Best 2.1 Sound System for Under $400

[Ralf11]

zero for 4 & 5

 

I'd go used.  Does the $400 include speakers?

[Ralf11]

Sure.  I don't know much about those systems, but you might look at Bose.

 

Or go to Crutchfield's web site and see what they have - it will be cheaper elsewhere but they have good support.

 

Used might get you some nice old bookshelf HiFi speakers and then a used but recent receiver with a builtin DAC that can tie into various transmission methods from the Macbook pro, which has Toslink hidden in the headphone jack.

 

I use a $40 used Apple TV3 to capture Apple AirPlay off WiFi from a mac mini.  That would fit your budget.

[Ralf11]

BTW, big zero for 1b also

[Ralf11]

Toslink likely will not sound much different for you - I asked this question w/o a budget constraint recently - thread title is Best Digital Interface or some such; you can search it up and read it, but AFAIK it depends on the implementation, not so much the technology type

 

an inexpensive DAC like the DragonFly Black should a noticeable difference - it is well reviewed

 

Dr. Amar Bose was a genius, and his co. uses bioacoustics 'tricks' to make rel. cheap components sound better than you'd expect.

 

Best is if you test the two systems in your home - Crutchfield lets you return things, so you need to search up a similar offer for the Klipsch.

 

Or... just get the Klipsch.

[Ralf11]

longest dimension of the room will determine resonant modes - i.e. the peak in frequency where the room size affects the amplitude of the sound

 

don't be confused about his use of the word "support" as a short-cut

 

if you want to read more search on "Master Handbook" and you'll find a thread where I stuck in a cite to the that, and also a simpler online explanation

 

Once you get the system, you might want to post a dimensioned drawing of your room and some pics - don't be afraid to spend as much time on your setup as the people with the mega-buck systems do

 

also, if you want to put in some time you can build your own absorbers & diffusors for cheap

[Ralf11]

golden ratio dimensions minimize the problems with longitudinal and transverse room modes (i.e. resonances)

 

this affects bass up to mids

 

do a search here for "master handbook" and you will find a thread I started with 2 sources to help explain room acoustics

[Ralf11]

Some Bad news from the Master Handbook of Acoustics:

 

Rooms smaller than ~1,500 ft3 are highly prone to sonic coloration (p. 331, citing Gilford)

 

Optimum room size for music is larger than that for speech and is from 3,000 ft3 to 35,000 ft3 (based on reverb time of 0.6 ms to 1.1 ms) - p. 348-349 Hndbk

 

but the bed might actually help as it can act as an absorber

 

how do you feel about headphones?

 

you can just treat the !&^*()_* out of it and make it sound a lot better...

[Ralf11]

I believe all of us kibitzers agree - absorb the fk out of it.

 

personally, I hate headphones, but do recognize their superior SQ/$$ status.  But you want t fell the bas, so...

[Ralf11]

the wardrobe might act like a helmholtz resonator...

[Ralf11]

BTW, OP do you rent or own the house?

[Ralf11]

Right - the room doesn't affect the headphone sound.  An extra sheet of drywall on all walls, with the acoustic goop in between, might be doable.  Tearing up the floor for extra bracing, no.

[Ralf11]

the things I've mentioned are all worthwhile no matter what speakers are used

[Ralf11]

OP, I don't know of another audio forum (at any level) with better informed people on it.  There are quite a few engineers in the audio (mostly digital) field here.  I don't know if there are any specialists in acoustics or cognitive psychology.  (There is a woo-woo contingent  however, so you can't believe everything you read on the internet.)

 

The site is slanted towards higher end audio, but it is a good discipline for people to think about "what is the best sound one can get for a lower price point" and besides, the SQ per unit dollar is going up over time.