub, and different EQ settings. The sub is quite powerful, to the point where it actually vibrates my mouse around that I have trouble navigating around my screen. This is nothing that turning down the sub level can't fix.

As always, anything to do with sound quality is VERY subjective. Based on my experience with these speakers first hand, I highly recommend them to anyone that is looking for a great audio solution for under $250. Just too bad I didn't get to hear the Antec speakers.

I was thinking about picking up a set of the Corsairs. Do they support 220V input? I cant seem to find that info anywhere. I do not want to use a transformer with them so if the are 110V only, I cannot use them.