[nickhos38]

I think my Klipsch 2.0s are dying. (There is static whenever I touch the volume knob.)

What is the best way to connect speakers to a MBP in a desktop setting? Directly to the headphone jack? Via USB with an adapter? Bluetooth? What is available? Any suggestions?

[EdipisReks]

well, i go toslink to an Audio Aero Capitole Mk II, then XLR to an Anthem MCA 20, which connects to a pair of Thiel CS 2.4s. in other words, the possibilities are pretty endless.

[MichiganRich]

Well Edipis, I guess you could do it that way... if you can't afford anything better.

I think you would get better results with a nice set of those HK SoundSticks. They look super cool too.

*sarcasm*

[nickhos38]

Is that double-sarcasm?

I think I'm going with the Edirol MA-15Ds via toslink.

[Kenneth]

I found Logitech makes some nice speakers.

[EdipisReks]

Originally Posted by MichiganRich 

Well Edipis, I guess you could do it that way... if you can't afford anything better.

I think you would get better results with a nice set of those HK SoundSticks. They look super cool too.

*sarcasm*

believe me, i would have the CS 3.7s and a Krell Evolution 402, if i could afford it. my point was that there isn't any one "best way" and that the options are pretty much wide open. a little more detail from nickhos38, in terms of exactly what he is looking for, would help narrow down the suggestions.

[EdipisReks]

Originally Posted by nickhos38 

Is that double-sarcasm?

I think I'm going with the Edirol MA-15Ds via toslink.

probably not a bad choice, but don't expect deep bass (rated at 70 hz, though it gives no indication of how many decibels down it is at that frequency).

[nickhos38]

Thanks for the input, Edipis.

I noticed that about the bass. If it isn't good enough, I'll go to my living room with 6.1 surround sound. Actually, my neighbors will probably appreciate the lack of bass.

Anything (well, almost) is better than the built-ins.

[EdipisReks]

yeah, should definitely be much better than the built-in speakers

[MichiganRich]

Much respect to your gear Edipis. There are so many answers to this question. And yes, it was double sarcasm. The SoundSticks aren't terrible, but they sound like computer speakers.

It's ironic that Nick would mention the Edirols, as they are what I picked up for myself a few weeks ago. I liked the fact that they had optical in with a respectable DAC on board, as well as *drum roll please* a subwoofer output. I had a JBL 10" home theater sub that was not being used since upgrading my main HT system, so I was looking for a desktop monitor set that would let me put that to use. I have to say, the whole thing worked out great. I like the all-in-one package that the Edirols provide, and they have a really clean sound with strong presence. They wouldn't be ideal without the bass provided by the sub, though. The computer room now has what I consider uhm, authoritative strength in sound. *grins*

My next spending level would have been the big powered Behringer monitors, driven probably by a simple firewire out box. Which would still have been a LOT less than what Edipis has wrapped up in his stuff :-)

If the budget would allow, I think the Edirols matched with even an inexpensive sub would be a great solution for you, Nick.

[mutelight]

Active Studio Monitors will give you the best sound but they can be very expensive but you can get cheaper models from KRK, Mackie, etc. I currently use Event ASP8s which I found for $900.

[EdipisReks]

Originally Posted by mutelight 

Active Studio Monitors will give you the best sound

oh, i don't know about that. the dollars/performance ratio is pretty good, though.

[kikkoman]

I've been very happy with the Blue Sky EXO 2.1. Best speakers I've had for my Mac by far. They run about $350 which is the low end for studio monitors but they sound really great. Most studio monitors in that price range do not come with subwoofers so the EXO is a bit of anomaly. I like that the satellites are compact and don't take up a lot of desk space compared to studio monitors in it's class. I am also using an inexpensive Behringer USB audio interface. It was about $30 but it has a really clean sounding Burr-Brown DAC, much better than the onboard audio.

[Masters2010]

I just ordered the edirol ma-15d's also. What's the toslink you use to connect them? Can I connect it with a MBP?

[MichiganRich]

Toslink is another name for the digital audio connection that uses the optical cable. Most new Macs, like my iMac and your MBP, have combination audio jacks. You can use an optical cable (with the right minijack adapter) to plug right into your headphone jack, and get digital signal out. Read up on it and learn.

[ennton]

Hi - I just found this forum and thread on Google.

I would be interested to hear the experiences of other Edirol MA-15D owners. I am trying to use them with Airport Express to play wireless music from my Macbook. I used a mini toslink to toslink cable to connect the optical out of the Airport Express to the optical in of the MA-15D's. With volume on zero, distorted music could be heard through the speakers. As I turned up the volume, the distortion went away, but even on low volumes (on both the speakers and computer) the sound was very loud.

I don't think the Airport Express and cable are the problem as they work well when I connect them to my AV receiver (typical moderate volume: -30db).

When I used the analog input on the MA-15D, there is no problem with distortion or loudness but sound quality noticeably worse than digital (partly the fault of the Airport Express' low-quality analog out I suspect).

I also tried connecting the cable from my Macbook's optical out to the speakers. Same problem as with the Airport Express.

