[cheery7upper]

What speakers would you recommend?

I have an ibook and I am looking for a sound system for my computer, it doesn't have to be anything fancy, but I would like it to have a nice sound quality even at a high volume.

thanks

[mduell]

Logitec Z-2300 2.1 or Klipsch Promedia 2.1 if you're willing to blow $100-150, Logitec X-230 2.1 if you're on a budget closer to $35.

[cheery7upper]

Originally Posted by mduell

Logitec Z-2300 2.1 or Klipsch Promedia 2.1 if you're willing to blow $100-150, Logitec X-230 2.1 if you're on a budget closer to $35.

Do you personally own any of these speakers?

Thanks for the reply

[Gibsonsg]

I own the Klipsch Promedia 2.1 speakers, and I love them. I can pump them pretty hard. I did spend a lot of time settting up pre-amp level and EQ presets on all my music in iTunes before playing back at higher volumes. Here's my method:

1. In iTunes, Get info on the entire library, and set the volume slider in the Info/Options dialogue all the way to +100%. (Crank it right).

2. Under the EQ pane, I edit the presets and delete all the factory ones I know I'm not going to use to free up space for saving my own presets.

3. I setup a series of presets using the iTunes "Rock" EQ curve with the pre-amp level set to drop in -1db increments. I save each one as a separate preset. (Rock-12db, for example).

4. I then assign presets using my -db Rock curves accordingly. I set each album to get the most headroom from low output songs, but without spiking the EQ's on the really hot signals. That prevents clipping to the amp, and retains a good amount of power / volume. For example, my White Zombie albums are set at around -8db on the Rock cruve. That can change though depending on what version of iTunes you are running. On the older versions on my G3, I had to pad the preamp all the way down to Rock-12db for those albums.

5. Sometimes, I do need to altrer the base EQ curve for some material, and overall room acoustics. In particular, "scooped mid" heavy metal music with a lot of bass (Metallica for example), I have to reduce the low frequencies a bit (at around 125 Hz) to prevent "bass farts" on my sub. I can usually keep the 32hz low-bass set where it is to retain a nice kick-drum thump without clipping the sub-enclosure.

6. During playback, crank the volume on the compputer's sound, start with the iTunes volume set relatively low, and set the amps on the speakers up to a pretty good point. I usually set the output level on my Klipsch speakers at about 10 to 11 o'clock on the output pot. That way, you get a wide range of available output power volume, and the EQ presets (with accompanying pre-amp level settings) protect the speaker system from clipping, assuming the pre-amp levels are set carefully enough in the iTunes presets you saved.

[Gibsonsg]

Another thing I forgot to mention. Those Klipsch Promedias also have a subwoofer output pot for controlling how much power is sent to the sub. If you are playing back fairly loud, just roll the output on the sub back some to prevent boominess / farting. At lower volume playback, you can roll the output on the sub up higher to get a fuller sound at low volumes. That way, you don't have to mess with changing your EQ presets. It works kind of like a "loudness" switch. It's pretty slick.

[macintologist]

Just get the Logitech Z-3i

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...Fencoding=UTF8

That's what I have for my Powerbook 12" desktop setup. They sound great, and I'm 100% satisfied. Just order those and don't try to confuse yourself too much with all the different choices. Just get the Z-3i.

[mix123]

Harman Kardon Soundsticks?

[macintologist]

Originally Posted by mix123

Harman Kardon Soundsticks?

Nope because the iSub has problems with OS X.

Just get a the Z-3i. Simple 2.1 setup, nice subwoofer sound. Plugs into the headphone port. No USB audio crap to deal with.

[tooki]

The current-model SoundSticks aren't USB. That said, I still don't recommend them because they're a lousy value.

tooki