• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

Speaker System 5.1 question

i3uu

New Member
Joined
May 12, 2009
Messages
117 (0.02/day)
System Name Buu's Palace
Processor AMD Phenom II X6 Thubman
Motherboard ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3
Cooling Corsair H50 Hydro CPU Cooler
Memory CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
Video Card(s) XFX GeForce GTX 260
Storage WD Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM 3.0Gb/s
Case Antec 1200 Tower
Audio Device(s) Integrated
Power Supply 650W Corsair
Software Vista Ultimate/Windows 7
Benchmark Scores 3.5ghz with 6 cores stressed for 3.5 hours at 39c
Oh choices choices..

So I have a question for you all. Do you think the onboard audio for this Mobo will work with a 5.1 speaker system? (I'm pretty sure it is a yes, but this is my first 5.1 system purchase so Idk 100%)

Mobo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131335

speakers - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121006

Also.. if anyone has any recomendations for speakers, I'm all for it. I would prefer a 2.1+ system and a 5.1 would be nice :) I'm not looking to BLAST music, but to play it at a decent listening volume and hear all the wonderful sounds of lows and highs mixed. I'm also basically on a budget, so cheap/deals/free shipping are a must!

Thanks for help in advance! :)
 
Joined
Nov 18, 2006
Messages
2,964 (0.47/day)
Location
your local vending machine
System Name HTPC||Lenovo IBM ThinkPad
Processor AMD Phenom II x4 965 stock 3.4GHz||Intel C2D T9300 @ 2.5GHz
Motherboard Zotac 890GX-ITX WiFi||Lenovo 8918CTO
Cooling Stock 3x 120's||Stock stuff
Memory 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 6-6-6-15||3GB DDR2
Video Card(s) Asus 3870x2||nVidia Quadro NVS 140M
Storage 1TB Seagate Barracuda, 1x 2TB WD EARX ||Hitachi 160GB 7200RPM
Display(s) Samsung T260HD||
Case SilverStone Grandia GD05||
Audio Device(s) on-board||on-board
Power Supply Cooler Master 450W||6-cell
Software Windows 7 Pro x64||Windows 7 Pro x64/Linux Mint x64
I don't see why not. It seems to support it.
Those speakers are pretty good actually. Don't think you'll have any issues.
 
Joined
May 21, 2009
Messages
4,966 (0.92/day)
System Name i7-PC / HTPC / iMac
Processor i7 3820 / Phenom II 940
Motherboard GIGABYTE G1.ASSASSIN2 / M3A79-T Deluxe
Cooling Corsair Hydro H100i / Scythe II (HS only)
Memory G.SKILL Trident X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600mhz / 4GB DDR2 1066 (@800) Corsair Dominator
Video Card(s) GB Radeon HD 7950s 3GB / GB Radeon HD 7950s 3GB
Storage 2x 80GB Intel X-25, 2x600gb SATA, 1x1tb 5400RPM storage /1x600GB, 3x500GB,1x160,1x120 SATA
Display(s) 1x 27" Yamakasi / Vizio 42" HDTV
Case Lian Li Lancool PC-K58 / Antec 900
Audio Device(s) HT Omega Striker 7.1 / Onboard and HDMI from ATi Card
Power Supply PC Power & Cooling 750W / 610W
Software Ubuntu / Windows 8.1 Pro / OS X / PHPStorm / Gaming
Yes - it says 8 channels , that means 7.1 discrete. It will have the plugs for your 5.1 plus an extra plug for side speakers.

I'm on my second set of Logitech speakers. Got a higher model but my last was equivalent to yours here - lasted for over 5 years. Good computer speakers. Good for music, movies and games - just don't expect 70 watts to be a booming home theater. It should fill your room and easily and with quality sound - but there's a reason why 300-500+ watt systems are so much more expensive.
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2007
Messages
4,838 (0.78/day)
System Name Aquarium
Processor Ryzen 9 7950x
Motherboard ROG Strix X670-E
Cooling Lian Li Galahead 360 AIO
Memory 2x16gb Flare X5 Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-6000 PC5-48000
Video Card(s) Asus RTX 3060
Storage 2TB WD SN850X Black NVMe, 500GB Samsung 970 NVMe
Display(s) Gigabyte 32" IPS 144Hz
Case Hyte Y60
Power Supply Corsair RMx 850
Software Win 11 Pro/ PopOS!
Oh choices choices..

