speakers What are the best speakers for 200 - 300$

[Nova on PC and Xbox]

 

I have recently built a computer designed for gaming. I am currently creating videos, recording audio, and other such things a typical youtube gamer would do. I have headphones and a DAC for it. I have a microphone and an amp for it. However it is a great inconvenience to put my headphones on EVERY SINGLE time I get on the computer for any task. Say when playing games that don’t require talking, listening to music, editing videos, and other such things.

 

I have been looking online for reviews of really good speakers for the price from 200 - 300$. There is just way to many options out there too chose from and I need help picking out the best speakers for the price range. I like crystal clear sound, I like good base but just enough base, not too much and not too little. Is there any speaker system from a respected audio brand that can match or sound better than my Sennheiser HD 598 Special Edition headphones?

 

Any help will be greatly appreciated. I apologise if the request seems to be very demanding. I don’t know much about audio and there are way too many options to choose from.

 

The price range is 200 up to 300$. The max I will pay is around 350$.

 

P.S NO SOUNDBARS, I have a decently sized desk and would like normal speakers that can sit on the desk.

[kb5zue]

Without a doubt, Bose.

 

https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/speakers/stereo_speakers/companion-20-multimedia-speaker-system.html#v=companion20_silver

 

[ShadySocks]

 

1 minute ago, kb5zue said:

Without a doubt, Bose.

 

https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/speakers/stereo_speakers/companion-20-multimedia-speaker-system.html#v=companion20_silver

 

Without a doubt, bose is overpriced

 

A speaker kit will probably have much better sound

https://www.parts-express.com/hitmaker-mt-studio-monitor-speaker-kit-with-knock-down-cabinet--300-7116

[Nova on PC and Xbox]

4 minutes ago, ShadySocks said:

 

Without a doubt, bose is overpriced

 

A speaker kit will probably have much better sound

https://www.parts-express.com/hitmaker-mt-studio-monitor-speaker-kit-with-knock-down-cabinet--300-7116

maybe a speaker system that I won't have to build? 

[ShadySocks]

8 minutes ago, Nova on PC and Xbox said:

maybe a speaker system that I won't have to build? 

Does your amp support a woofer?

[Nova on PC and Xbox]

I aint got no speaker yet DOG! 

[ShadySocks]

3 minutes ago, Nova on PC and Xbox said:

I aint got no speaker yet DOG! 

What kind of outputs are on your amp

[ShadySocks]

PreSonus Eris E4.5, remember to buy a 3.5mm to RCA

[Nova on PC and Xbox]

It's a 1 input headphone DAC, a 1 input. And if you're asking my aux on my motherboard I have a MSI Z270 GAMING M7 motherboard 

[ShadySocks]

You are probably looking for powered near field bookshelf monitors such as the PreSonus Eris E4.5, which also has adjustable frequency response.

[johnny5c]

I have these Edifiers at work and they're about the best I've found in the price range,

https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-R2000DB-Bluetooth-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B01CDU3IAI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1523777348&sr=8-6&keywords=edifier%2Bspeakers&th=1

[ShadySocks]

5 minutes ago, johnny5c said:

I have these Edifiers at work and they're about the best I've found in the price range,

https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-R2000DB-Bluetooth-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B01CDU3IAI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1523777348&sr=8-6&keywords=edifier%2Bspeakers&th=1

Those are also a good choice, the bluetooth comes in handy when playing from mobile devices such as phones or laptops. Your mobo doesn't have bluetooth.

[Koto]

These are kind of in your price range if you are okay with getting them from Ebay for around $290 new or $250 open box. I have the Klipsch RP-150M's and they are really great, but they aren't powered speakers so you will need an amp and speaker wire. Depending on the amps you already have, they might have speaker outs. If not they are real easy to drive so something cheap like the SMSL SA-36A will power them fine or maybe even a Lepy LP-2024A-HA. They are not super bassy but have pretty good bass and I am sure they will sound alot better than your HD 598's, Its hard to compare speakers and headphone sound but I was pretty impressed when I got them and they were beating my HD 800's in alot of scenarios.

[Nova on PC and Xbox]

1 hour ago, ShadySocks said:

What kind of outputs are on your amp

It's a 1 input headphone DAC, a 1 input. And if you're asking my aux on my motherboard I have a MSI Z270 GAMING M7 motherboard 

[vanished]

1 hour ago, kb5zue said:

Without a doubt, Bose.

