Desktop Speaker Recommendation

[maty]

BEST Budget Speakers under $400

 

[Antz123]

Hello @Zapper

The reason to look at the R1700BTs model was to have that subwoofer option, especially with a high pass filter as you have mentioned.

Incidentally, I also found two more Edifier models:

• Edifier R1855DB (https://www.edifier.com/product-r1855db.html# ) This model seems to be a slight upgrade and costs around 197 USD – lower than R1700BTs (209 USD) It is marginally higher in terms of wattage, has relatively newer Bluetooth 5.1 vs 5.0, however, the amp class is not clearly defined for R1855DB (R1700BTs it says class-D).
• Edifier M601SDB (https://www.edifier.com/product-m601db.html) This is a 2.1 model, the specifications are a bit muted, so would be the build quality, however, comes with a class-D amp, at just 220USD. It seems to be a decent sound for the money, though I doubt it would be winning any sound quality tests, at that price point it is tough to criticize. I believe, if I compare it to Klipsch GMX-A it would still be a step up.

@VeerK

As much as I could read, and view the reviewers' Kali lp6v2 seems like the best option. The price of over 450USD makes me think so much, compared to JBL 306p mk2, that are priced similarly to USA prices in India. (For Kali, Amazon.com is 398 USD, Amazon.in is 489 USD) JBL would cost me 354USD

In my initial shortlist, I also kept another Speaker - Moukey M20-3. It is a passive 3-way speaker. The speaker costs around 100 USD on Amazon.com, and the same speaker is costing 323 USD in India. The price difference is just atrocious.



@Curious-Following-85

I use to do that for simple stuff all the time. Then post 2018 Indian custom duty has gone wild. If I order 20 USD worth of mobile accessories, I was charged 9 USD worth of customs and taxes. Electronics is much worse. Probably why the Amazon.in prices are this bonkers. To arrive at my shortlist, I scanned all the recommendation lists, then picked on the ones that were at least somewhat comparable to Indian prices. Moreover, if there is a component failure or shipping damage, I can easily solve things locally.

@zolall

That is R1700BT, they are different from R1700BTs. BT model has a subwoofer output similar to R1855BT. Though the build quality should be the same for all three models. Keeping in mind they are half of JBL 306P M2 Price, I do not expect them to be adhering to JBL standards ( JBL306P is for 348USD Vs R1800BT is for 197 USD; that is over a 150USD difference)

 

[Antz123]

BEST Budget Speakers under $400

The issue I face is availability & price differences. If I go the Passive and Amp route then the speakers can not be too costly. Ideally, around 200 USD for the speaker as the Amp too would cost me more than 100 USD. Thus these were the only ones I had kept on my initial list. I saw many good reviewers sharing their favourite setups. However, my price jumps are kinda crazy.

	USA	India	Price Difference
Neumi BS5	449​	550​	-101​
Emotiva B1+		586​
Polk XT20	299​	367​	-68​
ELAC Debut 2.0 6 (DB62)	280​	489​	-209​
Wharfedale 12.1	449​	550​	-101​
Kali LP-6V2 (active)	398​	489​	-91​
Polk ES10	150​	240​	-90​
Micca RB42	150​	198​	-48​

 

[ZolaIII]

@Antz123 only difference is absence of BT board (tiny blue one on internal main board). Don't expect quality from any of budget suggestions (including Kali's and JBL), that would cost you a lot more in a form of Genelecs or Neumanns, Yamaha use old proven and tough stuff while not sounding fantastic and only HS8 are really good but they are 612 $ (pair cheapest I could find in India) and you would need balanced DAC/interface for them.

 

[Antz123]

@Antz123 only difference is absence of BT board (tiny blue one on internal main board). Don't expect quality from any of budget suggestions (including Kali's and JBL), that would cost you a lot more in a form of Genelecs or Neumanns, Yamaha use old proven and tough stuff while not sounding fantastic and only HS8 are really good but they are 612 $ (pair cheapest I could find in India) and you would need balanced DAC/interface for them.

true, even a pair of HS5 would cost me 415USD and of course HS8 a lot more (thank you for searching). Such is the struggle, trying to do the best of my total outlay.

