Looking for Good Bookshelf Speaker Recommendations for PC

[Tinitis]

Hi,

 

I'm looking for recommendations for an upgrade to my ~15 year old Logitech Z-640 5.1 surround speakers that I use with my PC for gaming, music, youtube, etc. I'm not looking for anything super expensive. I'd consider something up to around $300, but preferably more like $150. I tried the Mackie CR3-X and they generally sounded pretty good, but they had significantly weaker bass than the Z-640s, and they had a constant hiss that was noticeable. With the Z-640s, I have to lean in very close to be able to hear their hiss. I'd be open to 2.0,  2.1, or 5.1 setups.

 

I've looked at a few that I've heard mentioned, like the Neumi BS5P, Klipsch ProMedia 2.1, and Micca PB42X. I also considered the Mackie CR5-X for better bass than the CR3-X, although I worry that they would have the same level of hiss.

 

I have a Soundblaster Zx sound card, and would prefer to avoid needing an external amp.

 

Does anyone have any good recommendations, or should I just keep using my Z-640s until they die?

 

Thanks

[SimplyChunk]

Edifier make some good stuff these days.  I'm using some 980-Ts at the minute and they're great if you got the space for them.  The Edifier R1700BTs look good and supposedly sound good.  plus they have the added bonus of bluetooth connectivity alongside the two RCA inputs.  They also have the ability to add a sperate power Sub later down the line

[cmndr]

2x JBL MK305-II. They have a built in amp so no amp required. This is around $300. Probably the best overall solution though QC can be a bit lower (slight risk of getting a unit with a hum, if you do return it). 
JBL 530 (frequently on sale for $240) + Aiyima A07 ($70ish) is just over $300 + tax.
Polk ES15 sometimes go on sale for around $220ish or can be found "like-new" and need an amp. 
KEF Q150 - also need an amp. 

Be aware that you get "extra credit" for angling/elevating the speakers so that the tweeter (the tiny, top driver) is pointed at your ear. 

Those'll be the speakers that go relatively low in terms of bass at around your price range. If you want much lower  frequencies than them, you'd need a subwoofer (or large, tower speakers). My personal take is that with the speakers I mentioned, it's not worth buying a subwoofer unless you go for a GOOD one (think SVS PB1000) since those speakers go relatively low already. Such a subwoofer, used, is around $300 on its own. 

Comparison of Mackies to other speakers
https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/mackie_cr3x/ - falls off after around 80Hz
https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/jbl_305pmk2/ - falls off after around 50Hz
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/jbl-studio-530-speaker-review.12298/ - falls off around 50Hz
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/polk-audio-signature-s15-speaker-review.15437/ - Falls off around 70Hz (the ES15 is overall an upgrade but it's hard to get data on it
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/polk-signature-elite-es20-review-bookshelf-speaker.33834/ - Falls off just over 50Hz

[spartaman64]

i vote for JBL 305p mk2

[Tinitis]

On 2/15/2023 at 4:05 PM, cmndr said:

2x JBL MK305-II. They have a built in amp so no amp required. This is around $300. Probably the best overall solution though QC can be a bit lower (slight risk of getting a unit with a hum, if you do return it). 
JBL 530 (frequently on sale for $240) + Aiyima A07 ($70ish) is just over $300 + tax.
Polk ES15 sometimes go on sale for around $220ish or can be found "like-new" and need an amp. 
KEF Q150

Those'll be the speakers that go relatively low in terms of bass at around your price range. If you want much lower  frequencies than them, you'd need a subwoofer (or large, tower speakers). My personal take is that with the speakers I mentioned, it's not worth buying a subwoofer unless you go for a GOOD one (think SVS PB1000) since those speakers go relatively low already. Such a subwoofer, used, is around $300 on its own. 

Comparison of Mackies to other speakers
https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/mackie_cr3x/ - falls off after around 80Hz
https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/jbl_305pmk2/ - falls off after around 50Hz
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/jbl-studio-530-speaker-review.12298/ - falls off around 50Hz
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/polk-audio-signature-s15-speaker-review.15437/ - Falls off around 70Hz (the ES15 is overall an upgrade but it's hard to get data on it
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/polk-signature-elite-es20-review-bookshelf-speaker.33834/ - Falls off just over 50Hz

 

Would you expect the JBL 305p to have less idle hiss than the CR3 (assuming a good set)? Is that what you mean by a risk of hum?

