I haven’t bought computer speaker setup in well over a decade, but getting back into gaming, any suggestions?
I ask, due to the fact it looks like the old brands are all over the place in quality these days, like the Logitech G560 Speaker System, whose required software is messy. https://a.co/d/00gehZRS
Which is really making me wish I kept up to date, as Amazons current “recommendations system” can’t be trusted for quality with so many being cheapo speakers and SEO ruining result searches. 
Thanks in advance, as I feel like I’ve awaken in a speaker dystopia. 😧
I’m not an audiophile but I am a dj and music producer. I’d say the others who commented so far say not to look for “computer speakers” and they’re right. Soundbars and all that crap will sound like shit compared to any set of regular speakers.
But I wanted to add that the easiest speakers to buy and use are probably powered speakers. Meaning that you power the speaker directly with a power cable, and you send the speaker the audio signal. Other non powered speakers require an amplifier/receiver. Aka a third piece of gear you’d probably rather not have to research or buy.
So I’d recommend any powered speakers that are within your budget. Larger speakers will yield more bass because they can move more air aeound. Sound is just wiggly air. Depending on your room size, I’d probably recommend something at least with 7inch or bigger bass drivers (the bigger speaker cone). Someone else mentioned KRK which is a pretty cheap brand but they don’t sound terrible especially if you go for the larger ones.
As far as connecting powered speakers to your computer goes, it’s really not that expensive to buy a simple audio interface. I’d highly recommend the focusrite Scarlett 2i2. I have one as a secondary interface to my main one. It’s rock solid. Just plug it in and it works. There’s a volume knob on the front. Get some quarter inch audio cables to go from the back of your focusrite to the powered speakers. Done. Enjoy and hopefully this helps.
Edit: I should add that I’ve been using a pair of Fostex PM2 mkii powered speakers as my main music production speakers for the past 10+ years. I write, mix and master every song I’ve released. Look me up on Spotify. My most popular song has over half a million plays. I mixed and mastered that song myself on my trusty Fostex. So hopefully that makes my advice more credible.
If you’re ever working in Vancouver, can i come job shadow you for a few days? Always been curious about the technical side of audio production
I am based in Vancouver. But I teach music production lessons in Ableton Live over zoom. I have 15 students at the moment. Maybe that’s something you’re interested in?
Only as abserver, not a student. But thats cool you are close by , maybe o could come watch you DJ if you do live shows sometime
Random person here just popping in to say I’ve never heard of you before and you make fantastic music. I’ve been going to raves and festivals since the mid-00s and I would love to see you spin hahaha
Also all excellent advice.
Thanks! Check out my Shambhala mixtapes on Soundcloud. That’s the best representation of what my dj sets sound like.
Don’t search for computer speakers, just look for normal speakers on which I can’t help out too much on. Unless you want to invest into an expensive sound card, you probably should go for an AV-Receiver which transmits the audio through HDMI as this will give you the maximum quality depending on the supported formats. I have a sound card -> old school amplifier -> speaker setup. Basically it is your choice where the digital to analogue transformation happens, whether through a receiver or sound card. A sound card does have the massive advantage of providing virtual headphone surround sound (yes on stereo headphones, and no, this is really working) which receivers typically don’t have, because reasons and it will provide you with a massive immersion boost. And no onboard sound is not comparable, even the best one is a clear step down.
Interesting direction, any recommendations? As I feel like I’m starting all over again these days lol.
External sound cards have the advantage of less electrical interference, but usually the internal ones have external power not coming from the PCIe slot so it isn’t a big problem. Asus left the market leaving you with good old Creative Sound Blaster again. Choose whatever your budget allows, the two upper tier ones just differ in accessories, but that might have changed. And AV receivers the same, I am not the up to date audio guy what is a good deal. Just try to stay >120 dB SNR on sound cards for high end.
I feel that. Every time I need to upgrade a PC part, it’s like going back to the town I grew up in, but 50 years have passed.
I have my TV, sound system, and computer all in my living room. They all use the same amplifier and speakers. Would that work for your situation?
I don’t know if I would consider myself an “audiophile” but I do DJ for myself and like to have a decent set of speakers.
