Looking for PC nearfield speaker for gaming and music under 350 USD

[silk186]

Hello everyone, I'm new hear and this is my first post. I came across this site looking for speaker reviews and comparisons.

I'm in China and I'm looking to upgrade my Edifier MR4 speakers that I've had for almost two years. I have Edifier A300 speakers for my TV and the difference in sound quality is too noticeable. I as a result I normally pair my phone with the A300s, but I also like watching music videos on YouTube. I've compiled a list of top-selling 2.0 speakers (I have a small child and a dog so not sub on the floor). Before moving to China I had Edifier s1000 for the TV and Microlab FC360 for my computer.

Initially, I was not looking to spend as much and was looking at the Edifier N300 which is a direct upgrade, but I'm concerned I won't be satisfied and want to upgrade again. So, I'm increasing my budget.

Here is a list of all the 2.0 speakers on the first two pages of Taobao that are desk size (I didn't include speakers like the s3000), and I'm not very familiar with which speakers are intended for nearfield. I'm tempted to pick up a pair of Edifier A100s, although they are a bit on the high end, they are 800 RMB off right now and I expect them to go cheaper next month for 11.11 which is like Chinese black Friday. As I'm in China, brands like Edifier and HiVi/Swan (I'm not very familiar with Swan's product line) tend to have a significant pricing advantage but I'm open to other suggestions.

• Edifier MR4 - 318 RMB (45 USD) --- I'm upgrading from these
• Edifier R1700BT+ - 492 RMB (70 USD)
• HiVi (Swan) D1100 - 659 RMB (94 USD)
• Edifier N300 - 740 RMB (105 USD) - the new computer speakers they just released
• ABRAMTEK D400BT - 809 RMB (114 USD)
• RunningMan CR3-XBT - 819 RMB (117 USD)
• Hivi (Swan) OS10 - 880 (124 USD)
• Edifier S880MKII - 984 RMB (140 USD)
• RunningMan CR4-XBT - 1149 RMB (163 USD)
• RunningMan CR5-XBT - 1400 RMB (199 USD)
• PreSonus E4.5 gen2 - 1429 (202 USD) Gen1 -
• Jamo mini - 1690 RMB (240 USD)
• PreSonus E5BT -1898 RMB (268 USD)
• Audiogeine A2+ - 1999 RMB (284 USD)
• PreSonus Eris Studio 4 - 2138 RMB (302 USD)
• Edifier A80 - 2318 RMB (330 USD)
• PreSonus Eris Studio 5 - 2858 RMB (404 USD)
• IK iLoud Micro Monitor - 2969 RMB (420 USD)
• Adam D3V - 3099 RMB (438 USD) - 0 sales
• Hivi (Swan) X4 - 3180 RMB (449 USD)
• Edifier A100 - 3218 RMB (458 USD) - Edifier flagship line

Over budget or unavailable but included in case they get recommended

• Elac Debut ConneX DCB41 5480 RMB (775 USD)
• KEF LSX II LT - 7980 RMB (1128 USD) - surprisingly selling well at this price
• Ruark's MR1 2280 RMB to 3680 RMB - 0 sales
• Q Acoustics M20 - not available
• Acoustic Energy AE1 Active - not available

 

[Penelinfi]

Also check out the recently released Adam D3V.

 

[silk186]

Thanks, added to the list. I'll look into them.

Also check out the recently released Adam D3V.

 

[silk186]

Also check out the recently released Adam D3V.

How does the Adam D3V compare to the Edifier A100?

 

[AnalogSteph]

Your list is quite the hodgepodge of all kinds of different speaker styles and sizes - active and merely powered (with varying amplifier output power, all analog or DSP), 3.5" to 5.25" class, with all kinds of inputs. Woofer size alone makes a massive difference to how loud and/or how deep they can play due to simple physical constraints. Also, I suspect the price you listed for the MR4 is for just one piece, not a pair. What kind of connections do you need, and what kind of listening distance to you have to cover?

Sets like the iLoud Micros or the ADAM D3V are expensive because they are basically a "squaring the circle" exercise, a technical tour de force - tiny speakers (3.5" class) with almost impossibly low bass extension for the size, with DSP crossovers and 2x 2 fairly powerful Class D amplifiers and a super flat frequency response at least on axis. (And when floating in thin air, hence why speaker stands to get them away from the desk are very much recommended for almost any monitor speaker.) You have to be aware that with something this size, deep bass handling capabilities are invariably going to be quite limited, they are advertised as desktop speakers for good reason.

