Soundsticks vs. Monsoon, or aesthetics over sound quality
I had a set of older Monsoon 2.1 speakers that I had been using for a couple of years. Great sound for computer speakers.
Well, I was at Fry's this morning, and they had a set of Soundsticks (w/ the iSub) for $90. Couldn't pass it up.
Compared to the Monsoons, they have inferior high end (and thus don't sound as clear) and the bass is greater but boomier (it's got a little of that rubbery bass kind of sound), though I'm still experimenting with the bass volume. Plus they don't play as loud.
On the other hand, they match my G5 and there is now less cabling running around looking ugly, and there is no longer a redundant physical volume control (now I just use the keyboard to adjust volume), so it's overall more integrated into the system. I think I'll keep 'em, even though they don't sound as good, for these very reasons.
Well, I was at Fry's this morning, and they had a set of Soundsticks (w/ the iSub) for $90. Couldn't pass it up.
Compared to the Monsoons, they have inferior high end (and thus don't sound as clear) and the bass is greater but boomier (it's got a little of that rubbery bass kind of sound), though I'm still experimenting with the bass volume. Plus they don't play as loud.
On the other hand, they match my G5 and there is now less cabling running around looking ugly, and there is no longer a redundant physical volume control (now I just use the keyboard to adjust volume), so it's overall more integrated into the system. I think I'll keep 'em, even though they don't sound as good, for these very reasons.
Comments
1) USB audio support is flaky on any OS. Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, Windows, Linux... USB audio just seems to suck quite frankly.
2) While my soundsticks sound reasonable playing half my songs, they are CRAP playing the other half. The lack of any discernable midrange utterly DEFORMS my music.
If you want to spend a bit of money on computer speakers, go for some Klipsch Pro Media speakers. You won't find better quality without buying home hi-fi gear for your computer.
Barto
Originally posted by Barto
As an unhappy owner of soundsticks, I have a couple of points to make.
1) USB audio support is flaky on any OS. Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, Windows, Linux... USB audio just seems to suck quite frankly.
2) While my soundsticks sound reasonable playing half my songs, they are CRAP playing the other half. The lack of any discernable midrange utterly DEFORMS my music.
If you want to spend a bit of money on computer speakers, go for some Klipsch Pro Media speakers. You won't find better quality without buying home hi-fi gear for your computer.
Barto
Barto,
Having listened to them for the better part of today,
they seem to work OK. But yeah, they are a little bit lacking in the upper midrange/treble. Can't beat the ribbon tweets in the Monsoons, I guess. Like I said, though, in this case aesthetics triumphs
Originally posted by Barto
As an unhappy owner of soundsticks, I have a couple of points to make.
1) USB audio support is flaky on any OS. Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, Windows, Linux... USB audio just seems to suck quite frankly
I have to say that I've been a happy user of USB audio for ages now. I have a little box that converts a USB signal into line out - like a normal sound card. OK, I don't really need that (I could just use the line out of my AlBook) but I have it so I use it to connect to my hi-fi. That way the error beeps come out the internal speakers, and the iTunes music comes out the hi-fi. Works like a charm.
Amorya