Reference Studio Speakers + BVM?

[Dragon89o]

So I'm looking to get some speakers for my BVM-D24 and was wondering what people are currently using for their set up or suggest for mine. I plan to play anything from the Atari 2600 to Original Xbox era of consoles. So is it over kill to get reference studio speakers for a set up for consoles like that? Also if I'm playing shooters like Halo on the original xbox and regardless of what type of speakers people suggest is a sub woofer over kill?

I'm currently looking at these two models simply because I am able to get them cheaper then what they sell for. The prices I can get them at will be listed to the left of the brand and model. Listing the prices I can get them for to compare to other models people may suggest instead of people comparing them to their retail value.

($100) Klipsch R-15M
https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-R-15M-Bo ... psch+r-15m

($200) Klipsch R-15PM (I don't need or plan to use the bluetooth though but could maybe use the optical input)
https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-R-15PM-P ... B01A7J534G

($225) Klipsch R-10SW (Subwoofer)
https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Referenc ... sch+R-10SW

[ASDR]

The original xbox has full-blown Dolby Digital 5.1 supported in nearly every game, the GC & PS2 have Dolby ProLogic in many games and the later can also do Dolby Digital for pre-rendered sequences. I think quite a few PS1 games do ProLogic as well. So you might want to go with a surround setup instead.

I think some great studio monitors are definitively worth it. Many of the 90s console have great CD audio that definitively can make use of quality stereo speakers. Everything xbox/PS2 can certainly make use of a subwoofer. SNES and earlier might be a bit weak in the bass department and is unlikely to be mixed for sound systems that can do sub-bass, but for the Mega Drive and anything newer (think games like Wipeout with licensed music) a subwoofer would make a difference.

[nissling]

I'm using Ino piP with my BVM setup. It's only available in Sweden though. International equivalent is Guru QM10. I've got no idea which retailers have it for sale, exactly how much they cost or if they're even manufacturered anymore but in a decent room they'll sound better than pretty much any surround setup in the same price range. Works perfectly well for any kind of gaming.

[Xer Xian]

How high you want to climb up the audio quality ladder is up to you of course. As already said, with the 6th gen (and the Xbox especially) a 2.1 or even 5.1 setup would make sense (I don't bother personally).

About the options you listed. You'd need an audio amp to drive the R-15M speakers, while it's built-in in the R-15PM (here's a review). I'd also suggest reading this article: https://gaminghistory101.com/2014/12/02/sounds-good/

[gray117]

The active stereo speaker route is pretty slim pickings: largely leading you down the pc speaker or studio monitor route.

Both pretty much designed for your sized screen and setup.

I wouldn't personally opt for surround sound on these generations of hardware imho (unless immersion into 3rd/1st person games is a big thing for you - then a cheap surround may serve you best).

You may find it more flexible to get an old cheap av receiver, take advantage of all those hookups and for the same price get a decent pair of passive bookshelfs and a nice pair of headphones. Depending on your situation.

But if you can and want to crank the volume a bit, do not have room or want any more stuff around (and possibly under your feet with this sized screen) even if it is a bit ott - for sure look at some studio monitors that fit your budget.

If you were in the uk I might suggest the q acoustics bt3 s which you can often find at a nice sale in uk; epsecially if you might just listen to music in that room from any device. But I think they might suffer from a bit of a mark up price wise stateside?

[nmalinoski]

My setup consists of an Onkyo receiver connected to a pair of Polk tower speakers and center (all discontinued); I have a couple surrounds and stands ready to go, but I haven't bothered to add those in yet.

All of my HDMI-capable consoles connect directly to the receiver, and all of the non-HDMI game consoles are run through my OSSC, and then the OSSC into the receiver, with optical audio from my component AV switch routed directly to the receiver. (I really need a better solution, like TOSLINK support on the OSSC, because toggling settings to switch between analog and digital audio to work around a quirk with the OSSC's audio handling is a pain.)

[RottenToTheGore]

I don't see the need for studio monitors, they're often used because of how flat and accurate they can be when creating music. I'd go for something like a pair of bookshelf speakers either powered or with a receiver that you can add a sub or more speakers if you want to try 2.1 or more.