Your MR4s are actually not bad speakers (even if there has been some variation, which almost means they should have sold a measurement microphone alongside them), there's just not a whole lot going on below 100 Hz and I assume that's what's mainly bothering you. Edifier makes a fairly inexpensive subwoofer matching them called the T5, you can try looking for that.
The "old" R1700BT at least doesn't seem to be that good.

RunningMan is probably Mackie, you should have an easier time finding reviews like that. Here's Erin's review for the CR-3X sans BT. Dreadful tuning and all the perks of powered speakers with a single capacitor crossover. The basic enclosure acoustic design is actually not that bad, but penny-pinching ruins them.

The Presonus Eris E4.5 (plus E3.5) is another model that suffers from a single capacitor crossover, I think some folks have had good results with a crossover mod. (I always thought they should have had a semi-decent crossover at this price point.) Again, the bones are basically good. The E5BT set may suffer from the same fate as it is another powered speaker with passive crossovers, while the "classic" Eris E5 is a proper active speaker. A bit prone to RF interference but basically decent.

The Eris Studio 5s happen to make an appearance here, and although there may be a bit of "Presonus house sound" going on in the frequency response (similar to the E5 XT but probably with bass reaching deeper) they come across as a decent option:

Although the ones closest to the Neumann KH80s surprisingly turned out to be the KRK Rokits (RP5 G4, I think, now superseded by the very similar G5). Can you find any of those? Other popular budget monitor options, arguably for slightly larger distances, include Kali LP6v2, JBL 305P MkII and the ADAM T5V.

The Audioengine A2+ may be one of the few powered speakers with an actually decent passive crossover.

I've never come across the Swan X4 before but they certainly look like they mean business. With their egg-shaped injection molded cases, they are reminiscent of older Genelec 8020s. I found this auction including a picture of individual frequency response measurements. -3 dB at 60 Hz compares quite favorably, -10 dB at 53 Hz no longer quite as much though it's still very decent. (You can probably tell why a smaller 3.5" class speaker that's flat to around 50 Hz is viewed as something special.) I assume that since they are an older design from 10+ years ago, they are still going to feature AB amps.

 

[silk186]

Your list is quite the hodgepodge of all kinds of different speaker styles and sizes - active and merely powered (with varying amplifier output power, all analog or DSP), 3.5" to 5.25" class, with all kinds of inputs. Woofer size alone makes a massive difference to how loud and/or how deep they can play due to simple physical constraints. Also, I suspect the price you listed for the MR4 is for just one piece, not a pair. What kind of connections do you need, and what kind of listening distance to you have to cover?

Sets like the iLoud Micros or the ADAM D3V are expensive because they are basically a "squaring the circle" exercise, a technical tour de force - tiny speakers (3.5" class) with almost impossibly low bass extension for the size, with DSP crossovers and 2x 2 fairly powerful Class D amplifiers and a super flat frequency response at least on axis. (And when floating in thin air, hence why speaker stands to get them away from the desk are very much recommended for almost any monitor speaker.) You have to be aware that with something this size, deep bass handling capabilities are invariably going to be quite limited, they are advertised as desktop speakers for good reason.

Your MR4s are actually not bad speakers (even if there has been some variation, which almost means they should have sold a measurement microphone alongside them), there's just not a whole lot going on below 100 Hz and I assume that's what's mainly bothering you. Edifier makes a fairly inexpensive subwoofer matching them called the T5, you can try looking for that.
The "old" R1700BT at least doesn't seem to be that good.

RunningMan is probably Mackie, you should have an easier time finding reviews like that. Here's Erin's review for the CR-3X sans BT. Dreadful tuning and all the perks of powered speakers with a single capacitor crossover. The basic enclosure acoustic design is actually not that bad, but penny-pinching ruins them.

The Presonus Eris E4.5 (plus E3.5) is another model that suffers from a single capacitor crossover, I think some folks have had good results with a crossover mod. (I always thought they should have had a semi-decent crossover at this price point.) Again, the bones are basically good. The E5BT set may suffer from the same fate as it is another powered speaker with passive crossovers, while the "classic" Eris E5 is a proper active speaker. A bit prone to RF interference but basically decent.

The Eris Studio 5s happen to make an appearance here, and although there may be a bit of "Presonus house sound" going on in the frequency response (similar to the E5 XT but probably with bass reaching deeper) they come across as a decent option:

Although the ones closest to the Neumann KH80s surprisingly turned out to be the KRK Rokits (RP5 G4, I think, now superseded by the very similar G5). Can you find any of those? Other popular budget monitor options, arguably for slightly larger distances, include Kali LP6v2, JBL 305P MkII and the ADAM T5V.

The Audioengine A2+ may be one of the few powered speakers with an actually decent passive crossover.