Any suggestions or experiences?

[ennton]

Thanks to anyone who spent any time looking at my last post. Turns out those speakers were faulty. Went back to the store and had them replaced. Working well now, and for the price definitely a good solution for Airport Express.

[MichiganRich]

Hi ennton - thanks for coming in here and adding to the Edirol experiences. Mine have been fine so far and I hope that your new pair proves trouble-free. Are you using yours with a sub or without? What's the listening environment?

[ennton]

I haven't set them up properly yet, but the idea is to have them to listen to music with a second Airport Express in the kitchen (I already have one in the living room with my proper hi-fi).

The thing about the Airport Express (and maybe Apple products generally?) is that it's critical to use the optical out as the analog out sounds really crappy. This meant there were very few options in the budget category, as optical inputs are rare at that price. People that already have a DAC or digital receiver they can use may have more options than I did. The other one people in my position could check are the Behringer MS-20's. I must admit to not having listened to them myself as I was seduced by a large discount on the Edirols.

Not using a sub for now, but good to know the option's there, particularly if I decide to use the speakers for a different purpose.

[MichiganRich]

Interesting info ennton!... thanks for more sharing :-)

I'm sitting here doing some listening and knob twisting, with Tenacious D's album. I felt compelled to come back and tell you that you HAVE to try these hooked up to a sub. You've just GOT to.

The Behringers are the carbon copy of our Edirols and are very interesting, but there's no sub out on those puppies. The sub out is what gives these the flexibility.

[ennton]

Would love to hear them with a sub, but in the kitchen? What about all my fine china and crystal?!

[Masters2010]

What's a good sub to pair up with these?

[MichiganRich]

*laughs* I don't know what to tell you about the fancy dinnerware. Rubber iso pads and duct tape perhaps? Personally, my china and crystal are all plastic and uhm, more plastic.

Masters, I have owned a number of subs in the very unexotic, sub-$400 price range. I'm sure a lot of people would say I've never owned a really good one, considering the prices jump up to $1000 very quickly and shoot north from there.

What I've learned so far is that they all have their own character and sweet spot, where they add strength to the sound yet don't sound forced or strained. Personally, I think that audio systems that don't have strong bass get turned up too loud overall to compensate. The Edirols (having such small main drivers) would be a candidate for this problem, and might find themselves turned up to a point where they start to sound a little harsh. Lack of harshness and clarity are where they excel, so adding the bass to 'muscle up' the overall sound is really the best of both worlds.

I have a small and cheap KLH sub which I think is called the BassBite, and I love it because it has a mellow warm sound that really adds musicality. Unfortunately for the little guy, it doesn't have that solid 'pound' that I like sometimes, which my big JBL 150 watt one does. The JBL is more than twice as 'loud', yet lacks some mid-bass warmth and smoothness that the smaller one has. The even bigger JBL in my living room has an effortless quality to the low low ranges that is impressive, and I have seen that for home theater it is best to have the biggest most powerful sub you can afford (in terms of both cash and space). For music, though, it's a very different story.

What kind of music do you prefer? How big of a box do you want, and how much would you think is reasonable to spend? For example, because of my good experiences with JBL as a brand (strong value) and B&H Photo as a retailer, I might look at a little $130 guy called the Balboa in a 10" size. For the cost of the 10" JBL and the Edirols, you would have a 'computer' system that would blow away comparably priced systems from Bose or Klipsch (in my opinion), and you would have more features and flexibility.

[Masters2010]

I listen to a lot of everything, from rap to classical. I'm not in need of something that's going to thump the room, just a little extra bass. I'd like to keep it under $150 so I'll check out the Balboa.

[dm294]

Really interesting thread guys! I've been in the market for new speakers for the past couple of weeks as well. I picked up a pair of the new Bose Computer MusicMonitors and a set of Logitech z-2300's. The Bose sound great with most types of music that I've tried. But the lack of a subwoofer hurts. Movies and games are another story altogether. All you hear are sound effects. The dialogue gets muddled and lost. The logitechs don't sound as good to me on the music side. They are very good, but the mid-range is very soft. They sound great with the movies and games. One of the few THX certified sets of computer speakers. I've been trying to decide which set to keep..was almost leaning towards keeping them both (the Bose for the music and the logitechs for the movies and games), but after reading this thread, I'm not sure. I'd love to hear some more thoughts on traditional active monitors vs standard computer speakers. I would like to keep the total under around 600.00 if possible. Do you guys think the edirols and a sub are the best bet? Or maybe the blue skys? Help!

[kikkoman]

I think if you're really interested in good sound quality and willing to spend more than $200 then studio monitors are your best bet. The vast majority of computer speakers are junk with a handful of exceptions. THX certification doesn't mean anything when it comes to consumer computer speakers. If you have $600 to spend you may want to step up to the Blue Sky MediaDesk 2.1. I'm real happy with my EXO's.

[dm294]

I'm going to check out the MediaDesks this week. Thanks for the help!

[kramer3380]

i have JL audio and they are terrific!!