 

[maty]

Maybe, cheap studio monitors made by Thomman: Swissonic A306, A308.

Swissonic A308

Active Studio Monitor 2-Way System with Class D amplifiers, Power: 100 watts bi-amplified (50 + 50 watts), Speaker configuration: 8" woofer and 1" Silk tweeter, Frequency range: 38 - 20000 Hz, Crossover frequency: 2600 Hz, Signal to noise ratio >...

www.thomann.de

Swissonic A305

Hello, thomann just released a new small studio monitor Swissonic A305 5" woofer 100$ Might be an interesting price performance candidate. Best Thomas

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[ZolaIII]

true, even a pair of HS5 would cost me 415USD and of course HS8 a lot more (thank you for searching). Such is the struggle, trying to do the best of my total outlay.

Swallow biter bite to your wallet and go for Kali LP 6 V2's and make sure you buy them locally with valid warranty.
First generation of Kali's LP-6 did fairly good regarding measurements but have a high self hum (self noise) which is annoying when they don't play anything or if they play on quiet leaves. If that's not a problem for you. But make sure it isn't by auditioning them how ever possible! You can find them for about 10000~11000 rupees less in Indimart.

Kali Audio LP- 6 Studio Monitor

Sabari Musicals - Offering Black Kali Audio LP- 6 Studio Monitor at Rs 14300/unit in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Get Audio Monitor at lowest price | ID: 21968631730

m.indiamart.com

Read carefully discussion about self noise, and take a look at measurements!

Kali LP-6 Review: Studio Monitor

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Kali Audio LP-6 powered monitor (speaker). I purchased it for testing I think back in February or March. There has been a lot of requests to test it so I thought I do it before the year is over! The LP-6 costs US $149 on Amazon including Prime...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[valerianf]

As you are looking for a low cost audio solution for computer I can propose another option.
First you will need a woofer that has a desk control unit, a class D amplifier with stereo output (high pass filter) for small passive satellites.
Long time ago I bough a Edifier S330D.

Then you trash the low quality passive satellites to get a pair of small bookshelves speakers.
I bought a pair of Micca Covo S (2 way coaxial speaker).

In final, to adjust the frequency response between the bookshelves speakers and the woofer you can install Equalizer Apo.
Et voila, the sound is far better than the Edifier solution alone for a small expense (in the US the Micca cost less than $100 for a pair).

 

[poxymoron]

M-Audio BX8 D3 Monitor Review

This is a review, listening tests and detailed measurements of the M-Audio BX8 D3 studio reference (active speaker). I purchased it new from Amazon June of last year for $503. It seems discontinued now. Look and feel is excellent. There is rubberized paint around the drivers which gives the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Antz123]

@ZolaIII - given my budget and the reality of things I think I might go with Edifier or jbl 305 , Thank you for the guidance.
@valerianf - Dumping to get micca later on, or rather get Edifire 1800bt with a subwoofer was a thought. I hate wastage and I am a frugal buyer I might go with the latter solution. I would get a subwoofer later on. - Thank you
@poxymoron - They will cost me 15USD lesser in Indian market compared to Kali lp6 V2. I would prefer Kali over them - Thank you

 

[Zapper]

The Edifier 1855's have a sub out but they don't mention a high pass filter, which is useful to reduce the high distortion that all woofers generate when attempting to play bass below their lower rolloff frequency.

This discussion is relevant.

R1855db have only sbc bt codec, Amplifier TAS 5707, Dont have subsonic filter on sub out, Sub out port - 0-100 hz, r1855db when connecting a subwoofer does not cut the signal on the woofer of the speakers themselves, 70w rms. R1700bts have sbc, aptx, aptx hd codec (aptx hd working 24 bit), Have sub sonic filter, Sub out port up to 2 khz. Amplifier TAS5805, 66w rms, 1700bts, when connecting a subwoofer, slightly unloads the woofers of the speakers themselves, thereby creating a more even frequency response and the bass controls on the speaker affect the subwoofer output port. (I have r1700bts and edifier t5 sub)

I would choose the 1700bts for the high pass and the aptx bluetooth.

