bookshelf speakers for pc query

The Sorcerer

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I have a pretty old altec lansing atp3 which started to crack ever since I upgraded my system and my sound card. My system is intel c2d e7200 clocked @ 3.5 ghz, asus p5q deluxe, 2GB G skills rams, corsair tx750w, palit 4870 dual sonic 1GB DDR5 and the new member of my system- asus xonar dx sound card. I have done certain research (noobish research- sound is not my department). Prefer 2.0 bookshelf with tight bass. I have thought of Audioengine ae2, M audio av70, m audio bx5a (not the deluxe) or Samson Resolv 65A. Ae5 and bx8 are too big they would fall bit more than 20k, but the prices are pretty much static. A person whom I know who bought audioengine ae2 from bajaao.com said that not only these have quality issues and 3 sets have died in past 9 months but audioengine honours 1 year warranty in India- rather than the standard 3 years.
The trouble is that I am zlich when it comes to sound and I will really appreciate some sort of assistance. I dont mind going in for amps+ speakers provided its a good combo. My budget is around 15k-20k. I also have zlich idea about speaker dealers as well.
 
I have a pretty old altec lansing atp3 which started to crack ever since I upgraded my system and my sound card. My system is intel c2d e7200 clocked @ 3.5 ghz, asus p5q deluxe, 2GB G skills rams, corsair tx750w, palit 4870 dual sonic 1GB DDR5 and the new member of my system- asus xonar dx sound card. I have done certain research (noobish research- sound is not my department). Prefer 2.0 bookshelf with tight bass. I have thought of Audioengine ae2, M audio av70, m audio bx5a (not the deluxe) or Samson Resolv 65A. Ae5 and bx8 are too big they would fall bit more than 20k, but the prices are pretty much static. A person whom I know who bought audioengine ae2 from bajaao.com said that not only these have quality issues and 3 sets have died in past 9 months but audioengine honours 1 year warranty in India- rather than the standard 3 years.
The trouble is that I am zlich when it comes to sound and I will really appreciate some sort of assistance. I dont mind going in for amps+ speakers provided its a good combo. My budget is around 15k-20k. I also have zlich idea about speaker dealers as well.

You can go for any creative 5.1 set up which is in your budget & reliable.
 
I have tried many of these products for the past 3 years or so.

I have finally settled for Edirol MA15D monitors @Rs.12000. Available in Mumbai and other places.

You get a very good quality (clean) sound not muddy and overpowering bass, sound qualitty is much better than Audio Engine and others.

You also get 24/192 DAC (which I noticed improvements over my Marantz CD 5001 internal DAC), headphone jack, scores of other features including digital inputs, provision to add a subwoofer, solid built quality and good looks.
 
You can go for any creative 5.1 set up which is in your budget & reliable.

I second spirovious here. I got myself a Creative 5.1 just to play music especially mp3s on my PC and they are budget speakers at under 4K yet do a great job. Of course I am awaiting my Audioengine A5 from the U.S. in January, but even then I would admit the Creative does a great job. The model I went for was Creative Inspire T6060 and its great VFM. If you are looking for something high end then check out Logitech Z-5500, they are THX certified, but retail for around 22-24K.

Finally, I don't know about the quality issues, but the Audioengine's are a class apart for the sound they deliver, crisp and clear and for 2.0 speakers they do output great bass. A2 is certainly a great buy especially for playing music...
 
I have tried many of these products for the past 3 years or so.

I have finally settled for Edirol MA15D monitors @Rs.12000. Available in Mumbai and other places.

You get a very good quality (clean) sound not muddy and overpowering bass, sound qualitty is much better than Audio Engine and others.

You also get 24/192 DAC (which I noticed improvements over my Marantz CD 5001 internal DAC), headphone jack, scores of other features including digital inputs, provision to add a subwoofer, solid built quality and good looks.

+1
I suggest you go for these or the AudioEngine A2's. My preference would always go to a high quality 2.0 system over 5.1 creative/logitech speakers.
What really impressed me in this system is the 24/192 DAC with optical/coaxial input. What else can a audiophile ask for.
 
I second spirovious here. I got myself a Creative 5.1 just to play music especially mp3s on my PC and they are budget speakers at under 4K yet do a great job. Of course I am awaiting my Audioengine A5 from the U.S. in January, but even then I would admit the Creative does a great job. The model I went for was Creative Inspire T6060 and its great VFM. If you are looking for something high end then check out Logitech Z-5500, they are THX certified, but retail for around 22-24K.

Finally, I don't know about the quality issues, but the Audioengine's are a class apart for the sound they deliver, crisp and clear and for 2.0 speakers they do output great bass. A2 is certainly a great buy especially for playing music...

Do you order online?I found prices in US,UK is much less.
Passengers are allowed to cary goods upto 25k?
 
