Help me choose which comp speakers to save up for! - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

SecretMethod70 · 07-24-2004, 05:22 AM

Alright, so Doom 3 is coming out ain less than 2 weeks, and after reading interviews with some of iD's top people I've decided that aside for a new video card I also need to get new, surround sound speakers for when I get and play this game.

Right now I have an <a href="http://www.alteclansing.com/product_details.asp?pID=ATP3&sID=2">Altec Lansing ATP3</a> set. It's worked quite well for me with very nice sound for the past 3 years. However, as you can see, it is not surround sound.

Now, thanks to a thread I saw here on TFP, I got a free year subscription to Computer Gaming World. In the back, they have a section with their picks for various different computer components. For speakers, this is what they recommended (that was in my price range):

<a href="http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2,CONTENTID=6851">Logitech Z-5300</a>

Now, the Z-5300 has an MSRP of about $200. However, on <a href="http://www.newegg.com">NewEgg</a> they are listed as <a href="http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=36-121-106&DEPA=1">$139</a>. Furthermore, on <a href="http://www.ebay.com">eBay</a>, there are refurbished models going for anywhere between $50 and $80.

On the other hand, while reading the reviews on newegg, I noticed a couple reviews mentioning things like...

Quote:

The Logitech Z-560 speakers that these replace (for the same price, anyways) had a richer, deeper bass and a more powerful volume. These Z-5300s that they replace, however have a crisper midrange and highs. There is no distortion, at any volume. The Z-560s had distortion at very high volumes, but the overall peak sound output was greater than these with less distortion.

It is somewhat of a dissapointment that these are soemwhat of a joke compared to the Z-560s. If bass is your thing, the Z-560s were significantly better in that aspect.

With that aside, this is the best 5.1 configuration for the price, and the style of the speakers is more modern, using a dark metallic silver coating.

So, I looked up the <a href="http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2,CONTENTID=5044">Z-560 speakers</a>. On eBay, there are refurbished models going for around $65. There are no new models on newegg.

Now, the Z-560 is 4.1, but I'm coming from 2.1 so either way it's an upgrade. Frankly, I have no clue how many things take advantage of 5.1 and how many don't. I've also read something about the Z-5300 having Matrix something-or-other instead of discreet 5.1, but the reviews also tended to say it was very good for being Matrix instead of discreet.

A few reviews mentioned that the Z-5300 was better for games and movies than music, but I have no idea what's a better trade-off. It seems I could get better sounding music and 5.1 surround or much better sounding msic, but 4.1 surround. I gather that games and movies will sound better in the Z-5300 based on the couple reviews I've read.

Lastly, I don't know what kind of impact this information has, but I'm sure it has some...

Z-5300:
Power Output: 280 Watts RMS(2 x 35.25W front, 2 x 35.25W rear, 39W center, 100W Subwoofer)
Frequency Response: 35Hz - 20,000Hz
Signal To Noise Ratio: >85 dB
Remote: Wired Remote
Features: Easily hook it up to your video game console with the included adapter, Use Matrix mode and source selector switch to create breathtaking 5.1 surround sound from stereo, 4 channel, or 5.1 sound sources, Place the satellites on a shelf or mount them to a wall, Enjoy twice the bass of conventional designs with our patented subwoofer design, Conveniently control volume and power with the wired remote, which features an LCD screen and

Z-560:
Total power output: 400 watts RMS
Satellite speaker power output: 53 watts RMS per channel
Subwoofer power output: 188 watts RMS
System frequency response: 35Hz - 20kHz
Signal-to-noise ratio: > 75 dB

So, does anyone have any advice? I'm not really too aware of what's involved in audio electronics. Has anyone ha any experience with either of these models? Both? Any and all help is appreciated - I don't plan on actually purchasing anything for at least a month, maybe 2.

Thanks, and sorry for going on so long!

brandon11983 · 07-24-2004, 11:09 AM

You can get a refurbed ProMedia GMX 5.1 system direct from Klipsch for $159 now. They will smoke the Logitech's on their worst day. Klipsch is a company that makes speakers, Logitech makes keyboards and mice. It may be more than what you want to spend, but for $399 you can get their super system, the ProMedia Ultra 5.1. This system is amazing, it performs like none other for music use, and is deafeningly loud for movies and games. You might be able to find it a bit cheaper online. They also have a ProMedia 4.2 system, which is basically 2 ProMedia 2.1 systems together. I don't know a price on this, but I do know that it will perform better than the ProMedia GMX 5.1 system. Best of luck.

sixate · 07-24-2004, 11:43 AM

I have a pair of Z560's, and I would seriously doubt that the new speakers that replaced them are louder/sound better with half the power. With a good sound card my speakers sound great.

