[lombardsoup]

My old Logitech z-2300 recently died off, so now I'm in the market for some new speakers and a sub. I've read to stay away from "PC speakers" like what I previously owned due to their dubious quality. That said, I don't know what to get.

My budget is limited to $400. I don't have an amp (or any other equipment for that matter), and I'm on onboard Realtek ALC1150. I need these speakers primarily for gaming, specifically shooters like BF4.

 

[Deadpool01]

back before i used a receiver + speakers, i would always rock shelf stereos hooked up through a simple rca to audio in cord. it wasn't by any means lecreme del la creme audio but way better then tiny tin can pc speakers imo. that could be 1 option for you if you choose that route.

 

[lombardsoup]

What's the bottom of the barrel price wise when it comes to receivers?

 

[Deadpool01]

id say new, on the cheap side. about 200-300. they get way pricey when it comes to wattage and well known names. if you can, id get a used 1 if all you want is sufficient sound for the pc. and we just talking reciever here. speakers are an entirely different beast and price talk. reciever + speakers is prolly the most expensive way you could go when going for pc audio. it aint no spend a lil. its borderline investment... sadly.

 

[DrGroove]

Lepai LP-2020A+ T-amp $20
Micca MB42X $80 or Pioneer SP-BS22-LR $120
Dayton Audio SUB-1200 $125
Speaker wire and RCA cable $~20

You don't need a powerful amp for a near field listening setup. If you want something a little more powerful than the lepai, check out Topping.

 

[Tjj226 Angel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrGroove

Lepai LP-2020A+ T-amp $20
Micca MB42X $80 or Pioneer SP-BS22-LR $120
Dayton Audio SUB-1200 $125
Speaker wire and RCA cable $~20

You don't need a powerful amp for a near field listening setup. If you want something a little more powerful than the lepai, check out Topping.

Dr. Groove, in all seriousness, have you tried using the lepai and the topping amps? They do not work very well at all. It is not even that they sound bad, but rather than they start to break down very quickly. I have used two topping amps that died within a month and a lepai that had a very slow death and only lasted about 4 months.

Unless someone is just in plain desperate need of a very cheap amp, I would say to look elsewhere.

@OP: You said you are looking at speakers for gaming. How much music do you listen to?

If you are not looking for bleeding edge audio performance and you want to save a decent amount of money, I can say from experience that there is nothing wrong with the klipisch pro media 2.1 or the corsair speakers.

If you would be willing to consider a better set of speakers with out the sub woofer, then you can get the audio engine A2s or the KRK rokits http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Rokit5G3?device=c&network=g&matchtype=&gclid=CMCikqqGpL0CFewDOgodPVEAFA

Like I said, if gaming is your main goal, then there is nothing all that wrong about PC audio. Anything you get is going to be a pretty decent upgrade over logitech speakers. The only thing I would suggest that you do is pick up a sound card or maybe a used audio engine D1 so that you are not using the crummy realtek on board audio.

 

[lombardsoup]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tjj226 Angel

@OP: You said you are looking at speakers for gaming. How much music do you listen to?

If you are not looking for bleeding edge audio performance and you want to save a decent amount of money, I can say from experience that there is nothing wrong with the klipisch pro media 2.1 or the corsair speakers.

If you would be willing to consider a better set of speakers with out the sub woofer, then you can get the audio engine A2s or the KRK rokits http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Rokit5G3?device=c&network=g&matchtype=&gclid=CMCikqqGpL0CFewDOgodPVEAFA

Like I said, if gaming is your main goal, then there is nothing all that wrong about PC audio. Anything you get is going to be a pretty decent upgrade over logitech speakers. The only thing I would suggest that you do is pick up a sound card or maybe a used audio engine D1 so that you are not using the crummy realtek on board audio.

I don't really listen to music so its not a huge deal if some corners are cut to save money. Just as long as it doesn't kill me financially, as I'm quickly learning how expensive this hobby is.

 

[DrGroove]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tjj226 Angel

Dr. Groove, in all seriousness, have you tried using the lepai and the topping amps? They do not work very well at all. It is not even that they sound bad, but rather than they start to break down very quickly. I have used two topping amps that died within a month and a lepai that had a very slow death and only lasted about 4 months.

Hmm I used a lepai for like 9 months without any problems before I found something better. Lots of people do recommend upgrading the caps. Never owned a topping myself.

 

[atarione]

I have owned a t-amp (SMSL SA-S3) for over 2yrs, I have had no problems with mine. I have read about problems with the Lepai's, i think QC is iffy at best there, the topping not sure stuff happens.

another thing is of course the t-amps aren't going to live long / do that great if hooked up to inefficient speakers and or cranked up volume wise. They are going to do best with efficient (90db~) and reasonable listening levels.

I don't think angle's experience is indicative of the quality / longevity of t-amps ... i think it is just bad luck..but personally i'd avoid the lepai and choose something like my SMSL or whatnot.

 

[soulwrath]

You can also find a good receiver on cragilist for liek $50

 

[atarione]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulwrath

You can also find a good receiver on cragilist for liek $50

sure if you have the desk space

here is a photo of my desk with my $20 i paid for it Kenwood KR-V106R and contrasting in size with my SMSL SA-S3 T-amp ($60 shipped) ... honestly yes the kenwood is better and has 100WPC but as you can see it is GIGANTIC compared to the SMSL. T-amps are a very compelling option for the desktop space challanced.

http://s1330.photobucket.com/user/atarione/media/SAM_0675_zpsa13bb6e5.jpg.html

 

[Shatterist]

I'm personally of the opinion that going the whole "reciever/passive speaker/sub" route isn't necessary for your needs, and frankly can be a hassle, especially if you're coming from Logitech Z-2300's. There really isn't anything wrong with getting yourself a good 2.1 system. In addition to the suggestion for Klipsch Pro-Media's and Corsair speakers, I'd nudge you towards Swan M50W's, which kind of fell off the face of the Earth for some reason, but it's slightly more music oriented and is a decent option. I will 2nd that it'd be a good idea to get some sort of sound card, but no need to get overly fancy, just search the threads in this forum section to note which cards would be good.