PC Speaker recommendation

[MrBoxySquare]

5.5 Sales, its at $149. Get the Edifier T5 and add to the setup. Set crossover at 80hz and adjust volume of the T5 sub to your liking. That should help with the lack of bass.

If you wish to add a DAC. You can consider iFi UNO USB Headphone dac/amp ($111) for your PC. It also has RCA out in the back which you can connect to the R1280DBs. The iFi UNO will become a pre-amp (The volume control will allow you to control the RCA out at the back too)

If you do not wish to have a Pre-amp for your speakers, you can consider Topping DX1 ($139). The knob only controls the Headphone volume and the RCA out is line level and knob don't control the volume.

Cool! thinking really hard for the T5 because it feels a little weird for a subwoofer to cost more than the speakers itself lol

Don't mind a pre-amp I guess. Audio noob here.. Why would someone not wish to have a pre-amp for their speakers? If so, is it a better choice over the Topping DX1?

Do you mind explaining to me how do I connect the R1280dbs, T5, DAC and the soundcard together?

Is it any RCA connectors will do? Or do I have to get some specific ones

 

[MrBoxySquare]

Can consider upgrade the sound card to Sound blaster Z.
Take note Creative have other range but I won't recommend spending too much on a
sound card.
Other than sound card will be a DAC.

Thanks for the recommendation! Looks like Sound blaster Z will drop into my shopping list.
Any DAC you recommend?

 

[Psycovirus]

Cool! thinking really hard for the T5 because it feels a little weird for a subwoofer to cost more than the speakers itself lol

Don't mind a pre-amp I guess. Audio noob here.. Why would someone not wish to have a pre-amp for their speakers? If so, is it a better choice over the Topping DX1?

Do you mind explaining to me how do I connect the R1280dbs, T5, DAC and the soundcard together?

Is it any RCA connectors will do? Or do I have to get some specific ones

For iFi UNO, the volume knob controls both 3.5mm headphone and the RCA out thus you can use one device to control speaker and headphone volume. But if you don't unplug headphone and turn up volume too loud, may damage the headphones.

For Topping DX1, volume knob only controls headphone. You will have to control speaker volume on your RB1280DBs itself.

Pro for Topping DX1 is that you have independent control of Headphone and Speaker. So you can set a volume for headphone on the DX1 and also set another volume for the Speakers. So if you wish to switch from headphone to speaker, just turn down volume on DX1 and turn up volume on speaker.

It all depends on which is convenient for you.

Yeah, Subwoofer is more expensive than speakers because of the size and materials needed. It is also 70W amplifier compared to just 42W total on R1280DBs.

For the connections, RCA red/white from DAC to R1280DBs red/white. From R1280DBs Sub-out 3.5mm jack to Edifier T5 RCA Signal In (Red/White). The cable is included in the Subwoofer package.

Thanks for the recommendation! Looks like Sound blaster Z will drop into my shopping list.
Any DAC you recommend?

Sound blaster Z is internal dac/amp so you don't need a DAC if you get it.

It is either Sound Blaster Z or External USB DACs like iFi Uno / Topping DX1.

 

[hyperfuse]

Am currently using the Edifier R1280dbs and looking to improve the sound of hearing music from my pc. I like music similar to the songs of the chinese singer G.E.M.

I think the sound coming out of the R1280dbs is decent but it's somehow lacking some 'oomph' which i presume is bass. Can't give me the concert feeling.
Should I buy a T5 subwoofer to enhance the sound, add a sound card? or any recommendations? Willing to sell the R1280dbs to add to the budget.

Have a budget of around $350. TIA!

if u read the earlier posts, i am using the r1280dbs as well and i was in a similar scenario as u.

eventually, i bought the T5.

To be honest, the T5 provides hard hitting bass that the R1280dbs is missing. i am sure u will enjoy it. I dont speak as an audiophile because generally audiophiles lean towards flat sounding type of audio. I am a general consumer and i love both acoustic songs as well as bass when i wanna hear rock/edm/hip hop. Put aside critical listening and those audiophile types of audio measurement, to me the R1280dbs is decent for acoustic songs such as guitar strings. The tonality is decent.