5.1 is great, but most people seriously don't need it.

Although, I'm thinking of upgrading my speakers to the Z680's.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...121-105&depa=0

I've compared them to the Klipsch ProMedia 5.1's, and I just like the Logitech speakers better. Although, It all depends on how you like your music to sound, but you can't go wrong with either one. Plus, I have a ton of Logitech products, and love them all.

Halx · 07-24-2004, 11:45 AM

You need to get yourself some Klipsch 5.1's - sure, they cost like $500 bucks (or at least they did when I got them) but they are the absolute best computer speakers you can buy.. hands down.

iamtheone · 07-24-2004, 04:09 PM

I have always used Klipsch Pro Media 5.1 speakers. They can not be beat in my eyes. The GMX version is ok, but if I were you I would hold out for the big boys.

Good Luck.

SecretMethod70 · 07-24-2004, 05:20 PM

Hmm, thanks for the extra advice everyone. The one thing is the prices as well. As much as I'd *love* to get a $500 set of speakers, you have to understand that everything on my copmuter, thus far, is three years old. That means I have a 1.4 GHz processor, a crappy video card, and only a reasonably good 512MB of RAM. So, since I'm already going to spend somewhere between $200 and $400 for a new video card, if I were going to spend another $500, the way I look at it, I'd probably rather still get a set of speakers for around $150 and then a new mobo and fast processor.

However, any speakers in $200 and below range I think are reasonable as far as costs are concerned. I'll have to check out the ProMedia GMX.

Quote:

Originally posted by sixate
I've compared them to the Klipsch ProMedia 5.1's, and I just like the Logitech speakers better. Although, It all depends on how you like your music to sound, but you can't go wrong with either one. Plus, I have a ton of Logitech products, and love them all.

Anything in particular that you like better with the Logitech as opposed to the Klipsch? I'd love to make it to some place where I can test some of these side by side, but until then I've got to go on the descriptions I can get here.

EDIT: Looking on eBay, I see the ProMedia GMX D-5.1 for as low as $120 or so.

hilbert25 · 07-24-2004, 07:59 PM

Klipsch makes great speakers, if horns are your thing (I've got the old v2-400's). But look whenever you're looking at 5.1 systems, look at the Acoustic Energy aego P5. They aren't as loud or dynamic as the Klipsch, but they are simply the best sounding, most transparent satellite system that I've ever heard. They can be had for $449 from the distributor on ebay. Originally they sold for $1300, and if I had that kind of dough lieing around, I would have bought them for that much.

Though I would warn you that 8/10 people would prefer the Klipsh simply because of the bass and horns. Klipsch is great for games, but the promedias get on my nerves for most music.

rekinom · 07-25-2004, 12:31 PM

Post removed.

SecretMethod70 · 07-25-2004, 04:36 PM

OK, I do plan on playing DVDs. I mainly game and listen to music on my comp, but I sometimes do play DVDs as well.

I've narrowed it down to three, based on the prices:

Logitech Z-560

Logitech Z-5300

Klipsch ProMedia GMX

Now, I just read a review on Amazon about the Klipsch that sounds like it may be a deal breaker.

Quote:

Folks, these are great sounding speakers. They truly are. But these speakers are ALL digital and play TRUE digital sound. Even though they may sound great, these speakers only play 2.1 sound unless you have a DIRECT digital connection. Not even your Audigy 2 can play with all five channels going on here. Even if they are plugged into the D-IN on your Audigy 2, they will only play 2.1 sound, and no more. If you have an nForce motherboard such as the ASUS deluxe edition, then these speakers are great because on that specific motherboard you can play true-to-life digital sound, including direct Dolby Digital. The decoding on the Audigy 2 soundcard is way different. These speakers are meant generally for consoles and can only be used to the fullest on computers containing an ASUS Deluxe nForce2 motherboard. To those users out there: You are VERY lucky people. For the rest of us with KT400s or etc., you should go and buy an all-analog system or a digital speaker system made specifically for the Audigy 2 if you want digital. These are not the option.