I'm using something like this with my PVM - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cerwin-Vega-XD ... SwuMZZFNv3

[Ji-L87]

In general, active speakers should be a space effective solution to getting some decent audio from our games (and pretty much all games benefit from it, unless you have horribly revealing speakers with piercing highs and it's just murder with the beeps and boops).
Do look to see if there's a volume knob in the front as it's not unusual for active speakers to have all the knobs and controls on the backplate. The only other negative is cost and possibly future expansion depending on if there's outputs for use with a subwoofer or not.

Or if you want to save money and don't mind a bit more clutter, go for a separate amp + speaker setup. If you want small there's some tiny desktop-use amplifiers on the market now (I use an Audioengine N22 for example) but they cost more but otherwise, pre-HDMI era receivers are dirt cheap and come with inputs a plenty and proper bass management and crossover settings.

[tjstogy]

I would get a pair of active speakers like this http://amzn.to/2Flt5zO

Active means they have amplification built in-- with the passive speakers you listed, you'd need a separate amp/receiver... I think that's overkill for retro video games, but that's my 2c.

[Dragon89o]

The original xbox has full-blown Dolby Digital 5.1 supported in nearly every game, the GC & PS2 have Dolby ProLogic in many games and the later can also do Dolby Digital for pre-rendered sequences. I think quite a few PS1 games do ProLogic as well. So you might want to go with a surround setup instead.

I think some great studio monitors are definitively worth it. Many of the 90s console have great CD audio that definitively can make use of quality stereo speakers. Everything xbox/PS2 can certainly make use of a subwoofer. SNES and earlier might be a bit weak in the bass department and is unlikely to be mixed for sound systems that can do sub-bass, but for the Mega Drive and anything newer (think games like Wipeout with licensed music) a subwoofer would make a difference.

That was pretty helpful. Gave me just enough information to know what to start to looking into for what I want to do with my set up. I think I will end up getting a sub woofer like you had suggested. Even if it only really helps with the later generation consoles more.

I'm using Ino piP with my BVM setup. It's only available in Sweden though. International equivalent is Guru QM10. I've got no idea which retailers have it for sale, exactly how much they cost or if they're even manufacturered anymore but in a decent room they'll sound better than pretty much any surround setup in the same price range. Works perfectly well for any kind of gaming.

Yeah, I wasn't able to find Ino piP super easily but the international equivalent was a bit easier for me to find. That might be more then I'm willing to spend at this moment in my life on speakers, haha. Have you compared it to something in a lower price range specifically for retro gaming? Is there not a limit of those consoles only being able to produce a certain quality limit of sound where those speakers would be over kill? I'm not super knowledgeable when it comes to audio so I'm curious to hear people's responses.
I'm just trying to reference it in my mind to computers. If you had 256gb of ram and had a quad sli graphics card set up and you were emulating NES and playing Mario it wouldn't use all of that ram and would just be over kill. You would only need a fraction of that performance to run the game at it's optimal performance. Wouldn't that concept also apply the audio? Of only needing so much audio capability depending on what your using it for?

How high you want to climb up the audio quality ladder is up to you of course. As already said, with the 6th gen (and the Xbox especially) a 2.1 or even 5.1 setup would make sense (I don't bother personally).
About the options you listed. You'd need an audio amp to drive the R-15M speakers, while it's built-in in the R-15PM (here's a review). I'd also suggest reading this article: https://gaminghistory101.com/2014/12/02/sounds-good/

Similar to my previous comment to the previous post. Isn't there a limit of how high I should climb the audio ladder for my needs? Also what do you think is the better option to get optimal performance. Wouldn't it be me buying the non power monitors then also buying an amp to drive them? Also thank you for both of those links I read them both and that helped a ton.

Both pretty much designed for your sized screen and setup.

Awesome so you don't think the ones I had listed is over kill? Or on the opposite side of things you don't think I can squeeze out a bit more performance?

You may find it more flexible to get an old cheap av receiver, take advantage of all those hookups and for the same price get a decent pair of passive bookshelfs and a nice pair of headphones. Depending on your situation.

Yeah, I might consider something like that but I would like the flexability to use it on new consoles too. So I might look into a newer receiver but just look for some discounts or buying it used.

My setup consists of an Onkyo receiver connected to a pair of Polk tower speakers and center (all discontinued)

I'm unfimilar with Onkyo as a brand. Do they make pretty good products and are they pretty well known?
I was looking at Onkyo a little and was considering this one to use on old consoles and new but I don't know enough about audio receivers yet to have a firm opinion.

