I am looking for (preferably) self standing speakers, not shelf speakers, my budget is in the ballpark of $500. If anyone has any recommendations, I would greatly appreciate it. Will be used mostly for listening to music. I do not know if a sub could be included in such a low price range, but if so, then i would definitely like to have one. I am also not sure how these speakers can be hooked up to a computer (which doesn’t have 7.1). Thanks for all the help!
So you have 5.1? There are few computer speakers that are 7.1 anyway. You will have better choices with 5.1.
You can get a nice speaker system without even getting near 500. The sky is the limit in that price range.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836116013 These ones look nice… if you can deal with wires though you will save yourself a lot.
haha lol templarian
I have that exact product.
Couldn’t be happier, literally.
Sorry should have clarified, No i have 2.1, I use my laptop at home connected to a TV so i would like to have some better speakers as I just blew mine out
You must be crazy - $500? I have the Logitech 2.1 X-whatever speakers, comes with a sub. EXCELLENT set of speakers. Cost me $80. Sound quality is comparable to my $1500 car-audio system.
How loud do they get? and I am also curious what sound system you have in your car 
I thought the bose speakers were allright, but I have a feeling that with most speakers that size, as you get louder, the ratio of treble and bass isn’t maintained and it doesn’t sound right (same problem with current speakers)
Go to like best buy and test out all of there home theater systems and just plug one of those in your computer.
[QUOTE=indiasfinest;2325312]How loud do they get? and I am also curious what sound system you have in your car I thought the bose speakers were allright, but I have a feeling that with most speakers that size, as you get louder, the ratio of treble and bass isn’t maintained and it doesn’t sound right (same problem with current speakers)[/QUOTE]
Ah the details of my car system are lost to me, I bought it 3 years ago. As for the computer speakers, the Logitech’s get louder than I have ever cared to go. I have never ever needed to put them above halfway to full. I don’t think my ears would survive.
Its not a question of how loud speakers can get. Most speakers can go much louder than you want. Its the quality that matters.
I actually got some pretty amazing stock speakers when I bought my Vaio. I was actually blown away by their quality. Each one has a built in mini-sub. I’ve never felt the need to buy some better ones because they are pretty good on their own.
If you have a big budget (which you do) and a stereo system at home, I’d buy a good quality sound card and route your computer through your stereo’s auxilliary. If I ever wanted to upgrade my computers sound that’s exactly what I’d do.
Hi…
I bought a JBL 5.1 speakers (only speakers and a sub) for $399.99 (it was on sale). Since this is a home theater speakers so the audio quality is so much better than the logitech Z-5500 Digital Speakers that I used to own.
I also bought myself a standard harman kardon receiver AVR-146 and connect it to my computer through optical Toslink cable. My motherboard has an SPDIF output so connecting it to the receiver is very easy. As I said just get a toslink cable.
So that’s pretty much it. Let me know if you need a help or something. Mind you though, that the HDMI on AVR-146 only supports video and not the audio. So incase you want to hook it up to your xbox or something, this receiver won’t output the audio through HDMI. So you need to use HDMI for video and optical for audio. But it works so well. Highly recommended.
I have a reciever but its way to old to support anything like HDMI, the sound systems in the house are in the other rooms so connecting it to them is out of the question. THanks for the help guys
The Z-5500s that I bought in 2004 are still kicking today, and are still amazing.
$306… Today, used versions are selling for $75 more than a new set was selling for 11 year ago.
Other reviews:
I purchased my set when it was first released in 2004. This amazing speaker set has survived high school, community college, regular college, abusive roommates, and now my wife and dog. They still sound new after TEN YEARS!
The used value for old computer-speakers is amazing. My old Cambridge Soundworks csw250 seems to have lost close to nothing in value. I believe I bought it 2002?
I wonder why that is so?
I bought a pair of B&W MM-1’s a few years ago, and the sound quality is really REALLY good. There is one thing I hate about it a lot. It emits a slight hiss - even when the volume is turned all the way down. After going through their service, I got another pair sent to me - and that exhibits the same problem as well. From looking around the web, it isn’t an isolated problem.
I read that your ability to detect hisses and quiet noises like that decreases as you age. Hopefully in a few years, then, the MM-1’s turn out to be the best speakers I’ve ever had haha.
Cheers,
Kirupa 
I got a Bose Bluetooth speaker for my phone to pump up the jam in the lab (it’s pretty quiet in here after hours). It sounds amazing, crystal clear.