Now, while I will, eventually, upgrade my mobo, right now I have an MSI K7-Master. Basically, that means that I'm not one of those "lucky users." Is what this guy says true? Not much of a point in getting the 5.1 Klipsch if they'll only sound as good as 2.1 with my computer.

Another review said (regarding the Klipsch)...

Quote:

Creative sound cards use a mixed aplitude signal out, which only works with Creative Speakers, by design. So if your using the digital out from Creative, you will only get 2.1 sound. I do not know how it will work with an optical connection using Creative's External Drive connector.

But hook directly to a DVD player, etc. Works fantastic.

and then there's

Quote:

The limited inputs for this speaker set means that any computer user with a Creative sound card (and that's most of us) is going to be stuck listening to stereo output. In which case your 5.1 just became a 2.1.

Claiming these to be computer speakers is nothing short of irresponsible. These speakers are fine for the console market, or digital connectivity to certain TVs and DVD players via coax or optic cabling. But judged as computer speakers they are an enormous disappointment.

Now, I (will) have a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy. Does anyone know if this is the case? I'd hate to find out that neither the Klipsch *OR* the Logitech will be able to work to their full capacity

hilbert25 · 07-26-2004, 12:07 AM

Yeah, those klipsch will work great if you got dolby digital coming in, but most games that means 2.1 since they use directsound. Check on ebay for klipsch promedia 5.1 (not ultra, not gmx) or maybe even a 5.1 ultra. They take a 5.1 analog input from a soundcard, which your Audigy should output. If I recall the 560 has analog inputs, meaning it'll work just fine with an audigy.

SecretMethod70 · 07-26-2004, 03:13 AM

Well, I guess that rules out the Klipsch. No point in getting a 5.1 system if I won't have 5.1 sound. (Too bad too cause they look pretty sweet)

So, that leaves the Z-560 and Z-5300 again. I just can't justify spending over $200 absolute maximum for new speakers when I could upgrade other things with the money instead.

Hopefully in the next few days I'll get around to seeing if Best Buy happens to have both to test them out. Until then, any input between the two would be greatly appreciated!

brandon11983 · 07-31-2004, 10:49 PM

I dunno if you have checked anything out yet, but Best Buy at North and Sheffield has a Logitech 5.1 system for $199. Its THX certified, and is pretty substantial looking. It hasn't been connected the past 2 times I've been there, but I'm sure you could get it connected if you ask.

SecretMethod70 · 08-01-2004, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by brandon11983
I dunno if you have checked anything out yet, but Best Buy at North and Sheffield has a Logitech 5.1 system for $199. Its THX certified, and is pretty substantial looking. It hasn't been connected the past 2 times I've been there, but I'm sure you could get it connected if you ask.

Unfortunately, I'm home in the suburbs for the summer. I just went to one of the Best Buys around here and they had NO speakers connected. It was pretty annoying. I'm going to check out the newly opened Fry's in a nearby suburb sometime though - maybe tomorrow.

SecretMethod70 · 08-03-2004, 08:19 AM

Alright, this sorta sucks. I went to Fry's yesterday and tried out the Z-560's. After looking at them, I see that they have no digital input. I found out that a friend's brother has the Z-5300's. Those have no digital input. The Klipsch's, according to some of the stuff I posted above, have digital input but it doesn't work with a Crative Sound card anyway (which I have). Is there ANY way to get actual surround sound without being forced to buy Creative speakers?

punx1325 · 08-03-2004, 01:32 PM

I recommend the 560's, I own the 680's and they are godly. Newegg has the 680's for $250 when I bought them. When I was looking between Logitech and Klipsch, Logitech was rated higher.

hilbert25 · 08-03-2004, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SecretMethod70
Alright, this sorta sucks. I went to Fry's yesterday and tried out the Z-560's. After looking at them, I see that they have no digital input. I found out that a friend's brother has the Z-5300's. Those have no digital input. The Klipsch's, according to some of the stuff I posted above, have digital input but it doesn't work with a Crative Sound card anyway (which I have). Is there ANY way to get actual surround sound without being forced to buy Creative speakers?