All of my HDMI-capable consoles connect directly to the receiver, and all of the non-HDMI game consoles are run through my OSSC, and then the OSSC into the receiver, with optical audio from my component AV switch routed directly to the receiver. (I really need a better solution, like TOSLINK support on the OSSC, because toggling settings to switch between analog and digital audio to work around a quirk with the OSSC's audio handling is a pain.)

That is good to know.. I will have to keep that in mind when thinking how I will design my set up.

I'm using something like this with my PVM - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cerwin-Vega-XD ... SwuMZZFNv3

That is tempting for the price I have to admit but I think I do want that reference quality sound. I use reference quality headphones for my pc when it comes to gaming, editing, or just media consumption and I don't mind them. I do have a second pair if I prefer a different sound signature though and they can be fun from time to time to listen to.

(and pretty much all games benefit from it, unless you have horribly revealing speakers with piercing highs and it's just murder with the beeps and boops).

Do look to see if there's a volume knob in the front as it's not unusual for active speakers to have all the knobs and controls on the backplate.

Both pretty useful information that I will have to keep in mind. Thanks for the advice.

I would get a pair of active speakers like this http://amzn.to/2Flt5zO
Active means they have amplification built in-- with the passive speakers you listed, you'd need a separate amp/receiver... I think that's overkill for retro video games, but that's my 2c.

Those are some sexy looking speakers. You don't think there is any benefits to using a separate amp or receiver at all? I want the best performance I can buy as long as it doesn't break the bank and that performance is actually being used. So I don't want to waste money if I'm not using certain features or performance of it at all.

You all responded so quickly and I had work and had to sleep haha. Sorry for the massive page of quotes.

[tjstogy]

Honestly if you are looking for audiophile speakers, you are going to need a lot of money. And- there are forums like head fi that focus on this stuff. You can spend thousands of dollars on speakers and a seperate amp and receiver. You may or may not notice a difference. I’d take a look at your budget vs how much you realistically play the old systems. Personally all of my “old” systems are hooked up with a crt and powered speakers like the ones I linked to, and it’s great. For my Xbox one I use a receiver and 5.1 setup, and turtle beaches when I’m alone.

Keep in mind almost none of the systems you listed even output uncompressed cd level quality, with the exception of maybe the original Xbox (and that’s a maybe). You’d effectively be polishing a turd.

Again, I’d say get some good ($100-$150) powered active speakers- either a pair or a powered 2.1 setup if you want extra bass.

[FBX]

Again, I’d say get some good ($100-$150) powered active speakers- either a pair or a powered 2.1 setup if you want extra bass.

My personal favorites for that range are the Mackie CR series:

http://mackie.com/products/cr-series

Some of the best sounding powered desktop speakers I've heard in a while.

[nmalinoski]

My setup consists of an Onkyo receiver connected to a pair of Polk tower speakers and center (all discontinued)

I'm unfimilar with Onkyo as a brand. Do they make pretty good products and are they pretty well known?
I was looking at Onkyo a little and was considering this one to use on old consoles and new but I don't know enough about audio receivers yet to have a firm opinion.

They're okay. I don't really have experience with other manufacturers, but I haven't really had much to complain about regarding the unit I bought. I picked up a TX-NR555 on sale, as that line was being discontinued/replaced.

The only glaring problem I have with it (and this seems to be a problem with other Onkyo receivers as well) is that it forces you to agree to data collection in order to use any of the networking features, like internet update, built-in audio apps, DLNA media servers, and so on. It's really dumb, and they offer no workaround; but I rarely use these features anyway, so I normally keep the networking turned off.

That said, everything else--the important stuff, like making sound, and configuring and switching inputs--just works.

[Dragon89o]

Honestly if you are looking for audiophile speakers, you are going to need a lot of money. And- there are forums like head fi that focus on this stuff. You can spend thousands of dollars on speakers and a seperate amp and receiver. You may or may not notice a difference. I’d take a look at your budget vs how much you realistically play the old systems. Personally all of my “old” systems are hooked up with a crt and powered speakers like the ones I linked to, and it’s great. For my Xbox one I use a receiver and 5.1 setup, and turtle beaches when I’m alone.
Keep in mind almost none of the systems you listed even output uncompressed cd level quality, with the exception of maybe the original Xbox (and that’s a maybe). You’d effectively be polishing a turd.
Again, I’d say get some good ($100-$150) powered active speakers- either a pair or a powered 2.1 setup if you want extra bass.

