New Sensations Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Personally, I find the Aktimates push too hard with bass making them better suited to people who want that or whose desks don't shake like the coming of Armageddon when playing mild mannered electronica. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brumby Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Thanks for that, John. Most of the music I prefer is not bass centric or heavy - either by intention or as a result of the recording or both. While I'm not a huge fan of electronica, I would guess that my preferred listening would be deemed "mild mannered" by many. I too have been tossing up what to get as a 2 - 0 powered setup - with roughly the same budget in mind as the OP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Buy some realistic minimus 7s - come up for around $60 - then spend the rest of your money on a small sub and some quality amp etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s2020 Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 You'd be crazy to buy anything other than JBL LSR305 for budget near field. Audioengine are a joke, KRK are bass heavy, no idea on the Aktimate but I'm certain JBL have a better reputation for quality gear. Only thing you need to consider with the JBL's is that they don't have a volume knob, you'd need a cheap passive pre-amp unless you want to adjust volume in software. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaynin Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 (edited) Audioengine are a joke, Hmmmm, never heard anyone describe them as a joke before...have you even heard them? I chose mine over other brands/model because they sound so good. Edited September 12, 2015 by Kaynin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s2020 Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Are we talking about the same company? The mob that sell speakers exclusively through PC magazines? They make those wee baby toy speakers? A2+? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaynin Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 (edited) Are we talking about the same company? The mob that sell speakers exclusively through PC magazines? They make those wee baby toy speakers? A2+?Well I didn't buy mine through a PC magazine, was a bricks and mortar store - that's what happens when you don't research something thoroughly The A2+ are very well reviewed, well received and are exceptional value for desktop speakers - for a reason. Each to their own of course, but passing judgement without doing research affects credibility... Edited September 12, 2015 by Kaynin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s2020 Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 I meant "sell" as in advertisement / promotion, not that they were exclusively sold via some kind of magazine mail order. Has any reputable institution (other than a PC magazine) ever done a positive review of Audioengine speakers? Any model? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizaudio Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 (edited) Again + one for the jbls. Excellent speakers. FYI they have gain/volume on the rear Edited September 13, 2015 by musicbee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffreyw Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 (edited) For reference, noaudiophile actually has a pretty thorough review of the Audioengine A2+ in a proper room environment with accompanying measurements rather than the typical 1m free air speaker measurements you might find in Stereophile (just to make it clear, free air is fine). This was his conclusion: This is a computer speaker that sounds pretty good, but it's not great. I'm a picky bastard, so I would classify the stock sound as hideous. With the over enthusiastic "look at me" midbass being a deal breaker. Outside of the bass response the treble is pretty clean, but hides information with a dip in the response. I've heard plenty worse, but only a few for this much money. The verdict after the DSP correction is pretty good. They don't play really loud, they don't image very well, but they are at least tonally neutral and play into the 48Hz range when positioned in a corner. These speakers cost a good bit for what they are, and should only be considered if you have absolutely no room for anything even slightly larger on your desk. I'm inclined to believe his conclusion, especially after seeing what he's measured from a desktop environment. They're fun multimedia computer speakers that look nice on a desk but not really close to being what we might consider to be high fidelity. Edited September 13, 2015 by jeffreyw 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaynin Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 (edited) Has any reputable institution (other than a PC magazine) ever done a positive review of Audioengine speakers? Any model? Other than a PC magazine...so PC magazines don't know what they're talking about? If they're in the industry, I listen to what they have to say before I decide how much weight I place on the article, not just because the review is writing for a PC magazine and there's plenty of people into computers that know digital audio, including speakers...some of them even hang around this forum... :lol: But to answer your question, plenty (and I won't include reviews on the 5's) - http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/1207ae/#xtEmk19vZcU0ewf0.97 "First, in my affordable reference system, with every tune I played, I heard no noticeable coloration throughout the speaker's entire range; it was as neutral-sounding as any under-$1000 speaker I've heard. The highs were extended and detailed, and the Audioengine 2 was able to recreate room ambience and low-level dynamic articulation at levels of quality I'm used to hearing from far more expensive speakers. What shocked me most about the Audioengines was how LARGE they sounded. All vocal recordings were completely devoid of coloration, and vocal images were holographically projected at lifelike size with all low-level phrase articulations intact." http://www.audioholics.com/bookshelf-speaker-reviews/audioengine-2-plus-review "Sound quality with the Audioengine products has always been their strong point but we were frankly stunned by the soundstage and imaging on these little speakers. " http://www.soundandvision.com/content/audioengine-2-powered-desktop-speakers#Y7Eu5uoeJtvjhyoO.97 "Decidely careful voicing is part of Audioengine’s magic. These multimedia-friendly speakers have an unmistakably rolled-off lower treble that keeps digital nasties on the run. But these speakers also earn their audiophile street cred with a seductive midrange, presumably the result of the combination of solid and inert fiberboard enclosures, Class AB amplifiers, high-quality silk-dome