I would be buying in India unless its something that good and it isnt available here. I have checked out edifier c3 from alfa but honestly it was more of a boom than of bass. Z-5500 retail for around 19k but honestly I dont like them. As said by audiodelic, I rather buy high quality 2.0 bookshelf than a 5.1 system. If I were to spend 22k- I think bookshelf speaker+ cheap amp might sound leap and bound ahead of a 5.1 in regards to quality. I will audition edirol and ae2 head to head- preferably I would buy it from a shop rather than bajaao.com since I heard 2 complaints about ae2 going bust and both were brought from that website. I found sellers for audioengine ae2 but for the edirol sets certain sellers are clueless about. I was wondering if there are certain shops out there in Mumbai that I could buy- or is it something I have to import it.
Passengers are allowed to carry good worth 25k and a laptop.
 
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If you have a budget of around 15k, go for a used 2 channel amplifier for 6k and a pair of used bookshelf speakers for 6k, use the 3k for a pair of stands and cables. This is a far better option than any so called pc-speakers. I think Norge has an amp (new) around 6k.
PC speakers are always a compromise. The subwoofers with pc speakers are just bass modules in vibrating , flimsy cabinets. Good for hip hop for teenagers:D The A5 from audio engine is good. But I think it is around 20k.
 
^^ Yes. the ae5 standard cost 20k while bamboo ones cost 23-25k from an Indian site called bajaao.com. I found a seller for edirol at shallu's in VT (got the info through bhargava's at Bandra). They are selling it for 11k with 1 year warranty.
 
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Do you order online?I found prices in US,UK is much less.
Passengers are allowed to cary goods upto 25k?

I have my sister-in-law coming in from the US so she is getting them. Audioengine will redirect to retailers from respective countries for international orders so you cannot order online. Online ordering as of now is only in the US.

For India Audioengine has these details on their site. You can try mailing them for further info. Sumaria and Bajaao do have them online for around 20K or so.

APS
Room #1&2, Mahesh Chambers,
Building #391 Narsi Natha Street,
Katha Bazar Mumbai - 400009 INDIA
Tel: 66359109 / 66359976
Siddharth Bhatia - Tel: 9821516338
Amandeep Singh - Tel: 9324233508
[email protected]

Yes, 25K is the limit from what I am told.
 
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^^ Yes. the ae5 standard cost 20k while bamboo ones cost 23-25k. I found a seller for edirol at shallu's in VT (got the info through bhargava's at Bandra). They are selling it for 11k with 1 year warranty.

Go audition the AE 2 and 5, Edirol's. Let us also know, I'm in the same boat which of these is the best sounding and value for money.

AE 2- Great price.what about the sound ?
Edirol - Decent Price, Digitals input with built in DAC +1
AE 5 - Pricey but is the sound improvement worth 20 K ?

Listen to all first decide your choice between AE 2 and Edirol since theyre priced similar.
Bookshelf speakers with an amp could be an option if your not looking for some kind of all in one/portable enough solution.

satish
 
I use a vintage Musical Fidelity A1 amp and a pair of Jamo E700 bookshelves. These speakers are surprisingly good when heard nearfield and I'm more than satisfied with the setup. I've heard quite a few low-end to midrange studio monitors from Edirol, M-Audio, EMU, Tannoy etc. The trouble with them is that they do not sound great for casual listening and most of the time, one is left wanting for musicality. They are cut and dry with no emotional involvement.

I tried two sound cards in the system - an XFi Platinum and an EMU 0404. The latter has an edge for resolution but I have the XFi in my desktop at the moment since its far better for games and movies. If I wish to do critical listening, I have my other setup which is far better anyway. For casual listening this is more than enough.

One thing that must be noted is that not all standard bookshelves will work in nearfield so blindly buying a bookshelf without auditioning it in a nearfield setting may not be a wise thing to do.
 
I am not sure how many on this forum have heard Edirol 15D monitors.

You should listen to them and I am very certain if you like good soundstage, tight bass and clear mids and highs, you may opt for it.

The clarity is amazing without sounding shrill like A2/creative. It produces music without any coloration.

At this price, they are killers. They sound better than this includes A2/A5, Creative T20/M80 monitors, KEF Cresta 2 together with marantz amp.

Go and listen. You won't regret the money and time spent on demo.
 
wow, he is so confident that they would sound even better than AE a5's. Go have a listen and let us know.

Any place in delhi/hyderabad where we can audition the Edirols and Audio Engines?
 
If you happen to be in Delhi, you could come over to my place for listening. I also have creative M80 24/96 digital monitors.

I packed off A2 within few hours after buying it. The moment you up the volume, it sounds like a cheapo with no control...
 
I am going there tomorrow morning for a demo. They also have an ae2 and ae5 but made of bamboo rather than the standard mdf. I will be taking my brother's macbook as a source to check the quality of music.
 
Good. take your favorite CD alongwith you. If possible, take a digital interconnect in order to use with the DAC of M15.
 
Another advantage with Edirol is that you could attach 4 sources (2 digital and 2 analogue) so you don't need to remove ICs when changing the source.
 
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