I've never come across the Swan X4 before but they certainly look like they mean business. With their egg-shaped injection molded cases, they are reminiscent of older Genelec 8020s. I found this auction including a picture of individual frequency response measurements. -3 dB at 60 Hz compares quite favorably, -10 dB at 53 Hz no longer quite as much though it's still very decent. (You can probably tell why a smaller 3.5" class speaker that's flat to around 50 Hz is viewed as something special.) I assume that since they are an older design from 10+ years ago, they are still going to feature AB amps.

This is some helpful info. Yes, I included all the speakers that I thought fit within the range, such as a PC speaker asnd not too big for my desk. I want to compare speakers against the Edifier A100, and this is one of the very few forums that has reviewed it.

I agree that the MR4s are not bad, but they are also aren't very fun to listen to. A sub is a good suggestion, but either my son or my dog would quickly destroy a sub on the ground.

iLoud Micros or the ADAM D3V - amazing engineering but do they sound better than something a bit larger that can also fit on my desk?

RunningMan is probably Mackie ... I guess this is why I haven't seen them recommended as much recently.

Although the ones closest to the Neumann KH80s surprisingly turned out to be the KRK Rokits (RP5 G4, I think, now superseded by the very similar G5). Can you find any of those? Other popular budget monitor options, arguably for slightly larger distances, include Kali LP6v2, JBL 305P MkII and the ADAM T5V.

I did a quick search and found everything you listed.

• Neumann KH80 - 3200 RMB (452 USD)
• KRK Rokit RP5 G4 - 2778 RMB (393 USD)
• Kali LP-6 v2 - 3893 RMB (551 USD)
• JBL 305P MkII - 2600 RMB (368 USD)
• ADAM T5V - 3200 RMB (452 USD)

 

[silk186]

Also, I suspect the price you listed for the MR4 is for just one piece, not a pair. What kind of connections do you need, and what kind of listening distance to you have to cover?

This is the pricing for Edifier products in China. As they aren't imported they are significantly cheaper. I don't think any of the speakers in my original post can be purchased independently. I will be connecting the speakers to my computer so 3.5mm or USB, but optical and BT would be appreciated.

Edifier A100 is currently on sale for 3118 RMB (441 USD) - for a pair - and I expect a bigger discount for 11.11 next month.

 

[regan]

Edifier S350/S360 and you're set. You can find them used for around $150.

 

[silk186]

Edifier S350/S360 and you're set. You can find them used for around $150.

I can pick them up for around $130 new, but as I mentioned above, I have a dog and a small child so the sub would not last.
Otherwise, I could add a T5 sub to the MR4s I have now.

 

[silk186]

I've had time to do more research and I've attempted to trim a long list that kept growing.

My desk limits me to speakers less than 20cm wide so 4" or 5" speakers and not more than 25cm deep or I will have to pull my monitor too far forward.

All prices are for a pair of speakers - Edifier and Swan are cheaper in China.
I cut out a bunch of cheaper options and anything that seemed too wide or too deep for setup.

I also updated prices as one of the biggest sales of the year 11.11 has started, as well as fixed a few pricing errors as shopping on a Chinese site can be difficult, especially with speakers that sell in singles and pairs with different accessory bundles.

• Edifier MR4 - 318 RMB (45 USD) --- I'm upgrading from these
• PreSonus E4.5 gen2 - 1338 RMB (188 USD)
• PreSonus E5BT -1688 RMB (237 USD)
• M-AUDIO BX5 D3 - 1914 RMB (269 USD)
• Hivi (Swan) X5 - 1999 RMB (280 USD)
• PreSonus Eris Studio 4 - 2026 RMB (284 USD)
• IK iLoud Micro Monitor - 2069 RMB (290 USD)
• JBL 305P MkII - 2240 RMB (314 USD)
• Jamo C705 - 2290 RMB (321 USD)
• Edifier A80 - 2318 RMB (330 USD)
• Adam D3V - 2600 RMB (368 USD) - has USB input
• KRK Rokit RP5 G4 - 2778 RMB (393 USD)
• Edifier A100 - 3188 RMB (448 USD) - has USB input

Please let me know if any other speakers are unsuitable and help me pick the best option from the list of speakers for my computer that will be used for YouTube, music, and gaming. If it matters, my computer is against a wall in a large living room and the speakers will be around 80cm away from me.

 

[Ellebob]

From that list I'd Go JBL, IK iLoud and possibly the Adam D3V. Haven't heard the Adam.

 

[silk186]

From that list I'd Go JBL, IK iLoud and possibly the Adam D3V. Haven't heard the Adam.

