Looking for a Sub-$100 pair of speakers to replace my old crappy $35 ones

Cyber Akuma

Cyber Akuma

Gawd
Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
645
My old cheap PC speakers are starting to drive me crazy with how broken the volume control is. Not only is there a lot of static and distortion when I touch it even the slightest amount, but many times it cuts out the left or right speaker or has them at significantly different volumes unless I fiddle with the knob for several minutes trying to get it to form a proper connection.

I am not really that surprised, they are a cheap $35 pair of speakers I bought back in 2012 that were SUPPOSED to be a placeholder until I got a surround setup... which never happened.

These speakers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027VT6V4/

So since this volume knob issue is driving me up the wall, I want to replace them with something better.

Mind you, it's not the quality that is the reason I am replacing them (though they were hardly great quality, even my $20 pair of old model Sennheiser HD202s sound much better) but how much of the pain the volume knob has become.

I was hoping to get something similar in terms of design. Namely, a 2.1 system primarily to use with PCs where the satellites are not very big (I currently have them on a shelf behind my monitor, the only place I have any room for them, and the subwoofer is on the floor under the desk), they connect with a 3.5mm jack, and it has a volume knob. I have seen many recommended speaker lists, but nearly none of them have an external volume knob (It would be a pain to reach the volume on either the satellites or subwoofer with how out of the way they are placed) and/or are wireless.

One that I have run into is the Logitech Z407. They are wireless, but apparently can connect by wire. The issue is, it's not clear if you can completely have them wired up or the speakers themselves are still wireless (I do NOT want to have to deal with batteries). And from what I understand, the volume control is wireless-only so that can be an issue in terms of both interference and batteries dying. Truth be told, I wish there was something just like the Z407 but without any sort of wireless capabilities, preferably at a cheaper price because of that too.

Are the Z407 even any good? Or are there any others similar to my current speakers one can recommend for below $100? I still want to upgrade to a surround setup someday, and I do not have room for larger speakers, so I am not looking for anything very expensive, large, or that high-end. I really just want to replace them because of how utterly unusable the volume control knob has become for these things rather than sound quality, and I figured just about any speakers nowadays for under $100 should also sound better than a $35 pair from nearly a decade ago.
 
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1) Your current speakers probably have just 1 problem: An oxidised potentiometer. A 7 dollar can of electronic cleaner will take care of that. Spray that to the pot, roll the volume repeatedly - done.
2) If you really want to upgrade your system there are plenty of good choices. In fact so many that it's impossible to give just one recommendation. If you want a powered solution, there are literally dozens of options in the sub 100 dollar range which are mediocer at best, bad on average. The Pioneer SP-BS21 is a nice little speaker but it requires an amp and then you'd still need a "sub". Your price range leaves little to be desired.

It reminds me of the movie "Henry" where he goes to the second hand tv shop and asks for a color tv for 50 bucks. The shop owner gets upset and screams at him: "What do you want for 50 bucks, 3d?". Henry replies by smashing the CRT tv on the owners head and asks the friend to plug it in :D
 
B00nie said:
1) Your current speakers probably have just 1 problem: An oxidised potentiometer. A 7 dollar can of electronic cleaner will take care of that. Spray that to the pot, roll the volume repeatedly - done.
Click to expand...

I've tried, but I can't find any way to open the stupid thing.

B00nie said:
2) If you really want to upgrade your system there are plenty of good choices. In fact so many that it's impossible to give just one recommendation. If you want a powered solution, there are literally dozens of options in the sub 100 dollar range which are mediocer at best, bad on average. The Pioneer SP-BS21 is a nice little speaker but it requires an amp and then you'd still need a "sub". Your price range leaves little to be desired.

It reminds me of the movie "Henry" where he goes to the second hand tv shop and asks for a color tv for 50 bucks. The shop owner gets upset and screams at him: "What do you want for 50 bucks, 3d?". Henry replies by smashing the CRT tv on the owners head and asks the friend to plug it in :D
Click to expand...