 

[cmndr]

15 hours ago, Tinitis said:

Would you expect the JBL 305p to have less idle hiss than the CR3 (assuming a good set)? Is that what you mean by a risk of hum?

It's probably fine. 
Most of the complaints are by "audiophiles" who magically have "super hearing" and often imagine good or bad things. 

My expectation is that on balance the CR3 will lose on most measures if you find a middle of the road unit and you'd be less likely to find a bad unit in the MK305s. 

The Mackies have a cult following for some reason I don't fully understand. They're not THAT good. I think it's just that they target a certain price point. 

[Tinitis]

8 hours ago, cmndr said:

It's probably fine. 
Most of the complaints are by "audiophiles" who magically have "super hearing" and often imagine good or bad things. 

My expectation is that on balance the CR3 will lose on most measures if you find a middle of the road unit and you'd be less likely to find a bad unit in the MK305s. 

The Mackies have a cult following for some reason I don't fully understand. They're not THAT good. I think it's just that they target a certain price point. 

The JBLs have quite a few reviews on Amazon that mention the hiss, which makes me a bit hesitant, but I'll still consider the 305p as an option.

 

What about Edifier? Like the R1280DBs? They are a pretty good price.

 

Thanks for all the input.

[cmndr]

46 minutes ago, Tinitis said:

The JBLs have quite a few reviews on Amazon that mention the hiss, which makes me a bit hesitant, but I'll still consider the 305p as an option.

As someone that reviewed paid surveys for part of my career... 
1. Reviews are usually by people with strong opinions - good or bad. Also from people who like talking. Probably a bit like forum posters (that might be me)
2. You should view the buzz as a defective unit. You can return it if you get a defective unit
3. My uncle's units had no his from what I could tell, though I wasn't checking them critically. They played music, it sounded fine. I didn't try listening for a buzz. 
 

 

46 minutes ago, Tinitis said:

What about Edifier? Like the R1280DBs? They are a pretty good price.

As far as bass is concerned, the Edifiers are in a different class from the MK305. Not in a good way. You'd need to supplement them with a subwoofer. 
If you can get them at around $70-90 on sale they're not bad for the money though. I wouldn't pay $150 for them. I do think they're better than the Mackles though. 

https://slickdeals.net/f/16456996-edifier-r1280db-active-bluetooth-bookshelf-speakers-black-88-18 <- currently just under $90 at Gamestop (you can do MUCH worse at that price point)

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/edifier-r1280t-powered-speaker-review.16112/
With that said, here's amirm's take (I don't always agree with him though)

Quote

I went into the listening tests prebiased with good looks and poor measurements of the speaker. What I found was that with a bit of EQ, this becomes a very nice speaker to enjoy on the desktop. It leaves far behind any plastic toy computer speaker. It certainly did justify to any track I threw at it, leaving me wanting to sit there and keep listening to it!

I don't often make dispensation for price but here, it is remarkable how good of a sound one can get from well packages speaker and with some correction per above. Even without EQ, if one turns down the treble control it will likely be quite listenable.

If you're looking for $150ish as a budget you end up pretty limited overall. Used speakers ARE a good option. I almost got a pair of Polk ES-15 speakers today for $80 (someone came in and sniped them first, ARGHHH). Used from someone locally can be a VERY good option (if you're familiar with what speakers are recommended on places like ASR, ErinsAudio corner, etc.), these things have a 10-50 year life expectancy. 

$200ish new (plus $60ish for an amp + $5ish for wire) is about the cheapest you can find "not bad" speakers with usable bass. 
MAYBE A 2x Nest Audio but then you're stuck using bluetooth as a connection (bad latency, meh quality unless you're casting to it). That's with Google subsidizing the price in hopes of making money off your data and some notable tradeoffs (they don't get very loud). Similarish story for a pair of "Used good" polk XT15s off amazon for like $115 (also needs an amp). It won't get you to JBL MK305/JBL 530/KEF Q150/Polk ES15/Polk XT20 territory but still very usable. 

[Tinitis]

How would I connect the JBL 305p to my computer? I only see XLR and 1/4 TRS inputs.

[cmndr]

TRS doesn't need an active conversion to Aux. If it fits, it works. Just make sure the ends are long enough to space your two speakers apart. 
https://www.amazon.com/aux-trs/s?k=aux+to+trs

You should be able to find the right cable (based on your length requirements) relatively easily.