Basically, with that creative card, the only way to get games to output a digital signal non creative speakers is to play dolby digital encoded games (maybe). Otherwise you need analog outputs. Now the audigy should have 3 analog stereo outputs: 1 for front, 1 for rear, one for center/sub. Now the problem with the new klipsch is that it doesn't take surround analog in (I think). The logitech's, however do take surround analog in (assuming they are 5.1). In which case you WILL get surround from them with games if they are setup correctly. And the D/A converter on the Audigy wasn't especially bad (at least the original), so it would actually sound pretty good.

Creative digital speakers are a gimic, I had a pair and they're onboard D/A converter was crap. This was 5 years ago, but the idea remains the same.

What Audigy model do you have, by the way?

SecretMethod70 · 08-04-2004, 02:47 AM

hmm, ok, I have an Audigy ES (SB0162). I have to admit, I'm pretty new to this surround sound stuff and everything - I've always just been using onboard sound with 2.1 speaker - so sorry for my cluelessness.

I just looked on the back of the Audigy and what I see is an obvious microphone jack (colored pinkish red), a jack witha picture of sound waves and an arow pointing into them (colored blue) - I would suspect it's input, but what's the difference between that input and the microphone input?, a jack with sound waves and an arrow pointing out of them, marked "_2" (colored black), a jack with, again, sound waves and an outward arrow, this time marked "_1" (colored green) - this is where I have my 2.1 speakers plugged into, since the color matches their plug, and lastly an jack with sound waves and outward arrow, marked "digital out OR _3" (colored orange). Sorry if this seems really obvious but like I sadi I've never dealt with anything more than 2.1 before. Is the _1-3 like left/right/center?

The other thing is that games are not my only concern. While Doom 3 may be the impetus for my interest in a surround sound system, the majority of sound coming from my speakers is music and then, every now and then, movies. While at a friend's house yesterday, I checked out his Z-5300's which he recently got. They sounded very nice, but the rear speakers seemed to have very little sound coming out of them, even for music when, theoretically, the sound should be equal on all speakers. He played with the fader a bit and it fixed it somewhat, but not entirely. Then, when we tested out a DVD it was terrible. Aside for the lack of significant sound from the rear, there were HUGE problems with the surround sound. When the Matrix surround was off, the movie sounded very good - just like a movie would sound on a very nice, non-surround sound speaker system. However, when we tried turning on Matrix surround for Saving Private Ryan, not only did it not sound like there was much distinction between the different channels, but some things were missing! We could hear the bullets and explosions, sure, but not a single word that was being spoken was audible.

Now, I didn't think about this _1, _2, _3 stuff to check that at the time - had no idea it even existed (he also has an Audigy, but Audigy 2) - so maybe his speakers weren't set up properly. I'll try to go over there today and check it out again, but all I could think of at the time was how terible it sounded. They were great for music, and they sounded good on Quake 3 (unfortunately he doesn't have a game that actually supports surround sound I don't think), but the sound on the DVD was just horrendous. These are supposed to be good speakers though, so I figure there must have been something wrong with the setup.

Anyways, so those are the jacks I have on my sound card. Hope that helps - even if it doesn't, would someone mind explaining what the heck they are to me?

And if you have any input regarding surround sound for DVD movies and the Z-5300, or any other model, feel free to provide that as well.

Thanks!

hilbert25 · 08-04-2004, 06:08 PM

What soundcard did your friend have? That matters a lot more than the speakers. What player? Either the soundcard or the software player need to know how to decode dolby digital or dts for analog speakers to work.

Now a little tutorial on soundcards:

Difference between mic in and line in: The mic in is supposed to be amplified.

Lines 1, 2, 3: 1 is front, 2, is rear, 3 is sub/center. They are probably color coded on the speakers, but those colors might not match your outputs. Each analog line out carries information for 2 channels. The 3rd one is a little strange because it's both analog center/sub and digital out. What that means is this: it can be set in drivers to either be analog out, or it can output AC-3 (dvd audio) to a reciever. Now AC-3 will not be used for games, so it would only be used for movies.

I don't know about that version of soundblaster, but older versions could not decode AC-3 meaning watching movies in analog would only be 2 channel. If your audigy can decode AC-3, then you can listen to movies with full surround sound, if it can't you can only play games with surround sound. For music, music is 2 channel only (unless it's sacd, or dvd-audio, but neither is really decodeable by most computer sound cards). Thus you won't really hear any surround in music, you can clone channels or do silly dsp things, but it won't be surround.