tweeters, and tough Kevlar-cone woofers." http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/audioengine-a2-desktop-speakers-and-d3-dac/?page=2 There's so many reviews of these speakers that say, for the money and their designed purpose, they're fantastic. A purpose, of note, that suits the OP's original post - which is why I made the suggestion. But I know that because I've actually heard them Of course there's other choices, some of which have been mentioned in previous posts, but my eyebrow was raised when you mentioned the Audioengine's as a joke...which is why I asked if you'd actually heard them. Edited September 13, 2015 by Kaynin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raffinator Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 All, Thanks for the advice so far. For the fans of the JBL LSR305 you raise a good case for them, but for what I'm after they are just too damn big for my desk at 30 cm tall. Something the size of the Genelecs would be great, but with the price much higher I'd have to scour for secondhand sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffreyw Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 (edited) "First, in my affordable reference system, with every tune I played, I heard no noticeable coloration throughout the speaker's entire range; it was as neutral-sounding as any under-$1000 speaker I've heard. The highs were extended and detailed, and the Audioengine 2 was able to recreate room ambience and low-level dynamic articulation at levels of quality I'm used to hearing from far more expensive speakers. What shocked me most about the Audioengines was how LARGE they sounded. All vocal recordings were completely devoid of coloration, and vocal images were holographically projected at lifelike size with all low-level phrase articulations intact." The measurements don't seem to agree with that statement, which actually seems fairly common with Stereophile for whatever reason. Obviously other people have problems with the review because the second and third comment of that Stereophile review bring up the the problematic bass bloat, which is exactly the key thing that Noaudiophile finds offensive about the stock sound signature. +6dB of midbass is not trivial at all and not remotely close to any definition of "no coloration". Stereophile is pretty good for an audio magazine since they're one of the few that still bother with a thorough measurement section, which helps you determine whether or not the reviewer's opinions really correspond with the factual data. In this case, I really don't think the data supports what the reviewer is saying. That's ignoring the fact that its a review in 2007, which is a whole 8 years ago. Active speaker designs are significantly better than they used to be. All, Thanks for the advice so far. For the fans of the JBL LSR305 you raise a good case for them, but for what I'm after they are just too damn big for my desk at 30 cm tall. Something the size of the Genelecs would be great, but with the price much higher I'd have to scour for secondhand sales. Are the Adam A3X too large for you? thormann.de sells them for $420 shipped to Australia. Edited September 13, 2015 by jeffreyw 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raffinator Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 (edited) Are the Adam A3X too large for you? thormann.de sells them for $420 shipped to Australia. I think that is the price for one speaker when I look at the website. Yep if I wanted two it would be 485.29 EUR Edited September 13, 2015 by Raffinator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicprObe Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 This thread is great..............and I'm a Stereophile fan............although I my ears don't agree with everything I read.............as no one's should. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raffinator Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 See John's article if you want to see the top of the pile! http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2015/09/eversound-essence-an-espresso-hit-in-a-venti-capuccino-world/#comment-127183 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicprObe Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 I leave my poor grammar above as it is.............I can only blame the booze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaynin Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 The measurements don't seem to agree with that statement... Yes, that can happen when you discard the data and listen to your ears... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicprObe Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 The brain is a funny thing............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BighorseTP Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 I'd have to say the Audioengine A5+ are a great bit of kit, they do overheat if pushed, should be fine for nearfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizaudio Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 (edited) https://emotiva.com/products/emotiva-pro/powered-monitors-0 another excellent option Edited September 15, 2015 by musicbee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Anderson Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 (edited) As much as I'd love to have KEF LS50 or Magnepan for my computer desk, I'm looking for more modest options in a compact format. My money so far has mostly been invested into DACs and headphones, and my main stereo rig, but sometimes I just want to hear a good sound at my desk without the phones being on. Definitely fed via analog from my DAC. So no need for internal DAC. Options I'm exploring include AktiMate Micro B vs. Q Acoustics BT3 speakers. So probably active speakers but happy with passive with modest amp suggestions. I'd love to hear your opinions. I've got a Rotel RA-04 SE powering a pair of KEF Cresta 2 fed by my desktop via an Asus Xonar Essense ST. Not sure what grade my rig falls into, but it all cost me less than $700 US... Purchased them all through e-bay UK and shipped to my country via sea freight. If you are interested then look around e-bay UK and u'll find enough deals. If you can spend more then I'd recommend looking at the Monitor Audio bookshelf series (BX2 RX2).... Edited September 15, 2015 by Panduka85 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shogun2 Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Shame the JBL LSR305 are too large. I just set up a pair on my desk. USB out of the computer to Lavry DAC and out to the speakers. Lovely articulate sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicprObe Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Get a bigger desk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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