Speaker Recommendations For My New Mac Setup

g_warreng_warren
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I am in the process of buying a Mac mini and a 20" display (as soon as they get around to sorting out that darn bug which prevents me from ordering it with the bluetooth keyboard and mouse). It turns out when I was on the phone to them earlier that the education discount is better than the website would have been, so I have some extra money to put towards speakers.



I was thinking of getting either speakers or an Airport Express base station, so I could just play the sound through my Sony Hi-Fi. At the moment, both my sony and my mac are in my living room, but since I will be moving flat in two years time, and probably then putting my mac in a different room, maybe separate speakers will be better. Hmm.



Anyway, recommendations? I like the look of Harman Kardon Soundsticks II 2.1 speakers, which I have seen and heard at work. That would be the upper limit of my price range, so what else would you recommend for that sort of money or less? I would like something fairly good looking, but don't need anything hugely powerful, as long as the sound quality is fairly good. A two speaker, no woofer system would be good, as I already have a printer under my desk, but i could live with a subwoofer if I had too...

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by G_Warren

    I am in the process of buying a Mac mini and a 20" display (as soon as they get around to sorting out that darn bug which prevents me from ordering it with the bluetooth keyboard and mouse).



    Have been driving me CRAZY all yesterday too.



    Throw in an Airport Express and you have my ordered set up exactly



    Yesterday I called them and they could not locate the problem either (they apparently use the exact same system as on store.apple.com) but I tried different combinations and found out it was the wireless keyboard/mouse combo that was the culprit. I then called them again and told them what the problem was. They filled out the order but didn´t do the wireless keyboard/mouse as a BTO but added them afterwards and then subtracted the difference.
  • Reply 2 of 11
    g_warreng_warren Posts: 713member
    I've tried online and on the phone, and still no joy. I'll maybe give them a call tomorrow and see if they will do for me what they did for you - just deduct the difference. I can't handle this wait any longer!
  • Reply 3 of 11
    tkntkn Posts: 224member
    An Airport Express is a bad idea for all of your sound options as there is a delay in playing sound through it so if you want to watch a short video clip, everything will be out of sync.



    I've always been partial to Klipsch computer speakers and then Logitech's second. I think the sound is much better for the money. iPodLounge seems to love the JBL Creatures although I have not heard them.
  • Reply 4 of 11
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    At the moment Airport Express only plays back iTunes material, so that won't do you much good for general system sound. There is a third party solution that lets you play back anything through Airport Express but it costs money, is a little buggy, and, as has been mentioned, creates a delay that is noticeable when you are viewing and listening to video.



    Having said that, I agree that Klipsch makes some nice computer satellite/sub packages, as does Altec Lansing.



    Places like Best Buy usually have a bunch of these set up so you can A/B listen test, which is really the only way to choose. At around $100 for dedicated computer speakers, there really isn't a "blow everybody away" item, so it comes down to your personal preference. Be sure to experiment with bass levels, since that can have a major impact on the all over sound.



    Look for a system that includes a stand alone volume/bass controller that includes auxiliary input. It's much nicer to have that stuff on your desk top than in the back of a box on the floor or round behind the satellites.
  • Reply 5 of 11
    mattyjmattyj Posts: 898member
    Having owned a set of Soundsticks II for about a year now, I can say that whatever you're using them for, be it gaming, music, movies, you won't be disappointed. They're perfect for Computer speakers, crisp sound, the bass response is also fantastic for a 20watt subwoofer (sounding more like a 60-80 watt subwoofer due to it's design).



  • Reply 6 of 11
    tacojohntacojohn Posts: 980member
    I picked up the JBL Creature 2's online for like $50 somewhere and I must say they were a great buy.



    They look cool and sounds great and were reasonably cheap.
  • Reply 7 of 11
    g_warreng_warren Posts: 713member
    Hmm, finally got around to ordering my Mac mini now that the fixed the store glitches. Cost a mere £921 for a 1.42GHz combo with 20" display, wireless keyboard and mouse - cracking deal by phoning the store and saying I was a student - far cheaper than the education website.



    Anyway - had a look at the above suggestions, thanks very much. The two I liked originally are still my favourites - the JBL Creatures and the Harmon Kardon Soundsticks. I think the Soundsticks look far better, but are about twice the price! I've heard those, but not the JBLs yet. If I can the Soundsticks cheap enough I'll buy them, if not, I'll have to convince myself to like the JBL looks. Anything else I should be looking at?
  • Reply 8 of 11
    g_warreng_warren Posts: 713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by TKN



    I've always been partial to Klipsch computer speakers and then Logitech's second. I think the sound is much better for the money. iPodLounge seems to love the JBL Creatures although I have not heard them.



    The Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0 speakers are growing on me. Which ones have you got, and do you have a photo of your setup?
  • Reply 9 of 11
    magicfingersmagicfingers Posts: 703member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by G_Warren

    The Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0 speakers are growing on me. Which ones have you got, and do you have a photo of your setup?



    these are the best sounding speakers for the money. The next best cost $100 more at least.

    and iThink you meant Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
  • Reply 10 of 11
    g_warreng_warren Posts: 713member
    Well in the end I took the plunge and got the JBL Creatures. I preferred the look of the Harman Kardon Soundsticks, but they were a fair bit more. The JBLs sound fairly good for the price, but I think the size of the speakers makes them slightly tinny. Putting the sub on the desk might fix this though, as that would probably give me a fuller sound. I would recommend them for the price range, as although the Harman's sounded better, they were not 50 pounds better. Thanks for the advice all. I didn't get around to checking out the Klipsch ones (it was the 2.0 I was looking at), as I don't know of anywhere around here that stocks them.
  • Reply 11 of 11
    tacojohntacojohn Posts: 980member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by G_Warren

    Well in the end I took the plunge and got the JBL Creatures. I preferred the look of the Harman Kardon Soundsticks, but they were a fair bit more. The JBLs sound fairly good for the price, but I think the size of the speakers makes them slightly tinny. Putting the sub on the desk might fix this though, as that would probably give me a fuller sound. I would recommend them for the price range, as although the Harman's sounded better, they were not 50 pounds better. Thanks for the advice all. I didn't get around to checking out the Klipsch ones (it was the 2.0 I was looking at), as I don't know of anywhere around here that stocks them.



    Good Choice.
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