I actually was open to purchasing an entire new set of speakers to go down that rabbit hole, but then again i think, if i already enjoy how the R1280dbs sounds like, and i just need the added oomph, why not try the T5, and boy after doing so, it hits hard and good. Of course i have EQ the bass as well as my r1280dbs is connected to an old creative usb soundcard that has an EQ for me to adjust.

So if u are just a casual listener who enjoys hearing music but not an audio professional that requires very good studio monitors for professional audio editing or critical listening, the added T5 will surely make you enjoy the R1280dbs. in fact the bass sometimes is too overpowering that i have to lower it down on my EQ settings for certain songs.

For just desktop usage, the r1280dbs + T50 is a pretty cheap yet value for money audio setup that wont burst the bank haha.
If using for movie watching on the TV, then of course will spend more to get better sound system.

I paid for $130 for the T5, but in the end gotten it free. Dont ask me how haha.

 

[MrBoxySquare]

Sound blaster Z is internal dac/amp so you don't need a DAC if you get it.

It is either Sound Blaster Z or External USB DACs like iFi Uno / Topping DX1.

Thanks for letting me know! If not might have wasted $ on it lol. Is it the Sound Blaster Z SE you're referring to? I can see it selling on creative website but not the Sound Blaster Z.

Would you recommend the soundcard or the DAC? Is it depending on preference, i.e. choose to control volume using the knob or via the computer.

 

[Psycovirus]

Thanks for letting me know! If not might have wasted $ on it lol. Is it the Sound Blaster Z SE you're referring to? I can see it selling on creative website but not the Sound Blaster Z.

Would you recommend the soundcard or the DAC? Is it depending on preference, i.e. choose to control volume using the knob or via the computer.

Yes, Sound Blaster Z SE.

But in my opinion, just get the Edifier T5 to add Bass to your speaker and try that first.
Don't need to buy any soundcard or external USB Dac/Amp first.

Like hyperfuse mention, you can trial out T5 and that should be adequate.

What motherboard are you using? Modern motherboards have capable built-in soundcards.

 

[86technie]

Thanks for letting me know! If not might have wasted $ on it lol. Is it the Sound Blaster Z SE you're referring to? I can see it selling on creative website but not the Sound Blaster Z.

Would you recommend the soundcard or the DAC? Is it depending on preference, i.e. choose to control volume using the knob or via the computer.

That is the model they are selling now.
Only difference between the new and one is the software.
The new Z SE uses the new SB command.

 

[MrBoxySquare]

Yes, Sound Blaster Z SE.

But in my opinion, just get the Edifier T5 to add Bass to your speaker and try that first.
Don't need to buy any soundcard or external USB Dac/Amp first.

Like hyperfuse mention, you can trial out T5 and that should be adequate.

What motherboard are you using? Modern motherboards have capable built-in soundcards.

Gotcha! Will just do that first.

Intending to change to the Asrock b550M/AC soon.

can I still tweak the EQ settings without a sound card? It seems that hyper fuse has benefited from tweaking it.

 

[hyperfuse]

Gotcha! Will just do that first.

Intending to change to the Asrock b550M/AC soon.

can I still tweak the EQ settings without a sound card? It seems that hyper fuse has benefited from tweaking it.

u can try download EqualizerAPO. i think its a free EQ software.

for my EQ settings, there is a bass boost feature in my creative sound card to increase the bass.

i put only 2db to 4db and the bass already hit so hard. certain furniture in my home can vibrate depending on the song haha...

Otherwise in other EQ settings, i generally increase the 62Hz/64Hz category, that makes the bass have that subwoofer thump feeling haha.. sorry if i use the wrong audio terms, u can know i am not an audiophile haha..

For my EQ settings, i didnt adjust any since i am using the Bass boost setting in my EQ to adjust.

 

[MrBoxySquare]

if u read the earlier posts, i am using the r1280dbs as well and i was in a similar scenario as u.

eventually, i bought the T5.

To be honest, the T5 provides hard hitting bass that the R1280dbs is missing. i am sure u will enjoy it. I dont speak as an audiophile because generally audiophiles lean towards flat sounding type of audio. I am a general consumer and i love both acoustic songs as well as bass when i wanna hear rock/edm/hip hop. Put aside critical listening and those audiophile types of audio measurement, to me the R1280dbs is decent for acoustic songs such as guitar strings. The tonality is decent.

