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USB-Powered Laptop Speakers - 10/6/2012 3:14:19 PM

MistressDarkArt

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Hi folks,
I'd like to add this (these?) to my laptop. While I don't expect huge Bose-like sound, I'd like something with at least clear highs, decent bass response and significant volume to fill a living room at medium volume.

Right now I'm using something similar to this which cost $10 at Staples. Surprisingly, it's not bad. But I want something cleaner-sounding and bass-ier that's still usb-powered and easily portable.

What have you heard/tried that you really like?

Thanks all!

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RE: USB-Powered Laptop Speakers - 10/6/2012 3:21:39 PM

Aswad

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If you're looking for $10, ignore me.

Stax SR-001 mkII, the portable version.

MSRP $400, but you can get them for $300 or less new.

ETA: Do not give them a listen unless you're willing to part with the money, or tears may result (either from parting with the money anyway, or from taking them out of your ears again and leaving the store; the latter is likely to hurt more).

IWYW,
— Aswad.

< Message edited by Aswad -- 10/6/2012 3:25:19 PM >

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RE: USB-Powered Laptop Speakers - 10/6/2012 5:53:35 PM

Anaxagoras

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For someone willing to spend a fair bit of cash active (non-USB) speakers might be a viable option.

A Chinese company called VAL make whacky active speakers that use valves (AKA tubes) http://www.audio01.com/eng/product.htm instead of transistors, which tend to give a richer sound that can compliment computer audio quite nicely. AFAIK only some of their products are distributed in the West so they can be bought in some countries direct from China at trade price (which is cheap) but the shipping would be steep, and there would be less protection since no one would be dealing with warranties. Their valve radios are very impressive though.

< Message edited by Anaxagoras -- 10/6/2012 5:59:47 PM >

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RE: USB-Powered Laptop Speakers - 10/6/2012 7:47:56 PM

Odeen

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One of the problems with getting good volume and bass out of a speaker is available power.

The speakers built into your TV get maybe 10 watts per channel of power, and they don't produce significant bass. If you have a home theater, you have somewhere between 50 to 100 watts per speaker, and another 100-300 watts (or more) for the subwoofer alone.

Your garden-variety USB port is good for... 5 volts, .5 amps, which translates into 2.5 watts. Divide that between two speakers, and you're down to 1.25 watts per channel. That's simply not enough energy to move the volume of air needed to either fill a room, or have good bass.

All that said, there are some USB speakers that are not hilariously terrible. Here's a review of one such set: http://www.dansdata.com/nf01.htm

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RE: USB-Powered Laptop Speakers - 10/9/2012 11:17:42 AM

MistressDarkArt

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Thanks everyone.

Odeen, I read the review of the acrylic speakers, then clicked the link to them inside the article. Foreign language site and could not find the price or where to order.

If you have these speakers, where did you get them?

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RE: USB-Powered Laptop Speakers - 10/9/2012 11:30:30 PM

Aswad

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Odeen

That's simply not enough energy to move the volume of air needed to either fill a room, or have good bass.

That's a gross oversimplification. Something like a Visaton B200 with a JBL2242H woofer is going to move insane amounts of air at the 2.5W you can draw from a low power USB port, with good response pretty far down and exceedingly nice distortion. Also, a good amplifier can buffer a fair amount of power. As you no doubt know, there is at least 10dB dynamic range in most material and 20dB or more in well mastered material. With adequate buffering, one can easily deliver 10W or more to deal with impulses, even with a low power port and no external power supply.

Anyway, she said "portable", which excludes most speakers worth listening to.

Given that she poses with a violin in her avatar pic, I'm fairly confident the Stax earspeakers will be a match made in heaven, though.

IWYW,
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RE: USB-Powered Laptop Speakers - 10/10/2012 6:28:10 AM

kalikshama

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I love my harman kardon soundsticks. Can't help with something that is only plugged into the computer and not also in the wall.

I thought I paid under $100 but I see they are more now:

http://www.amazon.com/Harman-SoundSticks-II-Multimedia-Speaker/dp/B0001DBEM4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1349875593&sr=8-3&keywords=harman+kardon+soundsticks

ETA: Oh, I see you wanted portable too. These are awesome desktop speakers but not so much for a laptop.

< Message edited by kalikshama -- 10/10/2012 6:29:56 AM >

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RE: USB-Powered Laptop Speakers - 10/10/2012 9:49:02 AM

Anaxagoras

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Aswad

quote:

ORIGINAL: Odeen
That's simply not enough energy to move the volume of air needed to either fill a room, or have good bass.

That's a gross oversimplification. Something like a Visaton B200 with a JBL2242H woofer is going to move insane amounts of air at the 2.5W you can draw from a low power USB port, with good response pretty far down and exceedingly nice distortion. Also, a good amplifier can buffer a fair amount of power. As you no doubt know, there is at least 10dB dynamic range in most material and 20dB or more in well mastered material. With adequate buffering, one can easily deliver 10W or more to deal with impulses, even with a low power port and no external power supply.

Anyway, she said "portable", which excludes most speakers worth listening to.

Some high efficiency speakers might get away with 2.5 watts of juice but its split between two speakers unfortunately. Also the losses mean that you might only get half that (50% efficiency) with a class B op-amp so its going to be pretty low - about .6 watts output x2. It would be enough for near-field listening though as portable radios use something similar.

BTW the volume wars have dropped the dynamic range if music a lot but 10- 20 dB still seems a bit low.

Maybe there should be a design that requires four USB ports for bi-amping speakers, with dual mono PSUs for the amps (using good op-amps)! May be cool for portable sound.

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RE: USB-Powered Laptop Speakers - 10/10/2012 3:27:40 PM

Aswad

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Don't give me ideas, Anaxagoras. I have a soldering iron, and a 700Vrms amp to complete.

IWYW,
— Aswad.

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"If God saw what any of us did that night, he didn't seem to mind.
From then on I knew: God doesn't make the world this way.
We do." -- Rorschack, Watchmen.

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RE: USB-Powered Laptop Speakers - 10/10/2012 6:58:37 PM

Anaxagoras

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