So I have a question for you all. Do you think the onboard audio for this Mobo will work with a 5.1 speaker system? (I'm pretty sure it is a yes, but this is my first 5.1 system purchase so Idk 100%)

Mobo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131335

speakers - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121006

Also.. if anyone has any recomendations for speakers, I'm all for it. I would prefer a 2.1+ system and a 5.1 would be nice :) I'm not looking to BLAST music, but to play it at a decent listening volume and hear all the wonderful sounds of lows and highs mixed. I'm also basically on a budget, so cheap/deals/free shipping are a must!

Thanks for help in advance! :)

If music is your aim a 2.1 system would be a better choice, as the sound quality will generally be better for the money. 5.1 is great for movies and games provided you have the right environment for it (enough room to equally space all speakers), and a sound card that will do the decoding. Remember that unless you're talking SACD or some other rare form of music recording, it will always be in stereo (2 channels) or mono (1 channel) thus spreading that out to the rear speakers is not necessary and sometimes not possible. If you do want the surround effect for movies and games though than a 5.1 may be in order, otherwise I'd go for a good 2.1, like these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121122

Those are tops, if you're looking for something cheaper in the 2.1 check out cyber acoustics: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=cyber+acoustics+2.1&x=0&y=0 Some of their $40-60 sets are some of the best in that price range imo.
 

Polarman

New Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2008
Messages
1,626 (0.28/day)
Location
Rimouski
System Name Polar's Dragon
Processor AMD Phenom II 975BE
Motherboard MSI 890FXA-GD65 (Bios 18.7)
Cooling Zalman CNPS 9700 Led
Memory Gskill 8GB DDR3-1333 (8,8,8,21)
Video Card(s) MSI HD6870 Hawk
Storage WD Raptor 250 - WD RE4 500GB
Display(s) Samsung T240 (1920 X1200)
Case Silverstone Raven 2
Audio Device(s) Realtek ALC892
Power Supply PC Power&Cooling Silencer 750 (Red)
Software Windows 7 Home Premium 64Bit + SP1
I considered buying the X-540 but in the end, i got the G51. No regrets there.
 
Joined
May 21, 2009
Messages
4,966 (0.92/day)
System Name i7-PC / HTPC / iMac
Processor i7 3820 / Phenom II 940
Motherboard GIGABYTE G1.ASSASSIN2 / M3A79-T Deluxe
Cooling Corsair Hydro H100i / Scythe II (HS only)
Memory G.SKILL Trident X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600mhz / 4GB DDR2 1066 (@800) Corsair Dominator
Video Card(s) GB Radeon HD 7950s 3GB / GB Radeon HD 7950s 3GB
Storage 2x 80GB Intel X-25, 2x600gb SATA, 1x1tb 5400RPM storage /1x600GB, 3x500GB,1x160,1x120 SATA
Display(s) 1x 27" Yamakasi / Vizio 42" HDTV
Case Lian Li Lancool PC-K58 / Antec 900
Audio Device(s) HT Omega Striker 7.1 / Onboard and HDMI from ATi Card
Power Supply PC Power & Cooling 750W / 610W
Software Ubuntu / Windows 8.1 Pro / OS X / PHPStorm / Gaming
I'm guessing, like me - you don't necessarily care whether the music was encoded stereo or surround (it's always stereo).

some people will say it is meant to be played in stereo - but i don't believe that makes alot of sense. You can enjoy music and not be an audiophile to the point that you need flac and stereo only.

you just want the music to come out all 5 speakers, right? that can be done but sometimes it requires fiddling. first the software itself makes a big difference. use winamp or an os alt for it - don't use windows media or itunes. neither of them give you the control needed to select the right sound setup. sometimes they work by default - but don't count on it.

