So having gotten moved into my girl lair, I decided to buy some speakers for my computer, no more ear phones !!!! Yayyyyyyy.
I bought some that plugged into the audio jack and the sound was pure abomination! Wa Allah!!!
So, I took those evil Haraam things back and asked for USB speakers, like my other set. It seems that there are almost no USB speakers out there. I finally did find some.
So, what gives? How come they quit making USB speakers? Are the USB type blowing power supplies? What is the issue?
Gwendolyn
Comments
USB isn't exactly an ideal
USB isn't exactly an ideal high speed transmission of data (which is why it takes far more time to transfer information from your solid state flash drive than your much slower hard drive), which means you can't really stream great quality sound to USB speakers. Well, ok... you can.. but that's the argument that's used. On the other hand, the sound industry has been using RCA, 1/4", and 1/8" mono and stereo connectors for... decades. So they're a standard... and that standard is supported not only on computers that have USB ports but also on mp3 players, tablets of various brands, cell phones, etc etc. So it simply means that producing speakers for the standard connections is better marketing.
The current 'big thing' is wireless speakers. Mostly via Bluetooth.
That said, there are some USB speakers on the market... a few models can be found on the site of my current favorite computer hardware source, here: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/guidedSearc...
Just get speakers...
with the standard 1/8th inch connector. Make sure you buy powered speakers, preferably with a subwoofer if you want better sound. You can pick up a decent set for about $20-30.
People say, "You don't know what you had until it's gone." Very true, but also equally true is, "You don't know what you've been missing until is arrives."
I'm not so fussed about the
I'm not so fussed about the subwoofer, but otherwise I agree.
Unpowered speakers were okay back in the heyday of Packard Bell, when all sound cards had built in amplifiers - but I haven't seen those for a decade or more.
Subwoofers? Well, unless you're going to be playing O' Fortuna from the Carmina Burana, at a high volume, it's unlikely you'll notice the difference between a 10$ set of speakers and a 100$ set.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Subwoofers
While I disagree with the idea that you can't tell the difference when one is hooked up, it sometimes comes down to the quality of the sound card they are hooked to.
But I've done well with two different sets of speakers I bought at Radio Shack. Both sets are powered, only one has the subwoofer. The set without the subwoofer were around $30 + tax, the ones with the subwoofer were around $50 but were on sale. I recommend the 3 speaker set as a good balance of sound quality vs. price, but I think the 2 speaker set would do you a good job also. Oh, yeah, these are made to connect to the sound out on your computer, not the USB port. With the built in amp both have, they do a nice job of cranking out the sound.
You might also find some decent inexpensive speakers at Best Buy or even at Staples.
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
Back on line guu-uurl !
So you're up an' runnin' agin.
Glad to hear from yer gal!
Skype yer tonight!
XX
Bevs <3
Gwendolyn
I am glad that you found the speakers.
May Your Light Forever Shine
As Usual For Kim and I
We've both had stereo systems for a long time, like 30 yrs. Kim got a new surround-sound receiver maybe 8 yrs ago that can drive 6 speakers. Our big, old TV set and Kim's puter plug into her stereo and my old junk TV set and computer are plugged into my stereo so we use the amps in the receivers and the various speakers we already had. I listen to web radio or music sites from my computer on my stereo.
Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee
PC Sound by default sucks
If you want good sound from your PC, you need a good sound card and a good stereo (or surround sound system). Plugging a set of non-powered speakers into a headphone jack will not give good results. If you add a sound blaster type card to a desktop, you can produce a better source (the sound never gets better than the source). For a laptop, where you can't add a card, you can get a USB audio interface, from a musical instrument store, that will have a good D/A converter (preferably 24-bit). These cards or USB devices will normally have RCA or 1/4" TS or TRS jacks that can be plugged into your stereo.
I know this combination is not cheap but in this case, you get what you pay for.