I'm buying new speakers and I could use some general advice.

[Loozer]

Hi there. I'm planning to buy some new speakers for my PC. What I'd like is a simple two speaker, fairly grunty, reliable, long lasting option for around $80 to $100. I've been looking at Ascent Technologies site and they seem to have some that would suit me but I don't know if the models and manufacturers are any better or worse then any other. Genius and Jazz seem to have a good range, do you have a preference? I tend to lean away from Jazz because the last ones I bought were Jazz and after less than a year I started getting a buzzing from them, also many emails to tech support were totally ignored. But maybe I was just unlucky and would be better off with them.
So if any of yous guys are clued up about the different makes and models please share your insights.

Also, what are your thoughts about using headphones instead of speakers for gaming?

Thanks.

[_N_]

headphones will be better, but chances are you will loose your hearing etc, :D and you can't hear if someone is sneaking up behind you (in real life).

As for speakers, i bought a sub with two sats for 80$, they are jazz, pretty good compared to the ones I had before,
but now that I made my own speakers and amp for about 200$, it fully blows away these little speakers,

[[H]arls]

People may disagree with me here, but im of the opinion that you are better off spending $80-100 on a good set of headphones, than spending $80-100 on a sh*t set of speakers.

If you are going to go the speaker route, spend some more money and get some Logitechs or equivalent, or build your own. Alternatively buy the components seperately eg amp, sats & sub.

Im not a huge fan of Jazz or Genius products, they tend to make equipment for the lowest end of the scale.
A good sign that a set of speakers is rubbish, is if their main selling point uses the term 'PMPO'.

PMPO = These speakers sound like a guinea pig getting hit with a weedeater while having its nuts slid across a cheese grater.

[shag]

And if you are dead set on buying speakers over a set of headphones, consider buying a second hand stereo. Or seperate second hand amp and speakers.

[Jetboy]

Depends on what you are using them for.....gaming go the headphones....general music...probably speakers depending if you live on your computer or not (sometimes I wonder about some of the guys here :eek: :D )

Have $80 speakers (Yamaha) and $80 headphones (Phillips) and find myself 90% of the time while playing games I'm wearing the headphones....when I'm just surfing (or browsing OCNZ) I'll use the speakers and when I want the whole house to listen then the comp gets hooked to the lounge stereo

damn [H]arls how the hell did you come up with that quote...didnt know weather to laugh or be disturbed at your wide ranging knowledge of guinea pigs

Quote "PMPO = These speakers sound like a guinea pig getting hit with a weedeater while having its nuts slid across a cheese grater." but agree totally

[Maverick]

I've noticed [H]arls does come out with some gems on occasion. Anyone making a collection of [H]arlisms?
I'm sure with enough sayings we could publish them and get a religious following

,..no seriously...;)

[Gh0s7 L3mUr]

Originally posted by Maverick
I've noticed [H]arls does come out with some gems on occasion. Anyone making a collection of [H]arlisms?
I'm sure with enough sayings we could publish them and get a religious following

,..no seriously...;)

Hey it worked for L. Ron Hubbard so why not. :D

[NTBlowz]

Creative Inspire 2.1 is about $100 or less

[Loozer]

Thanks for your help. I think I will go with headphones. I want some decent sound but I don't want satalites or a woofer (it'll wake the whole house).
So maybe you could recommend a good headphone make or model for $100 or so? I don't have any experience with them and I'd hate to buy a lemon. I hear Sennheiser are good, what do you think? Comforts important.

Thanks again.

[MadMax]

Most people here use the Sennheiser HD212's I think. They should be available from prosound.co.nz for a little over $100. If you could possibly spend $290 though (and I know it's a pretty big jump, but i'm just throwing in another suggestion anyway ;) ), I can thoroughly recommend the Beyerdynamic DT531's. I bought them just before Equinox, and they're still getting better as I listen to them. They completely blow away my Klipsch 4.1 Speakers as far as sound quality goes, and I'd have to spend upwards of $2k to get speakers that sounded as good.

They're also INCREDIBLY comfortable, and I wear them for hours at a time.

However, the HD212's are good (if possibly a little boomy in the bass) and reasonably comfortable. :)

Or, you could extend your budget a bit and get Sennheiser HD497's.