Yeah, I'm not trying to over spend for performance I wouldn't hear. I just want to make sure I'm getting the maximum quality that I can though.

Again, I’d say get some good ($100-$150) powered active speakers- either a pair or a powered 2.1 setup if you want extra bass.

My personal favorites for that range are the Mackie CR series:
http://mackie.com/products/cr-series
Some of the best sounding powered desktop speakers I've heard in a while.

Yeah, I see those quite often in people's gaming pc set ups. I also see those recommended a lot. I just really don't like the green on them personally. If there was a way to make them all black or have a white accent instead of green or even orange I'd consider getting them.

The only glaring problem I have with it (and this seems to be a problem with other Onkyo receivers as well) is that it forces you to agree to data collection in order to use any of the networking features, like internet update, built-in audio apps, DLNA media servers, and so on. It's really dumb, and they offer no workaround; but I rarely use these features anyway, so I normally keep the networking turned off.

So it just forces updates via the network? So if I don't connect it to the internet then I won't need to deal with the forced updates? I don't have a personal reason to even connect it either.

[nissling]

Yeah, I wasn't able to find Ino piP super easily but the international equivalent was a bit easier for me to find. That might be more then I'm willing to spend at this moment in my life on speakers, haha. Have you compared it to something in a lower price range specifically for retro gaming? Is there not a limit of those consoles only being able to produce a certain quality limit of sound where those speakers would be over kill? I'm not super knowledgeable when it comes to audio so I'm curious to hear people's responses.
I'm just trying to reference it in my mind to computers. If you had 256gb of ram and had a quad sli graphics card set up and you were emulating NES and playing Mario it wouldn't use all of that ram and would just be over kill. You would only need a fraction of that performance to run the game at it's optimal performance. Wouldn't that concept also apply the audio? Of only needing so much audio capability depending on what your using it for?

What matters isn't just the clarity, it's the frequency response. I have yet to find any bookshelf speakers that are even comparable in that regard. It gives you that studio-kind of audio for pretty much anything you throw at it. Just fantastic.

I will say though that it's not my first pair. I first bought a pair of piP 1½ year initial to the one in my retro setup, which I'm using in my home theater for modern gaming and movies. When I had finally gotten everything in order in my retro corner with exception for the audio, I looked around for alternatives but could not find anything that seemed to satisfy me. I bit the bullet and bought another pair, but it was sold as a building kit (with raw MDF) so I certainly got around cheaper.

If you don't feel like spending these kinds of money, which is fully understandable, I suggest not even listening to these speakers to begin with. It'll most likely make you want them no matter what. I have had some speakers in your price range and been kind of hesitant all the time, but once I bought my piP I just stopped caring about the audio because it was so good.

I will give you one good suggestion though and that's the PSB Alpha B1. They don't have the same kind of bass or clarity as piP but they're certainly offering a richness to its character and works fine for retro games. It's actually great for its price. I gave my pair to my grandfather once I had upgraded and he likes them alot.

[Dragon89o]

What matters isn't just the clarity, it's the frequency response. I have yet to find any bookshelf speakers that are even comparable in that regard. It gives you that studio-kind of audio for pretty much anything you throw at it. Just fantastic.

I will say though that it's not my first pair. I first bought a pair of piP 1½ year initial to the one in my retro setup, which I'm using in my home theater for modern gaming and movies. When I had finally gotten everything in order in my retro corner with exception for the audio, I looked around for alternatives but could not find anything that seemed to satisfy me. I bit the bullet and bought another pair, but it was sold as a building kit (with raw MDF) so I certainly got around cheaper.

If you don't feel like spending these kinds of money, which is fully understandable, I suggest not even listening to these speakers to begin with. It'll most likely make you want them no matter what. I have had some speakers in your price range and been kind of hesitant all the time, but once I bought my piP I just stopped caring about the audio because it was so good.

Well I enjoyed reading that response. It at least made me not to out rule spending that much money for a set of speakers later on in life. I'd at least be open to trying a pair and doing comparisons to develop my own opinion on the matter after I become more educated on the topic and have a better trained ear for sound.
Do you have any

I will give you one good suggestion though and that's the PSB Alpha B1. They don't have the same kind of bass or clarity as piP but they're certainly offering a richness to its character and works fine for retro games. It's actually great for its price. I gave my pair to my grandfather once I had upgraded and he likes them alot.

