Help setting up Audio system for laptop

[Bobby182]

Im looking to buy a set of speakers to hook up to my laptop because playing music on it as is sucks. My price range is about 150, so any suggestions on how best to spend that money would be appreciated. I also don't need 5.1, I think something like 2.1 is good enough. I was checking out the Creative I-Trigue series which looks pretty decent, any thoughts on that? I really don't know much about speakers or what makes them good, so I'd be interested in a website or something that can explain the basics.

I'm also not sure if I should get a sound card- will it make much of a difference in the sound I get from my speakers? (If I end up getting one, it will be in addition to the 150 for the speakers)

One last thing, I will be using these primarily for music, dont know it that makes a difference.

I think thats it, and thanks in advance for any help.

 

[turtile]

Logitech Z-2300

Creative makes external USB cards and card slot ones for laptops.
http://creative.com/products/welcome.asp?category=1

 

[molsen]

i wouldn't spend much $$$ on speakers if you're not going to get a better soundcard. you'll never realize their full potential with onboard sound

 

[jonny_uk]

Logitech z230 2.1, i got some a few weeks ago and was absolutly amazed with them, and still am, especially as they were so cheap.

Plus im running the onboard sound, trust me these will sound good without a swanky sound card

 

[molsen]

but they'll sound alot better with a better soundcard. your speakers can only sound as good as the music that's being sent to them

 

[NewCents05]

so youre saying that he shouldnt buy speakers at all rather than buy speakers with the on board sound?

and yeah id say hands down logitech z-2300 or 2200 people say they like the 2200 more than the 2300 so i dunno

as for sound card creative makes good ones for notebooks
http://cgi.ebay.com/Creative-Sound-...ryZ44981QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
external usb or they have one makes use of that pci slot

 

[turtile]

Z-2200 are better - they are larger and have more mid range.

Logitech shrunk the Z-2300 so they can make it cheaper.

2200's are discontinued so they are hard to find anymore.

 

[molsen]

so youre saying that he shouldnt buy speakers at all rather than buy speakers with the on board sound?

and yeah id say hands down logitech z-2300 or 2200 people say they like the 2200 more than the 2300 so i dunno

as for sound card creative makes good ones for notebooks
http://cgi.ebay.com/Creative-Sound-...ryZ44981QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
external usb or they have one makes use of that pci slot

no, that's not what i'm saying. I'm just saying he's not going to come close to realizing the full potential of those speakers unless he upgrades the soundcard. I don't give a d*mn what he does...I'm just offering a suggestion for better sound quality.

 

[Bobby182]

Thanks for the input guys. I just checked out the 2300 at Circuit City, and that sucker is BIG. They should have made the sub taller as opposed to short and wide, but whatever. The sound quality is a lot better than the intrigue 3800, which is the other one I was looking at.

I also ended up buying the Audigy 2 ZS sound card, but am gonna return it tommorrow for two reasons. One, it won't play music over my laptop speakers like I thought it would, and two, it sticks out half an inch from the laptop, while I thought it would go completely inside. If im gonna have something stick out might as well get the NX.

One last thing, I started to consider getting 5.1. With 5.1, does it have to be surround sound? Because surround sound for music would be more annoying than anything. Would something, like say, the Logitech THX z-5300e (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16836121121) be better than the 2300?

 

[NewCents05]

nah not really id stick with the 2300 unless you want surround sound