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Speakers for Small Listening Spaces (Computer Desk)

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ignis-fatuus

Member
I've recently updated my computer workspace with a dual monitor setup. Unfortunately the speakers which are built into the monitors are simply terrible. Looking at the equipment I have at my disposal, I am thinking of driving a small pair of speakers with a Pioneer SA-7100 that I recently recapped. Now I am scratching my head trying to think of a small (very small) set of speakers that I can use. I don't have a whole lot of desk real estate to work with, but I am open for suggestions. I would rather not go the traditional powered computer speaker route as they are often pretty meh...and I'm quite fond of my SA-7100.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
 
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RxDx said:
At least specify your size limit and what your budget is.
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Size, the smaller the better to be honest. These would likely have to sit on a desk. Computer desktop speakers come to mind...then again, I think that could have been inferred from the original post. As far as price, would like to keep it around a couple hundred bucks if possible.
 
I've got a pair of Klipsch Promedia 2.1's Two (roughly 4x8 inch) speakers....size includes their stands.

Seperate sub sitting on floor.

VERY tickled with their sound.
 
Side comment, I've got FOUR monitors on my desk. One personal for me (using it right now) and three others all for work. I've got the speakers poking through the gaps between the monitors. Works well but my wife always says my desk is very cluttered.
 
If you haven't thought of it, a DAC may be in order, as opposed to plugging the "headphone out" of a computer into the line level inputs of the Pioneer.
If you're using the computer for source material, that is.
 
Energy 5.1 speakers. Amazing sound from tiny speakers and seem to be a lot of them around for inexpensive. Super high quality, sound great and pound it out if need be.

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The 8" sub is excellent as well if you have room. You will have a very good sound. (flipped over)

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If you don't mind vintage, Realistic Minimus 7's can be had for cheap and sound pretty dang good for their size.
......
.......what?
...someone had to say it :)
 
valvenator said:
If you don't mind vintage, Realistic Minimus 7's can be had for cheap and sound pretty dang good for their size.
......
.......what?
...someone had to say it :)
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You beat me to it. They're plentiful and cheap, and GOOD. I've had a couple of pair over the years, but my nicest (and current) set came free with a $10 receiver at a garage sale a few years back. They're currently used as mains powered by a 35wpc Denon receiver and sound 5x their size in that space.
 
I like my Canton gl260s. I have used the Minimus 7, lx5, canton plus s, and a few others and wanted a subwoofer. I don't wish for the subwoofer with the gl260's. Now that is for the computer sound system. I have another system beside it to listen to amazon music stream, and it has klipsch kg .5, with a set of r51m setting on deck to be replaced when I can get things moved around.
 
valvenator said:
If you don't mind vintage, Realistic Minimus 7's can be had for cheap and sound pretty dang good for their size.
......
.......what?
...someone had to say it :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. For their price and relative ubiquity, they should do nicely until I locate something better. I never really gave them much thought as I was never a fan of Radio Shack. Reading reviews, however, they don't sound that bad; a little light with the bass maybe, but likely a vast improvement over the tinny laptop speakers built into my computer monitors. Maybe I can track down a pair with walnut cabinets.
 
Porkloin said:
I don't know if they're small enough, but they DO have the legendary Air Motion Transformer.

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Those Emotivas are almost a dead ringer (even down to the cabinet facets) for the Adam A3X studio monitors I use with my computer. I would recommend the Adam A3X's because they sound amazing for their size, but they are over budget and are powered monitors rather than passive speakers. If the Emotiva's sound anything like the A3X's, they might be a very good choice.


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Emotiva:

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Well it seems like I started this thread ages ago but the original posting dates to only a couple of months ago. How time flies. Well, here's an update. I recapped and put a LOT of elbow grease into restoring my Pioneer SA-7100 integrated amplifier. That took longer than expected since half the boards were of different revisions from what my service manual specified and I had to order a number of caps, transistors, etc. that were not accounted for.

I picked up a pair of Realistic Minimus 7W speaks on that "auction" site for $30 bucks. They sounded really nice as they were but decided to shove some newer crossovers into them and updated them with modern binding posts. The next step will be to redo the grille covers--I am temped to try recovering them in something other than black/dark brown. That and building my own Zilch X-overs and replacing the ScAmazon specials that I currently in there.

As it is, I can't be happier. The only thing I'd change is that I'd like to place the dual monitor stand on top of the amplifier (it's literally the same width as the 7100), but weighing it at ~ 28 lbs, I feel like it's a bit too much stress to place on the aging amplifier.

Anyway, thanks for your help. I am very happy with the suggestion regarding the Minimus 7s. They certainly punch above their weight class.

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