Bose Companion 20, a real replacement for a 2.1 setup

[Sauber-C10]

I have been looking to replace my 2.1 setup with newer speakers, however i was looking at the bose companion 20's which are 2.0 or should i get the companion 3's which are 2.1, also would i be better buying a soundcard rather than new speakers? thanks, they'll mainly be used for Movies and Gaming.

[brownninja97]

Holy crap, we have the same problem, i was wondering about this about 30 minutes ago.

 

I have been looking to replace my 2.1 setup with newer speakers, however i was looking at the bose companion 20's which are 2.0 or should i get the companion 3's which are 2.1, also would i be better buying a soundcard rather than new speakers? thanks, they'll mainly be used for Movies and Gaming.

[MayflowerElectronics]

No bose...

 

Sound cards don't effect speakers.

 

What's your budget?

[Conelton]

Corsair SP2500

 

I've heard nothing but good reviews on these guys, and they're Linus' and Slick's personal speakers, IIRC.

 

I recently switched from 2.1 to 2.0 speakers and I prefer my new ones, but that's mostly because they're just generally better speakers. IMO, 2.1 is superior for gaming as you will feel more of the sound because of the more powerful bass.

 

And your soundcard DOES affect your speakers if they have analog inputs (3.5mm jacks, RCA, etc.) as opposed to USB or other digital inputs.

 

But I agree that steering clear of bose is always a good idea.

[MayflowerElectronics]

Corsair SP2500

 

I've heard nothing but good reviews on these guys, and they're Linus' and Slick's personal speakers, IIRC.

 

I recently switched from 2.1 to 2.0 speakers and I prefer my new ones, but that's mostly because they're just generally better speakers. IMO, 2.1 is superior for gaming as you will feel more of the sound because of the more powerful bass.

 

And your soundcard DOES affect your speakers if they have analog inputs (3.5mm jacks, RCA, etc.) as opposed to USB or other digital inputs.

 

But I agree that steering clear of bose is always a good idea.

 

Stop recommending that, they're terrible for the money. Sound cards DO NOT effect speakers. The have a slightly upgraded DAC from your motherboard that will yield no real effect on speakers.

[ShearMe]

Obligatory "check out used studio monitors on eBay" post.

[Conelton]

Stop recommending that, they're terrible for the money. Sound cards DO NOT effect speakers. The have a slightly upgraded DAC from your motherboard that will yield no real effect on speakers.

 

Alright, I apologise for recommending the SP2500s as I have no first-hand experience with them so I can't vouch for their value. That was a mistake.

 

But could you please explain why sound cards do not affect the perceived audio quality through speakers? I see you're a rep for an audio retailer (I didn't spot that before) so I don't doubt that you have evidence to support this claim, but I would be interested to see it.

[MayflowerElectronics]

Alright, I apologise for recommending the SP2500s as I have no first-hand experience with them so I can't vouch for their value. That was a mistake.

 

But could you please explain why sound cards do not affect the perceived audio quality through speakers? I see you're a rep for an audio retailer (I didn't spot that before) so I don't doubt that you have evidence to support this claim, but I would be interested to see it.

 

Don't be so quick to judge!

 

Speakers are self amplified or powered. This means that they directly amplify the sound inside its own enclosure. Example: Audioengine A2's - I have a 3.5mm cable going from the rear of the speakers into my motherboard. The reason I don't have a dac/amp/soundcard hooked up to it is because there's really only 3 parts of the audio chain. Going from least important to most important, DAC - Amp - Headphones/speakers.

 

Since the amplifier is pretty much built around the speakers in most powered speakers, this only leaves the DAC. The DAC's on most motherboards are actually very good, so adding a sound card will have 0 difference as at most you'll be getting the same quality of DAC if not worse. You'll also open a whole can of worms with noise, driver problems, ect ect.

[Conelton]

Don't be so quick to judge!

 

Speakers are self amplified or powered. This means that they directly amplify the sound inside its own enclosure. Example: Audioengine A2's - I have a 3.5mm cable going from the rear of the speakers into my motherboard. The reason I don't have a dac/amp/soundcard hooked up to it is because there's really only 3 parts of the audio chain. Going from least important to most important, DAC - Amp - Headphones/speakers.

 

Since the amplifier is pretty much built around the speakers in most powered speakers, this only leaves the DAC. The DAC's on most motherboards are actually very good, so adding a sound card will have 0 difference as at most you'll be getting the same quality of DAC if not worse. You'll also open a whole can of worms with noise, driver problems, ect ect.

 

The DAC is far from an insignificant part of the audio chain. Yes, the amps in powered speakers make the amps on sound cards basically redundant, but if the amp receives a shitty signal then it's going to come out of your speakers sounding shitty no matter what you do to it. Using a sound card (around £70) instead of the onboard audio will give you a better DAC and, therefore, better output. I've heard it for myself, as have most people who buy sound cards. Additionally, I find that sound cards have far less background noise than onboard audio, and almost always have superior software and drivers.

 

Here's a bunch of people who have tried numerous DAC's and can back me up:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/309055/how-important-is-a-dac

[MayflowerElectronics]

The DAC is far from an insignificant part of the audio chain. Yes, the amps in powered speakers make the amps on sound cards basically redundant, but if the amp receives a shitty signal then it's going to come out of your speakers sounding shitty no matter what you do to it. Using a sound card (around £70) instead of the onboard audio will give you a better DAC and, therefore, better output. I've heard it for myself, as have most people who buy sound cards. Additionally, I find that sound cards have far less background noise than onboard audio, and almost always have superior software and drivers.

Here's a bunch of people who have tried numerous DAC's and can back me up:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/309055/how-important-is-a-dac

Let's agree to dis agree.

[Conelton]

Let's agree to dis agree.

 

Moral of the story: don't buy Bose.

[Shrubpig]

I have been looking to replace my 2.1 setup with newer speakers, however i was looking at the bose companion 20's which are 2.0 or should i get the companion 3's which are 2.1, also would i be better buying a soundcard rather than new speakers? thanks, they'll mainly be used for Movies and Gaming.

I have the Companion 20s, I like them a lot. They are really good 2.1 speakers. I don't really use them for playing games, I just use them for listening to music and watching movies.

[MayflowerElectronics]

Moral of the story: don't buy Bose.

Sure, I can agree to that

[ShearMe]

The DAC is far from an insignificant part of the audio chain. Yes, the amps in powered speakers make the amps on sound cards basically redundant, but if the amp receives a shitty signal then it's going to come out of your speakers sounding shitty no matter what you do to it. Using a sound card (around £70) instead of the onboard audio will give you a better DAC and, therefore, better output. I've heard it for myself, as have most people who buy sound cards. Additionally, I find that sound cards have far less background noise than onboard audio, and almost always have superior software and drivers.

 

Here's a bunch of people who have tried numerous DAC's and can back me up:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/309055/how-important-is-a-dac

If you want a better DAC, buy a better DAC, not a soundcard.