[QUOTE="KHAndAnime"][QUOTE="Nethemis"]

never knew 84 dollars was cheap these days :roll:

yachtboy

Its mostly a dilemma of both functionality and space. Full bookshelfs are only practical if you have the adequate space to both position and fit the gear. Considering that most PC setups are situated in tight spaces, its not always possible to add on a 30+lb receiver, subwoofer, and standing bookshelves. In these cases, active near-field bookshelves will make a lot more sense than full blown home theater setups. As far as Logitech, Creative, and Altec Lansing are concerned, I agree that their version of "desktop speakers" are absolute garbage but there are many companies that offer solid PC bookshelf options.

I'm currently using the Swan M200MKIII and I really couldn't be any happier atm with my desktop setup. I'll add on a subwoofer in the future to deepen the low-end, but at the moment its doing quite fine for my needs. I've also used the KRK Rokkit RP8 G2 and found it to be excellent as well. Quality PC audio does exist, its just a matter of wading through the pool of crap filled with cruddy sattelite setups.

Palin.

While Palin may be ignorant, Bachmann is absolutely insane.

Good for it, but something is now confusing me when I compare this to another recently released movie.

"Wow! Harry Potter part 1 and 2 was so awesome! The first half set up the narrative, and then the second half was all about the war and the emotions that come with the battles. Awesome movie! - 96%"

"Dude! Transformers 3 was so bad! The first half just set up all the narrative and the second half was all about the war and the emotions that come with the battles. Terrible movie! - 36%"

Anyone want to explain the difference? The first half of Transformers was awesome with setting up the plot and Shia Labeouf and the rest acted strongly. The second half was all action, and it was very pretty and also emotional. What makes HP so much better than Transformers?

cgi15

More or less likely, its the context of the plot. I could care less about the Harry Potter movies so I won't comment on them but I found the plot in Transformers 3 to be a bit dull with mediocre performances. Anyhow, my rule of thumb with Rotten Tomatoes is to wait about a week for the score to stabilize before gauging the movie. Its not uncommon to have 95%+ movies on opening weekends drop to the 70's or lower somewhat quickly once more reviews get in.

I've been using these for a little over a year and they're still going strong. Be warned however that the wire from the plug to the LED strip is somewhat short; you will need close access to an outlet if you want to use this set without an extension cable. Also the remote sensor can also be a bit tricky to install since it requires a direct path with the remote and is attached directly to the LED strip. I have mines duct taped underneath the table with the sensor head sticking out just slightly. Using the remote, you can adjust both the brightness and color along with activating/deactivating a few strobing/fading effects.

Heres a pic of my setup with blue set as the default color (LED strips are attached behind the desk):

Pen Tablet + desktop is more ideal than a laptop + desktop imo.

Laptops can be great assuming that you take classes where lectures can be summarized in a brick of text combined with the given supplementary materials. If a lot of diagrams/free-hand work get thrown around, then a pen tablet + One Note is a much better combo.

Save the cash for a future upgrade in another year or two. I have a similar setup except with 2x OC'd 4870's and the only game to really cause me any problems at 1080p is the Witcher 2.

If you want, you can buy a nice case since you don't sound too happy with your CM. A good case will last you quite awhile.

A DIY Cmoy amp or the JDS Labs Cmoy pre-built is an excellent bang for the buck portable solution.

Also, the Fiio E11 (Quite new with good reviews) and iBasso T3 are good alternative options. If you are looking for a clean amp, the E11 would probably be the best option. The T3 adds a bit of warmth to the sound signature which can be good/bad depending on your preferred sig.

As for your laptop, consider a DAC + AMP combo to address the poor quality of the onboard audio.

Things I like: Balut, foi gras, fried tarantula legs (not a fan of the squishy bodies though), roasted quail, durian, pork kidneys, and quite a few others.

Balut and durian in particular are the worst offenders; the first for its content, the second for its smell.

I usually don't rag on people based on what they eat but ketchup on steak is something I absoutely can't stand and will generally comment on if I see it.

Speakers:

You can assemble a make-shift bookshelf setup or go for any of the following:

Klipsch Promedia 2.1

Swan D1080MKII

Audio Engine A2

KRK Rokit G2 5" (Buy them used, they are roughly $300 new but I've seen some on Ebay go for around $200).

All of these speakers except for the Rokits are under $200 and are excellent desktop solutions. They will stomp over any Logitech, Altec Lansing, or Creative (The gigaworks 2.1 is pretty good from what I hear however) speaker sets.

Alternatively, you can grab a decent soundcard/amp and pair it with some solid headphones.

I have both headphones. I planned on ebaying them after picking up the AKG 702 and DT 990 but never got around to it. Instead I gave the HD555 to my gf and kept the AD700 on the wall for aesthetics sake.

Anyways, as far as gaming is concerned, I find the AD700 to be superior to the HD555. The soundstage is wider and thus the response in regards to positioning is better. When it comes to music, they are both great headphones depending on your taste. Personally, I find the HD555 to be a bit too "dark" but considering that its Sennheiser, its not surprising since the dark signature is common among the HD series.

The AD700 from my experience, is also more friendly to people who have big heads (me for example). The HD555s are comfortable but can be a bit tight if your noggin is larger than average. The AD700's on the other hand, can be a bit loose if your head is small.