£150 audio system

[admin_exported]

i want some speakers for my pc, i have a few options and just want the best sounding solution. i'm a student so my budget can't really move.
i could go with the m audio transit(£50) then spend £100 on active speakers (recommendations)

or i could go with seperates but i don't know how to connect that to my pc, recommendations? and is this likely to ound alot better?

i could buy a micro hifi that can be connected to pc (recommendations)

to summerise i want the best sound quality possible for music (classical mainly) for my pc for £150

 

[John Duncan]

Start with a pair of Audioengine A2 powered speakers (£130), and add a better sound card as funds permit.

 

[Anonymous]

are you sure this is the best option? they have come up in my searches but they only have 3inch woofers. i used to have the m audio av40's which was was very pleased with for the price but they broke and often break according to the reviews online so i decided to get my money back. i want a few different options so any other ideas?

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with John, I have a pair of the A2's for my Dell Desktop and love them, they look neat on my desk and sound very good for their size, they can get very loud without distorting at all. If you want more boomy bass you might be better going for a 2.1 set up though. I think with a top budget of £150, you can't go wrong with these.

 

[Anonymous]

If your concerned about the woofers not being powerful enough, a quick search for these speakers on Youtube will soon squash that concern.

 

[Anonymous]

i just don't think they are for me tohugh, apparently the bass is overpowering without eq. Any other options anybody?

 

[Alec]

And audioengine do a sub you could add in time.

 

[Anonymous]

cheapest i found the audioengines was £139 when they used to cost close to £100. surely they can't be better than speakers that used to cost £139 and still do?

been looking on richersounds and how about the tangent amp50 and jblcontrol 1. anybody heard these together how do they sound?, can i plug them into my computer? is it a better option than the audioengines?

 

[John Duncan]

I saw them for £129 (though google is resisting my attempts to find them right now).

Which £139 speakers do you mean? Passive ones or powered?

 

[Anonymous]

huh? i ment the audioengines a2 £139 including p&p.

got any thoughts on me buying seperates? and can i just use a rca to 3.5mm jack to connect them to my pc?

 

[John Duncan]

Yes you can, and separates will be better, without a shadow of a doubt, but your budget constrains you somewhat. If you have lots of space, might I suggest buying a four-or-so year old AV receiver from a well known auction site for fifty quid (Yamaha DSP-AX620 or similar) and adding a pair of speakers like Tannoy Mercury F1s for £90-100? Would sound fantastic. AV receivers suffer from much steeper depreciation than stereo amps, so there are bargains to be had, and they offer a digital input which lends itself to PC-based music very well.

You do ignore the Audioengines at your peril though, they're really great for what they are.

 

[Anonymous]

i don't really want to go second hand after bad experiences with other equipment (not speakers).

will going seperates really be worth it? i have them at my computer and plave them about 50cm away from me, recommend anything for under £100? i was looking at the tangent amp50 and jbl control 1 both £49.99 from richer sounds, can you recommend me a system please

thanks for being so helpful people

 

[ElectroMan]

I use a tiny Philips micro system with my PC, which is fine for the purpose.

Have you considered headphones? You could get some really good ones in your price range.

 

[Anonymous]

123454321:
i don't really want to go second hand after bad experiences with other equipment (not speakers).

will going seperates really be worth it? i have them at my computer and plave them about 50cm away from me, recommend anything for under £100? i was looking at the tangent amp50 and jbl control 1 both £49.99 from richer sounds, can you recommend me a system please

thanks for being so helpful people

Okay, here's a recommendation, which note doesn't involve either of those 2 components!

Cambridge Audio A1 v3 + Tannoy F1 customs (£160)

of if you really can't afford that extra £10, the amp + Eltax Monitor III (£140)

 

[Anonymous]

The Cambridge and Tannoy combo would sound great and would also offer an easy upgrade path, although it does have some cons, depending on the size of your desk the Tannoys won't fit on so you will need to buy speaker stands, and you will need somewhere to put the amp. The Audioengines are the neatest solution and would also sound great. Depends what you class as more important and a sub £150 set up.

 

[Anonymous]

i was looking at that combo but its over budget coming in at £173 andi wasn't sure if the tannoy's are suitable for listening at close spaces? (about 50cm away from them) i was looknig at the Q acoustics 1010i which say they are great for student/small bedrooms.

The audica mps-1, this was given 5 stars and what hi fi's best desktop speakers £150 to £300 in 2006. it now only cost £109, how would this compare?

 

[Anonymous]

50cm? I'd be looking at good quality headphones.

 

[Anonymous]

i've been looking at the samson studiodock 3i which what hifi gave 5stars to even thoguh it went up in price to £140. but its available for £97. Anybody got any experience with these?

I've found a review which said they aren't very good compared to the m audio's av 40 which is what i used to have, which makes me unsure.