Recommend office speakers

[bushbass]

Hey all, I'm looking for recommendations for good sounding speakers for my office at work. I'll mostly be listening from an iPhone so a 3.5mm or lightning input would be good.
Budget is around $200
I'm looking for good sound quality at low volume, not headphones since employees are regularly popping in my office and I don't want to always be yanking them off.

 

[Stewie26]

Self powered or will you be using a amp/receiver with speakers?

 

[Johnny Crab]

The older Gateway self-powered ones work good if you:
1) Set them at medium volume
2) Set Win Media player with a slight smiley face EQ boost lows a few db's and highs a few db's
3) Engage the SRS enhancement in Win Media player

It's what I use at home if I'm not running the PC into the nearby QSC2402 and ACME B2's.
Here's a set. The ones here have a port on the back for "bass" that works well with the settings given IMO.

Many on eBay. A couple of years back, I bought a boxed lot of 4 sets for cheap for co-workers here on our checkout crew to use in their cubes as the sound of music through a phone speaker or garbage PC speakers drives me nuts.

If you want better, OLDER Altec Lansing's that have a sub and 2 satellites work VERY nicely. I practice through a set in my cube. Just set them up so the multi-pin connector cannot be broken by the vacuum cleaner operator on the custodial crew....been there, got the T-shirt and now keep the connector side back UNDER the desk facing a wall(impossible to get to with a broom or vacuum cleaner). Older Altec's pictured below.

All of the above have AUDIO INPUT using 1/8" stereo male plug, same as mp3 player or I-pod.

 

[fingerguy]

Portability, compatibility and being able to transport with ease I say skip computer speakers. Stick to Bose for the money you really can't compare to the sound quality not to mention the price.

Anyway, I would recommend the SoundLink Bluetooth Speaker III BUT it goes over your budget about $250-plus depending where you buy it.

If you are hard-set on the $200 budget then the next best option is SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker II. The later you will see on their site for $200 BUT I know you can find it cheaper elsewhere just do some Google searches.

Bluetooth Speakers & Wireless Speakers | Bose

 

[Funky Ghost]

I have had these for nearly 8 years and they still sound great. They have sufficient bass at low volume and when times allow, they can get sufficiently loud and sound good too.

Link Removed

They are WAY cheaper than your range.

At that price point you could get these which I've been using at my home as my primary PC/home theater/ practice playing to set. They have amazing bass, get wicked loud and sound great at low volume too.

logitech z 2300 | eBay

 

[bushbass]

Self powered or will you be using a amp/receiver with speakers?

It's a new setup so I could go either way but I'd imagine that at my budget I may get better sound quality with powered speakers. Am I right?

 

[fingerguy]

It's a new setup so I could go either way but I'd imagine that at my budget I may get better sound quality with powered speakers. Am I right?

Powered with subwoofer will sound better than self-powered speakers. Hell you can get a decent one for $40. But I can't express enough the Bose are the best.

 

[Stewie26]

It's a new setup so I could go either way but I'd imagine that at my budget I may get better sound quality with powered speakers. Am I right?

I would go with self powered system that comes with a small sub. I have a Klipsch system with a small sub connected to my home office computer. It was less than $200 and sounds great.

 

[fingerguy]

I would go with self powered system that comes with a small sub. I have a Klipsch system with a small sub connected to my home office computer. It was less than $200 and sounds great.

Well if you are going to chance self-powered might as well just spend $40 and get this:

And you can use a cell phone charger to power or use the internal battery. Sounds better when using an auto plug.

Again...Bose. Okay I will shutup now.

 

[Funky Ghost]

I've found Bose to be mostly anemic. I've always gave them a listen, then bought something different. Different strokes and all that

 

[fingerguy]

I've found Bose to be mostly anemic. I've always gave them a listen, then bought something different. Different strokes and all that

I had to Google that one. DS I agree. I did compare them to Beats product and did not like Beats at all. Dr. Dre's line if I remember correctly.

 

[monkeyfinger]

Amazon.com: UE MEGABOOM Charcoal Black Wireless Mobile Bluetooth Speaker (Waterproof and Shockproof): Computers & Accessories

 

[Fleebag]

I've been shopping for a set of bedroom bookshelfs for a bit now and think I've finally settled on some edifiers, they are powered monitors but have bluetooth built in and seem to be all the rage on reddits audiophile community. I don't own them yet so grain of salt and all that. I guess I shouldn't be recommending something I haven't tried but on paper they look good and are a great value according to reviews.

Amazon.com: Edifier R1700BT Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers - Active Near-field Studio Monitors - Powered Speakers 2.0 Setup Wooden Enclosure - 66w RMS: Electronics

 

[monkeyfinger]

These are pretty good at moderate listening levels: JBL LSR305. They start to go south once you push over 95dB SPL.

 

[cfsporn]

I have the older version of these. They're great.

 

[rufus.K]

Jbl 4408 with a crown d75 should work

 

[Stewie26]

I've been shopping for a set of bedroom bookshelfs for a bit now and think I've finally settled on some edifiers, they are powered monitors but have bluetooth built in and seem to be all the rage on reddits audiophile community. I don't own them yet so grain of salt and all that. I guess I shouldn't be recommending something I haven't tried but on paper they look good and are a great value according to reviews.

Amazon.com: Edifier R1700BT Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers - Active Near-field Studio Monitors - Powered Speakers 2.0 Setup Wooden Enclosure - 66w RMS: Electronics

I have always had good luck with any JBL product I have owned. I own their pro-studio speakers down to their cheaper consumer products. Always been happy with their sound.

 

[MJ5150]

I like Logitech speakers.
Those little round ones, like mentioned above that are Bluetooth, those put out great sound from my experience.

-Mike

 

[MJ5150]

But I can't express enough the Bose are the best.

Yes, you can. Once is enough.

-Mike

 

[Funky Ghost]