there is probably a matrix mode on the speakers (that I don't like much) it messes with the audio, though it does spread it past the front two.

yes, stereo can sound very good. quality stereo speakers are better than crahp surround speakers, of course. but logitech are decent enough - and sometimes you just want the sound to surround you :-D
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2007
Messages
4,838 (0.78/day)
System Name Aquarium
Processor Ryzen 9 7950x
Motherboard ROG Strix X670-E
Cooling Lian Li Galahead 360 AIO
Memory 2x16gb Flare X5 Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-6000 PC5-48000
Video Card(s) Asus RTX 3060
Storage 2TB WD SN850X Black NVMe, 500GB Samsung 970 NVMe
Display(s) Gigabyte 32" IPS 144Hz
Case Hyte Y60
Power Supply Corsair RMx 850
Software Win 11 Pro/ PopOS!
I'm guessing, like me - you don't necessarily care whether the music was encoded stereo or surround (it's always stereo).

some people will say it is meant to be played in stereo - but i don't believe that makes alot of sense. You can enjoy music and not be an audiophile to the point that you need flac and stereo only.

you just want the music to come out all 5 speakers, right? that can be done but sometimes it requires fiddling. first the software itself makes a big difference. use winamp or an os alt for it - don't use windows media or itunes. neither of them give you the control needed to select the right sound setup. sometimes they work by default - but don't count on it.

there is probably a matrix mode on the speakers (that I don't like much) it messes with the audio, though it does spread it past the front two.

yes, stereo can sound very good. quality stereo speakers are better than crahp surround speakers, of course. but logitech are decent enough - and sometimes you just want the sound to surround you :-D

I agree that having music played out of all speakers is nice. I wouldn't call it a major selling feature though, nor the main reason to buy speakers. His particular requirements seem to be for quality music experience on the cheap, which is easier to accomplish w/ a 2.1. But hey, whatever floats your boat. :)
 
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
5,976 (1.09/day)
Location
Cybertron aka Canada
Processor Intel Core i5-3570K
Motherboard Asus P8Z77-V Pro
Cooling Noctua NH-D14
Memory 8GB Mushkin Blackline DDR3-1600
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GTX 670
Storage Intel 520 60GB, Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB
Display(s) BenQ 24" XL2420T
Case Corsair 550D
Audio Device(s) Sennheiser HD600, Audeze LCD-3F, Mytek Stereo 192 DSD, La Figaro 339, Burson HA-160, Geek Pulse X
Power Supply Corsair AX650
Mouse steelseries Sensei MLG edition
Keyboard Cooler Master QuickFire Pro
Software Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium
it will work but it won't sound that great onboard audio can be buggy and should be used as a last resort if your sound card kicks it is not meant as a substitute for a sound card in fact those X-540 will probably never reach their potential. the difference between the Z-5500 and the X-540 in terms of quality is significant you might want to revaluate and consider a decent set of headphones like Audio Technia or Sennheiser now why am I recommending headphones instead of speakers for onboard audio? because you will get better highs and lows with headphones.

What About Surround Sound Speakers?
Surround sound speakers certainly have their place in the gaming world. But they’re more skewed towards social interacting for when you’re gaming with mates, or enjoying a single-player title. The problem with surround sound speakers is, short of expensive equipment and perfect placement, it can be difficult to pinpoint sounds as accurately as with headphones. Sure, you’ll be able to differentiate your front left from your rear right, but you’ll usually have trouble distinguishing the various levels (game world heights or lows) of sound. When it comes to the online arena, you may be surprised by how much a pair of 5.1 (at least) surround sound headphones can make a difference.
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2007
Messages
4,838 (0.78/day)
System Name Aquarium
Processor Ryzen 9 7950x
Motherboard ROG Strix X670-E
Cooling Lian Li Galahead 360 AIO
Memory 2x16gb Flare X5 Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-6000 PC5-48000
Video Card(s) Asus RTX 3060
Storage 2TB WD SN850X Black NVMe, 500GB Samsung 970 NVMe
Display(s) Gigabyte 32" IPS 144Hz
Case Hyte Y60
Power Supply Corsair RMx 850
Software Win 11 Pro/ PopOS!
it will work but it won't sound that great onboard audio can be buggy and should be used as a last resort if your sound card kicks it is not meant as a substitute for a sound card in fact those X-540 will probably never reach their potential. the difference between the Z-5500 and the X-540 in terms of quality is significant you might want to revaluate and consider a decent set of headphones like Audio Technia or Sennheiser now why am I recommending headphones instead of speakers for onboard audio? because you will get better highs and lows with headphones.