I actually was open to purchasing an entire new set of speakers to go down that rabbit hole, but then again i think, if i already enjoy how the R1280dbs sounds like, and i just need the added oomph, why not try the T5, and boy after doing so, it hits hard and good. Of course i have EQ the bass as well as my r1280dbs is connected to an old creative usb soundcard that has an EQ for me to adjust.

So if u are just a casual listener who enjoys hearing music but not an audio professional that requires very good studio monitors for professional audio editing or critical listening, the added T5 will surely make you enjoy the R1280dbs. in fact the bass sometimes is too overpowering that i have to lower it down on my EQ settings for certain songs.

For just desktop usage, the r1280dbs + T50 is a pretty cheap yet value for money audio setup that wont burst the bank haha.
If using for movie watching on the TV, then of course will spend more to get better sound system.

I paid for $130 for the T5, but in the end gotten it free. Dont ask me how haha.

Very tempted to ask you Thanks for sharing!

 

[sinwah]

Edifier R19BT
www.edifier.com/product-r19bt.html
Using it for 3 months. Simple USB speaker with good bass. It comes with bluetooth connection, earphone out and AUX in.
Lazada (Treoo) s selling $45 w/free shipping now.

 

[hyperfuse]

Edifier R19BT
www.edifier.com/product-r19bt.html
Using it for 3 months. Simple USB speaker with good bass. It comes with bluetooth connection, earphone out and AUX in.
Lazada (Treoo) s selling $45 w/free shipping now.

2.75 inch drivers...confirm not good bass bro haha.. but sound is subjective.

 

[86technie]

Gotcha! Will just do that first.

Intending to change to the Asrock b550M/AC soon.

can I still tweak the EQ settings without a sound card? It seems that hyper fuse has benefited from tweaking it.

Remember to install the driver from Asrock website, chipset, LAN and audio.
*Disconnect from internet when installing driver

Unfornuately these motherboard the audio is very basic, you can try equalizer
software but I doubt will make a big difference.

 

[MrBoxySquare]

Remember to install the driver from Asrock website, chipset, LAN and audio.
*Disconnect from internet when installing driver

Unfornuately these motherboard the audio is very basic, you can try equalizer
software but I doubt will make a big difference.

Can share why do we need to disconnect from the internet before installing the drivers?

 

[sinwah]

2.75 inch drivers...confirm not good bass bro haha.. but sound is subjective.

I was skeptical initially and did not expect too much.
For this price range, I was surprised it delivers decent bass. You're right, sound is subjective.

 

[86technie]

Can share why do we need to disconnect from the internet before installing the drivers?

When doing fresh install of Windows, when you connect to internet.
Windows will install the drivers for the PC.
Nothing wrong with that but it may install either wrong or incompatible drivers
especially for audio.

So best to download all the driver first from Asrock, install Windows
than install all the driver while the PC is disconnected from the internet.
For AMD motherboard there isn't much driver to install unlike Intel which got more drivers
to install.

 

[LiLAsN]

2.75 inch drivers...confirm not good bass bro haha.. but sound is subjective.

I was skeptical initially and did not expect too much.
For this price range, I was surprised it delivers decent bass. You're right, sound is subjective.

It's not that the bass will not be there. The part of the frequency tone will be there. In other words, you will be able to hear the bass. But depending on the frequency, you will not get as much tactile feedback due to the inability to pressurize the entire room space from where you're watching or listening.

For example, you will hear the explosion that is shown on screen, but the vibrations in the air that makes you feel the impact on your chest will not be impactful at all.

For my own example, I have an SVS SB3000 with a 13" woofer and a KEF KC62 with a 6.5" woofer in another room. Both calibrated with Dirac Live Room Correction so it sounds the best it can sound.
Both are capable of producing the sound needed. However, there's so much more vibrations and tactile feeling that can be felt during explosions and the low frequency used to stir the air to make your heart feel unease that a number of horror movies use to make you feel uneasy.