I don't know how those logitech's work, but you probably don't want to use matrix mode when watching movies. It's meant as a dsp for stereo, it looks like. They don't have the manual, so I can't say.

If you want to try a game with great surround support, see if you can get a demo of the original Thief. That game had some of the best audio ever.

SecretMethod70 · 08-04-2004, 08:07 PM

Thanks for the help, this gives me some stuff to consider/look into. If you or anyone else has any more to add, please feel free

soccerchamp76 · 08-04-2004, 09:49 PM

Creative MegaWorks 5.1
500 watts
Mine arrived today from Newegg.com $199

suesman · 08-05-2004, 05:03 AM

I have a set of Polk-Audio AMR150's, it's a 4.1 system & I absolutely love them. They are not the loudest things in the world, but the sound quality is stunning. Very clean & crisp. I've had them for almost 3 years now & not one problem ever.

hilbert25 · 08-11-2004, 11:11 PM

So I just realized that with doom 3 you need a 5.1 system, 4.1 will not work. So yeah, forget what I said about the klipsch 4.1 systems. Note that this is due to doom 3's strange sound algorithms, anything using a normal api will do surround with 4.1. So what'd ya pick?

SecretMethod70 · 08-12-2004, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by hilbert25
So I just realized that with doom 3 you need a 5.1 system, 4.1 will not work. So yeah, forget what I said about the klipsch 4.1 systems. Note that this is due to doom 3's strange sound algorithms, anything using a normal api will do surround with 4.1. So what'd ya pick?

Sheesh! I've had few decisions as hard as this, but now even more information to help me decide, so that's good. Looks like 4.1 is out.

Haven't had a satisfactory chance to look into some of the other recommendations in this thread, so I haven't picked anything yet. Again though, thanks for all the info everyone - you're helping me trim down the possibilities while at the same time mentioning some that I hadn't thought of.

jvwgtr · 08-30-2004, 11:28 AM

I have the Z5300 system, and I LOVE it...
It took me a while to figure out that the color coding on the plugs don't match the corresponding inputs on my soundcard, though.
I've been very happy with them, but I needed to buy some RCA extensions to hang the rears. No biggie.

shortynickel · 09-06-2004, 08:54 PM

i have some harman kardon speakers at my computer, tho they are only front speakers...not sure how good or if they have good surround sound for the pc but i have a pair of infinity and a pair of jbl's along with a center channel on my home theater...both made by harman kardon....they are very good imo....also if u have the extra couple $ dont buy the cheap speaker cables....get some good ones or at least the inexpensive if u are gonna put a good amount of money in ur system.

3zos · 09-13-2004, 08:19 PM

well, i see now that these are out of your range even still, but if you were able to get the z680s for less than 280, theyre a spectacular sound system. the speakers alone are worth it, but it does quite well with both digital/optical inputs, 500W and all the rest. OEM wires are shite but they suffice.
As has been said, the Klipsch have a bit more high-range specialty to them, the 560's/680's by logitech are quite bass laden, though the latter set have a bit better range.
aside from whatever application you may have for your video games, theyre more than adequate for a home theater setup on a budget as well. (a friend uses these as speakers on a 2500 usd reciever, and they sound terrific)
anyway i dunno what you ended up doing but i thought id throw in my two pence
3zos

SecretMethod70 · 11-20-2004, 01:45 PM

Alright, I just wanted to say thanks for the help everyone. I ended up getting the Z-5300e's (they're Z-5300's with a silver coating instead of black). Sure, they're not the BEST, but they're almost 10x more powerful than the ones I had and I got them brand new from newegg with free shipping for 149,99 - and I have a form for a $50 rebate, bringing the price down to $99. It was a good deal.

I'm sure looking forward to having speakers for my computer again!

phatlowry · 11-28-2004, 09:13 PM

ahh I am too late... I would have gone with Edifier S2.1D's. They have the digital input you were looking for and sound great....

http://www.edifier.ca/products/s2141/s21d.html

SecretMethod70 · 11-29-2004, 01:24 AM

Yeah but they're 2.1

Anyway, I've got the speakers and have listened to them a bit and they're great

The sub is so powerful that I'm seriously concerned that I may annoy the people below me even when listening to my music quietly - and that's a GOOD thing

