tech help

[Sarah]

So I've bought this new computer, and I have a feeling I'm going to need to get speakers for it.  I have never bought speakers before (I got the speakers now attached to my ancient turntable and receiver from a friend years ago) and know nothing.  Here are some variables that will affect my choice:

* I'll be using the computer both to play music and to watch television.
* I have noticed recently that I often have trouble hearing dialogue, likely because of a combination of hearing loss and the modern trend of making music and special effects really loud.
* I don't care about having bass that shakes the room and in general am somewhat ape-eared.
* I do want to be able to turn up music really loud when I feel like it (which isn't too often).
* I'll be listening both from my office chair and from a recliner that will be set a few feet back from the desk.
* I don't care about surround sound (although I would consider such a system if it would help out with the hearing difficulties mentioned above). 
* As long as I'll be able to control the volume on whatever player I'm using to watch movies/TV--and as far as I know, I will--I don't need a remote.
* I don't want to spend much more than a hundred bucks.

So far, the Harman Kardon SoundSticks II 2.1 Plug and Play Multimedia Speaker System is appealing to me the most.  It looks sort of ridiculous, but it seems to be a tried-and-true, well-liked setup, and I can get it for around $105 from Amazon.  It doesn't have an off button, oddly enough, but I imagine I'd be able to plug it into a power strip.

Any advice?

[Paul DePhiladelphia]

Sarah now is the time to invest in two speakers and a receiver. If you are watching movies and TV on this you need stereo quality audio. Do you have a stereo? See if there is and input. If so pick up an Audio LR to Headphone chord and your problems will be over.

[Sarah]

I have a 1992 Sony receiver.  Told you it was ancient.

[Paul DePhiladelphia]

All of my equipment is from the 70s and 80s and it sounds great.Try fiddling with things and see what it sounds like.

[Sarah]

Thank you, harris/Paul.  I never even knew I had this option (I truly am an ignoramus about these matters).  Does this mean I might finally be able to copy vinyl onto my computer?  Hell, I have old cassettes I'd like to save if possible.

I think I may need new speakers, regardless, though.  My old Jensens sound pretty lousy.  Any recommendations?  That don't cost an arm and a leg?

[Martin]

Those Harman Kardon look pretty good. The design doesn't really appeal to me, but that's besides the point. I have a Logitech Z4 setup which is basically the same thing as the HK - 2 speakers and a sub-woofer - but is not as space-agey. Watch lots of TV/movies on it, and play 100% of all my digital music on it. It's good.

[Gilly]

Pawn shops and garage sales are great for upgrading your speakers. You should be able to get a nice pair for under 100 bucks probably under 50. If you are ok with spending a little more, go the online route and just do a google search for budget speakers and take a look through all the the AV and audiophile forums. Right now I'm using Utah speakers which are really cheap and sound pretty great but are kind of hard to find. Plus I wouldn't recommend them for movies, only music.

* I have noticed recently that I often have trouble hearing dialogue, likely because of a combination of hearing loss and the modern trend of making music and special effects really loud.

This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Even if I didn't live in an apartment I still would be upset with the levels on movies these days. I bought a sound level meter to try to fix it but you can't. You have two choices with movies now: Get blown away by the special effects so you can hear the dialogue or keep the remote close and keep turning it up and down throughout the entire movie. One of the biggest drawbacks of Bluray for me is that most movies have DTS audio which is unable to have the dynamic range minimized.

[cavorting with nudists]

I have those Soundsticks on my computer and they sound acceptable and have worked well for something like seven years.  But I wouldn't settle for them as the sound for my television or main stereo system.

If you're really on a restricted budget, it is possible to get away without a receiver if you buy a pair of powered speakers.  I use a pair of Polk Audio powered speakers in my kitchen, connected to my Mac via AirTunes.  The sound isn't totally awesome, but it's decent for around $100 and can be cranked much louder than the Soundsticks.  Unfortunately, Amazon says they aren't currently available, but other manufacturers make something similar.

[yesno]

I have a stereo receiver that I got pretty cheap at a Goodwill, as well as speakers therefrom.  (Careful with used speakers; they're often blown out.)