Definitely disagree with that last statement. Perhaps your particular case has led this to be true for you, but it depends on the headphones and speakers. A good set of speakers will do highs and lows very well, and at their best speakers win out on overall sound. But it depends on which models your talking about. Again, for the price a good 2.1 set will be better than headphones.
 
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
5,976 (1.09/day)
Location
Cybertron aka Canada
Processor Intel Core i5-3570K
Motherboard Asus P8Z77-V Pro
Cooling Noctua NH-D14
Memory 8GB Mushkin Blackline DDR3-1600
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GTX 670
Storage Intel 520 60GB, Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB
Display(s) BenQ 24" XL2420T
Case Corsair 550D
Audio Device(s) Sennheiser HD600, Audeze LCD-3F, Mytek Stereo 192 DSD, La Figaro 339, Burson HA-160, Geek Pulse X
Power Supply Corsair AX650
Mouse steelseries Sensei MLG edition
Keyboard Cooler Master QuickFire Pro
Software Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium
my speakers are Z-5500 and Z-680 (did own a G51), soundcards are Auzentech X-Fi Prelude (modded) and Asus Xonar DX, headset is Cyber Snipa Sonar 5.1 and headphones are Sennheiser HD515. I added that quote to the end of my last post because I couldn't of worded it any better. quality 2.1 speakers cost money. i'm talking more about the physical effect a headset or headphones has on your ears that allows you to pick up highs and lows with a driver sitting a inch away from your ear drum versus a tweeter sitting 10 feet away plus the noise isolating effect on a closed cup which works both ways so you don't have to hear your significant other and have no audio leakage.
 
Last edited:

i3uu

New Member
Joined
May 12, 2009
Messages
117 (0.02/day)
System Name Buu's Palace
Processor AMD Phenom II X6 Thubman
Motherboard ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3
Cooling Corsair H50 Hydro CPU Cooler
Memory CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
Video Card(s) XFX GeForce GTX 260
Storage WD Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM 3.0Gb/s
Case Antec 1200 Tower
Audio Device(s) Integrated
Power Supply 650W Corsair
Software Vista Ultimate/Windows 7
Benchmark Scores 3.5ghz with 6 cores stressed for 3.5 hours at 39c
Wow, Love all the feedback guys :)

I guess I should be more specific now. This is what I WANT to use it for:

Surround Sound gaming
Surround sound Movies
Music coming from all speakers
Regular usage(youtube videos) that come out the front speaker(s)

I definitely want to keep the price down to under $80 so these fit in perfect with their discount and free shipping. I don't plan on BLARING the music whatsoever and I am not an audiophile. I plan on putting these in a small/medium sized bedroom so again, loud sound isn't necessary. I like to listen to alternative music so I'm sure these would fit well with my needs.

Again, thanks for the feedback!
 
Joined
Jun 26, 2008
Messages
2,417 (0.42/day)
Location
Whitby, Ontario
Processor AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Motherboard MSI B450 Gaming Plus
Memory GSkill 8GB Dual Channel DDR4-2800
Video Card(s) MSI GamingX RX580 4GB
Storage Kingston V300 240GB SSD + WD Green 2TB
Display(s) ACER K212HL 27" + Haier 55" + Lenovo Explorer Mixed Reality Headset
Case Enermax Ostrog (Red)
Power Supply EVGA SuperNOVA B2 750W
Software Win10 64bit
I use the X-540's and I love them. They are loud enough but not enough to have your neighbours complain. I mounted mine in the ceiling and they fill the room nicely. My living room is about 4.5 metre's by 5 metre's. For the price you can't go wrong.
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2007
Messages
4,838 (0.78/day)
System Name Aquarium
Processor Ryzen 9 7950x
Motherboard ROG Strix X670-E
Cooling Lian Li Galahead 360 AIO
Memory 2x16gb Flare X5 Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-6000 PC5-48000
Video Card(s) Asus RTX 3060
Storage 2TB WD SN850X Black NVMe, 500GB Samsung 970 NVMe
Display(s) Gigabyte 32" IPS 144Hz
Case Hyte Y60
Power Supply Corsair RMx 850
Software Win 11 Pro/ PopOS!
Wow, Love all the feedback guys :)

