Best computer speakers?

I'm looking for some speakers that have alot of bass and just overall great sound. Which speakers do you suggest? How important are sound cards? If I have an integrated 8 channel mobo will they work fine? How important are watts? What should I look for in a speaker set?

I don't play games or watch movies but I listen to plenty of music and I like bass.

Budget: $150

Well for such a small budget for speakers (no offense) you can't expect too much. Since I'm also on a tight student budget I bought the Logitech Z-5300s which you can probably find under 150 (if that's american currency). They are 280W Continuous and 560W peak, which is pretty good considering they are PC speakers designed for an average sized bedroom. Overall I really like these but I'll explain a bit more later...

The video card is VERY important. I don't even know how I can start saying how important this is, especially if you're an audiophile like me or a harcore gamer who needs to know the exact whereabouts of his opponents. Sound card determines overall quality of the sound, but if you're only a CD or MP3 type of person I'd say what you have is good enough. You should only consider upgrading if you were into games, recording or very high quality audio like DVD-Audio.

Well watts is the power of the system. Generally, the more watts, the more powerful the system is and also the louder it can play without distortion. Since you like bass, you need to find a system with a powerful subwoofer ie: 100 watts or more. Anything below this and you will be disappointed.

My logitech z-5300s have a 100 watt sub and in my opinion it's not as loud as I'd like it to be. Well, my music is very bassy (I listen to Hip-Hop, old school rap, reggae, reggaeton mostly) and, it sure does the job of shaking almost eveything on both floors of my house from the basment but I don't really feel myself shaking Haha well I'm a crazy 16 year old so unless you like to shake you don't need more powerful than that.

Since you don't play games or watch movies I don't think you should bother looking for somethig surround sound (5.1 channels and up) and you need a 2.1 channel ( .1 is the subwoofer) since most music is in stereo anyways.

Final recommendation, keep your integrated sound card, and get a nice set of Logitech Z-2300's which should meet your needs. Look over here, amazon.com is having these on a sale that will probably make you cry -> Clikc Me . You can also read the reviews to help you make a choice but ignore the retards complaining about "lacking midrange.. and I'm an idiot!!" That's what equalizers are for in media players, to boost up what you're lacking.

Hope that helped you dude...

If you really want good sound, my advice is get a 1/8" stereo plug to RCA plugs cable and hook it into your stereo system.

Just get the loudest one for the cheapest price possible

Should be enough for anyone ...

Umm... that was his question...

Thanks alot for the input. I can afford more than $150 for a set so if you have a better one in mind that costs a little more then I may spring for it if I think it's worth it. However, I just feel that there are more important things that I would like to have so blowing $400 for a set of speakers, especially for a freakin computer, is pretty unreasonable to me. If your speakers shake the house then what's the problem? I want them for my bedroom. I will almost never have/be able to bump them full blast. And you say 5.1 surround sound speakers serve no justice for music? I really just like the look of the extra speakers.

Medialint: Can you explain more? I don't have a stereo system. Could I buy stereo speakers and hook them up to a sound card if I found some that are more powerful and affordable than pc speakers?

Just by reading the reviews these sound like the speakers for me.

Actually you can't just buy "regular" speakers froma stereo and plug them to your sound card. You need an amp to power the speakers since the best your sound card can give you is a Line Out to plug into one of the input on your stereo...

Okay well if you won't/don't need to pump the speakers loud than the logitechs I recommended should be enough for you (especially because your sub is bigger than mine (8inch vs 6.5) and more powerful...) I'm only complaining cuz I like to walk around the hosue and cook and do pretty much everything with music. I think I just need another set upstairs or something to fill up the space Oh, and I noticed that I *do* shake when I'm wearing baggy clothes. (Well its the clothes shaking not me.)