07-24-2004, 11:09 AM	#2 (permalink)
brandon11983 Stereophonic Location: Chitown!!	You can get a refurbed ProMedia GMX 5.1 system direct from Klipsch for $159 now. They will smoke the Logitech's on their worst day. Klipsch is a company that makes speakers, Logitech makes keyboards and mice. It may be more than what you want to spend, but for $399 you can get their super system, the ProMedia Ultra 5.1. This system is amazing, it performs like none other for music use, and is deafeningly loud for movies and games. You might be able to find it a bit cheaper online. They also have a ProMedia 4.2 system, which is basically 2 ProMedia 2.1 systems together. I don't know a price on this, but I do know that it will perform better than the ProMedia GMX 5.1 system. Best of luck. __________________ Well behaved women rarely make history.

07-24-2004, 11:45 AM	#4 (permalink)
Halx Please touch this. Owner/Admin Location: Manhattan	You need to get yourself some Klipsch 5.1's - sure, they cost like $500 bucks (or at least they did when I got them) but they are the absolute best computer speakers you can buy.. hands down. __________________ You have found this post informative. -The Administrator [Don't Feed The Animals]

07-24-2004, 04:09 PM	#5 (permalink)
iamtheone Psychoholic Location: Ein tov she'ein bo ra!	I have always used Klipsch Pro Media 5.1 speakers. They can not be beat in my eyes. The GMX version is ok, but if I were you I would hold out for the big boys. Good Luck. __________________ Music is holy, art is sacred, and creativity is power... Think for Yourself Question Authority

07-25-2004, 12:31 PM	#8 (permalink)
rekinom Crazy	Post removed. Last edited by rekinom; 06-04-2006 at 06:06 AM..

07-26-2004, 03:13 AM	#11 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	Well, I guess that rules out the Klipsch. No point in getting a 5.1 system if I won't have 5.1 sound. (Too bad too cause they look pretty sweet) So, that leaves the Z-560 and Z-5300 again. I just can't justify spending over $200 absolute maximum for new speakers when I could upgrade other things with the money instead. Hopefully in the next few days I'll get around to seeing if Best Buy happens to have both to test them out. Until then, any input between the two would be greatly appreciated! __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

07-24-2004, 11:43 AM	#3 (permalink)
sixate Registered User Location: Somewhere in Ohio	I have a pair of Z560's, and I would seriously doubt that the new speakers that replaced them are louder/sound better with half the power. With a good sound card my speakers sound great. 5.1 is great, but most people seriously don't need it. Although, I'm thinking of upgrading my speakers to the Z680's. http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...121-105&depa=0 I've compared them to the Klipsch ProMedia 5.1's, and I just like the Logitech speakers better. Although, It all depends on how you like your music to sound, but you can't go wrong with either one. Plus, I have a ton of Logitech products, and love them all.

07-24-2004, 07:59 PM	#7 (permalink)
hilbert25 Psycho Location: nOvA	Klipsch makes great speakers, if horns are your thing (I've got the old v2-400's). But look whenever you're looking at 5.1 systems, look at the Acoustic Energy aego P5. They aren't as loud or dynamic as the Klipsch, but they are simply the best sounding, most transparent satellite system that I've ever heard. They can be had for $449 from the distributor on ebay. Originally they sold for $1300, and if I had that kind of dough lieing around, I would have bought them for that much. Though I would warn you that 8/10 people would prefer the Klipsh simply because of the bass and horns. Klipsch is great for games, but the promedias get on my nerves for most music.

07-26-2004, 12:07 AM	#10 (permalink)
hilbert25 Psycho Location: nOvA	Yeah, those klipsch will work great if you got dolby digital coming in, but most games that means 2.1 since they use directsound. Check on ebay for klipsch promedia 5.1 (not ultra, not gmx) or maybe even a 5.1 ultra. They take a 5.1 analog input from a soundcard, which your Audigy should output. If I recall the 560 has analog inputs, meaning it'll work just fine with an audigy.

07-31-2004, 10:49 PM	#12 (permalink)
brandon11983 Stereophonic Location: Chitown!!	I dunno if you have checked anything out yet, but Best Buy at North and Sheffield has a Logitech 5.1 system for $199. Its THX certified, and is pretty substantial looking. It hasn't been connected the past 2 times I've been there, but I'm sure you could get it connected if you ask. __________________ Well behaved women rarely make history.