That's completely not what I am looking for. They don't have a subwoofer, are too big, don't have an external volume knob, and would require an amp. I am not looking for some audiophile setup.
 
Cyber Akuma said:
I've tried, but I can't find any way to open the stupid thing.



That's completely not what I am looking for. They don't have a subwoofer, are too big, don't have an external volume knob, and would require an amp. I am not looking for some audiophile setup.
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Someone suggested one of this on another thread. Have not tried it myself but Monoprice been around for a bit and their stuff is general solid

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=36571
 
I have these: https://www.cnet.com/products/philips-mms430g-speaker-system-for-game-console-wired-series/ They are "cheap", but you know, when I pull these out for use in public, I actually have people ask if they can buy them from me. They are old and not made anymore, but I'll admit, I did "try" them all before settling on these.

I'm not necessarily advocating for Philips as a computer speaker provider, just saying they made a set that was pretty good once (at least that's what people seem to be telling me).

Main volume control is on top (easy roller) of one of the speakers (same one with the power button for them). It's a 2.1 set, so includes sub woofer, it has it's own volume knob on the back (maybe you don't adjust it too much).
 
cjcox said:
I have these: https://www.cnet.com/products/philips-mms430g-speaker-system-for-game-console-wired-series/ They are "cheap", but you know, when I pull these out for use in public, I actually have people ask if they can buy them from me. They are old and not made anymore, but I'll admit, I did "try" them all before settling on these.

I'm not necessarily advocating for Philips as a computer speaker provider, just saying they made a set that was pretty good once (at least that's what people seem to be telling me).
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I mean, that doesn't really help me if they stopped making them years ago and I can't buy them anymore.

cjcox said:
ain volume control is on top (easy roller) of one of the speakers (same one with the power button for them). It's a 2.1 set, so includes sub woofer, it has it's own volume knob on the back (maybe you don't adjust it too much).
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That's another issue really. All of the speakers would be very out of the way, so having the volume control be on the speaker would be a no-go. I would need it to have an external volume control knob I can put on my desk.
 
Cyber Akuma said:
I mean, that doesn't really help me if they stopped making them years ago and I can't buy them anymore.
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True. But that's they way it is with most tech. If you want a reliable report of quality, it would have to include years of service. Sad, but true.
 
Cyber Akuma said:
Again, no external volume control, that's the most important part. They would be a total pain to reach if I had to get to the speakers or subwoofer to change the volume.
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Oh, you mean a separate volume control. Add one of this in between?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TBQ9ZB...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Or get this set with a 10% off $109 with a volume remote

https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-R128...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
 
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Wiz33 said:
Oh, you mean a separate volume control. Add one of this in between?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TBQ9ZB...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Click to expand...

Would that cause any sort of issues or distortion putting a 3rd party control like that between the PC and speaker input?

Wiz33 said:
Or get this set with a 10% off$109 with a volume remote

https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-R128...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Click to expand...

Hmm... it's nice that they are self-contained so I don't need a separate amp, the external volume control being a remote is a little annoying (does it work over IR or RF? Would be annoying if it needs line of sight because I would not really have it). I also wonder how well lows would sound if they don't have a subwoofer.
 
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Cyber Akuma said:
Would that cause any sort of issues or distortion putting a 3rd party control like that between the PC and speaker input?



Hmm... it's nice that they are self-contained so I don't need a separate amp, the external volume control being a remote is a little annoying (does it work over IR or RF? Would be annoying if it needs line of sight because I would not really have it). I also wonder how well lows would sound if they don't have a subwoofer.
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Yea, One more connection in the loop may introduce or pickup RF noise but reviews seems mostly favorable.

On the other hand. The Edifier have good reviews online and is an all in one solution. It also have a sub output if you have an active sub laying around or you have the option to get one later. I don't see any IR plastic port anywhere on the front of the speakers so I assume remote is RF.

