Sound/Speaker advice

Sneeky

Sneeky

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Hi
So after a long time I have a Asus Xonar STX soundcard and some Sennie HD650's on the way.

My pc speakers are 2.1 (dont want more) but they are cheapy creative A320's
http://asia.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=4&subcategory=789&product=19816
I want to upgrade to compliment my new hardware so I have been reading a bit and these seem to be recommended quite a bit.
Corsair SP2500
http://www.corsair.com/pc-computer-...-sp2500-high-power-2-1-pc-speaker-system.html
Nice thing on the corsair is there is a headphone input on the controller.

Will this all marry up well enough.
 
I also have the Asus Xonar Essence STX, which I'm using with my Sennheiser HD595 (bass mod) and the Corsair SP2500 :)

I'm very pleased with the combination: Sennheisers don't have to be converted from 1/4" to 3.5mm, and neither do I have to convert the SP2500's RCA cables to 3.5mm either.

The only thing that I have against the SP2500 is its short RCA audio cable (from PC to speakers), which means I have to have the subwoofer right underneath my PC. I never really use the auxiliary audio input on the controller.
Initially I didn't like that the controller's LCD had a poor viewing angle, but its never bothered me after the first week or so.

I'm not sure if I'll ever go with a surround sound system ever again, because the effects that you can add with the Asus Xonar Essence STX for the 2.1 speakers are simply amazing for games and movies!

Also take note that if you have poor quality audio tracks, then they can sound terrible on the SP2500 - but you probably knew that this will be the case with high end audio equipment :)

So ja, I'd say the SP2500's are definitely worth it! The next step up from there for me would be like a Marantz amplifier and stereo speaker set in the region of R10k+ I suppose...
 
Thanks folks.

Pada, top stuff thanks for the first hand info.
I picked up on a review or 2 about the wire length. I'll sort that out no problem if I need to extend the reach a bit.

Ta
 
STX and SP2500's installed, sounds pretty darn good :)

Can't wait for the HD650's to arrive.
 
Sneeky said:
STX and SP2500's installed, sounds pretty darn good :)

Can't wait for the HD650's to arrive.
Click to expand...

thumbsup dude.

A friend of mine loves quality music and he bought those Corsairs a few years back and he loves it.

I spent a grand on the Logitech 5.1 (Z506) when they came out and they're a disgrace to a) sound and b) Logitech's reputation. Sound quality is good but the volumne knobs/volume level, everything is breaking. They're now the same price as the Z530's (the previous 5.1) that they replaced.
 
Hope you don't mind me hijacking this thread. Getting a new system and want a decent but affordable sound setup for music and games. Not sure if I should go sound card. Not sure if I should get a great pair of headphones (have never used them) and a cheapo set of speakers. Just need some guidance here. I could possibly spend 1.5k on whatever it is I'm getting if convinced it would really make a strong impression.

On a similar note, I want a 2.1 speaker setup for my new PS51E450 Plasma. It only has an HDMI in, DVI and something called Digital audio out (optical) so I'm not really sure what to get for that as well.
 
dazzazzad said:
Hope you don't mind me hijacking this thread.
Click to expand...
No sweat mate.

I cant offer a lot of advice other than;
no onboard (mobo) sound will match a reasonable dedicated soundcard
You will also free up a wee bit of cpu with a soundcard.

I have had the surround sound options in the past, to many wires and stuff, I am a 2.1 firm convert for a while now.
You can get a decent midrange soundcard and 2.1 speaker set for your budget.

On the tv. I have a Sammy TV (55ES7500) and I went the soundbar route.
Its epic.
Its neat and sits nicely under the telly in the stand, you can also wall mount them.
Provides really good surround sound effects and comes with a woofer for the base.

Its just like sitting in a movie house. Walls shake, the effect/s sound is awesome, and really good quality entertainment value
 
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Those bars are often more expensive than the TV. Can't afford that unfortunately.

On the PC side, I'm looking at Asus Xonar D2 (2nd hand), Corsair Vengeance 1500 and logitech Z323. That setup will push me just over 1.5k, which is a bit rough but maybe it's worth it?

Is combining headphones with a serious sound card a lot different to just connecting to the mobo?
 
dazzazzad said:
logitech Z323.
Click to expand...

Do yourself a favour and find somewhere to test drive those speakers before you buy them. The Z323 is the 2.1 version of my Z506 so I know you will be left with a lack of volume somewhere down the line (mine have deteriorated a lot over the two years that I've had them).
 
froot said:
Do yourself a favour and find somewhere to test drive those speakers before you buy them. The Z323 is the 2.1 version of my Z506 so I know you will be left with a lack of volume somewhere down the line (mine have deteriorated a lot over the two years that I've had them).
Click to expand...

Is the quality decent otherwise? I won't need to blow the roof off, particularly if I get a set of nice headphones as well.

If things don't work out with the Xonar, what is a decent modestly priced alternative?
 
Second hand Xonar didn't work out so looking for a decent sound card that's not more than R500.
 
dazzazzad said:
Is the quality decent otherwise? I won't need to blow the roof off, particularly if I get a set of nice headphones as well.

If things don't work out with the Xonar, what is a decent modestly priced alternative?
Click to expand...

The sound quality itself is very good, but the speakers are wobbly, and the volume knob is on zero for the first 30 degrees. One moment it's off and the next moment it's louder... and for average sound, it has to go past 50% now. So essentially it's only the aesthetics and design that sucks.
 
Thinking now Asus Xonar DS - Z323 - Corair vengeance 1500. Does that seem acceptable?

Just need to make sure my mobo has a free PCI slot for the card.
 
dazzazzad said:
Which soundcard, the DS? Those speakers are way way way too expensive. I have a sound budget of around 1.5k
Click to expand...

Then get the smaller model: http://www.soundz.co.za/pGEMI-SR5/Gemini-SR5-75W-5in-Active-Studio-Monitors-pair-NEW.aspx

1.5K on run of the mill pc speakers will net you something pretty shoddy. All the pc speakers are made with the cheapest components, in little plastic boxes, designed to look good and have lots of muddy bass to wow people with the marketing material who dont know any better. Its one area where we have gone backwards, is the consumer audio world.
 
crysis said:
Then get the smaller model: http://www.soundz.co.za/pGEMI-SR5/Gemini-SR5-75W-5in-Active-Studio-Monitors-pair-NEW.aspx

1.5K on run of the mill pc speakers will net you something pretty shoddy. All the pc speakers are made with the cheapest components, in little plastic boxes, designed to look good and have lots of muddy bass to wow people with the marketing material who dont know any better. Its one area where we have gone backwards, is the consumer audio world.
Click to expand...

Still massively expensive unfortunately. I'd rather get simple speakers and a nice pair of headphones.
 
Oh well. The saying you get what you pay for is every bit as accurate as it sounds. If thats too much, then get a headphone amp and a decent set of cans.
 
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