 

[Antz123]

The Edifier 1855's have a sub out but they don't mention a high pass filter, which is useful to reduce the high distortion that all woofers generate when attempting to play bass below their lower rolloff frequency.

This discussion might be relevant.

going by their marketing, if it's not said it is not there. Like no mention of filter class either. then either I go with the m601dB cheap and cheerful 2.1 system or 306K JBL

both are miles apart by quality and price. m601 is 220$ and 306K JBL is 337$ - thank you

 

[poxymoron]

I have two sets of Edifiers, S1000DB for my desktop and S3000pro for my main system, and I'm happy with them both, Edifier can make good speakers. I do have an itch to upgrade my desktop Edifiers soon though.

 

[Antz123]

I have two sets of Edifiers, S1000DB for my desktop and S3000pro for my main system, and I'm happy with them both, Edifier can make good speakers. I do have an itch to upgrade my desktop Edifiers soon though.

Ha ha I don't want this itch anytime soon. I am looking at three Edifiers and JBL 306 as my final call. At this point, I think I will do a random name picker online and go with it

 

[ZolaIII]

To brake down unreasonable people myths. Those cheap Edifiers have bad crossover and that's the reason for midrange deep. In other words it's broken design. The high pass filter is simple pasive 80 Hz one and only with cheap one's that have it (work's pretty good actually). A DSP implementation with normal tweeters starts with R2000DB models and up (I don't believe models without optical input have them) and they don't have high pass filter implemented.
Things aren't great even with their T5 sub (no wonder as it's 8"). Warenty in India is non existent! To sum it up R2000DB + T5 together cost little less in India then Kali LP 6 V2's (about 400$ on flipkart) and little more in EU/US. You get nothing except hustle and of course you don't get high pass filter. JBL 306P is balanced only and once again you get less and pay more as you need balanced DAC/interface to feed it properly.
Who doesn't understand I give up!

Edifier R1280DBs (sub-out) + T5 review

For the first time the delivery is not in a 20kg box, that's refreshing. Oh hey it says Bluetooth 5.0 on the box. Unboxing The bag tells you to keep it away from babies. This is a grown man's speaker. The double-layer of wrapping is what we've gotten used to seeing from Edifier ...as...

forums.hardwarezone.com.sg

Once again read about Kali LP 6 first generation and self noise their amplifiers produces and see if that's acceptable to you as those you can get for 350$ and I already told you where.

 

[Zapper]

To brake down unreasonable people myths. Those cheap Edifiers have bad crossover and that's the reason for midrange deep. In other words it's broken design. The high pass filter is simple pasive 80 Hz one and only with cheap one's that have it (work's pretty good actually). A DSP implementation with normal tweeters starts with R2000DB models and up (I don't believe models without optical input have them) and they don't have high pass filter implemented.

That is incorrect. You are showing evidence from the R1280DBs - this does not apply to the models Antz123 is considering. Both the R1855db and the R1700bts are bi-amped and have DSP. It's in the specs.

As for the nature of the high pass filter in the R1700bts, what evidence do you have that it's a simple passive 80Hz one? Several review sites call it a "digital crossover" but don't say where that information came from.

 

[ZolaIII]

No

That is incorrect. You are showing evidence from the R1280DBs - this does not apply to the models Antz123 is considering. Both the R1855db and the R1700bts are bi-amped and have DSP. It's in the specs.

As for the nature of the high pass filter in the R1700bts, what evidence do you have that it's a simple passive 80Hz one? Several review sites call it a "digital crossover" but don't say where that information came from.

No I don't, however I have evidence how crossover between build in driver's is bad as it can be which makes them trash.
Now please present your "evidence". I don't believe they would miss to marketing such along with adding digital inputs. Future on I don't believe they wouldn't put such "digital" sub crossover on the model that costs 2x more and more expensive and higher end models if they had it done already.

