Thursday, November 22, 2018

How Much to Spend on Computer Speakers?

Like most sound-related services, you usually get what you pay for. If we buy at low prices, we sacrifice the quality of the sound, but if we put a price exuberant, we risk paying finally only for features and features that we will not need and we will not use probably not in the end. What we propose to you is to establish your budget, and then evaluate what you can really afford.

In the list of speakers we have established, we have included basic models, mid-range and high-end and classified according to your needs.

What matters to us is that you spend according to your needs, but that you are wise about the choices that are available to you in order to find what suits you best.

Can the built-in speakers to computers do the trick?

Excellent question! If you've taken a look at our ranking of this year's best gaming monitors, you may have noticed that some of them have built-in speakers. But does that mean that these speakers are suitable for gaming?

The answer is: not really. With the end profile very recent monitor models, it is impossible to equip a monitor housing of a driver DETAILED REPORT e quite correct. Of course, without a proper size pilot, it will be difficult to get a good sound. On top of that, the gaming monitor market is extremely competitive with price as a determining factor in consumer buying decisions.

As a result, companies are constantly looking to keep their prices low, which means most monitors do not have built-in speakers, and when they do, they are low speakers. range in order to keep production costs and sales low enough.

Can we use library speakers instead?

In fact, this is entirely possible and nothing prevents you from doing so, but the reason we have made a separate assessment for the speaker libraries is that they are not necessarily adapted to be associated with a pc or a computer.

The reason is very simple: most library speakers are passive and need external power to produce sound. That means they need amplifiers, and usually, it's a stereo amplifier. In this case, not only will it increase the cost but will also clutter you considering the cables and accessories that will hang around your desk.

Each of the speakers on this list is an active speaker. Each of them has its own amplifier, which means that you will not need any additional external power except for connecting your speaker to the AC power (or in some cases the USB port of your computer). computer). This is a real advantage when you want to improve the sound of your computer, for example, more than you have more space around your desk.

Of course, there is nothing stopping you from choosing the amplifier with the library speakers. Many amplifiers now include a USB connection, which means you can connect them directly to your computer and get absolute control over the sound. But if this is the path you decide to take, we would also recommend investing in an independent digital-analog converter. These have dedicated chips but its most effective when it comes to converting digital 1s and 0s to the sound that it is indeed possible to listen, which is a priori the goal of all that.

Speakers 2.0 or 2.1, what difference?

The 2.0 system corresponds to the left and right stereo channels while the 2.1 system corresponds to the left and right channels in addition to a subwoofer. But what does a subwoofer actually do (apart from causing a disturbance of public order)? The latter discharges heavy bass frequencies from small drivers (speakers) into your left and right satellites and redirects them to its own driver in a separate unit.

Should we really have a subwoofer?

The advantages of the subwoofer are that the sound you get will be more complete and more intense because the main purpose of your satellites is to provide you with medium and high frequencies, which allows them to ensure a better sound without distortion.

So, do you really need it? It depends on several factors. A subwoofer can offer you a more stimulating and immersive experience, but if your favorite hobby is watching podcasts, it's not essential. In this case, the 2.0 system will then be more than useful.
On the other hand, if you are looking for spectacular explosions while playing games, watching movies, or listening to loud music, then it becomes almost inevitable that you get a subwoofer. There are some options in the 2.0 system that provide very good responses in terms of sound without it becoming too intrusive like some features of the 2.1 system. The point to consider is the price: it will pay for this level of quality because it is less affordable in terms of price.

The sensitivity of the speakers

We recently studied the best gaming helmets this year. It will soon be available, and you will know what it means sensitivity or Acoustic Pressure Level (Sound Pressure Level - SPL).

Essentially, sensitivity is a measure of how an enclosure produces sound at a specific power level. Thus, the higher the level of sensitivity, the more the speakers will perform. In general, a higher sensitivity level indicates that the speaker quality is better, but this is not always the case.

This statistic should indeed be used with caution because of the variability of the power sources (amps, interfaces, etc.), the measurement of the sensitivity is not always a true representation of the sound level of the helmet. In addition, since the sensitivity is measured in decibels per milliwatt but the power supply of your PC is supplied in volts, the methods used by the companies to reach this value of sensitivity can be inconsistent, which does not help anyone to determine if speakers are suitable for them or not.


At this point, we would like to give you the best advice to choose from the multitude of speakers we offer: get hold of them and try them out. Order online, and if you're not happy, swap them for different ones. That said, any of our speakers are of high quality, guaranteed!

Computer Speakers: Choose the Best Speakers for PC or Mac!