08-03-2004, 08:19 AM	#14 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	Alright, this sorta sucks. I went to Fry's yesterday and tried out the Z-560's. After looking at them, I see that they have no digital input. I found out that a friend's brother has the Z-5300's. Those have no digital input. The Klipsch's, according to some of the stuff I posted above, have digital input but it doesn't work with a Crative Sound card anyway (which I have). Is there ANY way to get actual surround sound without being forced to buy Creative speakers? __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

08-03-2004, 01:32 PM	#15 (permalink)
punx1325 Junkie Location: San Diego	I recommend the 560's, I own the 680's and they are godly. Newegg has the 680's for $250 when I bought them. When I was looking between Logitech and Klipsch, Logitech was rated higher. __________________ If something seems too good to be true, then it probably is....

08-04-2004, 02:47 AM	#17 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	hmm, ok, I have an Audigy ES (SB0162). I have to admit, I'm pretty new to this surround sound stuff and everything - I've always just been using onboard sound with 2.1 speaker - so sorry for my cluelessness. I just looked on the back of the Audigy and what I see is an obvious microphone jack (colored pinkish red), a jack witha picture of sound waves and an arow pointing into them (colored blue) - I would suspect it's input, but what's the difference between that input and the microphone input?, a jack with sound waves and an arrow pointing out of them, marked "_2" (colored black), a jack with, again, sound waves and an outward arrow, this time marked "_1" (colored green) - this is where I have my 2.1 speakers plugged into, since the color matches their plug, and lastly an jack with sound waves and outward arrow, marked "digital out OR _3" (colored orange). Sorry if this seems really obvious but like I sadi I've never dealt with anything more than 2.1 before. Is the _1-3 like left/right/center? The other thing is that games are not my only concern. While Doom 3 may be the impetus for my interest in a surround sound system, the majority of sound coming from my speakers is music and then, every now and then, movies. While at a friend's house yesterday, I checked out his Z-5300's which he recently got. They sounded very nice, but the rear speakers seemed to have very little sound coming out of them, even for music when, theoretically, the sound should be equal on all speakers. He played with the fader a bit and it fixed it somewhat, but not entirely. Then, when we tested out a DVD it was terrible. Aside for the lack of significant sound from the rear, there were HUGE problems with the surround sound. When the Matrix surround was off, the movie sounded very good - just like a movie would sound on a very nice, non-surround sound speaker system. However, when we tried turning on Matrix surround for Saving Private Ryan, not only did it not sound like there was much distinction between the different channels, but some things were missing! We could hear the bullets and explosions, sure, but not a single word that was being spoken was audible. Now, I didn't think about this _1, _2, _3 stuff to check that at the time - had no idea it even existed (he also has an Audigy, but Audigy 2) - so maybe his speakers weren't set up properly. I'll try to go over there today and check it out again, but all I could think of at the time was how terible it sounded. They were great for music, and they sounded good on Quake 3 (unfortunately he doesn't have a game that actually supports surround sound I don't think), but the sound on the DVD was just horrendous. These are supposed to be good speakers though, so I figure there must have been something wrong with the setup. Anyways, so those are the jacks I have on my sound card. Hope that helps - even if it doesn't, would someone mind explaining what the heck they are to me? And if you have any input regarding surround sound for DVD movies and the Z-5300, or any other model, feel free to provide that as well. Thanks! __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

08-04-2004, 06:08 PM	#18 (permalink)
hilbert25 Psycho Location: nOvA	What soundcard did your friend have? That matters a lot more than the speakers. What player? Either the soundcard or the software player need to know how to decode dolby digital or dts for analog speakers to work. Now a little tutorial on soundcards: Difference between mic in and line in: The mic in is supposed to be amplified. Lines 1, 2, 3: 1 is front, 2, is rear, 3 is sub/center. They are probably color coded on the speakers, but those colors might not match your outputs. Each analog line out carries information for 2 channels. The 3rd one is a little strange because it's both analog center/sub and digital out. What that means is this: it can be set in drivers to either be analog out, or it can output AC-3 (dvd audio) to a reciever. Now AC-3 will not be used for games, so it would only be used for movies. I don't know about that version of soundblaster, but older versions could not decode AC-3 meaning watching movies in analog would only be 2 channel. If your audigy can decode AC-3, then you can listen to movies with full surround sound, if it can't you can only play games with surround sound. For music, music is 2 channel only (unless it's sacd, or dvd-audio, but neither is really decodeable by most computer sound cards). Thus you won't really hear any surround in music, you can clone channels or do silly dsp things, but it won't be surround. I don't know how those logitech's work, but you probably don't want to use matrix mode when watching movies. It's meant as a dsp for stereo, it looks like. They don't have the manual, so I can't say. If you want to try a game with great surround support, see if you can get a demo of the original Thief. That game had some of the best audio ever. Last edited by hilbert25; 08-04-2004 at 06:12 PM..