 

https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/speakers/stereo_speakers/companion-20-multimedia-speaker-system.html#v=companion20_silver

 

I honestly can't tell if you're being serious... I've just never seen anyone recommend bose before on anything but noise cancellation

[Ahoy Hoy]

Recommendation 1

KRK Rokit 5. Nice speaker sounds good. Good low ends for a five inch. KRK also have a good choice of subwoofers which are easily addable into the system in the future.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Rokit5G3--krk-rokit-5-g3-5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

 

Recommendation 2

JBL 305. Decent speaker. Personally not as good as KRKs, but if you prefer the gloss finish still a great choice for speaker. Again subwoofer easily addable in the future if you want to shake the floor.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSR305MK2--jbl-305p-mkii-5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

 

Recommendation 3

Behringer Truth 6.75". Some people will give me shit for recommending Behringer due to the bad name they give themselves from some products but actually, the truth series is one of the better speakers going for this price point. The larger driver will give a better low end. The drawbacks are that Behringer do have poor quality control so you may have a problem in the first week. But I find after the first week if no problems have occurred you are in safe water.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/B2030A--behringer-truth-b2030a-6.75-inch-powered-studio-monitor

 

You will need to buy this cable to plug from your computer into the speakers. Also in case, you haven't realised you have to buy two of each speaker. They are sold each not in pairs.

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-HMX-006Y-XLR3M-Stereo-Breakout/dp/B00YSAVW28/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1523791313&sr=8-9&keywords=stereo+xlr

 

To the recommendation for Presonus. Presonus make some of the worst audio equipment going. They are cheap rubbish at a marked up price. It is truly American crap. And before anyone recommends Mackie speakers. The series you will recommend at this price sounds awful so don't waste your time.

[kokakolia]

7 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

I honestly can't tell if you're being serious... I've just never seen anyone recommend bose before on anything but noise cancellation

Snobbery-knee-jerk-projectile-vomit reaction to Bose aside, the Bose Companion 2 Series III is pretty decent for just $100. I'm very pleased with mine. I bought them because my desk is tiny and these things are small. I have a pair of Sennheiser 558s and these $100 Bose speakers sound comparable, I guess. I mean how can you even compare? I just really enjoy not having earmuffs blasting sound into my head and these $100 Bose speakers sound good to me. But I am no speaker expert. I am sure that someone else will say that they're garbage on these forums. Because Bose. Bose, Bose...bad! Bad Bose! Baaadd...

 

Keep in mind that these Bose speakers don't sound neutral at all, especially compared to proper "studio monitors". The bass is definitely a little boosted. 

 

With all things considered, you can probably do better with Ahoy Hoy's recommendations above. You'll definitely get better sound out of larger speakers. Bare in mind that smaller speakers have to work extra hard to produce bass. So smaller desktop speakers tend to overcompensate and sound boomy as a result. But the opposite is true as well, where you get little to no bass because of the smaller size. 

[ShadySocks]

5 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

To the recommendation for Presonus. Presonus make some of the worst audio equipment going. They are cheap rubbish at a marked up price.

Where did you hear that?

[ShadySocks]

8 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

I honestly can't tell if you're being serious... I've just never seen anyone recommend bose before on anything but noise cancellation

B. O. S. E.

Buy Other Sound Equipment

[Max_Settings]

13 hours ago, kb5zue said:

Without a doubt, Bose.

 

https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/speakers/stereo_speakers/companion-20-multimedia-speaker-system.html#v=companion20_silver

 

You are joking right? JBL305P is the best speakers for $300.

[kb5zue]

6 minutes ago, Max_Settings said:

You are joking right? JBL305P is the best speakers for $300.

You're joking right?  JBL's are nothing but meatgrinders.

[Nova on PC and Xbox]

10 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

Recommendation 1

KRK Rokit 5. Nice speaker sounds good. Good low ends for a five inch. KRK also have a good choice of subwoofers which are easily addable into the system in the future.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Rokit5G3--krk-rokit-5-g3-5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

 

Recommendation 2

JBL 305. Decent speaker. Personally not as good as KRKs, but if you prefer the gloss finish still a great choice for speaker. Again subwoofer easily addable in the future if you want to shake the floor.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSR305MK2--jbl-305p-mkii-5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

 

Recommendation 3

Behringer Truth 6.75". Some people will give me shit for recommending Behringer due to the bad name they give themselves from some products but actually, the truth series is one of the better speakers going for this price point. The larger driver will give a better low end. The drawbacks are that Behringer do have poor quality control so you may have a problem in the first week. But I find after the first week if no problems have occurred you are in safe water.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/B2030A--behringer-truth-b2030a-6.75-inch-powered-studio-monitor

 

You will need to buy this cable to plug from your computer into the speakers. Also in case, you haven't realised you have to buy two of each speaker. They are sold each not in pairs.

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-HMX-006Y-XLR3M-Stereo-Breakout/dp/B00YSAVW28/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1523791313&sr=8-9&keywords=stereo+xlr

 

To the recommendation for Presonus. Presonus make some of the worst audio equipment going. They are cheap rubbish at a marked up price. It is truly American crap. And before anyone recommends Mackie speakers. The series you will recommend at this price sounds awful so don't waste your time.

Best answer