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May 6, 2016 - 1:24am
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Most computer speakers are really crappy; no question about that.
I upgraded to a pair of Audioengine A2 powered speakers, and they are excellent; great sound and no amplifier to be concerned with. Just connect to the audio output jack of the PC and go. I put them behind and to either side of my 24" computer monitor.
You do need a subwoofer with any of these small speakers, but because the distance is small, the volume is not great and the sub does not have to be a powerhouse; a modest one will do fine.
I have a Sony 12" sub on the floor and it works fine. It cost around $100, but you can use a smaller one.
Your computer can stream all of the radio stations you want, plus Spotify and other services. Just go to tvradioworld.com and there are thousands of stations available.
Most computer speakers are really crappy; no question about that.
I upgraded to a pair of Audioengine A2 powered speakers, and they are excellent; great sound and no amplifier to be concerned with. Just connect to the audio output jack of the PC and go. I put them behind and to either side of my 24" computer monitor. Putting them on a shelf behind will work well too.
You do need a subwoofer with any of these small speakers, but because the distance is small, the volume is not great and the sub does not have to be a powerhouse; a modest one will do fine.
I have a Sony 12" sub on the floor (Sony WA2500-$77 from Amazon) and it works fine. You can use a smaller one if you want.
Your computer can stream all of the radio stations you want, plus Spotify and other services. Just go to tvradioworld.com and there are thousands of stations available. I listen to KUSC and Minnesota Public radio a lot for classical, plus you can get an 50s/oldies station from Beijing if you like....rofl.
Thanks for the reply, commsysman. I spent a fair amount of time looking at the Audioengine A2 as well as their D2 Wireless DAC. I'm sure that adding desktop speakers will sound about a million times better than the built in PC speakers. My main concern is that still placing them on my desk 2 ft away from my face will still be..... well, in my face. Then my thoughts are that if I'm placing something across the room, I'd probably be much happier with decent stereo speakers over nice computer speakers. Not really wanting to run cables across even the small room pushes me to wireless streaming. Has anyone had any experience with the Audioengine D2 Wireless DAC to make a recommendation?
I've also looked into the Sonos and Bose systems. While those were initially intriguing, I'm wondering if it'd be better to simply wait for something like the Yamaha WXA-50 to come out this fall.
I forgot to mention that there's another reason I'm not really wanting to stream solely from the PC. I do a lot of photogrammetry work that causes my desktop to use 100% resources while it's processing, sometimes for days straight. Opening a web browser can sometimes take a minute or more when it's running. So, I don't think that using the desktop to stream music would be the best choice. That's another reason I was hoping to get something that would wirelessly connect directly to my NAS.
After taking some measurements.... I think I can be easily persuaded in getting a full-size stereo receiver.
...and since you said:
...go with the Yamaha A-S301 (stereo integrated amplifier with built-in DAC)
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_022AS301B/Yamaha-A-S301.html
...add a little Intel NUC:
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/nuc/overview.html
(Even the lower-end NUC5CPYH has TOSLINK you can feed in to the A-S301. If you go with Windows 7/8, the universal ASIO driver works with the built-in audio. Could also install Audiophile Linux, if you your preference isn't Windows.)
...and choose whichever speakers you like with your remaining budget.
NOTE: this approach assumes you have a TV/monitor for the NUC.
If space is a concern, you could also look in to the Marantz slim line receivers.
I suggest that you get a NADC316BEE amplifier ($359), and a Grace Digital Internet Radio Tuner ($120).
The Grace will connect wirelessly by WiFi, and has analog outputs to go to any amplifier. It has a nice menu that will let you find stations by location, music genre, etc. and has over 10,000 preprogrammed world-wide stations (Grace Digital GDI-IRCA700).
A pair of Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 speakers would be good, or the ELAC B5 or B6.
Thanks again for the suggestions. I was not aware of the Intel NUC and it's an interesting little PC. Thanks for sharing that suggestion even though I doubt I'll be hooking up another monitor.
I'll be looking into the NAD amp and Grace Digital Internet tuner. I already ordered a pair of the ELAC B6, so I'll be making the decision shortly.
Cheers
I don't know what TV/monitor you have in your office, but you should be able to use whatever you already have in there. Here are a few options:
1. Many NUC models support Wireless Display (aka "WiDi) - more info here:
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/intel-wireless-display.html
(There are other links within the page where you can check WiDi compatibility and requirements.)
2. The NUCs have more than one display output type, and most modern monitors can receive more than one input.
3. If you have a legacy monitor, you can always get one of these to accommodate more than one source:
http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=101&cp_id=10104&cs_id=1010405&p_id=4083&seq=1&format=2