speakers double you tee eff???

ok so after alot of research and recommendations from forums like this one and others, I decided to purchase the m-audio av40 studio monitor speaker set. Im no DJ so I can't really tell, but why does it sound as if these $145 speakers sound the same if NOT WORSE than the $30 creative speaker set with woofer I got at canada computers??

AV 40

VS creative A220

Because you have crappy onboard sound, crappy source material, or a combination of both.

Because you have crappy onboard sound, crappy source material, or a combination of both.

ChubbyGuy40

i have an asus xonar dg 5.1 sound card, which I was told is much better than onboard. The a220, $30 speakers are hooked up to the onboard audio on my secondary computer... Im not sure what you mean by source material

i have an asus xonar dg 5.1 sound card, which I was told is much better than onboard. The a220, $30 speakers are hooked up to the onboard audio on my secondary computer... Im not sure what you mean by source material

blaznwiipspman1

What are you pumping through them? MP3s, video games, movie sound, ect. They shouldn't be sounding bad by any means. How much have you messed with ASUS's EQ?

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

i have an asus xonar dg 5.1 sound card, which I was told is much better than onboard. The a220, $30 speakers are hooked up to the onboard audio on my secondary computer... Im not sure what you mean by source material

ChubbyGuy40

What are you pumping through them? MP3s, video games, movie sound, ect. They shouldn't be sounding bad by any means. How much have you messed with ASUS's EQ?

i listen to mostly mp3's, some video games, also some youtube music usually set at 720p or higher. Tthe music dosn't sound bad at all by any measure, it sounds great. Im just pissed since the av40s are on the same level as my a220's which i got for literally $30 AND came with a sub. again im no audiophile so maybe i can't understand the difference, but no matter how hard i try to deny it, the sound quality is on the same level as the a220. The a220 also has a sub which gives it a slight edge. I haven't touched the eq settings on the xonar, its set at default. Will it sound much better when i get a dedicated sub for it?

[QUOTE="ChubbyGuy40"]

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

i have an asus xonar dg 5.1 sound card, which I was told is much better than onboard. The a220, $30 speakers are hooked up to the onboard audio on my secondary computer... Im not sure what you mean by source material

blaznwiipspman1

What are you pumping through them? MP3s, video games, movie sound, ect. They shouldn't be sounding bad by any means. How much have you messed with ASUS's EQ?

i listen to mostly mp3's, some video games, also some youtube music usually set at 720p or higher. Tthe music dosn't sound bad at all by any measure, it sounds great. Im just pissed since the av40s are on the same level as my a220's which i got for literally $30 AND came with a sub. again im no audiophile so maybe i can't understand the difference, but no matter how hard i try to deny it, the sound quality is on the same level as the a220. The a220 also has a sub which gives it a slight edge. I haven't touched the eq settings on the xonar, its set at default. Will it sound much better when i get a dedicated sub for it?

If you're not an audiophile, then the worst thing you can do is listen to audiophiles for speaker advice. If you just wanted some nice boomy speakers, you could have gotten some logitech or klipsch 2.1 set with a lot more bass for the same price.

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

[QUOTE="ChubbyGuy40"]

What are you pumping through them? MP3s, video games, movie sound, ect. They shouldn't be sounding bad by any means. How much have you messed with ASUS's EQ?

topgunmv

i listen to mostly mp3's, some video games, also some youtube music usually set at 720p or higher. Tthe music dosn't sound bad at all by any measure, it sounds great. Im just pissed since the av40s are on the same level as my a220's which i got for literally $30 AND came with a sub. again im no audiophile so maybe i can't understand the difference, but no matter how hard i try to deny it, the sound quality is on the same level as the a220. The a220 also has a sub which gives it a slight edge. I haven't touched the eq settings on the xonar, its set at default. Will it sound much better when i get a dedicated sub for it?

If you're not an audiophile, then the worst thing you can do is listen to audiophiles for speaker advice. If you just wanted some nice boomy speakers, you could have gotten some logitech or klipsch 2.1 set with a lot more bass for the same price.

im not just talking about the bass, the sound quality overall on the a220 is the same as the av40. I still love music even if im no audiophile. also my headphones, the srh 750dj also sound better than both the a220 and the av40s. Only thing it lacks is hard bass.

