Well I made a decision and it actually ended up going a different direction from what I've spent the last week researching. But we'll get to that later, I figured I'd link some of the active powered speakers/monitors I was looking at in varying price ranges.
Audioengine A2 - $200 - Those that buy them for PC use love them and usually mix them with a sub for a 2.1 setup that nothing mainstream PC (logitech, creative) can supposedly touch.
Audioengine A5 - $300, A5+ - $400 - One very highly regarded active monitor by many, hated by some. But the overall is that this is a very awesome sounding 2.0 active monitor set in it's price range(s) if you can afford it.
Swan D1080Mk2 08 / D1080 IV - $170-200 - Very popular and considered a solid value product. Has higher failure rate than Audioengines, but many appreciate the $$$ saved and are very content it seems.
Swan M50W 2.1 - $290 - One of their bestsellers, not too much out there. But what is out there is all positive. I came really close to biting the bullet on this option, attractive looking, decent specs and I'm sure it'd demolish what I have had for sound for the last 6 years.
M-Audio Bx5e - $200+ - Very popular M-Audio offering. Supposed to be better in every way compared to the AV series, more durable, fewer failures. Many like them, but a lot move onto Audioengines or Swans from here.
KRK Rokit 5 G2 - $150/per speaker - Highly recommended if you prefer more hardcore/accurate monitoring. Each has seperate inputs, power supply, volume control, power switches. That's not for me...I prefer something more integrated and easier to work with. Though I have read it's worth all of that hassle in the quality of audio reproduction. The 6" version is also recommended.
So this is the narrowed list I came down to after spending some time talking to BumbleBee and doing some mad researching. There were so many varied opinions, goods, bads, each had their own issues and strong points. I was super close to biting the bullet and buying a pair of Audioengine A5's for $299 off of Amazon. They have good bass many have said, put out amazing sound for the price and are fun to listen to. Then I came across a suggestion to check out some other options.
Someone told me to check these out:
Pioneer SP-BS21-LR - $59+ - Very highly regarded as the best sounding sub-$100 passive bookshelf speaker around by a healthy margin. Apperently the guy that helped design these speakers also was behind some very hi-end stuff as well. Just google these things...people love them. Due to the 4" woofer, bass is light, and a sub is recommended. But that these are heavily recommended. So ok...the price is right, the sound is supposedly great, but they're passive...so what kind of amp do I need to power these? Well read on...
Dayton Audio DTA-100a Class-T Digital Mini Amplifier - $90.00 - Well this one came up far more than any other Class-T amp I researched. Power, value, specs, durability, it's pretty darned popular from what I gathered and many used it with the Pioneers above and recommend both or the slightly cheaper
Dayton B652 passive speakers. Well, I like the power specs and I like the fact its not a huge stereo receiver I don't have room for...this amp I totally can make room for, comes with a headphone amp built in (might be sending my FiiO E9 back soon if it's good!). It doesn't have all the input/output bells and whistles of a cheap receiver but I didn't need those...when I do I'll buy a decent receiver. This thing seemed to be perfect for my needs.
Well I still need bass...now I HAVE to get a sub. Those Pioneers may sound great, but they are not bass monsters. The Audioengine A2's may have more bass...and the A5's surely do fwir. But as it stands I'm $149 into this deal and I have amplified bookshelf speakers that will probably demolish my Logitech X-230's.
Well after tons of researches and deals on subs in the $100-200+ range I came upon Dayton once again after may recommendations while researching. The Dayton Audio SUB-80 to 120 series offer some serious bang for the buck. They may not be the sharpest, cleanest, best bass out there but at their price range again are often argued to be better than many more expensive options. I'm a sucker for value and I wanted to come as close to finding the JVC HA-RX700 deal in this situation...but the more I think about it the more I feel the X-230's were that option to begin with and it's long gone.
Dayton Audio SUB-100 HT - $90 - The most recommended between the 8", 10" and 12" is the 10". I prefer impact with decent extension, and the 10" is as close as I can get and fit in my room near my PC desk. Plenty of power at 125W, and again, was a strongly recommended match for the previous two pieces of audio equipment above I just purchased. Deal. This should be a truly epic 2.1 kit in the sub $300 arena.
Why did I go with a passive + amp + sub kit? Honestly I wanted to stay clear of that and just get another fully integrated deal like my X-230's. Hence looking at Swan's M50W's, Klipsh's Promedia 2.1's, Logitech's z623, etc...but the more I researched the more dissapointing things I found...or in the M50W's case just not enough to be that confident in it yet.
Plus once I stumbled upon the speaker + amp + sub combo and researched them...it seemed to be what I'm looking for with plenty of capabilities, simplicity of use, solid performing products at a solid value that should be something I keep around for a while. I'd still like to try out the Audioengine A5's and considered getting those and waiting to replenish my funds to get a sub like the Dayton...but I feel I made the right budget decision for me at this point. We shall see when everything shows up in a week or two as I went with the Free/Ground shipping options to keep total price down.
I figured I'd post what I was looking at, what I decided on and why and hopefully later will be able to post what my thoughts are. When starting this, spending over $100 was a no-go...but BB talked me into a higher budget...we shall see if my decision was wise. I have a very good feeling about it all at this point, hopefully march is a great month for Kursah's 2.1 pc audio!