You wouldn't happen to have an idea how the PSB Alpha B1 compares to the speakers I had initially posted? Only reason I'm asking is because I'm able to get a deal on the speakers I had listed for about 1/2 off it's retail price.
There is a lot of factors when it comes to how things are priced and sold and the more expensive product doesn't always out perform the cheaper product. So I don't want to make any assumptions.

It's interesting to hear everyone's responses to this topic. From the people suggesting below $100 dollar speakers to suggesting over $1,000+ dollar speakers with both sides having people pretty opinionated on the topic.

[Xer Xian]

Isn't there a limit of how high I should climb the audio ladder for my needs?

The audio ladder extends well up into the stratosphere, so in my opinion, absolutely, there is a limit. Especially considering that you'll rarely be 100% immersed in the music while gaming. I'd say that if you like watching movies (or listening to music!) and you could do that in the same room where you play games, then spending a bit more for a respectable setup starts making a lot more sense. Still this is just my opinion, there's no right or wrong here

[nmalinoski]

The only glaring problem I have with it (and this seems to be a problem with other Onkyo receivers as well) is that it forces you to agree to data collection in order to use any of the networking features, like internet update, built-in audio apps, DLNA media servers, and so on. It's really dumb, and they offer no workaround; but I rarely use these features anyway, so I normally keep the networking turned off.

So it just forces updates via the network? So if I don't connect it to the internet then I won't need to deal with the forced updates? I don't have a personal reason to even connect it either.

There aren't any forced updates; every time there was an update, I had to manually go check for updates. The problem is that in order to use any of the networking features, the receiver makes you accept an agreement for data collection. You can disagree, and the dialog will go away, but it will come back if you try to launch any of the network apps, and it will appear every time you turn on the receiver if the network is active and you haven't already agreed. It's really stupid.

If you don't want to use the networking or internet update, but still want the updates, you can go to Onkyo's website, download the latest firmware, and install it via USB. If you don't connect it to the network, you never have to deal with the agreement dialog or the data collection.

[Dragon89o]

Isn't there a limit of how high I should climb the audio ladder for my needs?

The audio ladder extends well up into the stratosphere, so in my opinion, absolutely, there is a limit. Especially considering that you'll rarely be 100% immersed in the music while gaming. I'd say that if you like watching movies (or listening to music!) and you could do that in the same room where you play games, then spending a bit more for a respectable setup starts making a lot more sense. Still this is just my opinion, there's no right or wrong here

Yeah, I plan to have an all in one set up in the future so that would make more sense then. Currently I'm just buying speakers specifically for retro gaming. Having said that they could always be re-purposed later for another use.

The only glaring problem I have with it (and this seems to be a problem with other Onkyo receivers as well) is that it forces you to agree to data collection in order to use any of the networking features, like internet update, built-in audio apps, DLNA media servers, and so on. It's really dumb, and they offer no workaround; but I rarely use these features anyway, so I normally keep the networking turned off.

So it just forces updates via the network? So if I don't connect it to the internet then I won't need to deal with the forced updates? I don't have a personal reason to even connect it either.

There aren't any forced updates; every time there was an update, I had to manually go check for updates. The problem is that in order to use any of the networking features, the receiver makes you accept an agreement for data collection. You can disagree, and the dialog will go away, but it will come back if you try to launch any of the network apps, and it will appear every time you turn on the receiver if the network is active and you haven't already agreed. It's really stupid.

If you don't want to use the networking or internet update, but still want the updates, you can go to Onkyo's website, download the latest firmware, and install it via USB. If you don't connect it to the network, you never have to deal with the agreement dialog or the data collection.

Ah, that makes more sense now. Yeah I could see how that could be a little bit annoying.

[nakedarthur]

If you're looking for bookshelf sized speakers then a Class T amplifier will work nicely. I use a Topping TP22 with Polk RTI A1 speakers and I think it's a perfect combo. I've used studio monitors for audio production, but personally I wouldn't recommend them for entertainment, the sound is just way too flat.

[Ikaruga11]

I'm also looking for some reference studio speakers.

My setup isn't big enough to accommodate tower speakers, and I'm not sure if I want a sound bar or not. What are the differences between a sound bar and typical desktop/shelf speakers? I use AKG K702 reference studio quality headphones when playing alone and they sound absolutely amazing.

I'd like a surround sound setup, but that' a lot of speakers and I'm not sure if my current room setup would allow it.