[QUOTE="ChubbyGuy40"]

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

i have an asus xonar dg 5.1 sound card, which I was told is much better than onboard. The a220, $30 speakers are hooked up to the onboard audio on my secondary computer... Im not sure what you mean by source material

blaznwiipspman1

What are you pumping through them? MP3s, video games, movie sound, ect. They shouldn't be sounding bad by any means. How much have you messed with ASUS's EQ?

i listen to mostly mp3's, some video games, also some youtube music usually set at 720p or higher. Tthe music dosn't sound bad at all by any measure, it sounds great. Im just pissed since the av40s are on the same level as my a220's which i got for literally $30 AND came with a sub. again im no audiophile so maybe i can't understand the difference, but no matter how hard i try to deny it, the sound quality is on the same level as the a220. The a220 also has a sub which gives it a slight edge. I haven't touched the eq settings on the xonar, its set at default. Will it sound much better when i get a dedicated sub for it?

Depends what you're listening for. I find it hard to believe that you can't decipher the difference between the A220 and the AV40. What bitrates are your MP3's running at? If you have any CD's lying around, download EAC, use it to rip the CD in FLAC, and run it through Foobar to see if you can decipher the difference. Listen initially for the difference in frequency ranges (there should most definitely be a difference), and then look to the accuracy of the notes (are trebles rolled off, is the bass punchy vs. boomy, etc.). Then look towards soundstage. I find the best way to test this is to sit a few feet back from the speakers and close your eyes. You should be able to separate each instrument played within a song much better on the AV40's compared to the A220.

Why did you spend 150$ on speakers when you're not an audiophile?MonsieurX

Anyways, OP, there's no way the $30 speakers match the AV 40s in sound quality. I'm sure they have more bass, but I doubt they have the volume, clarity, or overall quality to match the AV40s. To take advantage of the AV40s you should have a sound card of some kind and MP3s that are at least 256kbps+.

What are you listening for that makes you think the $30 speakers sound better? Give the AV40s some time to break in and listen to them for awhile, I bet after listening to the AV40s for a couple of weeks, it'll be hard to go back to a cheaper speaker.

Why did you spend 150$ on speakers when you're not an audiophile?MonsieurX

$150 is hardly audiophile...

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

[QUOTE="ChubbyGuy40"]

What are you pumping through them? MP3s, video games, movie sound, ect. They shouldn't be sounding bad by any means. How much have you messed with ASUS's EQ?

ravenguard90

i listen to mostly mp3's, some video games, also some youtube music usually set at 720p or higher. Tthe music dosn't sound bad at all by any measure, it sounds great. Im just pissed since the av40s are on the same level as my a220's which i got for literally $30 AND came with a sub. again im no audiophile so maybe i can't understand the difference, but no matter how hard i try to deny it, the sound quality is on the same level as the a220. The a220 also has a sub which gives it a slight edge. I haven't touched the eq settings on the xonar, its set at default. Will it sound much better when i get a dedicated sub for it?

Depends what you're listening for. I find it hard to believe that you can't decipher the difference between the A220 and the AV40. What bitrates are your MP3's running at? If you have any CD's lying around, download EAC, use it to rip the CD in FLAC, and run it through Foobar to see if you can decipher the difference. Listen initially for the difference in frequency ranges (there should most definitely be a difference), and then look to the accuracy of the notes (are trebles rolled off, is the bass punchy vs. boomy, etc.). Then look towards soundstage. I find the best way to test this is to sit a few feet back from the speakers and close your eyes. You should be able to separate each instrument played within a song much better on the AV40's compared to the A220.

thnx for the tip, but my problem is alot more basic than this. Ive found that for some reason, the sound is better through the onboard audio than the sound card. I can tell the av40 sound better than the a220. Suprisingly though the a220 still holds up, its definitely a champ. My sound card could possibly have been damaged when i switched cases. Its the asus xonar dg. Still if thats not the case and the sound just sucks naturally, then i will have to give up on sound cards altogether. Thanks for the tip on the FLAC ripping, I will have to try that out when i get some time. Anyhow, any recommendations for sound cards that I could audition, a subwoofer to add to my speakers would be appreciated.

