Help with Speakers

[Jello78]

hey guys,
hoping someone on here can help me out. I feel dumb asking but I need advice. I recently threw out my old Logitech Z-2300 2.1 speakers and subwoofer a few days ago since they're old and the speaker blew. A friend of mine told me to throw them out and buy something newer since it made more sense to buy something newer than fix what i got. I had them since 2005 or so. They were used in the garage. I also have a Bose Soundlink 2 (bluetooth) speaker. Unfortunately i can't turn up the bass or find anything on them to adjust the bass. It's not that big of a deal however, the logitech with the subwoofer hit really hard and i enjoyed it very much. So, should i look for a newer set of speakers with a subwoofer? or just keep the Bose portable speaker and call it a day? And if you could recommend a newer set of speakers, is there anything bluetooth connection rather than plugging into my phone? appreciated.

[Grendel]

The early SoundLink Speakers are never going to give much bass, they just were not designed for that and the 2nd series of SoundLink does not make use of Bose Music EQ. If you can find them in great shape Bose Companion 5 are great I have even recommended them for friends who need Home Entertainment speakers in small rooms or apartments. That being said Bose has not made or sold Companion 5 in over 10 years so you can only find them NOS or Used.

If you liked your previous Logitech speakers maybe the Z407 will work for you. I have a set on my gaming rig and am pretty satisfied with them. Before them I was using some old Bose Companion 2s that are pretty good My wife likes them and uses them with her computer. Companion 20 are basically a follow on for the Companion 2 and are pretty good if you are looking for wired speakers. I have thought about using a spare Bose TV Speaker I have in a closet but thought it might be too much speaker.

[Tarsun2]

just looked up the Z2300 and yeah, that thing probably fill the garage pretty nice.
looks like it has a 200w amp and (what looks like) a 12 inch sub.

in 2005 that $150 setup would likely cost (according to google) $240 in todays $.
is that what youre looking to spend?

the bass is from moving the air and this is one area where size matters. there are some ways around it but that low frequency "felt" base needs a big sub.

personally, id just look for another system with similar specs and go from there.

[the_matrix_guy]

In the past 10 or so years, PC gamers have seen the light, so to speak, and moved from PC speakers to studio monitors. It's a huge step up in both sound and build quality. There are some PC speakers like the Klipsch from the early 2000's that still hold legendary status -- but they still pale in comparison to studio monitors. I have the JBL 308P MkII | Powered 8" and they sound phenomenal. Keep in mind that home theater "bookshelf" speakers are also a better option than PC speakers, even better than the expensive 5.1-7.1 gaming setups. However, for desk duty and near-field listening -- I would get powered monitors. The monitors are optimized for near-field listening (1-3 ft distance) but they still light up a room with superb quality. You can get both home theater bookshelf speakers and studio monitors powered, meaning they are like PC speakers where you dont need an amp or receiver to power them. They have the amp built in. You can find the JBL's on sale all the time, and they also offer smaller, cheaper sizes that still sound phenomenal. Look in www.adorama.com and www.bhphotovideo.com -- those are my first two go-to options, then check amazon and ebay afterwards just to compare pricing.


I love the JBL's you feel like you have headphones on, they have alot of stage / enveloping sound, the sound signature is objective-neutral, and crisp. They compete with reference studio monitors that are x2-3 their price. They are also bassy, but you can always add a powered subwoofer later. And it doesnt necessarily have to be the same brand. There's simply no going back for me. I'll never look at PC speakers as an option again. The audio/video industry is saturated with options that offer you way more performance for your hard earned dollars.

There are also really great wireless home theater speakers that have been coming out in the past 5 years like the SVS, with amazing sound quality but they are pricier, and also the price goes up even more when you factor the receiver for them. That said for PC gaming since you have a stationary system, I dont see why you'd spend the extra cash for wireless. I would just get a set of Bluetooth headphones like Audio-technica or Sennheiser.

[ford]

If bass is your game any computer 2.1 system is going to work fine. I would go with a Klipsch 2.1 Pro Media.

A lifetime ago I worked for Creative Labs so I've heard a lot of the Logitech, Creative Labs speakers in that category and always thought the Klipsch sounded a little better... and don't look so goofy.

These days I'm super lazy about audio. My 'system' is basically a Sonos Beam and Sonos Sub Mini so my idea of decent bass may not be as punchy to the dingleberries as others.

[cellophane]

I have an older pair of Mackie CR5 monitors set up by my turntables for use as DJ monitors, and they are great. Plenty loud and plenty of bass. Probably not quite as much bass as something with a sub, but plenty good unless they are completely cranked up. They also have a Bluetooth option which is nice, even though I don't use it much.

I would check Sweetwater, or Crutchfield first for speakers. Adorama and B&H are also good places to check.

[the_matrix_guy]

I have an older pair of Mackie CR5 monitors set up by my turntables and use them as DJ monitors, and they are great. Plenty loud and plenty of bass. Probably not quite as much bass as something with a sub, but plenty good unless they are completely cranked up. They also have a Bluetooth option which is nice, even though I don't use it much.

I would check Sweetwater, or Crutchfield first for speakers. Adorama and B&H are also good places to check.

Good recommendation on crutchfield.com. They have the JBL’s on sale right now. Whereas B&H and Adorama dont. The 305p (5” woofer) is $129 each and the 308p (8” woofer) is $209 each, down from $250. These speakers are bassy. I don’t even run a dedicated sub with these. And the mids are super crisp

[dano_____]

If you are wanting good bass and portable, the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus is fantastic! It is far larger than most Bluetooth speakers and it's sound stage is really good. I have been using one for the most part of a year and it is great for garage and factory floor work. It is waterproof too so you don't have to worry about it getting shotgunned if you are using it outside or it's humid. I did a lot of research before buying it and honestly to get a noticeably better sound you will need to spend north of $500.

[Jonnydread]

I don't know shit about shit, but I will say that my old Soundcore headphones were absolutely amazing quality for the price and I loved them. I used them near-daily for over 3 years and they JUST (literally) fell apart on me.

[shrompman420]

i found tons of stuff of craigelist, i got a denon 4802 cheap and run a set of rp-600 klipsch, a set of jbl towers and a set of jbl bookfelf, set of klipsch 4.2 rg and 2 12" subs an mtx and a veladyne. i got used of CL. it will run you out of the house, i could listen from across the street...lol might be an option

[cellophane]

Good recommendation on crutchfield.com.

I haven't purchased anything but cables from Crutchfield, but their sales staff is awesome in my experience. I got a surround sound system from a friend that Crutchfield used to sell, and I was able to tell them what I had, what I wanted to do, the restrictions on the room, and they looked up the system and got me squared away with the correct cables & adapters.

Similar experience with Sweetwater. I bought a DJ Controller and talked to the rep like 10 times before finally buying something. It was completely no pressure, he was able to answer almost all of my questions (some just require hands-on experience), and offered to have a unit shipped to their store in Ft Wayne for me to check out since it is only a couple hours away from me. He also found a refurbished unit to save a couple bucks, which was awesome.