Hi,

I’m a new home-worker (office was closed down) and actually enjoy the experience (though I should be working now!). I have the mp3 plugged into some cheap Goodmans travel speakers that are actually rather good BUT …. they do lack any bass or presence.

So, can anyone recommend any decent stereo or 2:1 speakers in the sub £100 bracket? If I have to exceed £100, why and by how much!

I don’t have the volume loaud, so it’s quality at lower volumes I’m after.

Cheers,

Carl.

Good bass only comes from big boxes (relatively). I dunno if Wharfedale active diamonds are still made but they used to be rated. Anything that promises bass out of a small box is likely to have a boomy sounds to emphasise bass but not have proper depth.

Pretty sure you can plug harmon kardman soundticks 2 direct into an mp3, they are excellent

if you’re going to leave them in one place at home, you could get an amp and a set of proper speakers from richer sounds for that. plug the mp3 in the back and you’re set.

edit – you might need to go up a bit, actually. around £150 though.

Just been looking at options …. What about micro or midi systems? These seem to fit the bill of size and low output but what are the sounds like?

Of to check out Richer Sounds, though the prices could be a bit rich for what I want/need.

Ta.

I work from home most days and listen through some £25 Logitech satellites with an active subwoofer. My PC is plugged into them but it’s just a 3.5mm jack to plug in an MP3 player. Assuming you will be working rather than on STW 🙄 then you’ll probably find the quality of these PC speakers more than acceptable for the low levels you will be listening.

If however you will be sat back in your chair “critical listening” then spend more.

£100 on some speakers built between 1972 and 1978 will get you ten times what it will in terms of a modern speaker.

However you have to question the point in buying good quality speakers to listen to horrifically low quality music produced from MP3’s.

For a £100 i would be buying something like these:-

Mordaunt Short Pagent 3

or these

B&W DM2a
i have owned two pairs of the later and they are lovely speakers

one_happy_hippy – Member
However you have to question the point in buying good quality speakers to listen to horrifically low quality music produced from MP3’s.

🙄

Why the rolling of the eyes?

The frequency range reduction and compression even on 320kb/s mps produces a sound quality inferior to that of CD’s just as CD’s produce a sound quality that is inferior to vinyl.

Agree on the approach of a separate amp and bookshelf speakers. I was in the same boat recently and have got a 70’s Marantz receiver and some Castle Isis speakers second hand which collectively cost me about £150 all in and the sounds is miles better than any sort of ‘micro system’ or speakers designed for computers.

As to OHH’s contention, I think you’d be hard pressed to distinguish between a 320kbps mp3 and wav with any speakers you’re able to purchase in this sort of price range – whether in your 6 year golden period or not…

Audio engine A2. <http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/Speakers.16/Audioengine.311/AUDIOENGINE2/Audioengine_2_Speaker_System.3131.html?amp3sid=5urvqcgr77i5u27r70h0r6nli0&gt;

wow, those pagents are really nice. i’d buy them myself if i did’nt live at the other end of the country.

for what its worth on the soundsticks, whilst i’m no audiophile i am pretty fussy about sound. if you do a search on stw you should find the thread where i asked about computer speakers a few weeks back. i ended up getting the soundsticks off ebay for 50quid or so and am very impressed – even though i play mp3!

The frequency range reduction and compression even on 320kb/s mps produces a sound quality inferior to that of CD’s just as CD’s produce a sound quality that is inferior to vinyl.

but the playback still sounds infinitely better through a proper system than not.

It’s the speakers and amp that will make the most difference.

Cheap system – looks better, unlikely to sound as good as separates.

As HH says you will get best sound with s/h older amp and speakers, though you’d need a bit of knowledge, and no need to go back to the 70’s!

The transparent Harmon Kardon 2.1 system is utterly-bloody-fantastic. Otherwise, the Creative Gigaworks 2.1 systems are getting rave reviews at the moment too.

The thing with 70’s speakers is the quality of the construction, the cabinets are usually solid wood or good quality multi layer ply with a thick veneer, the sheer size of the cabs, which is imperative for good bass response (unless using 4th,5th or 6th order reflex) and the high quality of the crossover components.

In comparison during the 80’s and 90’s the construction tended to focus on compact size and more styling to the detriment of the cabs and crossovers.

I use two pairs of 70’s MS’s and have used B&W DM2’s both of which cost me <200 a pair. the MS400 & MS700 have a superior sound quality to many speakers costing several 1000’s. A lot of this is due to the sheer size and weight of them.

Why the rolling of the eyes?

The frequency range reduction and compression even on 320kb/s mps produces a sound quality inferior to that of CD’s just as CD’s produce a sound quality that is inferior to vinyl.

A B X

If you can consistently tell the difference between 320kb/s LAME 3.98 mp3s and WAV I’ll be impressed 😉 It’s transparent down to v4 on most songs for me.

Sorry to derail the thread!

I can tell you the difference, it’s pretty obvious.

Don’t especially like A B X either. I think it’s slightly flawed in that you’re concentrating on identification rather than enjoyment. A B is better IMHO.

Oops, ignored the O/P. Secondhand is king at that price point. If yoou have room, floorstanders will be more likely to give you more (not necessarily better) bass. Castle, Royd, Tannoy, Ruark, something like that maybe?

I can tell you the difference, it’s pretty obvious.

Don’t especially like A B X either. I think it’s slightly flawed in that you’re concentrating on identification rather than enjoyment. A B is better IMHO.

I don’t follow … ?

If you can’t identify if two samples are not the same how can you possibly enjoy one less?