shopping for TV/PC speakers for Windows, XBMC, gaming use

[Diosoth]

I like the built-in speakers of my Vizio TV well enough, but it's a hassle reaching behind the TV to plug in headphones and I wouldn't mind something a bit better, as far as volume levels go- I need to keep the sound low when using the speakers but must crank it up to use headphones.

My goal is 3 things-

1) good quality. Nothing tinny or quiet
2) an easy to reach headphone jack, Some speaker sets have a tiny hub with a jack
3) price. $25-$30 range, including shipping. Any higher than that and I can forget it. This means they should take a standard 3.5mm plug, I doubt I'll get a digital audio jack on something that cheap.

and a possible 4th goal- speakers that can be mounted on a wall. Mounting them above the TV along the wall would be the best spot.

 

[Faladu]

This is what I use on my PC, loved em so much put another set on old system, for backup on main when/they die, but 1 year and going strong.

Your price range....

They maybe 5 watts, but it's loud enough at 2/3+ for me, and it has a input for an MP3 player or other device up front as well + tone knob.

Logitech X-140 Speakers - Newegg.com

Only warning for you about them, they are not light, no wall mounting notch in back of them, so I'd put them on solid shelves or the tv stand, but very sturdy speakers.

 

[ganjiry]

I bought one of these sets for my daughter's pc and for the price it sounds very good with plenty of bass. There is also a headphone jack on the volume control thingy-ma-jig. Ace 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System with Subwoofer - AC-IX400 I can't vouch for the site i linked though and don't know if you can buy them in your country.

 

[Diosoth]

Looking at the Logitech speakers, I found these-
Logitech LS21 Speakers - Newegg.com

They seem to have slightly better bass than the other Logitech speakers mentioned above, and they have a small box I can mount to easily plug headphones into. They're also the same price.

However, I do wonder if it'd be worth paying extra to get these? This set seems to get generlaly better reviews.
Amazon.com : Cyber Acoustics Subwoofer Satellite System (CA-3602a) : Electronics

 

[Diosoth]

One problem I'm finding is the speakers I'm looking at have very quiet headphone outputs. That is going to be a severe problem for me because if the headphones are barely audible then the whole system is useless to me.

I''m going to have to set these speakers behind the TV. If the headphone jack is on the base of a speaker, then I have to move the TV to get to it, and it's not offering me a benefit over what I have now if I have to move the TV.

 

[Diosoth]

This might be a promising choice
Amazon.com: Cyber Acoustics 2.1 Computer Speakers (CA-3090): Electronics

or I could go a bit more and get a discontinued Logitech
Amazon.com: Logitech S220 2.1 Speaker System with Subwoofer: Electronics

One problem I have, is for all the positive reviews there are enough unfavorable ones. Another is the subwoofer- if I could find one without the subwoofer but with the little headphone dock satellite thing I'd be better off, but they don't make those. The ones that come with a small headphone dock seems rather rare to start with. I don't know where I'd even put the subwoofer.

Unfortunately I can NOT use speakers with the headphone jack mounted into the speaker because I HAVE TO PUT THE SPEAKERS JUST A BIT BEHIND THE TV. If I use those, I have to move the TV to get to the headphone jack, and I'm already doing that. Speakers like that would not eliminate one major problem I'm trying to bypass.

 

[ganjiry]

For your budget i doubt there will be much difference in quality or sound. So if it was me i'd just buy whichever had the features required. Logitech do make some good speakers and are usually of good quality but i've not had any experience with Cyber acoustics.

 

[Diosoth]

I did some measuring and.... provided the speakers I buy are no taller than 7" total, I can mount them just above the TV on small shelves. This will make things easier, given I won't have to stick a subwoofer anywhere. As for the headphone jack, so long as it's towards the side of the speaker along the wall, it won't be a big issue.

 

[Diosoth]

I really like the Logitech X-140, but I fear they may be too big to actually put into my setup. They're apparently almost 10" tall.

I'm stuck putting them around the TV, probably on small shelves mounted to the walls(my entertainment space is a massive WIP- I need to redo the walls and shelves so they're not ugly anymore). I can't raise that shelf up because the 2 support beams on the walls need to be where they are- the one on the left screws into a support board inside the wall, and seeing as it's holding up a PC case I want that thing secure as possible. I considered moving the shelf boards to the top of the beams but it'll put that PC up there a bit out of reach. Reaching the DVD tray would be a chore up that high.

I can't put them right behind the TV on the shelf because I have cables running through those spots. At best I can put them towards the top corners on small shelves. The X-140 would fit there but they'll cut behind the TV some and it might make reaching the headphone jack difficult.

Still, I'm considering them and hoping I can put them in a spot to work and allow headphone jack access. I'm also considering another set, but haven't decided fully either way. I'll probably give it a week more, maybe see what Radio Shack and Walmart have in stock.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Unfortunately I can NOT use speakers with the headphone jack mounted into the speaker because I HAVE TO PUT THE SPEAKERS JUST A BIT BEHIND THE TV. If I use those, I have to move the TV to get to the headphone jack, and I'm already doing that. Speakers like that would not eliminate one major problem I'm trying to bypass.

Just get a short headphone extension and leave it plugged in to the headphone jack.

Amazon.com: Extension Cords - Headphone Accessories

 

[Diosoth]

That would allow easy access to the headphone jack, but totally kill the TV's speakers. I use that TV for a Dell XP computer, DVD player and XBMC, I use the speakers during the day. Headphones I have to use at night so I don't bug neighbors.