And then there's this older 2.1 for $80 and with a wired volume control from 2008 but if they're still making them, maybe that tells us something.

https://www.edifier.com/us/en/speakers/m3200-2.1-multimedia-speaker-subwoofer-system

If you have Amazon prime, it's easy to return if you don't like it.
 
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cant you just fn fn/f2 or fn/f3 volume control up and down? what i do on mine if i dont have hand on mouse since i dont want to adjust the volume on my speaker itself
 
Maybe get a mini jack (or other for speakers) amplifier with volume control?
 
The OP seems to already know exactly what he wants but still asks for opinions. IMO the op should just walk to a PC store and ask for a logitech whatever and be done with it.
 
B00nie said:
The OP seems to already know exactly what he wants but still asks for opinions. IMO the op should just walk to a PC store and ask for a logitech whatever and be done with it.
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I detailed what my use-case was, you recommended something that fit NONE of those, and now are complaining that "I know exactly what I want" even when you yourself admitted there are near-infinite possible options simply because I refused the one option you gave me that did not fit ANY of my use cases.
 
Cyber Akuma said:
I detailed what my use-case was, you recommended something that fit NONE of those, and now are complaining that "I know exactly what I want" even when you yourself admitted there are near-infinite possible options simply because I refused the one option you gave me that did not fit ANY of my use cases.
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Go get the logitech multimedia system and end your problem. That's what you need. The options include only better solutions than you are looking for. They don't have an external volume knob and such, those are only available either in professional monitors (too expensive for you) or in logitech type multimedia plastic boxes.
 
B00nie said:
Go get the logitech multimedia system and end your problem. That's what you need. The options include only better solutions than you are looking for. They don't have an external volume knob and such, those are only available either in professional monitors (too expensive for you) or in logitech type multimedia plastic boxes.
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Actually, I'm not even considering any Logitech sets anymore, because other people actually helped me instead of becoming aggressive. But hey, thanks for assuming just because you ignored the requirements I stated, made a suggestion that completely did not fit any of them, and after I turned down your suggestion because it did not fit any of my requirements you decided to take it personally and become passive-aggressive about it.
 
Cyber Akuma said:
Actually, I'm not even considering any Logitech sets anymore, because other people actually helped me instead of becoming aggressive. But hey, thanks for assuming just because you ignored the requirements I stated, made a suggestion that completely did not fit any of them, and after I turned down your suggestion because it did not fit any of my requirements you decided to take it personally and become passive-aggressive about it.
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You stated that you didn't want any audiophile stuff so why would you ask for advice in the first place if your preference is something shitty?
 
Cyber Akuma said:
I detailed what my use-case was, you recommended something that fit NONE of those, and now are complaining that "I know exactly what I want" even when you yourself admitted there are near-infinite possible options simply because I refused the one option you gave me that did not fit ANY of my use case
Click to expand...

B00nie said:
You stated that you didn't want any audiophile stuff so why would you ask for advice in the first place if your preference is something shitty?
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Nobody ask for your opinion. Why do you keep jumping into thread where the OP have a budget that you thought is beneath you and start recommending stuff way out of line.
 
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Wiz33 said:
Nobody ask for your opinion. Why do you keep jumping into thread where the OP have a budget that you thought is beneath you and start recommending stuff way out of line.
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Listen to your own advice.
 
you could just upgrade what you originally had.. https://www.amazon.com/Cyber-Acoust...007PXV2KM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

They sound almost half decent, have a sub, have even cheaper alternatives, have volume pod, and they make audiophiles around the world cry about your awful purchase! Wins all around imho.

...I've purchased 3 or 4 of these for kids and they sound good enough.. just don't plan on throwing a house party with them
 
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Already looked into that option, anything that would out-perform the Klipsch Promedia set is too big to fit on my shelf.
 
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