5.1 speakers most bang4thebuck?

Big Screen · #1 (**permalink**) 12-21-2005, 04:26 AM

Going to upgrade to 5.1 speakers. Any comments on what your using. Do they sound good? Are they not what you were expecting? Which ones really are worth the bucks? Would like to stay in the $200-$300 U.S. price range. Also, is the Intel pro 1000 Integrated PCI NIC Card the "audio" card for my system and if so does anyone know if it will support 5.1? If it won't. Any suggestions? Thanks for your time.

grewell912 · #2 (**permalink**) 12-21-2005, 02:13 PM

I have the Logitech X-530 set, and they thump, they are awesome speakers!

skeeby · #3 (**permalink**) 01-31-2006, 01:59 PM

hi bigscreen

the intel harware you mentioned is a network card most probably built onto your motherboard. the nic bit stands for network interface card. i think it is a gigabit speed interface (hence the 1000 in the name). this means basically that you have a very fast network interface (10x normal)

i currently use an external creative sound card (was given it) and it manages 7.1 very very well indeed. having said that, any of the audigy cards from them will do this just as well.

as for the speakers - well i find this to be a very personal thing so i would advise auditioning some if poss and let your ears do the judging.......

skeeby

Mark W · #4 (**permalink**) 01-31-2006, 06:51 PM

Speakers, well you get what you pay for. My expirience of 5.1 systems is that they are totally ruined by shitty speakers. The amps and decoders are usually very good, even cheap stuff, but people seem to expect to be able to spend £100 on 6 speakers and want it to sound good, not a chance!

A barely decent set of very small hifi (ish) stereo speakers is going to set you back £100. Apply this logic to 5.1 and you should expect to pay £300 to £400 for anything half decent. If you cant afford that stay with decnt stereo untill you can.

I recently auditioned sets of surround sound speakers on music in a hifi shop and I can honestly say that anything less than a grand for the 6 speakers sounded absoloute crap to my ears.

Dont buy lots of speakers untill you can afford good ones. Two good speakers in stereo is MUCH MUCH better than 5 or 6 squawking boxes of crap.

knowyouremeny · #5 (**permalink**) 03-01-2006, 03:39 PM

I have Klipsch Promedia 400W 4.1s... can't complain. They won't make you go deaf in 30 seconds, but they can definitely get "too loud" for most people. I rarely turn them up past 1/2 volume.

Newer, 5.1 version of what I have: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836119106

Mark W · #6 (**permalink**) 03-01-2006, 03:55 PM

I was talking hi fi not volume, a fact amny over look to the detriment of thier listening pleasure.

knowyouremeny · #7 (**permalink**) 03-01-2006, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by Mark W

I was talking hi fi not volume, a fact amny over look to the detriment of thier listening pleasure.

Don't know... mine seem fine, but then again, I've never listened to a $10,000 home stereo system, so I may be missing something.

I certainly wouldn't consider them crap though.

Marc Peters · #8 (**permalink**) 03-01-2006, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by Mark W

5 or 6 squawking boxes of crap.

:lol:

Bananadude · #9 (**permalink**) 03-01-2006, 06:47 PM

Mark W is absolutely right. But a McDonald's hamburger tastes pretty good until you taste REAL beef.

Mark W · #10 (**permalink**) 03-01-2006, 07:28 PM

Indeed. I advise anyone who wants immersive sound / music to first get a good stereo set up. 150 to 200 quid on just an amp and 2 speakers gets you a suprisingly good sound. See if you are happy with that befor going surround sound crazy. Good stereo is far more persuasive than poor surround imho.

Also mount the speakers on good wall brackets or stands for the best sound. Better stop there or I am going to get all hifi nerdy.