Retro PC Speakers

[jonnnypceq]

So I know a lot of people probably don't look back fondly on the PC speakers of the 1980's, 90's, and early 2000's. But I remember some of them sounding really good to me.

Now I am trying to put together a retro station with a Philips 27" CRT I acquired that looks really good. Speakers crackle on it. Audio out works perfectly and audio is controlled separately. So looking for some old PC Speakers to use with it. For one I found them fun and second it pretty much guarantees in most instances they will be shielded, a must for a CRT.

I remember a few sets that always sounded great. The Klipsch Pro Media stuff comes to mind. I believe Altec Lansing had a set that did like a 100w or something in a 5.1 setup my friend had that blew us both away. I know Boston Acoustics had some stuff that was supposedly legit, including I believe was it Gateway they made a great set for? I never heard any of them. Also seems like Yamaha made some sets popular for a while. Of course maybe also a couple of the Logitech THX systems. I'm sure that the Roland stuff might come up.

Now before I get crucified for like the sound of these. My ear is not untrained. I have run sound. I grew up with my dad in the Studio's in Nashville as he was a bass player. I have had the opportunity to be around producers and audio engineers and musicians my whole life.

I won't claim that PC speakers are always the most accurate. But for gaming the boomy subs and what not just hit different. It makes it just kind of fun to listen to. I also feel like some audio stuff from the past at times just processed audio for gaming a bit differently and the sound is a bit unique. Maybe it is in my head.

Looking for something that I could find on Facebook Marketplace without to much effort or cash. Not looking for something crazy obscure. Want fun and good but don't need the rare black swan of ultra rare PC Speaker perfection. If it is funky and/or beige etc all the more fun.

 

[lini]

In the early 00s I had the JBL Control Media as PC speaker set in my office - that's a powered/active variant of the JBL Control 1G, which JBL has offered back then for a comparatively short timespan. To my ears it sounded better than pretty much all of the Logitech and Creative Labs 2.0, 2.1 and 4.1/5.1 speakers sets most of my fellow editors at the German computer mag, that I was working for at that time, used to have. Wouldn't really have recommended it back then, because at least initially it was hardly any cheaper than a new entry-level integrated amp plus a set of regular Control 1Gs - but I got my Control Media for free from the German JBL and Infinity PR guy. Later on the price dropped pretty considerably, though, so that the Control Media became quite a good bit more attractive. Well, unless one would need a PC speaker set with a headphone out, that is - because the Control Media only sports a subwoofer output, but not a headphone output. And iirc, there wasn't only a beige, but also a black version.

So in theory I could recommend the Control Media. However, in practice it would probably be difficult to find one in good condition, as it suffers from the same problem with deteriorating foam surrounds as the other Control 1 variants.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[Gitfiddle]

One of my first audio purchases I made myself was a logitec x-530 5.1 system back in the 2000's. I paid $35 USD for it on some going out of business/clearance sell. It still works to this day. I gave it to my parents since they were just using the speakers from their TV.

I do have a lot of fond memories gaming with that setup. It was a really good time with Diablo 2 and Hellgate: London. Ton of fun, got super loud, and likely measures like shit.

Now I kind of want to buy a new subwoofer thinking about it.

 

[Berwhale]

In 1999 I was rocking a 21" IBM XT monitor and Altec Lansing ACS 45 speakers and sub...

ACS 45...

 

[coonmanx]

I have a set of these Pulse 485 computer speakers. Not sure exactly when I got them but they are quite good sounding for what they are. The little sub can pump out some real bass and the side speakers also sound pretty good.

The little side speakers are nothing special but I listen to them at night and they still sound good.There is a set available on Ebay at the moment but they do want a bit more than I paid.

 

[coonmanx]

Apparently Labtec was gobbled up by Logitech. So you won't find anything from them at this point in time. Here is a look at the very simple side speakers.

 

[coonmanx]

Honestly these days it might be easier to just get a small Fosi amp and a couple of small speakers and a small sub and go that route. Would cost a bit more.

But there were quite a few crappy computer speakers as well. I ran into the Labtecs because a friend of mine had some and they sounded surprisingly good when I stopped by his house one day. And then he said that the ones he had were not working properly so he bought a second set. Turned out it was an easy fix of a broken wire so he sold me the second set. Listening to them right now.

 

[jonnnypceq]

Honestly these days it might be easier to just get a small Fosi amp and a couple of small speakers and a small sub and go that route. Would cost a bit more.

But there were quite a few crappy computer speakers as well. I ran into the Labtecs because a friend of mine had some and they sounded surprisingly good when I stopped by his house one day. And then he said that the ones he had were not working properly so he bought a second set. Turned out it was an easy fix of a broken wire so he sold me the second set. Listening to them right now.

Thanks for everyone that has responded.

I have continued to look into this. There are a few reasons computer speakers make it easier. One they are pretty much guaranteed to be shielded. I also have a bit of a unique setup and not super close to a wall or corner. Third most people have completely disregarded computers speakers. This means you can get them cheap or even free as people don't want them. This in spite of the fact some pretty good ones had releases. Henry Kloss who started Advent speakers and KLH created a decent amount of computer speaker systems when he started Cambridge Soundworks. A lot of the stuff he created before he left and the company was sold to Creative was pretty highly regarded. Altec Lansing was incorporating at times some of the bigger technology as well into their PC lineup depending on model. I have seen a lot of people even disregard completely that a PC speaker set could be good and then list and old speaker from Advent or something as an alternative and it is ironic as the creator of those speakers was making Cambridge Soundworks PC Speakers. Henry Kloss even said his favorite tweeter ever was the one they used in the Ensemble speaker systems.

While not completely regarded as PC speakers but monitors or Multimedia systems you had stuff from Yamaha and Roland and like I just mentioned Cambridge Soundworks. Some of these systems even actually used MDF instead plastic or other materials.

The problem is finding info on this stuff because most of the reviews had been relegated to Computer magazines and publications at the time.

 

[PierreV]

A bit before 2000 I bought a 6-1 Sounblaster system. The amplifier/subwoofer box died around 2008 but the speakers are still going strong.
They are now hooked to an old Yamaha AVR in my home gym along with a small Yamaha sub. I am really happy with them.
Enough punch and clarity to actually follow movies while running.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

Cambridge Soundworks back when it was an independent audio company. Soundworks and PCworks.