08-04-2004, 08:07 PM	#19 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	Thanks for the help, this gives me some stuff to consider/look into. If you or anyone else has any more to add, please feel free __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

08-04-2004, 09:49 PM	#20 (permalink)
soccerchamp76 Go Cardinals Location: St. Louis/Cincinnati	Creative MegaWorks 5.1 500 watts Mine arrived today from Newegg.com $199 __________________ Brian Griffin: Ah, if my memory serves me, this is the physics department. Chris Griffin: That would explain all the gravity.

08-05-2004, 05:03 AM	#21 (permalink)
suesman Upright Location: Florida	I have a set of Polk-Audio AMR150's, it's a 4.1 system & I absolutely love them. They are not the loudest things in the world, but the sound quality is stunning. Very clean & crisp. I've had them for almost 3 years now & not one problem ever. Last edited by suesman; 08-05-2004 at 05:13 AM..

08-11-2004, 11:11 PM	#22 (permalink)
hilbert25 Psycho Location: nOvA	So I just realized that with doom 3 you need a 5.1 system, 4.1 will not work. So yeah, forget what I said about the klipsch 4.1 systems. Note that this is due to doom 3's strange sound algorithms, anything using a normal api will do surround with 4.1. So what'd ya pick?

08-30-2004, 11:28 AM	#24 (permalink)
jvwgtr Completely bananas Location: Florida	I have the Z5300 system, and I LOVE it... It took me a while to figure out that the color coding on the plugs don't match the corresponding inputs on my soundcard, though. I've been very happy with them, but I needed to buy some RCA extensions to hang the rears. No biggie.

09-06-2004, 08:54 PM	#25 (permalink)
shortynickel Addict Location: Central PA	i have some harman kardon speakers at my computer, tho they are only front speakers...not sure how good or if they have good surround sound for the pc but i have a pair of infinity and a pair of jbl's along with a center channel on my home theater...both made by harman kardon....they are very good imo....also if u have the extra couple $ dont buy the cheap speaker cables....get some good ones or at least the inexpensive if u are gonna put a good amount of money in ur system.

09-13-2004, 08:19 PM	#26 (permalink)
3zos Insane Location: USA	well, i see now that these are out of your range even still, but if you were able to get the z680s for less than 280, theyre a spectacular sound system. the speakers alone are worth it, but it does quite well with both digital/optical inputs, 500W and all the rest. OEM wires are shite but they suffice. As has been said, the Klipsch have a bit more high-range specialty to them, the 560's/680's by logitech are quite bass laden, though the latter set have a bit better range. aside from whatever application you may have for your video games, theyre more than adequate for a home theater setup on a budget as well. (a friend uses these as speakers on a 2500 usd reciever, and they sound terrific) anyway i dunno what you ended up doing but i thought id throw in my two pence 3zos __________________ S U C C E S S some people dream of success, while other people live to crush those dreams

11-20-2004, 01:45 PM	#27 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	Alright, I just wanted to say thanks for the help everyone. I ended up getting the Z-5300e's (they're Z-5300's with a silver coating instead of black). Sure, they're not the BEST, but they're almost 10x more powerful than the ones I had and I got them brand new from newegg with free shipping for 149,99 - and I have a form for a $50 rebate, bringing the price down to $99. It was a good deal. I'm sure looking forward to having speakers for my computer again! __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

11-28-2004, 09:13 PM	#28 (permalink)
phatlowry Upright	ahh I am too late... I would have gone with Edifier S2.1D's. They have the digital input you were looking for and sound great.... http://www.edifier.ca/products/s2141/s21d.html

11-29-2004, 01:24 AM	#29 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	Yeah but they're 2.1 Anyway, I've got the speakers and have listened to them a bit and they're great The sub is so powerful that I'm seriously concerned that I may annoy the people below me even when listening to my music quietly - and that's a GOOD thing __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling