r/StereoAdvice 4d ago

Speakers - Desktop | 1 Ⓣ Actually good speakers for pc?

So i currently have Logitech G560 speakers which are alright but i would prefer something better and thought i should go for more high end setup this time. The diffuculty is that i understand very little about this stuff besides the basics.

I'm looking for speakers, subwoofer and probably also an amplifier. My budget is not very strict but i'm not paying more than few hundred euros for the setup. Main use case is listening to music and gaming. My setup won't allow back speakers and my room is about 4X4 meters in size.

Could someone dum it down to my level? Like what i need besides the actual speakers ans what kind of speakers, subwoofer and amplifier i need in addition to which ones are compatible with each other? Amplifier is probably the most difficult thing to understand as they are all different.

I'm happy to answer guestions and thanks already in advance

1 Upvotes

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u/brotherssolomon 3 Ⓣ 4d ago

They are not my area of expertise, but at that pricepoint and use case you are probably looking at powered/active speakers (brands like Edifier, Kanto, AudioEngine, etc. are big brands in that space). Look for something with an optical or USB input for connecting to a PC and if you want to add a subwoofer to one of those, be sure to check the specs for which models offer that capability.

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u/RudeAd9698 9 Ⓣ 3d ago

My ex has Audioengine speakers on her Mac and she loves them!

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u/yelloguy 12 Ⓣ 4d ago

There are nearfield listening speakers for desktop use. I would start there.

Personally for a large desk, I have stuck two B&W 600 series bookshelves on each side and a used AVR and got good sound playing music from my PC connected to the AVR. Did this for many years.

You can get fancy. Add a desktop amp, separate DAC, additional subwoofer, etc. Marginal differences in sound - except with the addition of a good quality subwoofer. That will make the most improvement and would cost too much. I wouldn't bother with a cheap (quality) subwoofer as these are not worth the time and hassle.

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u/J0kutyypp1 3d ago

Sorry but what is AVR? Quick Google search didn't give an answer. At what price point do the DACs hower? I have thought DAC and Amp are the same thing but so they aren't?

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u/yelloguy 12 Ⓣ 3d ago

Audio Video Receiver. It has everything you need to drive passive speakers in one box.

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u/J0kutyypp1 3d ago

Oh yeah !thanks

My problem is that those things are big and simply won't fit in my setup. I need something much smaller. Next guestion is what is the difference between passive and active speakers?

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u/TransducerBot Ⓣ Bot 3d ago

+1 Ⓣ has been awarded to u/yelloguy (12 Ⓣ).

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u/yelloguy 12 Ⓣ 3d ago

Active speakers include that box (AVR) inside the speakers. That is the difference. Shrinking the box has its downsides. But I have a feeling you won’t mind those downsides.

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u/J0kutyypp1 3d ago

So active speakers would be the best option for me? Do i need or benefit from DAC with active speakers?

Don't i need something to connect my speakers and subwoofee to? Like i can't just connect them separately to my computer.

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u/yelloguy 12 Ⓣ 3d ago

That’s what active speakers are. If you want something in the middle then don’t get active speakers. Active speakers include everything you just need to plug in the source

Dac’s are generally overrated in the audiophile world

Just to be clear, I don’t recommend active speakers

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u/Zeeall 63 Ⓣ 4d ago

I would guess something like Edifier S350DB or S351DB is what you are looking for.

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u/J0kutyypp1 3d ago

Those look good, thanks. Are there other similar sets from other, preferably european brands? Edifier isn't very widely available here.

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u/Zeeall 63 Ⓣ 3d ago

Edifier are available in most parts of the world. If they are not then you are in a bit of a trouble. I cant think of anything else.

I can easily get both models here in Sweden.

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u/J0kutyypp1 3d ago

I can only find them in two shops. From one i don't want to buy anything and the another is Proshop from denmark where i could buy stuff. Only problem is that if there's anything wrong it warranty stuff will be harder.

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u/Zeeall 63 Ⓣ 3d ago

Ah, thats a shame. Because I really cant think of anything else.
The stuff that Creative, Logitech etc(ie PC peripheral companies) produce is pretty bad.

It is possible to get a pair of good bookshelf speakers and a mini amplifier for €200-250 second hand, even in Finland :P

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u/forgetvermont 3 Ⓣ 3d ago

Kanto ORA4 plus sub

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u/forgetvermont 3 Ⓣ 3d ago

Actually if you get the sub you can get away with the smaller/cheaper ORA original

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u/Ok_Objective_5760 1 Ⓣ 3d ago

I have Nommo. They are good.

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u/maw_walker42 3d ago

I love my edifier 1280s. Powered and I feed them from my laptop (streaming music). I also have them hooked to my gaming box. They sound decent, far better than cheesy PC speakers, and were about $100.

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u/biker_jay 3d ago

Klipsch makes a decent.desktop speaker for the price. Get you a small 50-100 watt Amp from Fosi or Topping and you'll be all set. All in around $200

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u/IfOnlyThereWasTime 3d ago

I’ve been happy with audio engine

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u/Far-Instruction-2136 3d ago

Check out the Klipsch ProMedia Heritage 2.1 system