I guess I should be more specific now. This is what I WANT to use it for:

Surround Sound gaming
Surround sound Movies
Music coming from all speakers
Regular usage(youtube videos) that come out the front speaker(s)

I definitely want to keep the price down to under $80 so these fit in perfect with their discount and free shipping. I don't plan on BLARING the music whatsoever and I am not an audiophile. I plan on putting these in a small/medium sized bedroom so again, loud sound isn't necessary. I like to listen to alternative music so I'm sure these would fit well with my needs.

Again, thanks for the feedback!

Based off all of that I'd say the X-540s are an excellent choice. :toast:
 

AsRock

TPU addict
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Messages
18,853 (3.08/day)
Location
UK\USA
Processor AMD 3900X \ AMD 7700X
Motherboard ASRock AM4 X570 Pro 4 \ ASUS X670Xe TUF
Cooling D15
Memory Patriot 2x16GB PVS432G320C6K \ G.Skill Flare X5 F5-6000J3238F 2x16GB
Video Card(s) eVga GTX1060 SSC \ XFX RX 6950XT RX-695XATBD9
Storage Sammy 860, MX500, Sabrent Rocket 4 Sammy Evo 980 \ 1xSabrent Rocket 4+, Sammy 2x990 Pro
Display(s) Samsung 1080P \ LG 43UN700
Case Fractal Design Pop Air 2x140mm fans from Torrent \ Fractal Design Torrent 2 SilverStone FHP141x2
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V677 \ Yamaha CX-830+Yamaha MX-630 Infinity RS4000\Paradigm P Studio 20, Blue Yeti
Power Supply Seasonic Prime TX-750 \ Corsair RM1000X Shift
Mouse Steelseries Sensei wireless \ Steelseries Sensei wireless
Keyboard Logitech K120 \ Wooting Two HE
Benchmark Scores Meh benchmarks.
If music is your aim a 2.1 system would be a better choice, as the sound quality will generally be better for the money. 5.1 is great for movies and games provided you have the right environment for it (enough room to equally space all speakers), and a sound card that will do the decoding. Remember that unless you're talking SACD or some other rare form of music recording, it will always be in stereo (2 channels) or mono (1 channel) thus spreading that out to the rear speakers is not necessary and sometimes not possible. If you do want the surround effect for movies and games though than a 5.1 may be in order, otherwise I'd go for a good 2.1, like these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121122

Those are tops, if you're looking for something cheaper in the 2.1 check out cyber acoustics: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=cyber+acoustics+2.1&x=0&y=0 Some of their $40-60 sets are some of the best in that price range imo.



2.1 is also better if you use a mic too. I use a amp ( ONKYO ) which came with the speakers for just $200. Hate computer speakers in fact hate a lot of hifi ones these days with this 5.1 \ 7.1 and so on as they USED to make speakers correctly which you did not need more than 2 speakers in the 1st place.
 

hat

Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 20, 2006
Messages
21,731 (3.43/day)
Location
Ohio
System Name Starlifter :: Dragonfly
Processor i7 2600k 4.4GHz :: i5 10400
Motherboard ASUS P8P67 Pro :: ASUS Prime H570-Plus
Cooling Cryorig M9 :: Stock
Memory 4x4GB DDR3 2133 :: 2x8GB DDR4 2400
Video Card(s) PNY GTX1070 :: Integrated UHD 630
Storage Crucial MX500 1TB, 2x1TB Seagate RAID 0 :: Mushkin Enhanced 60GB SSD, 3x4TB Seagate HDD RAID5
Display(s) Onn 165hz 1080p :: Acer 1080p
Case Antec SOHO 1030B :: Old White Full Tower
Audio Device(s) Creative X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro - Bose Companion 2 Series III :: None
Power Supply FSP Hydro GE 550w :: EVGA Supernova 550
Software Windows 10 Pro - Plex Server on Dragonfly
Benchmark Scores >9000
If music is your aim a 2.1 system would be a better choice, as the sound quality will generally be better for the money