And about the 5.1, they serve no justice for music because pretty much all the music only has 2 channels (aka Stereo). So, even if you have a set of 5.1 speakers, only the front-left, front-right and subwoofer channels will play. The other three speakers will be virtually useless. Useless unless you are watching a DVD or playing a game with surround sound. Sure on my Logitech Z-5300 I can turn on "Matrix Mode" which simulates surround sound for audio sources with only 2 channels (music), but in my opinion it most often only sounds weird and it's like if the midrange is boosted for nothing. (I don't use Matrix mode...)

I just want to warn you about one last thing though. Since both logitech speakers you seem to be interested in are THX rated, it means they are really high quality stuff. (In more specific details, something THX rated is rare and it's supposed to be able to sound exactly the same as it would sound in a movie theater.) I noticed when I got my speakers that there were in some songs a lot of clicks and junk and I thought my speakers were bad. No my speakers are in fact excellent since they recognize all this little junk my other speakers didn't pick up. This is because MP3's suck (well the illegal ones at least). If you listen to a CD or something of higher quality you will not hear any junk unless it came from your sound card or from the actual recording.

There's no other speakers I can recommend really but logitech has a reputation for having loud and clear bass so that's why they're the only brand I buy.

Logitech is definitly a good choice, however I prefer Klipsch.

Their 2.1 set has great knock and would suit your needs if you're looking for just a stereo pair. It's only $149 on newegg.com and you might find a few reviews on them as well.

From a musician to a listener: power to the music....

Thanks gt3_dk. You've been very helpful. I will read the reviews of the brand that you posted too Dangerous. Then I'll decide. Thanks.

I'd like to know the verdict when you spring for some....

Well, here's an update.

I'm so ashame of myself I don't know what to do. I went to CompUSA to purchase some speakers and I saw the Z5300s for $199 and the Z2300s for $149.99. After contemplating between the two for 15mins, I chose the Altec Lansing VS4121 for $79.99. And you can just either shoot me now or I'll keep on going.

My mother and grandmother were pressuring the heck out of me. My mom said I shouldn't buy $200 speakers but that it was up to me because it's my money. But she was constantly stressing how SHE wouldn't do it and at first, I felt the same way. I listened to the z5300s and the Z2300s and they didn't have nearly as much thump as I imagined. I guess this is because the volume wasn't high enough and they were playing some soft rock country type of stuff. I was in public too and I was trying to be courteous.

Then they played the Altec's and I thought they sounded BETTER than the Z2300s. However, the Altec's only have about 30watts with a 19watt sub. I don't think I was able to experience the Logitech speakers to their full potential. Either that or they're entirely overrated.

Tears are rolling down my eyes as I type. I've had them for about 11hrs now and I haven't even taken them out of the box. I'm taking these things right back to CompUSA in the morning. I don't know what I'm going to do yet though. I want to buy from some place with a warranty.

Think I should give these Altec's a chance or was I robbed blind and need to get my money back?

Dude you were robbed BLINDDd!!! (Whatever that was supposed to mean....) Oh, and my parents were pissing the f@*k outta me too. At first I was gonna get the Logitech 5500s, which are absolute monsters (1010W peak!!!) for a really good deal but my dad wouldn't stfu so I was like screw it. Then, I saw the Z-5300s on sale 200 Canadian (regular is 300 Canadian) so I bought that and he was still complaining. Check man, I worked full-time hard all summer one of the most boring jobs you could imagine. I'm sure you did the same for your money. YOU worked hard, so YOU deserve what YOU want, tell yo momma that, and even if she is still pissing you off, do it anyways because you'll regret it for so long. Don't be a mommas boy, especially in public

And dude!! Buy the speakers from Amazon. Same price as the cheap ones you just got remember??? But if you're absolutely gonna go back to that store, bring you're own CD and don't give a shizzy about the other people there. The workers, that's wha they are payed for. The customers around you, who cares about them??? The speakers are on display for you to test them right? So knock yourself out. It doesn't make sense that the 2300's sub is crappy... check on the remote and make sure the "Sub" volume is at 50%. Some grandpa might of turned it down to listen to his redneck songs.