[smileyq]

I've recently purchase the G4 cube for my finance for college. After recieveing the cube I was overwelmed with its performance and style but bottom line the sound just sucks on it. I've been looking into the monsoon im700 speakers but I'm not sure they are USB which the cube requires. Are their any usb converters to a normal audio jack? If not whats the best type of speaker for the cube. Thanks for any help!

[Skywalkers new Hand]

SoundSticks. They sound awesome and look perfect with the cube.

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[smileyq]

I've good and bad things about them. I've heard they are great if you sit right in front of them but if you want something to power the room then you should look elsewhere. If this true?

[SpeedRacer]

Originally posted by smileyq:
I've good and bad things about them. I've heard they are great if you sit right in front of them but if you want something to power the room then you should look elsewhere. If this true?

If your asking what the best to complement your Cube would be i would have to agree w/Skywalker - the Soundsticks are in a class by themselves. Overall, they look great and are are generally great-sounding speakers. But keep in mind that they are also powered by a mere 20 watts. That's not much punch - even for a very efficiently-designed speakers like the SSs. In my personal, non-scientific, non-ownership-based testing i found the SSs to be great-sounding/looking speakers that tended to distort at higher volumes. But then again, "how high do you want it?" I've seen them demo'd in tent, outside, running off of a standard Powerbook G3 and still quite loud across a medium-sized field.

In comparison to Monsoons i've heard in stores i think they sound better, but compared to my own Cambridge SoundWorks speakers i paid < $100 there's no comparison - CSW's speakers are distortion-free from low-high volumes, offer uncomprimisingly full sound throughout the entire frequency range, and cost amazingly less then comparable Bose, Klipsch, etc speakers. They're also standard analog-based (non-USB) speakers. But FWIW, you can hook up an analog speaker set through the Cube speaker headphone jacks.

Speed



[This message has been edited by SpeedRacer (edited 05-14-2001).]

The Cambridge SoundWorks speakers are excellent for the money. As for the soundsticks, I do not own any so I cannot comment on there sound quality.

[cube-dude]

Transfering to the appropriate forum, Peripherals. Find thread there.

A simple search there finds, among other things, http://forums.macnn.com/cgi-bin/Forum7/HTML/000587.html which in turn leads to http://reviews.macnn.com/reviews/pro...speakers.phtml

Enjoy.

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[email protected]
450 128 20 9.0.4 17 Radeon
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[Skywalkers new Hand]

Originally posted by smileyq:
I've good and bad things about them. I've heard they are great if you sit right in front of them but if you want something to power the room then you should look elsewhere. If this true?

No, I read that also in one review on MacNN. I have a very large room and they compleatly fill the room.

I am sure the monsoon's are louder, but is that all you are looking for in a speaker? I never have my soundSkicks past 60% and they are blasting. And again, they look as good as they sound:


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[Justin Morgan]

Nice geekosphere, hand! Well done.

Looks a bit like mine, minus the LCD display.

[smileyq]

Well after seeing that picture and reading all the comments in this post I've gone and ordered them hehe. I'm looking forward to them even though I won't get to be using them unforn.. I've got a Power Mac G4 (Tower) with Altec lansing.. speakers.. that will both knock your head off and sound great. Thanks guys for all the comments keep them coming. P.S. Skywalker.. what type of desk is that very nice looking setup there.

[Cipher13]

Hm. Ordered already? Ah well.

USB audio bites.

The best speakers are, IMO, the Boston Acoustics BA635's... they just rock, and if you get two sets of them... wow. Still cheaper than a single SoundSticks set. And better. Oh well.

But they're not for you if the prettiness factor bothers you... (they're beige)


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AIM: Cipher1387
ICQ: 48111606
mail: [email protected]

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally posted by Cipher13:

USB audio bites.

What? Why do you say something like that. Do you even own any USB speakers? My soundsticks have never ONE cut out for a second or hogged the bus. I don't want to plug them into anything other then my Mac so what is the problem.

BTW I use my SoundSticks 10 hours a day 7 days a week and have had ZERO problems or even a single complaint.

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[smileyq]

I'll have to agree that USB speakers are only as bad as the software. USB speakers are all software driven aren't they? Me I can't wait till they arive!

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally posted by smileyq:
Skywalker.. what type of desk is that very nice looking setup there.

Thanks, the desk is from Ikea (Canada).



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[exa]

You should have gotten a Sereolink USB DAC (or waited for the Wheatfield USB DAC to ship), a Nad 310 integrated amplifier, and some Phase Technology Teatro 4.5s... You really should have... oh well, your loss (this is the sound system I'm trying to build)

[Skywalkers new Hand]

Originally posted by smileyq:
I'll have to agree that USB speakers are only as bad as the software. USB speakers are all software driven aren't they?

Yes, and the software for the SoundSticks is perfect in both OS9 and OSX.


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[Cipher13]

Why does it suck? Cause it uses processor clock cycles (I don't care how few), needs software drivers, isn't "hard wired", you can't plug USB speakers into a discman line out, your TV, your older computer, etc, etc, your Gameboy... its a stupid concept.

Not to mention USB is an AWFUL protocol - its unstable for cryin' out loud! ARGH. I hate USB like little else...


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AIM: Cipher1387
ICQ: 48111606
mail: [email protected]

[This message has been edited by Cipher13 (edited 05-16-2001).]

[exa]

Thats why you use a USB DAC cipher... and feed it to some non usb speakers, its basically a sound card for those without pci slots...

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally posted by Cipher13:
Why does it suck? Cause it uses processor clock cycles (I don't care how few), needs software drivers, isn't "hard wired", you can't plug USB speakers into a discman line out, your TV, your older computer, etc, etc, your Gameboy... its a stupid concept.

Not to mention USB is an AWFUL protocol - its unstable for cryin' out loud! ARGH. I hate USB like little else...

Cipher13, you don't have USB speakers or have ever used them. That is obvious. They take NO noticeable CPU time and so what if they need drivers, what computer peripheral doesn't? (Other then analog speakers) And I do NOT want to plug my computer speakers into a gameBoy or TV

The good thing about USB speakers is that they are Digital and don't pick up interference like my Analog ones. They don't crack and pop and come close to blowing up when you plug them in and out like Analog.

You can't judge something just on the specs. If you did that PC's and Windows would be superior then Mac's and OS9. Faster CPU's, protected memory since 1995 etc.

Why don't you TRY some USB speakers and then make your strong opinions about them.

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[exa]

And I'll repeat it again... you get a USB DAC (or if you have a soundcard that supports s/pdif a normal DAC), and then some analog speakers, far superior than the current usb speakers without the interference (its an external dac, away from computer interference that messes up analog signals, and a better d/a converter than the built in sound), and superior to analog speakers plugged into the built in sound port...

And cipher, don't tell me that soundmanager doesn't output PCM streams to the sound card using processor cycles.... your statements have no basis... (both the usb and sound card harware takes care of d/a converting, not much processing difference)

[This message has been edited by exa (edited 05-16-2001).]

[JLannoo]

Originally posted by Cipher13:

But they're not for you if the prettiness factor bothers you... (they're beige)

Beige?? Yuck,even my PC isn't beige.

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-JLannoo
TiVo Zealot

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