[QUOTE="ChubbyGuy40"]

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

i have an asus xonar dg 5.1 sound card, which I was told is much better than onboard. The a220, $30 speakers are hooked up to the onboard audio on my secondary computer... Im not sure what you mean by source material

blaznwiipspman1

What are you pumping through them? MP3s, video games, movie sound, ect. They shouldn't be sounding bad by any means. How much have you messed with ASUS's EQ?

i listen to mostly mp3's, some video games, also some youtube music usually set at 720p or higher. Tthe music dosn't sound bad at all by any measure, it sounds great. Im just pissed since the av40s are on the same level as my a220's which i got for literally $30 AND came with a sub. again im no audiophile so maybe i can't understand the difference, but no matter how hard i try to deny it, the sound quality is on the same level as the a220. The a220 also has a sub which gives it a slight edge. I haven't touched the eq settings on the xonar, its set at default. Will it sound much better when i get a dedicated sub for it?

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]i listen to mostly mp3's, some video games, also some youtube music usually set at 720p or higher. Tthe music dosn't sound bad at all by any measure, it sounds great. Im just pissed since the av40s are on the same level as my a220's which i got for literally $30 AND came with a sub. again im no audiophile so maybe i can't understand the difference, but no matter how hard i try to deny it, the sound quality is on the same level as the a220. The a220 also has a sub which gives it a slight edge. I haven't touched the eq settings on the xonar, its set at default. Will it sound much better when i get a dedicated sub for it?

Marka1700

I have listened to those creative speakers and even my logitech X-530 sound better so I really find it hard to believe what you are saying. :?

Either your new speakers are faulty or something is wrong with the computer.

A $200 set of headphones will often sound as good if not better than a $1,500 home theater.

As for the AV40's, it sounds like they may be faulty. They are going to sound better than your existing speakers, audiophile or not. The internal amplifier or crossover could have been damager, the tweeter might have disconnected, or there could be another, unknown issue; exchange them.

If you are unable to exchange them with a local retailer, contact M-Audio directly and let them know about your issue. Most reputable manufacturers will have a satisfaction guarantee, particularly on this type of product. They may offer to exchange your item if you request it, or even an upgrade. You'll have to make a pretty convincing argument for the latter, though.

Good luck,

Boz

Headphones will almost always sound better than a stereo.

Bozanimal

Plus a headphone can never reproduce the "boom" and sound stage of speakers. Ofcourse they give superior sound quality and detail per $$ but it's not really that simple to say that they are "better".

[QUOTE="Bozanimal"]

Headphones will almost always sound better than a stereo.

Gambler_3

Plus a headphone can never reproduce the "boom" and sound stage of speakers. Ofcourse they give superior sound quality and detail per $$ but it's not really that simple to say that they are "better".

sorry, my av40 do have better sound quality than the a220's. But its hard to say that in a definite way for me. Its not like the same jump as was going from 1440X900 to 1080p was. Also bass wise, the a220's completely crush my av40's. Im not even completely sure if the audio is supposed to sound the way it does on my av40's or not, since I really have nothing else to compare it to other than my a220's, so i don't want to return it if its not warranted. Maybe i can go out somewhere and audition some speakers. Would these speakers sound similar to my av40's:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/bose-companion-2-series-ii-speaker-system-40274/10078651.aspx?path=6212b45ea6d99983e0b0b002ef4e0d5fen02

or this one

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/bose-bose-companion-20-multimedia-speaker-system-silver-companion-20/10175580.aspx?path=d9c47b90afd1c1a6476486c92b1ce97ben02

Im also looking at subs to pair up with my speakers to turn it into a 2.1 system. Would this sub work

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/precision-acoustics-10-150-watt-powered-subwoofer-hd-s10/10101487.aspx?path=c139d69baee10927f30ae1656379fc97en02

What sort of budget are you on? Also as it appears bass is very important to you, you should go for a 2.1 setup.

