Speakers
I’ve never had to work so hard to spend $150.
Late last week, I subscribed to PressPlay just to try it out (more on them later). After listening to music all day, I decided I needed some new speakers; I was using some very old HK’s that came with a computer several years ago, and they just weren’t cutting it any more. I called Tom, and we got to work finding a new set.
First stop was a set of Monsoon PM-9’s for $79 from Circuit City. The box looked like it was a shock-testing dummy, and of course one of the speakers was broken when I got them home. Off to another CC store to exchange, got them back home, hooked them up. Other than an annoying hum from the sub, these were fantastic speakers - well worth the price. The sound was a little different than I’m used to, but pleasing.
That hum, though, just wouldn’t go away, and it was annoying and headache-inspiring. It was some kind of ground loop thing - the hum would go away when I unplugged the computer audio-out from the speakers. Further, if I hooked up my laptop to them, when the laptop was running on batteries, all was well - but plug anything into it (ethernet, power, USB device, whatever), and the hum would come back. I could plug the sub into another outlet about 30 feet away (with an extension cord snaking through the house), and it was much better, although still there. So back to the store for a Monster Power power conditioner…still no love, the hum just wasn’t going away.
I bribed Tom to bring over his JBL speakers for a test case, and they worked fine without any hum. So it’s evidently just a problem with the particular circuitry in the Monsoons with my devices and power circuits. Bummer - I’m getting really fond of these speakers by now, but the hum wasn’t going away.
So I spend the morning researching speakers, and finally head back to CC with my iPaq and a few 128kbps encoded WMA’s. I tried the Altec Lansing ATP3 ($79) system first - what a complete pile of junk. Turn it up past halfway or so (and this isn’t loud by any means), and the distortion becomes more noticeable than the music. I found a set of Klipsch ProMedia 2.1’s ($179), which I fully expected to rock my world…but actually I wasn’t impressed. The satellites sounded great, but the sub sounded a little muddy (surprising…maybe there was something wrong with the one on the floor). Finally I tried the Altec Lansing 621’s ($149), and I was pleasantly surprised; pretty neutral sound, and enough power to play what I want without distortion. Took them home, held my breath, plugged them in, and no hum. Cool! They also sound great…so far so good. There are a few things I don’t like too much - the 2-button volume control, no remote sub volume, and a couple other things, but so far I’m liking them.