Some people will always tell you that only the best headphones get the best sound from the best PCs. However, it is not appropriate for everyone to wear a helmet all day. For these people, the best computer speakers are a dream come true.

However, like any other computer hardware, finding the best speakers is not easy. Fortunately, we have concocted this list of the best computer speakers available today.

When looking to buy the best speakers, you need to think of several important factors. What kind of sound do they produce? Do they have a good stereo or surround sound? Do they give you a headache after just a few minutes of listening? Is their sound profile balanced? You must keep these details in mind when you are looking for speakers for your computer.

You also need to think about what you plan to do with the best speakers ... Are you going to get into the best PC games where immersion is the most important thing? Will you embark on a marathon of all Marvel movies to mentally prepare for the second part of Infinity Wars? Or do you just want to move on the latest Kanye West album? No matter what you plan to do, you should apply yourself to choosing the best speakers you can buy today.

You are not alone in this quest, though. With the Office Pro team, we have prepared this list of the best computer speakers we tested and evaluated last year. So, sit down, put on some music, and enjoy.
How did we choose these speakers?

The sound quality is more or less the vital element in our decision-making process, and as the power of the speaker, this includes the size of their speakers. It's important to realize that computer speakers will never sound as good as, say, shelf speakers or monitor speakers, but that's part of the game and it's reflected in the price of computer speakers.

Then comes the price/quality ratio - another important consideration. That something is expensive does not necessarily mean that it is the best option. Speakers may be more expensive because they promise a multitude of different features and features, or because they come from a popular brand. But is this cost justified for most users?

Conversely, that something is cheap, with fewer features, and without the name of a big brand, does not necessarily mean that it is a bad product. It is about finding the perfect balance between cost and capacity, and we did it for you. Our other considerations are speaker design - we like the innovative and the creative, but not too obtuse or loud. The carbon footprint of the speakers is also important; if the size is justified by the sound quality and features, yes, no problem, but we do not want huge or very small speakers that are just for the style.


Computer speakers for music production

When producing music, it is extremely important to hear the sounds you create as accurately as possible. That's because you want your music to sound good on all audio systems, not just yours. For example, if you're using the Edifier R1700BT while producing a track, you might think that you've added enough bass to your mix when you're playing back, but you're wrong.

The R1700 are known to slightly boost the bass, and that's the effect you hear. This becomes a problem when other people play your song on their audio systems and notice that there is not enough bass, even if the track sounded good on yours. This amplification phenomenon can affect all the sounds on all the frequencies, which can have an impact on the perceived volume of certain elements of your track as well as on their position relative to the others.

This is why music producers use active or passive speakers. These speakers feature an equalizer (EQ) flat especially designed to faithfully reproduce the sound. Games, movie, or music speakers have a colorful sound where bass, midrange, and treble are all preset to provide a sound experience rather than making it easier to produce. The only speaker on our list who approaches it is the Audioengine A5 +. When we asked the Audioengine team what they thought about the application of A5 + in terms of music production, Audioengine replied:

In other words, the A5 + are made to listen to music, not to create it. You could probably use them for editing or music production, but we do not recommend it.

The interest of insulating pads for a better sound

It's no secret that in general, high-end speakers deliver superior sound quality. Although this may be due to the internal components of the speaker, the design itself plays a surprising role in the sound quality.

For example, Aperion Allaire uses only high-end components. However, because of their flat-bottom design, if you do not position them properly - at the ear, in this case - you will not get the full effect.
On the other hand, some speakers (such as the Edifier E25 Luna Eclipse HD) use an angled design to try to steer the sound towards the general level of the user's ear, which can improve sound performance. This is not a miracle solution. One sure way to get the best out of your speakers is to buy a set of speaker stands. Just make sure they are suitable in terms of height and compatibility.

Another thing to keep in mind is that when the speakers project sound, they vibrate. If the speakers are installed directly on a desk, shelf, or floor, vibrations can seep into surfaces, often blurring the lower and lower midrange.

The louder the sound, the more this effect will be noticeable. That's why, with speakers like the Audio engine A5 +, we recommend buying a set of insulating pads. The insulating pads, or decouples, work much like the suspension of a car: they consist of a spring, a shock absorber and a mass (the speaker).

Thanks to the properties of the foam used in the insulating pads, this foam acts both as a spring and shock absorber, essentially eliminating any contact between the low vibrations and the office. The insulating pads allow the speakers to project the sound as desired. In addition, most of these pads come with angled inserts so they can be combined with speaker mounts for better sound quality.