I want to spend less than $200 for a sub. I don't mind if its used if I can get a better quality one. Also I have no clue on how im going to hook up the sub to my av40s

This KEF PSW-2150 is only $150 on Canuck Audio Mart.

http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/648967536-two_kef_powered_subwoofers/

It has a high pass out which you would send to your AV40s

This KEF PSW-2150 is only $150 on Canuck Audio Mart.

http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/648967536-two_kef_powered_subwoofers/

It has a high pass out which you would send to your AV40s

NVIDIATI

thanks alot, i sent him a msg, hopefully i'll get it. Im pretty big noob so im not sure what you mean by high pass. What connection, and what wires do I connect from the highpass to which port on my av 40s?

[QUOTE="NVIDIATI"]

This KEF PSW-2150 is only $150 on Canuck Audio Mart.

http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/648967536-two_kef_powered_subwoofers/

It has a high pass out which you would send to your AV40s

blaznwiipspman1

thanks alot, i sent him a msg, hopefully i'll get it. Im pretty big noob so im not sure what you mean by high pass. What connection, and what wires do I connect from the highpass to which port on my av 40s?

PC (Line Out) --3.5mm to RCA--> (Line In) Subwoofer (High Pass Output) --RCA to RCA--> Speakers (Line In)

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

[QUOTE="NVIDIATI"]

This KEF PSW-2150 is only $150 on Canuck Audio Mart.

http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/648967536-two_kef_powered_subwoofers/

It has a high pass out which you would send to your AV40s

NVIDIATI

thanks alot, i sent him a msg, hopefully i'll get it. Im pretty big noob so im not sure what you mean by high pass. What connection, and what wires do I connect from the highpass to which port on my av 40s?

PC (Line Out) --3.5mm to RCA--> (Line In) Subwoofer (High Pass Output) --RCA to RCA--> Speakers (Line In)

3.5mm to rca cable from pc -->subwoofer high pass output left/right

line in left/right from sub with rca to rca cable-->line in speakers

do i got this right?

[QUOTE="NVIDIATI"]

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

thanks alot, i sent him a msg, hopefully i'll get it. Im pretty big noob so im not sure what you mean by high pass. What connection, and what wires do I connect from the highpass to which port on my av 40s?

blaznwiipspman1

PC (Line Out) --3.5mm to RCA--> (Line In) Subwoofer (High Pass Output) --RCA to RCA--> Speakers (Line In)

3.5mm to rca cable from pc -->subwoofer high pass output left/right

line in left/right from sub with rca to rca cable-->line in speakers

do i got this right?

3.5mm to rca cable from pc -->subwoofer line in left/right

high pass output left/right from sub with rca to rca cable-->line in speakers

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

[QUOTE="NVIDIATI"] Pretty much you set it up like this.

PC (Line Out) --3.5mm to RCA--> (Line In) Subwoofer (High Pass Output) --RCA to RCA--> Speakers (Line In)

NVIDIATI

3.5mm to rca cable from pc -->subwoofer high pass output left/right

line in left/right from sub with rca to rca cable-->line in speakers

do i got this right?

3.5mm to rca cable from pc -->subwoofer line in left/right

high pass output left/right from sub with rca to rca cable-->line in speakers

cool awesome thanks alot! Also since the sub is second hand is there anything i should be wary of before i buy it? I will definitely see it in action before i purchase it

[QUOTE="NVIDIATI"]

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

3.5mm to rca cable from pc -->subwoofer high pass output left/right

line in left/right from sub with rca to rca cable-->line in speakers

do i got this right?

blaznwiipspman1

3.5mm to rca cable from pc -->subwoofer line in left/right

high pass output left/right from sub with rca to rca cable-->line in speakers

cool awesome thanks alot! Also since the sub is second hand is there anything i should be wary of before i buy it? I will definitely see it in action before i purchase it

Anyways best of luck! If you have anymore questions or concerns feel free to post back here.

This KEF PSW-2150 is only $150 on Canuck Audio Mart.

http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/648967536-two_kef_powered_subwoofers/

It has a high pass out which you would send to your AV40s

NVIDIATI

What do the ground and music/cinema switches do?