Recommendations for some decent stereo speakers specifically for trance/hard electronic music

Scott Salisbury · 20 Sep 2012 at 00:53

Hey all,

I currently own a set of Logitech z5500's which I still love and have been going strong for over 6 years. However, I no longer play PC games much anymore and only ever listen to music. I've always felt that music on 5.1 never sounds as good for some reason, so the z5500's are now where they belong - connected to the TV in the living room.

I'm now looking for a tidy stereo replacement.

When I first bought my headphones (Sennheiser hd25-1 II), many people said if you often listen to heavier/bassier music, specifically trance music then these are a great choice. I'm now also looking for similar recommendations for stereo speakers.

Budget up to £250
They will need to have optical input as they will be plugged in to my MacBook
Other inputs such as Coax would be nice but not essential.
They don't necessarily have to be loud, but quality is important.
Subwoofer optional, so long as the speakers themselves pack some punch
Primarily trance & electronic music
Amp?

I'm an audio noob when it comes to the technical stuff, I know I like good quality and I know there are many different ways to get. I'd just appreciate a starting point so I know I'm looking in the right direction.

Thanks in advance,
Scott.

Scott Salisbury · 20 Sep 2012 at 13:15

Just an update on this.

I've found these mentioned in various other threads:
http://www.superfi.co.uk/p-3250-wha...akers-sw150-subwoofer-21-speaker-package.aspx

Which look amazing, but I'm struggling to find an amp for them, any recommendations?

Again, something with optical inputs would be great.

Regards,
Scott.

Kei · 20 Sep 2012 at 15:59

Optical on a stereo amp is very rare. Only way to get around that problem is to have a standalone DAC. Might be able to find a basic prebuilt dac based on an AKM/wolfson chip for little money. (usually find them on ebay as kits)

Yaayuh! · 20 Sep 2012 at 16:52

Scott Salisbury said:
Just an update on this.

I've found these mentioned in various other threads:
http://www.superfi.co.uk/p-3250-wha...akers-sw150-subwoofer-21-speaker-package.aspx

Which look amazing, but I'm struggling to find an amp for them, any recommendations?

They not only look good but for that price they're flipping good and very hard to beat.
That sub is not bad for the price, sealed as well.

digyerownhole · 21 Sep 2012 at 14:09

Not sure the sub is going to be responsive enough for music.

In fact, when I was researching my HT system for the front room, there were lots of people unhappy with that Wharfedale sub when watching movies. Many opted to swap it out for something else (BK Gemini II is popular). However, this is from a HT perspective, not music.

I would personally forget the sub and put the money towards better stereo speakers, and look at floor standers if you have the space (including the recommended clearance to the walls). Just because you listen to trance, it doesn't mean you *have* to get a sub. Good stereo speakers with decent bass drivers will give you the responsive punchy bass you are after.

Leftfield's Leftism sounds pretty awesome through my Diamond 10.3s and that's through an Onkyo 6 Series AV amp. I'm sure a dedicated stereo amp would sound even better.

I do not know how to overcome your optical connection issue.

Hope that helps.

Scott Salisbury · 27 Sep 2012 at 13:11

digyerownhole said:
Not sure the sub is going to be responsive enough for music.

In fact, when I was researching my HT system for the front room, there were lots of people unhappy with that Wharfedale sub when watching movies. Many opted to swap it out for something else (BK Gemini II is popular). However, this is from a HT perspective, not music.

I would personally forget the sub and put the money towards better stereo speakers, and look at floor standers if you have the space (including the recommended clearance to the walls). Just because you listen to trance, it doesn't mean you *have* to get a sub. Good stereo speakers with decent bass drivers will give you the responsive punchy bass you are after.

Leftfield's Leftism sounds pretty awesome through my Diamond 10.3s and that's through an Onkyo 6 Series AV amp. I'm sure a dedicated stereo amp would sound even better.

I do not know how to overcome your optical connection issue.

Hope that helps.

Thanks a lot for the response, that is actually very helpful indeed. Just the kind of advice I'm looking for.

Cheers!