I never would have added JBL without a recommendation, though I have bought their BT speakers. Is the JBL better than the PreSonus speakers in the list?
The IK iLoud Micro Monitor is not the most attractive speaker and I don't really need to go that small and the pro model is way over my budget.
I like the look of the Adam D3V but we don't have any reviews yet and the USB is a huge plus over an unbalanced input I would imagine.

I have a 32" monitor and I'm planning to build in an O11 vision so I don't want the speakers to be too small, so less than 20cm wide and 25cm deep. The KRK Rokit RP5 G4 will just fit but not anything bigger. The sad thing is that everything has gone online in China, and the electronic malls are not what they used to be so I don't think I can go anywhere to demo speakers beforehand. The PreSonus speakers also look nice, but there are so many models around the same price and size. As @AnalogSteph said, I'm probably missing the low end so I want something that can manage that without the aid of a sub.

Is the JBL better than the PreSonus speakers on the list? If so I can narrow the list a lot, I've also heard that the KRK Rokit RP5 G4 are very good, so at least I can narrow down between the larger speaker and than hope we get some reviews of the D3V soon.

 

[Ellebob]

Presonus don't measure well and would be bottom of my list. JBL best measuring of that bunch and has good dynamics. Definitely, don't compare to their BT speakers which tend have the bass turned up. The iLoud being smaller you do give up some dynamics and I am not sure would be enough upgrade over your MR4. If you prefer something a bit smaller, I would look at the Kali LP-UNF. I would still choose the JBL though if space is not an issue.

I am not a JBL fanboy I would choose a Kali LP-6 over them but that is a larger speaker. Some would choose the T5V over them. Of the speakers you narrowed it down to, the JBL would be my top pick. YMMV.

 

[AnalogSteph]

My faves would probably be:

• M-AUDIO BX5 D3 - 1914 RMB (269 USD) <-- see here
• Hivi (Swan) X5 - 1999 RMB (280 USD) <-- look up what people write about hiss levels, looks very interesting otherwise
• PreSonus Eris Studio 4 - 2026 RMB (284 USD) <-- new but looks decent
• JBL 305P MkII - 2240 RMB (314 USD) <-- make sure you don't have an issue with hiss
• KRK Rokit RP5 G4 - 2778 RMB (393 USD) <-- also check for current G5
• Edifier A100 - 3188 RMB (448 USD) - has USB input <-- I think the smaller Airpulse speakers have a bit of a reputation for being low on bass

What do you have in terms of outputs? You want to be able to connect monitors without ending up in ground loop hell straight away. Some sort of dongle DAC with balanced 4.4 mm output and a 4.4 mm Pentaconn to 2x XLR male cable would be one of the more elegant solutions, but there are others.

 

[silk186]

Based on the feedback I'm down to three:

• M-AUDIO BX5 D3 - 1448 RMB (203 USD)
• PreSonus Eris Studio 4 - 2026 RMB (284 USD)
• JBL 305P MkII - 2240 RMB (314 USD)
• Kali LP-UNF - 2549 RMB (359 USD) - computer speaker with USB
• Adam D3V - 2600 RMB (368 USD) - computer speaker with USB

 

[silk186]

My faves would probably be:

What do you have in terms of outputs? You want to be able to connect monitors without ending up in ground loop hell straight away. Some sort of dongle DAC with balanced 4.4 mm output and a 4.4 mm Pentaconn to 2x XLR male cable would be one of the more elegant solutions, but there are others.

KRK Rokit RP5 G4 - 2778 RMB (393 USD) and the G5 is 3596 RMB (506 USD), I think I saw in a thread they weren't better or not worth the premium. I don't know enough to understand all the data so I mostly go with the conclusions.

My laptop has a 3.5mm Audio Combo Jack. I will be upgrading to a desktop soon, which will have Analog + SPDIF. I will try to get one with a good audio codec. I can get a DAC if needed, but I thought that they aren't required for powered speakers, and that USB is a good way to connect speakers to a computer. That's one of the reasons I'm going with powered speakers, to keep things simple and avoid needing a stack of devices.

 

[AnalogSteph]

I can get a DAC if needed, but I thought that they aren't required for powered speakers, and that USB is a good way to connect speakers to a computer.

If there is USB (or Toslink) input that's usually a good option, yes.

