High end 2.1 vs low-mid 5.1 speaker

Finally, time come to get the last component for my new rig and i having very hard time to decide which speaker set to get: either the very good Aego M 2.1 (in music) or the moderate Logitech z5500 (but very good in gaming & DVDs watching). I spent equal amount of times in music, game and watching DVD on computer. It seem i should get z5500, since the total amount of times combined (game & DVDs) certainly more compare to music alone. But i dislike the z5500 5.1's price tag, and Aego M only half of its price in comparison. Is Aego M capable of producing the same quality of sound in game and DvDs? (minus the surround sound of course)

I would go with the 2.1 just to save the extra space.

i have a 5.1, not a logitech though and i am pleased with it! i like it in games, i like it in music, and i like it when watching DVDs) so yea. i would go for the 5.1 if you can afford it that logitech! good luck

5.1 is obviously the superior quality and 2.1 can't come close to the real surround sound you get. That said, if the speakers in are really cheap quality (like made out of tin or it has a lousy range) its a waste.

Most box stores have the computer speakers set up with a demonstration to test the various quality. Circuit City does and I think Best Buy. Of course they can't put the speakers in their optimal locations so 5.1 speakers will sound better when you get them home.

A few years ago I bought some Creative Labs speakers for $100 and they are more than fine. My only problems have been the bolts for the speaker cover broke off one by one on the subwoofer and XP likes to reset back to two speakers all the time. I'm constantly having to modify it. This is probably due to some games that are only two speaker resetting it.

The reason I went with Creative Labs speakers is because their output jacks matched the card I had installed. They were not only colour coordinated, there was no conflict. I didn't have to keep trying to convince the CL card that my speakers were 5.1 compatible like my last set.

I'd recommend you get some speaker brackets or stands too. Walmart has a set for $10-15 for wall brackets and $30-40 for stands. Speaker bracket prices are jacked way up everywhere else.

What's the space you're installing it in? To make 5.1 work, you need to be able to position the speakers right. So most of the time you're better off with stereo speakers + headphones.

Of course, if you have the space, 5.1 rules.

(Full disclosure: I use headphones with my computer, but have a 5.0 speaker system with my home theater; Yamaha amp with JBL ControlONE speakers. I don't have a subwoofer because I live in an apartment building and like to stay neighborly with my neighbors.)

I have a 5.1 system, but I bought it in the year 2000. It's the creative labs 3500 DTT and I got the SBlive platium 5.1 soundcard with it. IMO, it is very important to go for a soundcard too when you want to buy a 5.1 system. Not that it doesn't work with the onboard thingies, but I don't think it's worth investing in one piece without watching the other. (You don't buy a small car and place a porsche engine in it)

Like Bart' - i have the Creative Labs 5.1 system running from an integrated nvidia chipset, it sounds great and i recommend it to the unconverted and thats how it has been for several years now...but...a couple of weeks back i attended a demo' of several sound systems, there was a 2.1 system that had an amazing unequaled crystal clear sound (better than the 5.1). It had those white mylar cones which give excellent reproduced detail. I've since had to re-adjust my views/ideals on the whole 5,1 v 2.1 situation. After all we only have two ears to differentiate anything that is over-pseudo So where speaker space is limited (or maybe not so limited) i certainly would consider a quality 2.1 system in the future.

Btw, why not go for the Logitech Z-2300 THX / 2.1 / 200W RMS? I can find it for 131.48EUR. (the Logitech Z-5500 Digital THX / 5.1 / 505W RMS is priced for 299.06EUR)

Still the reason why I would go for the 5.1 system would be DTS and Dolby system. IMO they really add sth to the game. (I don't have DTS on mine, but I have already heard it on other systems.) A 2.1 system has to create the effect that someone is sneaking up to you from behind, while a 5.1 makes it actually sound like that.

Btw, if you have money enough, you can always go for a real surround system. (no pc audiobox) B&W is a very good brand.

My cousin changed from one of the better Creative Labs sets, as of 2 or 3 years ago, to one of Teufel´s 5.1 systems for PC. He confirmed what all the print mags wrote: Creative Labs´ sets have no chance against Teufel´s equivalent products. The Teufel sets are both cheaper, have a clearly better sound and come with much more service. No surprise though. Creative sells many different multimedia products, most of them manufactured by OEMs in China. Usually solid stuff, but more often than not with little weaknesses. Teufel on the other hand is a home cinema specialist with its own R&D and plant, who exclusively sells directly to its customers via mail order.
Unfortunately they´re not really an alternative for somebody who can´t read German. Their English website is still "coming soon", which makes orders from the other European countries they ship to a bit more complicated than they should be.

Gamers in DACH have no excuse for choosing Creative over Teufel though.

Received the z5500 couple weeks ago, but i can't do anything with it as i can't boot up my PC without a display card!; in process of chasing down the 8800GT now- it's very difficult to get one, and my online order got delayed again!

Plug in some old card for the time being. 2 MB S3 Trio 64 V+ PCI.

I would never spend $100+ for PC speakers, I find that headphones are much more immersive. I use a pair of Sony gaming headphones for which I paid less than $50.

Once you become accustomed to headphones, you will never go back to using speakers.





Of course, if you also use your PC as an entertainment center, then you obviously need speakers as well.

JDR13 said:

I would never spend $100+ for PC speakers, I find that headphones are much more immersive. I use a pair of Sony gaming headphones for which I paid less than $50.

Once you become accustomed to headphones, you will never go back to using speakers.





Of course, if you also use your PC as an entertainment center, then you obviously need speakers as well.

Click to expand...

Counterargument:
Headphones can do a lot of damage to your ears because they are closer to them than speakers. You need the discipline to turn the volume down. Many people don´t understand this until it´s too late.

I didn't realize it was an argument.

I might have to look into that Gorath, I'm glad you mentioned it. I've been using headphones on almost a daily basis for almost 5 years now however, and I haven't suffered any ill effects yet. I keep the volume at an average level.

This is a phenomenal set of 2.1 speakers, if you can find them.

http://www.cambridgesoundworks.com/store/category.cgi?category=mul_spk_csw&item=c1swzzzz

JDR13 said:

and I haven't suffered any ill effects yet.

Click to expand...

This is something you can only know if your ear doctor tests it with a frequency synthesiser.

The important thing to remember about ears is:
Many structures inside the ear are too small to repair them. If they are damaged you are fucked.
If something happens, especially an acute hearing loss, visit a doctor immediately. Within the first 24 hours they can try to contain the damage by improving blood circulation and heat, relying on your body´s self-repair capabilities. After that you have ca. 6 weeks to try vacuum chamber therapy - with decent chances.

I hear a constant noise which sounds like a the one a shell makes when you hold it to your ear. 24 hours a day. And I can consider myself lucky because it´s rather unintrusive and has a low volume, so that just about every external noise overshadows it. Other people hear a loud BEEP - BEEP - BEEP the whole day ...
Since then I never go to loud places without earplugs. Never.

Of course all this isn´t necessarily connected to headphones. But the difference I see between headphones and speakers is:
The danger for your ear comes from two things: volume and abrupt changes between audio wave mountains and valleys. In a room full of speakers you can choose a place at which you "feel" safe, which means where you think the overlapping mountains & valleys caused by the different speakers more or less neutralise itself. And you can use earplugs to get the noise down and filter certain frequencies out.
Headphones expose you to the full dosis everytime. You can´t avoid it and you can´t run away. This is probably no problem if you turn the volume down, but it´s easy to forget it, especially if the software combines quiet voice overs with aggressive effects.