If you want your speakers to sound fairly realistic, I'd recommend getting ones that include a sub-woofer and an maybe a 50 watt, or so, amp. Your sound system chip in the computer might put out 1 watt of audio. I have tried a number of systems over some time and I've settled on the Logitech Z4 system which has a 6.5 inch sub-woofer with an amp and 2 speakers that fit on the desk - it's prolly out dated by now. This cost me about $80 or so. It's worth having some bass for watching movies or playing games.
I suspect the X-140's and the VS2620's are pretty much the same. I've had the Altecs predecessor, the VS2120, which are no longer available. The sound was decent but I preferred the sound from an older Logitec two speaker system I also once had. Just my experience, but Altec Lansing makes the best high end speaker systems, but they are also expensive. Logitec makes better sounding "cheap" equipment.
The reviewer is blowing smoke, because neither of these systems will reproduce "bass" since it's low pass frequency is below what the included speakers can perceive or reproduce.
OK. If you are comparing the sound from a 1 inch speaker with a 3 inch speaker, you will certainly hear more mids from the 3 inch one. I think a set of speakers that cost a bit more would be the better way to go. If you don't have much power, you can't push the speaker cones around very much to make a realistic sound. Do you have headphones? What do you use for your MP3 player? I think every one has one of those these days - even me. I got one when Nikolai's headphones started shorting out. I soldered the wires up and taped them. They work for me. I bought him a $40 Sanza that is much smaller and seems to have all the features one expects. We also bought some $15 SONY headphones that provide quite a bit of bass. Since the headphones don't have to shake an entire room, they don't require as much power or magnets. It would be a cheap way to get full frequency response audio.
Do you want to play games with these speakers? The surround 5.1 or 7.1 systems give you a bit more info about what's out there shooting at you. My boys play games with headphones because it's too disruptive to have the war in the living room with the 100 watts and the ancient Bose 901 speakers. You do hear the explosions in full battle array with those speakers.
The woofer placement isn't very important. The highs from the two smaller speakers are more directional and need to be on either side of the screen to give you that info. One sub-woofer and 50 watts is enough to give you that earthquake feeling anywhere in the room.
How about if the volume is low though? I just wonder (as a total newb when it comes to this sort of thing, BTW) if a 2.1 system will be inferior in that case.
Still think I'm going to go with either the X-140's or the VX2620's for now, but...
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http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121002
The reviewer is blowing smoke, because neither of these systems will reproduce "bass" since it's low pass frequency is below what the included speakers can perceive or reproduce.
If you don't have much power, you can't push the speaker cones around very much to make a realistic sound. Do you have headphones? What do you use for your MP3 player? I think every one has one of those these days - even me. I got one when Nikolai's headphones started shorting out. I soldered the wires up and taped them. They work for me. I bought him a $40 Sanza that is much smaller and seems to have all the features one expects. We also bought some $15 SONY headphones that provide quite a bit of bass. Since the headphones don't have to shake an entire room, they don't require as much power or magnets. It would be a cheap way to get full frequency response audio.
Do you want to play games with these speakers? The surround 5.1 or 7.1 systems give you a bit more info about what's out there shooting at you. My boys play games with headphones because it's too disruptive to have the war in the living room with the 100 watts and the ancient Bose 901 speakers. You do hear the explosions in full battle array with those speakers.
Still think I'm going to go with either the X-140's or the VX2620's for now, but...