 

[Zapper]

No
No I don't, however I have evidence how crossover between build in driver's is bad as it can be which makes them trash.
Now please present your "evidence". I don't believe they would miss to marketing such along with adding digital inputs. Future on I don't believe they wouldn't put such "digital" sub crossover on the model that costs 2x more and more expensive and higher end models if they had it done already.

Actually it's on one of Edifier's many web sites.

30W + 36W RMS undistorted power, 4 inch woofer, and 19mm silk dome tweeter, the Edifier R1700BTs active Bluetooth bookshelf speakers make even the hardly-noticeable sounds very clear. And the DSP(Digital Signal Processing) and DRC (Dynamic Range Control) helps to minimize distortion for improved audio even at low volume.

When connected the sub-out automatically detects the subwoofer and activates the digital crossover. Dual RCA inputs allow you to connect to two devices at a time. Connect to your devices such as phone, PC, laptop, tablet, or gaming console with RCA to RCA audio cable, and 3.5 mm-RCA audio cable, eliminates the need to switch cables.

I wish Edifier would provide some specifications and more detailed descriptions for these features.

 

[ZolaIII]

Actually it's on one of Edifier's many web sites.

I wish Edifier would provide some specifications and more detailed descriptions for these features.

I told evidence, not marketing quites.
Guy who did measurements on that forum says the digital crossovers start from R1850DB but it was even lower bass output so for both better tweeters and digital (optical) input R2000DB (along with bass) is a better chance.
I stand on rest and R2000DB with budget 10" subwoofer which have high pass is not a bad choice. But why to go that way? In the end it costs more than getting good speakers to start with.

 

[Antz123]

Hello All Good People.

So I ordered R1800BT Edifier. It got delivered on Monday. I played various tracks on it for the past two days. I watched a movie and also fidgeted with the Volume to ascertain coherence.

The Speakers for their price are - Nice -. That's it. The mid-bass felt dominant. I am not a treble or bright music lover, but it was mostly missing. The dialogues during the movie thus at times were incoherent. Whereas, I was not expecting a bass punch of a subwoofer, but a decent warmth on some tracks I felt was lacking. I tried some Eq settings that reduced the midbass yet other tones were not shining out that well.

I have sent them back I was super careful and had the option to return them if the inspection team is okay with how I handled them.

Now, back to square one. I had an opportunity to hear, the JBL 308P series at a store, Even in the store environment I felt it was not exactly silent, there was a very low mild hiss. Maybe I am too sensitive, however, once my ears picked that up, I was not able to let it go. I did not read about the hiss in the 305P review, however, online many had mentioned the "JBL Hiss".

Thus, currently, I am left with one over my budget Kali LP2 V6 as an option.

My realistic options are either a good Active or a good Passive+Amp, Can think of a subwoofer sometime down the line.

Powered:

1) M-Audio BX8 D3 (469 USDIndia )

M-Audio BX8 D3 Monitor Review

This is a review, listening tests and detailed measurements of the M-Audio BX8 D3 studio reference (active speaker). I purchased it new from Amazon June of last year for $503. It seems discontinued now. Look and feel is excellent. There is rubberized paint around the drivers which gives the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

2) Kali LP6 V2 (523 USD India)

Passive:
1) Polk Audio Signature Elite ES10 (USD 224 India vs 229 USD USA)
2) Moukey M-20 Threeway (USD 322 India vs 99 USD USA)
3) Polk Audio XT15 (USD 255 India vs USD USA)

Amp Options for Passive:
1) AIYIMA A08Pro (183 USD India vs 149 USD USA)
2) AIYIMA D03 (173 USD India vs 160 USD USA)
3) Fosi Audio BT30D (192 USD India vs 90USD USA)
4) AIYIMA T9 ( 135 USD India vs 130 USA USA)

So, ya I keep checking on reviews and the pricing in India. I will update all, if I could find the perfect mix for me.