Good speakers for a PVM?

[ninjainspandex]

well its not a PVM but its an arcade monitor in a box but nevertheless it has no speakers. I had a custom cable built to work with it so it has a female scart plug and a breakaway female headphone jack. Anyone have any good suggestions for a nice speaker setup for it? I remember seeing someone who had a PVM with a nice speaker that was like a black bar that rested on the top, anywhere I could order one online?

[Ziggy]

Why not just use 2.1 desktop speakers?

[ninjainspandex]

just bought these for $22 shipped

had to go with the dark walnut
I'll let you know how they sound, looks like it would be perfect to rest right on top of the monitor.

[Ziggy]

Two things I notice right off the bat...

It's powered by USB. I don't see any where that is says it can be powered otherwise. This presents obvious problems since you plan on using it with an arcade monitor and not with a TV that has a USB port. I'm assuming it comes with a USB cable, so you might be able to just use a USB wall charger (like the kind you'd use for most cell phones these days). That's assuming you don't wanna always have it plugged into a desktop or laptop near by.

It says its lowest frequency response is 100Hz, so don't expect great bass out of it.

[ninjainspandex]

Two things I notice right off the bat...

It's powered by USB. I don't see any where that is says it can be powered otherwise. This presents obvious problems since you plan on using it with an arcade monitor and not with a TV that has a USB port. I'm assuming it comes with a USB cable, so you might be able to just use a USB wall charger (like the kind you'd use for most cell phones these days). That's assuming you don't wanna always have it plugged into a desktop or laptop near by.

It says its lowest frequency response is 100Hz, so don't expect great bass out of it.

I have plenty of usb wall adapters, thats not a problem, as for the bass. I'm playing arcade games not watching Michael Bay movies with it

[Anapan]

Best screen, but bad sound? (yeah, if they run off USB, it's bad) I've tried tons (well over 20 models now) of compact battery & 5V speakers, many with bigger cones, and echo chambers than the set listed, and unless they weigh a lot, (big magnets) and stick to some large surface with sticky-mat-rubber to produce bass via surface vibration, they always seem to lack a bit too much mid, and all the lower frequencies IMO. It's all subjective, but I'm always looking for more-portable solutions and the "tinny" sound of any 5V speakers I owned was always lacking for my tastes. EQ'ing and amping the input's lower frequencies up to compensate on those speakers usually causes bad distortion and/or clipping too. The sticky type are really cool, but I'm always afraid of the large magnet being close to any magnetic storage, or CRT due to the possibility for magnetic damage.

I'd also suggest a set of PC 2.1 speakers. Altec Lansing desktop speakers to be exact - used are already broken in, and they can take a pretty good beating. I've owned 6 sets of 'em (leaving a couple behind when moving, and a couple were broken due to wires or connectors breaking from abuse), and I find that the price vs. quality is unmatched - enough that I consider them expendable. I still have 2 sets, one over 18 years old that's still pumping great sound at my bro's place on his kids' computer.
If you're looking for more-compact, good sound, a Bose sound dock portable is still the best travel/compact audio solution I've ever owned or heard of - many of my colleagues agree. I know around 17 co-workers that bring the same model around everywhere since we all need to travel for work - we bought out the full supply @ a local Source by Circuit City during a profitable shutdown. They can definitely get the best high quality sound in the smallest package, and the next better travel speakers are an extra $80 at nearly twice the size and much heavier (we did a taste test). The portable Bose Sounddock can be unplugged and and brought anywhere for 9-14 hours of outdoor fun while charging your phone at the same time. For about the same quality sound, but always wired, a Bose Sounddock series 2 sells for pretty cheap used. Maybe something to look in to.

What you were referring to in the OP is a "Soundbar" They are also very good in my experience - they work well, with good stereo separation, and the large hollow center uses a spatial algorithm with both side speakers to simulate a larger center bass speaker (same as the Bose docks do, but without the twisty fluting for compactness).
Since you're buying for a CRT, you don't want magnetic interference corrupting the display - that's why desktop speakers were suggested - being made for computers, the magnets are properly shielded.

[Ziggy]

I would stay away from a sound bar if you're on a budget. It seems like you have to spend a decent amount of money for something that doesn't totally suck. But yeah, 2.1 desktop speakers will give you good performance for not a lot of money. Even at the ~$20 range, you could get MUCH better performance from 2.1 speakers than that USB powered sound bar.

I'm playing arcade games not watching Michael Bay movies with it

Oh, I was putting it lightly if anything. You will have virtually NO low end with that thing. I doubt it even reproduces sound down to 100Hz. I would expect it to sound like an old portable AM/FM radio. I might be approaching audiophile status more and more each day, but there's a difference between too much bass rattling the hubcaps off your 97 Civic and the PROPER amount of bass to enjoy the full range of whatever you're listening too. And believe me, I can tell you with almost certainty that sound bar will sound like crap. In fact, I'm so confident that I suggest you cancel the order if it hasn't shipped yet. We'll help you pick out something with better quality.

edit: I second Altec Lansing. I've owned 3 different 2.1 sets from them and they all sound great.

[ninjainspandex]

I canceled the order on those speakers. Hey zig those altec lansing speakers you linked how are they powered and what input do they have? Is it a headphone jack or the red and white stereo cables? So I should have no magnetic interference just resting those right on top of the metal enclosure with those speakers right?

[Ziggy]

Desktop speakers are gonna be powered by a standard power plug (you plug it into the wall). They're almost always gonna have 3.5mm input jack, and they'll come with a 3.5mm male-male cable to connect it to a desktop. I'm assuming you wanna plug male RCA stereo audio cables into whatever speaker system you get. Not a problem, you just have to get an adapter of some sort. Either get a male 3.5mm to female RCA (red and white) to plug directly into the speakers with, or get a female 3.5mm to female RCA to use along with the 3.5mm male-male cable that'll come with the speakers.





Those Altec Lansing speakers I linked, I'm not suggesting to get them, I only linked them as an example. Here's two more from Amazon in that price range that have a LOT of reviews...





The "satellites" should be shielded, although I've had PC speakers in the past that where either not shielded well or at all. It's VERY annoying. Those Cyber Acoustics specifically state that they're magnetically shielded, although I'd expect the Logitech ones to be as well even though I don't see it stated.

[ninjainspandex]

My monitor has a custom rgb cable with a breakaway female 3.5mm headphone jack so I shouldn't have to buy any other cables if it comes with a male to male 3.5mm cable


Which speaker set would be the best? I don't want to spend more than $50 including shipping.