No way. I love having sound coming from the back. It sounds so much better that way. It's much clearer and much better in other ways I lack the words to explain. I would rather have a $50 set of 5.1 speakers instead of a $500 set of 2.1 speakers.
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2007
Messages
4,838 (0.78/day)
System Name Aquarium
Processor Ryzen 9 7950x
Motherboard ROG Strix X670-E
Cooling Lian Li Galahead 360 AIO
Memory 2x16gb Flare X5 Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-6000 PC5-48000
Video Card(s) Asus RTX 3060
Storage 2TB WD SN850X Black NVMe, 500GB Samsung 970 NVMe
Display(s) Gigabyte 32" IPS 144Hz
Case Hyte Y60
Power Supply Corsair RMx 850
Software Win 11 Pro/ PopOS!
No way. I love having sound coming from the back. It sounds so much better that way. It's much clearer and much better in other ways I lack the words to explain. I would rather have a $50 set of 5.1 speakers instead of a $500 set of 2.1 speakers.

If you actually heard a $50 5.1 set compared to a $500 2.1 set your foot wouldn't be able to fit in your mouth. ;)
 

Studabaker

New Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2009
Messages
1,116 (0.20/day)
Location
Somewhere in the underground
System Name Built Entirely With Parts From CompUSA
Processor E7400 2.8 @ 3.6 [9.0*400/1.31v]
Motherboard Gigabyte EP45-UD3R
Cooling Masscool 8WA741
Memory 2x1GB Corsair XMS2 800 4-4-4-12
Video Card(s) BFG 9800GTX+OC; GTS250 BIOS
Storage 2x WD 250GB AAKS in RAID0!
Display(s) 19" I-Inc LCD @ 1440x900
Case Ultra X-Blaster Clear Side
Audio Device(s) Audigy with X-Fi drivers; Logitech X-540s
Power Supply Corsair TX750
Software Vista 32-Bit

hat

Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 20, 2006
Messages
21,731 (3.43/day)
Location
Ohio
System Name Starlifter :: Dragonfly
Processor i7 2600k 4.4GHz :: i5 10400
Motherboard ASUS P8P67 Pro :: ASUS Prime H570-Plus
Cooling Cryorig M9 :: Stock
Memory 4x4GB DDR3 2133 :: 2x8GB DDR4 2400
Video Card(s) PNY GTX1070 :: Integrated UHD 630
Storage Crucial MX500 1TB, 2x1TB Seagate RAID 0 :: Mushkin Enhanced 60GB SSD, 3x4TB Seagate HDD RAID5
Display(s) Onn 165hz 1080p :: Acer 1080p
Case Antec SOHO 1030B :: Old White Full Tower
Audio Device(s) Creative X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro - Bose Companion 2 Series III :: None
Power Supply FSP Hydro GE 550w :: EVGA Supernova 550
Software Windows 10 Pro - Plex Server on Dragonfly
Benchmark Scores >9000
If you actually heard a $50 5.1 set compared to a $500 2.1 set your foot wouldn't be able to fit in your mouth. ;)

Not for me. I'd much rather be able to hear sounds coming from behind with mediocre sound than hear only great sounding frontal sounds. When I made the switch from 5.1 to 2.1 I looked back once because the 5.1 speaker sets are messy and take up a lot of room but the sound was so dull and felt incomplete without the other speakers from behind. I do have another set of 2.1 speakers in use but they're for my 19" tv with crappy laptop speakers built in.
 
