Speakers - notebook (PC) or iPod?
Nov 7, 2005 | 11:12 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Homeless Nomad Wandering the Globe
Programs: Former AA EXP/2M Lifetime now Blackballed UA Premier Executive PWP Bronze
Posts: 5,938
Speakers - notebook (PC) or iPod?
I would like to get speakers - either for my iPod (limited and expensive) or for my Dell notebook.
It is my impression that there would be a greater selection for the PC, that the speakers would be more useful (movies, etc), and that the price would be lower. In addition, I am guessing that the features would be better for PC speakers. I will be living on a cruise ship for four months, so it is for travel but more fixed. I will continue to use my iPod for training in the gym, running and as a portable music solution.
Am I correct?
Can someone recommend some really nice but hopefully sub $200 speakers?
Sam
It is my impression that there would be a greater selection for the PC, that the speakers would be more useful (movies, etc), and that the price would be lower. In addition, I am guessing that the features would be better for PC speakers. I will be living on a cruise ship for four months, so it is for travel but more fixed. I will continue to use my iPod for training in the gym, running and as a portable music solution.
Am I correct?
Can someone recommend some really nice but hopefully sub $200 speakers?
Sam
Nov 7, 2005 | 6:41 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Based in London but away ~4 months a year, often in Bali
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 322
Speakers will use a standard cable input. Most small/travel speakers use headphone style connectors - i.e. you can plug these speakers straight into the headphone socket on either of your iPod and your laptop.
Early this year I did quite a bit of reseach and testing on speakers that can be battery powered and thought that the jbl on tour were by far the best:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1639161,00.asp - a bit under $100
Only ones that could fill a room reasonably even if there was modest background noise (like people chatting). I've even used them to quite happily group watch movies to (projected onto a wall). They speakers come with a power adaptor if I'm not mistaken - they can certainly be mains powered.
If you are happy to get larger speakers systems or ones that can not be battery operated then you can probably get better sound for the same cash.
related:
If you take any other hifi equipement with you or are over at a friend who has a hifi then they will usually have line-in (also know as 2RCA) inputs. 2RCA cables look like this: http://tinyurl.com/bmv8y and you can can get an adaptor to convert RCA to headphone cables that looks like this: http://tinyurl.com/dzgag
I always carry that adaptor and 2RCA cable so I can plug my laptop/iPod into random hifi stuff I may encounter.
Early this year I did quite a bit of reseach and testing on speakers that can be battery powered and thought that the jbl on tour were by far the best:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1639161,00.asp - a bit under $100
Only ones that could fill a room reasonably even if there was modest background noise (like people chatting). I've even used them to quite happily group watch movies to (projected onto a wall). They speakers come with a power adaptor if I'm not mistaken - they can certainly be mains powered.
If you are happy to get larger speakers systems or ones that can not be battery operated then you can probably get better sound for the same cash.
related:
If you take any other hifi equipement with you or are over at a friend who has a hifi then they will usually have line-in (also know as 2RCA) inputs. 2RCA cables look like this: http://tinyurl.com/bmv8y and you can can get an adaptor to convert RCA to headphone cables that looks like this: http://tinyurl.com/dzgag
I always carry that adaptor and 2RCA cable so I can plug my laptop/iPod into random hifi stuff I may encounter.
Nov 8, 2005 | 11:22 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Based in London but away ~4 months a year, often in Bali
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 322
Awesome new mini-amp
A friend just pointed me at his new amp: the sonic impact T-amp. Lots of reviews if you google. Here's an interesting write-up of the history:
http://www.forbes.com/business/globa...1003/026A.html
Available on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009W44B/
$30 and actually very good so it's astonishing value. It's also tiny - under 10 ounces! - and can run on batteries (though performance is better with a decent main adaptor).
You can then plug in normal hifi speakers. So for travel purposes any recommended monitor speakers or quality replacement speakers for a midi hifi should work nicely and you get sound better than most cheap hifis. I hope to look into what specific good speakers there are but I've been web surfing for too long - back to work!
FYI: My friend is happy with the speakers he's used: JBL Control 1 speakers which weigh 1.8Kg (4 lbs).
http://www.forbes.com/business/globa...1003/026A.html
Available on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009W44B/
$30 and actually very good so it's astonishing value. It's also tiny - under 10 ounces! - and can run on batteries (though performance is better with a decent main adaptor).
You can then plug in normal hifi speakers. So for travel purposes any recommended monitor speakers or quality replacement speakers for a midi hifi should work nicely and you get sound better than most cheap hifis. I hope to look into what specific good speakers there are but I've been web surfing for too long - back to work!
FYI: My friend is happy with the speakers he's used: JBL Control 1 speakers which weigh 1.8Kg (4 lbs).