Need decent speakers for about $150
Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 2:12 pm
I've been using these really cheap Creative stereo speakers for years and I think it's about time I replaced them. I've been using those Zalman "surround sound" headphones for games.
I don't have a particular budget in mind but I don't want to go crazy so I figure $150 ought to get me something decent, though I don't mind spending more or less if I can find a really good deal or something really worth while.
I'm a bit torn as whether to get a 2.1 or a surround sound set. With surround sound, I have no idea how I'm going to set up the rear speakers in my room, since it's a large room and they'll look odd just sitting behind me on a stand or something (can't mount it on the walls - they're too far back). Also, I don't like the idea of having wires trailing around on the floor. I can get those speaker arms that mount onto the desk that the rear speakers hang off of, but those are expensive and will probably cost more than the speakers I'm going to buy. 2.1 speakers on the other hand are obviously not as good for gaming since most new games are going to be built with 5.1 support.
Anyway, I need suggestions:
Should I just get a decent 2.1 set and use my headphones for games or should I really invest in 5.1?
Any brands and models that you would recommend?
Oh, and I'm a speaker noob, so what should I look for in terms of specs when buying speakers and what do they mean (Watts, RMS, frequency response, signal to noise ratio, etc.)?
I don't have a particular budget in mind but I don't want to go crazy so I figure $150 ought to get me something decent, though I don't mind spending more or less if I can find a really good deal or something really worth while.
I'm a bit torn as whether to get a 2.1 or a surround sound set. With surround sound, I have no idea how I'm going to set up the rear speakers in my room, since it's a large room and they'll look odd just sitting behind me on a stand or something (can't mount it on the walls - they're too far back). Also, I don't like the idea of having wires trailing around on the floor. I can get those speaker arms that mount onto the desk that the rear speakers hang off of, but those are expensive and will probably cost more than the speakers I'm going to buy. 2.1 speakers on the other hand are obviously not as good for gaming since most new games are going to be built with 5.1 support.
Anyway, I need suggestions:
Should I just get a decent 2.1 set and use my headphones for games or should I really invest in 5.1?
Any brands and models that you would recommend?
Oh, and I'm a speaker noob, so what should I look for in terms of specs when buying speakers and what do they mean (Watts, RMS, frequency response, signal to noise ratio, etc.)?