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
5,976 (1.09/day)
Location
Cybertron aka Canada
Processor Intel Core i5-3570K
Motherboard Asus P8Z77-V Pro
Cooling Noctua NH-D14
Memory 8GB Mushkin Blackline DDR3-1600
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GTX 670
Storage Intel 520 60GB, Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB
Display(s) BenQ 24" XL2420T
Case Corsair 550D
Audio Device(s) Sennheiser HD600, Audeze LCD-3F, Mytek Stereo 192 DSD, La Figaro 339, Burson HA-160, Geek Pulse X
Power Supply Corsair AX650
Mouse steelseries Sensei MLG edition
Keyboard Cooler Master QuickFire Pro
Software Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium
I prefer 5.1 over 2.1 as well but not a $50 set.
 
Joined
Apr 21, 2008
Messages
5,250 (0.90/day)
Location
IRAQ-Baghdad
System Name MASTER
Processor Core i7 3930k run at 4.4ghz
Motherboard Asus Rampage IV extreme
Cooling Corsair H100i
Memory 4x4G kingston hyperx beast 2400mhz
Video Card(s) 2X EVGA GTX680
Storage 2X Crusial M4 256g raid0, 1TbWD g, 2x500 WD B
Display(s) Samsung 27' 1080P LED 3D monitior 2ms
Case CoolerMaster Chosmos II
Audio Device(s) Creative sound blaster X-FI Titanum champion,Creative speakers 7.1 T7900
Power Supply Corsair 1200i, Logitch G500 Mouse, headset Corsair vengeance 1500
Software Win7 64bit Ultimate
Benchmark Scores 3d mark 2011: testing
i run 7.1 creative t7900 on my gigabyte p45 ud3p and it is work well
 
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
5,976 (1.09/day)
Location
Cybertron aka Canada
Processor Intel Core i5-3570K
Motherboard Asus P8Z77-V Pro
Cooling Noctua NH-D14
Memory 8GB Mushkin Blackline DDR3-1600
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GTX 670
Storage Intel 520 60GB, Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB
Display(s) BenQ 24" XL2420T
Case Corsair 550D
Audio Device(s) Sennheiser HD600, Audeze LCD-3F, Mytek Stereo 192 DSD, La Figaro 339, Burson HA-160, Geek Pulse X
Power Supply Corsair AX650
Mouse steelseries Sensei MLG edition
Keyboard Cooler Master QuickFire Pro
Software Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium
onboard audio works but it's no where near the quality of a soundcard thats never been disputed. if you haven't plugged your Creative Inspire 7.1 in a sound card you don't know what your missing even a old Audigy card would be a improvement.
 
Joined
Apr 21, 2008
Messages
5,250 (0.90/day)
Location
IRAQ-Baghdad
System Name MASTER
Processor Core i7 3930k run at 4.4ghz
Motherboard Asus Rampage IV extreme
Cooling Corsair H100i
Memory 4x4G kingston hyperx beast 2400mhz
Video Card(s) 2X EVGA GTX680
Storage 2X Crusial M4 256g raid0, 1TbWD g, 2x500 WD B
Display(s) Samsung 27' 1080P LED 3D monitior 2ms
Case CoolerMaster Chosmos II
Audio Device(s) Creative sound blaster X-FI Titanum champion,Creative speakers 7.1 T7900
Power Supply Corsair 1200i, Logitch G500 Mouse, headset Corsair vengeance 1500
Software Win7 64bit Ultimate
Benchmark Scores 3d mark 2011: testing
in fact im think about pick up an sound card and im think about Audigy 2
 

cdawall

where the hell are my stars
Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
27,680 (4.29/day)
Location
Houston
System Name All the cores
Processor 2990WX
Motherboard Asrock X399M
Cooling CPU-XSPC RayStorm Neo, 2x240mm+360mm, D5PWM+140mL, GPU-2x360mm, 2xbyski, D4+D5+100mL
Memory 4x16GB G.Skill 3600
Video Card(s) (2) EVGA SC BLACK 1080Ti's
Storage 2x Samsung SM951 512GB, Samsung PM961 512GB
Display(s) Dell UP2414Q 3840X2160@60hz
Case Caselabs Mercury S5+pedestal
Audio Device(s) Fischer HA-02->Fischer FA-002W High edition/FA-003/Jubilate/FA-011 depending on my mood
Power Supply Seasonic Prime 1200w
Mouse Thermaltake Theron, Steam controller
Keyboard Keychron K8
Software W10P
i run a harman/kardon AVR347 off of my supremeFX II sounds pretty darn good :p

got to say surround VS stereo that good stereo will smoke cheap surround. and logitec speakers sound muddy.