I have owned a few pairs of KRK Rokit speakers and currently have a set of Rokit 6’s. I like them for their overall pretty neutral sound, ideally I would have a sub along with it but space is an issue for me right now so I can make do. They have a sufficient amount of bass for my small flat by themselves to be honest.
I run them through my DJ controller (Traktor S4 mk3 if you care) and have run past pairs I’ve owned through other DJ controllers and basic focusrite USB audio interfaces.
I wouldn’t say these are super high end but I find they offer a very good listening experience for not a great deal of money (I always buy second hand where I can), this set set me back around £160 if I remember correctly.
I’ve had a set of KRK Rokit 8s for 10 years now and they’re great. I’ve had them absolutely cranked for some parties and they haven’t showed any signs of giving up. Perhaps not the best studio monitors out there but the price to performance ratio combined with how long they’ve lasted makes them one of the better audio purchases I’ve made.
I’ve owned 5’s and 6’s and used 8’s and 10’s, as you say there are probably objectively “better” monitors but for some powered speakers that are of a high quality both sound and build wise I have no qualms recommending them.
A friend of mine who owns a music studio recommended Edifiers to me, and they sound great. He was originally looking for a cheap temporary studio monitor and bought a pair and ended up liking them just as well as his expensive studio monitors. My wife and I have 3 pairs of them for 3 different computer systems and have been really happy with them.
I see Edifiers go on sale all the time here in Australia and they always get recommended. The reputation seems to be good value for and they have plenty of models to pick from
I don’t know that I’d consider myself an audiophile, but I am a musician. I run a pair of powered studio monitors out of the back of a Focusrite Scarlett usb audio interface for recording, and it’s way better than any computer speakers I’ve ever owned in terms of sound quality and fidelity. Of course, I’m also not trying to have a dance club setup that’s going to rattle the windows on my nextdoor neighbor’s house with super-ultra-mega bass, but it’s an avenue to consider.
When I researched and tested some, I found the Presonus Eris E3.5 to be the best bang for the buck. The other close one was Mackie CR3, but the Presonus is better.
I’ve had the Eros E3.5s for a few years and they’ve not let me down on quality, especially at the price point.
I also considered those Mackie’s.
Logitech Z623 are great, I’ve had them for over a decade now and they’re still pretty great
Normal hifi gear, particularly second hand can sound way way better than generic computer crap. However normal hi-fi speakers are designed to work best a certain distance from the wall **and ** a certain distance from you. These distances vary between speakers but it is important to check this before spending any cash as some speakers need to be many feet from you, which isn’t always remotely practical for most pc setups.
I went with Dali Minutes for this reason, so they can be right on the wall and really close to me. I paired mine with a Rega Brio amp and RME ADI 2 USB DAC, then added a monitor audio sub later.
Most proper studio monitors are designed for near field listening they also make a good choice although they can be a little clean for some people’s taste.
Im no audiophile but here are my takes
For powered bookshelf speakers : either presonus eris 4.5 (with or without bt) or edifier r1700bt but mostly leaning to presonus, i went with edifier since presonus was priced almost double in my country.
Here’s a good sample of these speakers
You might consider the Mackie Crx Cubes. They use bmr drivers that allow a wider Soundstage without needing as much physical space and can be had at a pretty reasonable price. Bass is lacking though, so allocate funding for a small woofer if you want the absolute best experience.
I bought a Fosi BT20A and connected regular speakers to it
Fosi stuff is great, get something that fits your needs and then a decent pair of regular speakers like NHT Zeros or something.
I don’t know if it’s possible to be an audiophile anymore. I haven’t seen a store where you can compare gear since the 1980’s.
I don’t know if it’s in your budget but I have had good luck buying Pyle amps and klipsche speakers.
The change the amps constantly https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/679325-REG/Pyle_Pro_PTAU45_PTAU45_Mini_120_Watt.html
Vanatoo transparent zeros, you can use optical input if your motherboard has optical out (mine did and I didn’t select for it intentionally) cleanest audio ever and you can tell the difference in HD audio compared to mp3/Spotify
They have other speakers but these are the best for Desktop use. They also support USB for audio! https://vanatoo.com/shop/speakers/transparent-zero-plus/
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Micca PB42X I have some of these and I like them.