It's easily more enveloping as well due to the amount of air that it can push and pressurizing a much larger space in the room. That is why for subwoofers, reviewers such as Audioholics also rate the subwoofers based on room size.

If you have ever had the pleasure of being close to someone firing a matador or C4, that's the kind of tactile feeling that will hit you from the sound pressure that it produces. An easy way to understand is this. You do not just hear an earthquake (which usually has a very low sub bass frequency); You can feel it. That is exactly what is happening if you have a bigger woofer that can move more air.

So if the impact of the 6.5" KEF KC62 is already less impactful, I can only imagine what a 2.75" woofer can do.

Nevertheless, you should be able to pressurize even more parts of the room by having multiple small KEF KC62 subwoofers. Which is what many enthusiasts in the US do due to their large theatre room size. But at that point, it is a waste of money since it will be more than double the price of a single SVS SB3000 and not to mention, a waste of space considering most of us have limited room space.


After all that talk, I just realized that you were referring to the woofers on the speakers itself. This is not much of a problem though. It is more of whether it can produce a loud enough mid-bass to match the volume of the higher frequencies. If they can volume match, the sound will be there as expected. Not that much different. It is only in the sub-bass region that you are supposed to start feeling the bass. And it is usually around less than 80Hz. Or at the highest, 120Hz and below as per the subwoofer's dedicated LFE range. So you will be fine with a 2.5" woofer for the midbass. Though going bigger, you can feel some slight impact up to 120Hz on your speakers.

So let me clarify that it is not that bass is subjective. It is whether you are able to hear it at the same volume with the rest of the frequency range. If you can, then the mid-bass will definitely be present and can be heard as expected.

Sometimes, reading a graph is helpful. If you see that the frequency response has a lot of ups and down (like that of a heartbeat) and especially the further away it is from the centre line, then it can translate to a sound such as a very boomy bass that doesn't sound clear but muddy. Like when shooting a gun and it sounds muddy and very boomy. It can be a result of an imbalance in the volume of sound that the speaker's woofer is producing at certain bass frequency ranges. That is why certain parts sound overly boomy while the weapon firing part sounds suppressed and muddy like you are putting pillows on both sides of your ears that blocks out some frequency ranges of the sound. If you do not want this, get a speaker that can produce the most of the frequency spectrum of sound as close to the same volume producing as flat of a line as possible with its ups and downs not more than + or - 3dB apart. It will then allow you to hear all the sound in the games that you are playing or the movie that you're watching, or the music that you are listening.
That's the beauty of getting a speaker with a flat frequency response.

It doesn't have to be expensive too. That is why I recommend speakers like the Elac Debut 2.0 or Reference. These speakers alone will sound way better than most cinema speakers in Singapore especially if you can calibrate it to be even more flatter with REW for example.
For example, I had the chance to watch Avengers: Endgame with a different group of friends. One was the Dolby Atmos cinema. And then, the normal average GV cinema. And finally, the IMAX cinema. And because of the quick release to streaming, I had the chance to watch it at home as well. As you can expect, it was no challenge. It was just a much better overall sound at home. The audio was clearer and more dynamic. All because the Elacs can produce a flat and balanced sound allowing me to hear everything and with the subwoofer handling the low bass crossovers of my speakers.

 

[tsteo77]

Does any members aware that subwoofer are actually mean for HTS and to enhance low and high frequency
for music superwoofer/supertweeter are more suitable. See link below.


https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/the-case-against-subwoofers-for-music/

Example of syperwoofer -
https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/sony_active_super_woofer_sa_w55x.html
Example of supertweeter -
https://www.amazon.sg/300-Watt-Mari...ocphy=9062520&hvtargid=pla-579087439407&psc=1

 

[wwenze]

Sometimes I don't know which to call the actual price

Is it worth the upgrade over R19U tho

I was under the impression these were selling for $19.90... remember when for $20 the only choice we had was Sonic Gear 303? I remember buying from CyberActive in Compass Point.

Ironically enough, cheap speaker reviews are where having a measurement mic would really matter since at these price ranges the performance varies a lot, but people who buy cheap speakers also tend not to have a measurement mic.

 

[Phen8210]

edifier lineup has gotten kind of messy