I use it for my TV, which I have a computer hooked up to.

Thing is, I have that same annoyance with uneven dialog levels.  So it may be worthwhile to make sure you have some kind of remote control for your volume level.  I usually have everything that feeds into the receiver at a set level, so I don't use the computer's volume settings, but it's annoying 'cause this means I'm up to fiddle with the volume on the receiver too much.  It's also annoying that my high-tech TV outright disables volume because I have it hooked up to external speakers.  

At the same time, I keep thinking about getting one of those kits where you can build your own tube amp for cheap.  There's no way that would have a remote.

Oh yes.  Is the idea that you're watching TV on the computer directly or hooking up the computer to a TV?

[Sarah]

I use a pair of Polk Audio powered speakers in my kitchen, connected to my Mac via AirTunes. 

So you're talking about the Polk Audio Atrium 45p 50-Watt Powered Indoor Speakers?  They don't seem to be available anywhere online, and other Polk models are too rich for my blood.

So it may be worthwhile to make sure you have some kind of remote control for your volume level. 

. . .  Is the idea that you're watching TV on the computer directly or hooking up the computer to a TV?

Yes, I'll be watching on the computer directly, hence my thought that a wireless keyboard and mouse near my comfy chair could serve as the remote.  Would they?

Those Harman Kardon look pretty good. The design doesn't really appeal to me . . .

Yeah, it's pretty awful.  But I'm not too attentive to interior decor, so I'd get used to 'em.

Pawn shops and garage sales are great for upgrading your speakers.

Being carless and lethargic, this option isn't really open to me.  Besides, I'd be scared of getting lemons.

At this point, I'm thinking I'll see if my receiver will work with the computer and then take it from there.  If it does, as I said, I'll need to get new speakers anyway, since at least one of mine is iffy.  I was thinking of Sonys, which get good reviews and are cheap enough.  If the receiver doesn't work, I'll have to decide whether to replace it.  There seem to be some cheap ones that get decent ratings (but any suggestions here would be appreciated), but the thought of spending only a hundred or so dollars instead of at least twice that may make me settle for computer speakers.  I listen to less and less music these days, anyway.

Isn't it ridiculous that so many of us can't stand the uneven volume in modern movies yet the contrasts between dialogue and sound effects/music seem to be getting more and more marked?

[yesno]

Yes, you can use a wireless keyboard and mouse--a friend of mine does this with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse and it works well.

But it only works because of his setup; I found that one of these is essential for a living room computer:



..because I don't have a table right there in front of me.  And it's less cluttered. Also, wireless mice eat batteries, I guess because of the laser.

I like the Kylo browser very much.  It is good for lean-back use.  I mostly use it for Netflix and such.  The same company makes a remote called the Loop that I may look at.

[Paul DePhiladelphia]

Having a wireless mouse is very beneficial. I use it when I watch computer on my tv. My chair it 8 feet across the room and it works perfectly. Its nice and easy to control VLC volume by the scroll button in the middle of the mouse. Def worth it.

[Gilly]

Isn't it ridiculous that so many of us can't stand the uneven volume in modern movies yet the contrasts between dialogue and sound effects/music seem to be getting more and more marked?

It's not just modern movies, I bought The Godfather on Bluray and while the new True HD soundtrack isn't as extreme as a modern movie the dynamic range is pretty large causing vocals to be quiet and music and action to be very loud. People with isolated home theaters love it, but for the other 95 percent of the world that watch movies in a living room it's a pain in the butt.

[cavorting with nudists]

I have taken to listening to DVD sound over headphones for basically this reason. Especially late at night, I fear sudden swellings of music and FX on the soundtrack will annoy my neighbors if I have the speakers up loud enough to hear the dialogue.  Of course it's not so practiceable if you're watching with other people.

[Gilly]

I have taken to listening to DVD sound over headphones for basically this reason. Especially late at night, I fear sudden swellings of music and FX on the soundtrack will annoy my neighbors if I have the speakers up loud enough to hear the dialogue.  Of course it's not so practiceable if you're watching with other people.

I bought a headphone splitter and if we are watching a movie after midnight we wear headphones. It's ridiculous.