teknoid Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 For a long time now my PC audio has been a fairly nice 2.1 channel system built by Altec Lansing. It was decent but certainly not real good. Adequate is the best way to describe it. A while back a forum friend offered me a a second hand Qinpu tube/ss hybrid amp at a price I couldn't refuse. I paired it with a pair of Polk R20 speakers. Better than the Altecs but still not much more than adequate. A few weeks ago Newegg offered up the Andrew Jones designed bookshelf speakers at under 50 bones delivered so I sprang for a pair. Only in the last few hours have I had a chance to unbox them and hook them up. I have to say that they're a HUGE step up from the old Polk's that I was listeneng to. Considering the $$ this kit is the best under $100 PC audio setup I've ever heard. And this is what it looks like: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Jeff, I love me some great sounding budget tunes. My PC is connected to an early 2000's Onkyo HT-R500 HTiB receiver driving a pair of Celestion MP-1 bookshelf speakers. Speakers were free and the Onkyo was bought for around $350.00 back in 2002. The sound quality far exceeds my expectations. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teknoid Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 All things considered it's a pretty cool little audio system. The Qinpu amp has a tubed front end with some nice Russian built tubes and the amp end is a well respected SS amp module. As for the speakers Mr. Jones designs for Pioneer have been the stuff of legends, Truth be told I don't care about all of the myths or legends. All I care about is how it sounds. What I can tell you is that it sounds a whole lot better than a under $100 PC sound system should. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Truth be told I don't care about all of the myths or legends. All I care about is how it sounds. What I can tell you is that it sounds a whole lot better than a under $100 PC sound system should. The Qinpu amp has a tubed front end with some nice Russian built tubes and the amp end is a well respected SS amp module. That's a cool looking little amp. Enjoy. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 i use pc audio as my exclusive source. good stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 There are a wonderful pair of palladiums for sale in the garage sale section... better gettem op. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I have heard good things about the Andrew Jones speakers. Nice setup! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I have the PC ghetto stereo... Straight off a junk Dell Inspiron sound card, into a MCS series 3849 integrated amp. The MCS runs a pair of little Altec 405 4" full range speakers, mounted in Radio Shack Minimus 4 enclosures sealed. A audio friend gave myself a DBX DB SW 2X6 subwoofer, and then I found the compatible DBX XB150 amplifier for the subwoofer. The original RS drivers in the Minimus 4 sounded dreadful. It sounds better that it seems...you can really beat on it... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStewMan Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 i use pc audio as my exclusive source. Isn’t that kind of snobby? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 i use pc audio as my exclusive source.Isn’t that kind of snobby? Of the utmost order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStewMan Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 i use pc audio as my exclusive source.Isn’t that kind of snobby? Of the utmost order. pardon me; but, do you have any Grey Poupon? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 (edited) All things considered it's a pretty cool little audio system. The Qinpu amp has a tubed front end with some nice Russian built tubes and the amp end is a well respected SS amp module. As for the speakers Mr. Jones designs for Pioneer have been the stuff of legends, Truth be told I don't care about all of the myths or legends. All I care about is how it sounds. What I can tell you is that it sounds a whole lot better than a under $100 PC sound system should. What DAC are you all using? I use a Dragonfly 1.0 or 1.2 (either will do) to drive Promedia 2.1's, and am very impressed with the musicality and around quality, even from my MacBook Pro which is known for its quality sound. While computers' internal DACs are often said to be crapola, the Dragonfly replaces the internal DAC with its own superior DAC circuitry, from something no larger than a thumb drive. This shows up in the MacBook Pro. Very compact and inexpensive. Edited March 26, 2015 by LarryC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I use an Emotiva Stealth DC-1. It serves as both my DAC and pre-amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I use an Emotiva Stealth DC-1. It serves as both my DAC and pre-amp. Fed by your headphone output, or which output? Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USNRET Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 My Gigabyte GA-G1 Sniper motherboard has several audio features including an op-amp kit with a variety of chips. I send the analog out to an Emotiva Mini-X amp to Klipsch KG-1.5s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I use an Emotiva Stealth DC-1. It serves as both my DAC and pre-amp.Fed by your headphone output, or which output? Thanks, USB from the raspberry pi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prerich Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 My Gigabyte GA-G1 Sniper motherboard has several audio features including an op-amp kit with a variety of chips. I send the analog out to an Emotiva Mini-X amp to Klipsch KG-1.5s Very nice shipmate!!! Which op amp are you using on the board? Oh and have you seen the 32bit/192khz 8 channel DAC that featured on the MSI Z97 gaming 9AC/K boards?!!!! Very nice design indeed. I wish they would have left the word gaming out - because this could be an audiophile board indeed. I think that board is using the top of the line Wolfson DAC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 "Does a 2-Channel PC sound system count?" Do you enjoy listening to the system? If the answer is - YES then it absolutely counts..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 (edited) I take my Promedia 2.1's with me whenever I go away on vacation to the beach. Beach rental houses always have the crappiest sound systems on the planet. The Promedia's kill them all. I drive them with an old school Walkman cd player, and if the young whippersnappers want to play their "I" whatever's they work too. But then again, back in the mists of time, we 'd use a portable record player right on the beach. From doing that the sand trashed one of the best reggae collections on the planet. A crappy delivery system, but the music still sounded great, once you put your head into it. Ultimately, truly enjoying music is more mental that mechanical. Edited March 27, 2015 by thebes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.