If you need to use an analog connection, combining unbalanced consumer audio output on computers and any monitor that is an IEC Class I device (generally recognizable by its 3-prong power connector) is virtually guaranteed to give you trouble, with things like mouse movements or GPU activity plainly audible in the speakers thanks to a ground loop. This had basically made it to FAQ status even 10 years ago.
There are various ways of addressing the issue (e.g. I am running a 3.5 mm stereo to 2x 1/4" TS cable into a Behringer HD400 and 2x TRS to XLR from there), but I would very much like you to recognize the problem and not make the same mistakes so many of us did in the past. (I bought my first active monitors in 2007 but lived with low-level ground loop noises for years - thankfully the input volume could be turned waaaay down - until I finally revamped the wiring in 2014.)
I mentioned the USB dongle DAC with balanced headphone out route because these things are generally tiny, can be quite inexpensive ($50-80 maybe) while performing very well, and are made by several Chinese brands. By the time you're getting to a Topping D10 Balanced, you're in a price region that would also get you a decent entry-level USB audio interface with a volume knob and XLR mic input that may prove handy for a measurement mic later (in fact, even an Audient iD4 MkII or a 4th gen Focusrite Scarlett Solo is slightly cheaper around here, not to mention a 3rd gen on closeout or misc. other options like a Tascam US-1x2HR).

 

[silk186]

If there is USB (or Toslink) input that's usually a good option, yes.

If you need to use an analog connection, combining unbalanced consumer audio output on computers and any monitor that is an IEC Class I device (generally recognizable by its 3-prong power connector) is virtually guaranteed to give you trouble, with things like mouse movements or GPU activity plainly audible in the speakers thanks to a ground loop. This had basically made it to FAQ status even 10 years ago.
There are various ways of addressing the issue (e.g. I am running a 3.5 mm stereo to 2x 1/4" TS cable into a Behringer HD400 and 2x TRS to XLR from there), but I would very much like you to recognize the problem and not make the same mistakes so many of us did in the past. (I bought my first active monitors in 2007 but lived with low-level ground loop noises for years - thankfully the input volume could be turned waaaay down - until I finally revamped the wiring in 2014.)
I mentioned the USB dongle DAC with balanced headphone out route because these things are generally tiny, can be quite inexpensive ($50-80 maybe) while performing very well, and are made by several Chinese brands. By the time you're getting to a Topping D10 Balanced, you're in a price region that would also get you a decent entry-level USB audio interface with a volume knob and XLR mic input that may prove handy for a measurement mic later (in fact, even an Audient iD4 MkII or a 4th gen Focusrite Scarlett Solo is slightly cheaper around here, not to mention a 3rd gen on closeout or misc. other options like a Tascam US-1x2HR).

Thanks for another thoughtful reply. I appreciate the explanation as I didn't understand why one was needed. I did try to read through forum posts but it wasn't explained what I needed and why. For reference a Topping D10 balanced is around 110 USD and a Focusrite Scarlett Solo is on sale for the same price right now. I'm familiar with the Focusrite because I was trying to get my wife to use an XLR mic for recording social media content. She ended up going with the wireless DJI mics for wireless multi-mic support which is much easier with a larger size team. I used optical before and lost the ability to control volume from my keyboard, would this be a problem with a USB output? Is USB output comparable to optical output from a new motherboard?

JBL 305P MkII + a USB DAC would be comparable in price to either the Kali LP-UNF or Adam D3V (still waiting on reviews for these).

 

[silk186]

Based on feedback from @AnalogSteph I'm removing Adam D3V from my list.

So, it's about KRK Rokit RP5 G4/JBL 305P MkII + DAC or Kali LP-UNF over USB-C.

• KRK Rokit RP5 G4 - H 285mm W 190mm D 241mm W 4.85KG
• JBL 305P MkII - H 298mm W 185mm D 231mm W 4.73kg
• Kali LP-UNF - H 254mm W 164mm D 186 mm W 3.2kg / 3kg

1. The Kali LP-UNG is smaller and has built-in USB, will it the sound be very different compared to the JBL 305P MkII or KRK Rokit RP5 G4? I want decent bass and very clear vocal/dialogue as I watch a lot of YouTube content and videos.
2. Will the experience of using the KRK/JBL with a DAC for balanced input be very different from using the Kali over USB-C? Will I still be able to use the volume knob on my keyboard?

I'm leaning towards the Kali for the size and the inclussion USB-C input and want to order tonight or tomorrow. I have BT on my Edifier A300 which is on the opposite side of the room so it's not really needed unless I move and my computer goes into a different room.

 

[silk186]

The speakers and Sweetwater ST001 arrived this afternoon and I just finished setting them up. Thanks to everyone who helped me find these speakers, I hadn't heard of Kali before, these look nicer and fit better on my desk compared to the A100 speakers I was initially going to buy. My 8-year-old daughter says they sound much better. I appreciate the clarity and bass, these are great!