for a good cheap 5.1 these are actually really good

http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Cyber Acoustics CA 5001:1991625828;_ylt=AqrJc70PUJ3TApcPuIPbouK7Xo8D

http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Cyber A...:1996021726;_ylt=ArLo5xSJiE284isqxyBTHzi7Xo8D

and for 2.1 these
http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Cyber Acoustics CA 3550:1991305470;_ylt=AhDFhZXLzega5S1M45w9JL27Xo8D

http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Cyber A...:1996021725;_ylt=AgCixfaCtbPGNWQmx08TnpW7Xo8D
 
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
5,976 (1.09/day)
Location
Cybertron aka Canada
Processor Intel Core i5-3570K
Motherboard Asus P8Z77-V Pro
Cooling Noctua NH-D14
Memory 8GB Mushkin Blackline DDR3-1600
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GTX 670
Storage Intel 520 60GB, Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB
Display(s) BenQ 24" XL2420T
Case Corsair 550D
Audio Device(s) Sennheiser HD600, Audeze LCD-3F, Mytek Stereo 192 DSD, La Figaro 339, Burson HA-160, Geek Pulse X
Power Supply Corsair AX650
Mouse steelseries Sensei MLG edition
Keyboard Cooler Master QuickFire Pro
Software Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium
just over a year ago my Audigy died and before I replaced it with a Asus Xonar DX I used my SoundMAX onboard audio when I plugged my Z-5500 in the first thing I noticed was the lack of highs it sounded like the volume was really low yet my bass was at 100% even on the lowest setting I still had to turn the bass down on the control pod then I had the distortion issues when you are listening to a song in a media player, hit pause, come back to it, hit play you get nothing but distortion kinda like white noise on a television you have to stop the song and re-play it. it's not a experience I care to repeat. Logitech is the only quality commercial desktop speaker supplier Cyber Acoustics and Creative pretty much discontinued all their older products if this was 4-5 years ago I probably would of recommended one of them.
 

cdawall

where the hell are my stars
Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
27,680 (4.29/day)
Location
Houston
System Name All the cores
Processor 2990WX
Motherboard Asrock X399M
Cooling CPU-XSPC RayStorm Neo, 2x240mm+360mm, D5PWM+140mL, GPU-2x360mm, 2xbyski, D4+D5+100mL
Memory 4x16GB G.Skill 3600
Video Card(s) (2) EVGA SC BLACK 1080Ti's
Storage 2x Samsung SM951 512GB, Samsung PM961 512GB
Display(s) Dell UP2414Q 3840X2160@60hz
Case Caselabs Mercury S5+pedestal
Audio Device(s) Fischer HA-02->Fischer FA-002W High edition/FA-003/Jubilate/FA-011 depending on my mood
Power Supply Seasonic Prime 1200w
Mouse Thermaltake Theron, Steam controller
Keyboard Keychron K8
Software W10P
just over a year ago my Audigy died and before I replaced it with a Asus Xonar DX I used my SoundMAX onboard audio when I plugged my Z-5500 in the first thing I noticed was the lack of highs it sounded like the volume was really low yet my bass was at 100% even on the lowest setting I still had to turn the bass down on the control pod then I had the distortion issues when you are listening to a song in a media player, hit pause, come back to it, hit play you get nothing but distortion kinda like white noise on a television you have to stop the song and re-play it. it's not a experience I care to repeat. Logitech is the only quality commercial desktop speaker supplier Cyber Accoustics and Creative pretty much discontinued all their older products.

CA still sells there stuff under the insignia name at BBY :p
 
Top