What are your best PC 5.1 speaker setups?

[internalmemory]

I'm looking to upgrading my gaming PC's speaker setup but I want some other opinions before I select one. Right now I'm looking at the Logitech Z506, and the Genius 5.1 speaker setup.

Logitech:
http/www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VAK1FA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Genius:
http/www.amazon.com/Genius-GX-Gaming-Surround-G5-1-3500/dp/B00BJE3WEW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404781950&sr=8-1&keywords=Genius+5.1

They both look alright, although Genius of course looks more energetic as of cosmetics go - and it also has easier to use features. But I hear that the reliability of Genius products are rather rubbish, and on the other hand I've heard the Logitech customer support sucks (which I know first hand also since 80% of any Logitech device I've had for the past 12 years all have malfunctioned).

I currently have a Home Theater (RCA) but I can't be bothered to deal with HDMI bullcrap since HDMI for audio from a PC is as smooth as steak knives in sand. Perhaps if I could get some standard HD plug ins for the receiver, but I've tried HDMI and HDMI flat out doesn't work.

I'd like to get an easy to install 5.1 computer speaker set up that doesn't use HDMI and doesn't go over 150 dollars.

 

[Alec Mowat]

I have those logitech speakers and they've been nothing but trouble. Cannot recommend them at all. The volume knob right now is "Random" just you spin it back and forth until it randomly finds a volume you like. I control the sound through the keyboards volume controls. They also crackle and pop often, and the first pair I had was DOA.

The base slowly dies over time, among other problems too. Could be partially related to my soundcard as well, I'm about ready to toss this SB card in the garbage with the speakers.

1 point for Genius. Never heard of em, but they are already better.

 

[internalmemory]

Rofl, good to know... I almost purchased them earlier before I had a moment of clarity and said "maybe I better find out from people smarter than me" and you sir, have the speakers yourself.. So thank you for that.

My soundcard is built directly into my motherboard (Crosshair V Formula-Z) which comes with SupremeFX IV (I think), and it as 11 channels, with plenty of audio out jacks in the back (to my recollection). And I generally will never attempt to use HDMI for audio only - and I won't dongle my video through a receiver to damage the clarity or waste time hooking 30 things into 30 things because last I knew it's just simpler to connect A to B, not A B then to C. Also HDMI for just audio sucks because it doesn't play every single windows sound that would naturally come out of a standard speaker unless you open up a program that supports HDMI audio codecs.

To add a quick edit:

I have tried HDMI, and generally no it hasn't ever worked as simple as it should have. In a perfect world you should be able to plug HDMI from either your MOBO I/O ports or at the last your GPU I/O ports but alas when I did it and I put the receiver on "receive mutha effin HDMI port 2", and I also put all of my playback audio devices to HDMI and it sent the image in but it cut off ALL audio to the entire game which at the time was Watch_Dogs, and I had no audio even after disconnecting everything until after I reset my computer. So no thank you.

 

[Alec Mowat]

The GPU has it's own HDMI driver generally. If you wanted a speaker setup, you would from the GPU HDMI into a receiver, than out the receiver to the TV and to the speakers separately.

If you are using the GPU audio, it's probably easier to disable the onboard (although that will impact your front audio connectors as well) and insure the HDMI audio driver is installed.

 

[internalmemory]

I was running the HDMI from my GPU into my receiver, and I had the video fine, I had to set my HDTV back to "Native" instead of "Full" so it'd be native 1080 and not 1080 zoomed (which cuts off all the edges and HUD and hides the PC taskbar). But I had no audio at all, no PC audio, no game audio - and my TV audio either had only 10% volume or no volume at all.

 

[Alec Mowat]

I was running the HDMI from my GPU into my receiver, and I had the video fine, I had to set my HDTV back to "Native" instead of "Full" so it'd be native 1080 and not 1080 zoomed (which cuts off all the edges and HUD and hides the PC taskbar). But I had no audio at all, no PC audio, no game audio - and my TV audio either had only 10% volume or no volume at all.

Use the GPU to adjust the screen, should be under "Desktop Size and Position", enable GPU scaling.

 

[internalmemory]

I tried to set the resolution in the Windows settings but it never worked.. I'm not fluent in GPU settings unless you mean settings in the Control Panel - or are there a separate set of settings in an actual program or somewhere for the GPU itself? I use GeForce Experience, but I'm not aware of any specific settings like that.

 

[Alec Mowat]

Seperate settings. Right click on the Desktop, go to "Nvidia Control Panel"

ATI cards use Catalyst Control Center

 

[internalmemory]

Ohhhhhhhhh, Nvidia Control Panel... Neato potato... I'd perhaps... if I could be bothered - try my receiver again but that's just a lot of work at this very moment and I don't want to move everything around and get on my knees to test something out that probably wouldn't work anyways lol. I was about to just hand off my Home Theater to someone for free.

Although I do still prefer separating my channels of video and audio for some reason.

 

[Alec Mowat]

Makes no difference, there's a dedicate audio channel. The sound chip is separate, it's it's a loss less compression. Digital would technically sound better than the analog plus on the PC speakers.

 

[internalmemory]

Makes no difference, there's a dedicate audio channel. The sound chip is separate, it's it's a loss less compression. Digital would technically sound better than the analog plus on the PC speakers.

Is there a form of digital that doesn't involve HDMI?

 

[Alec Mowat]

Makes no difference, there's a dedicate audio channel. The sound chip is separate, it's it's a loss less compression. Digital would technically sound better than the analog plus on the PC speakers.

Is there a form of digital that doesn't involve HDMI?

Optical out, if your soundcard supports it.

 

[ssddx]

however... optical has its own issues. unless your onboard soundcard supports DDL (dolby digital live) or similar format you may have issues with games playing sound. also, sometimes onboard optical doesnt support multi-channel over optical very well. generally hdmi is much better than optical.

i personally use a vsx30 receiver and hdmi output out of my gpu to my receiver (well technically a dvi-to-hdmi cable but same thing pretty much) with video passthrough to my tv for video since i do not use a monitor. i do not have any video issues (i have no video processing effects on, its straight passthrough) and audio sounds great (i'd be able to hear any audio distortion on my fairly decent speakers). as far as issues... in the past 4 years or so that i've had this setup i've only had problems one or two times and that was easily fixed by unplugging/replugging the hdmi cable due to a glitch. otherwise, its been very easy to use.

genius speakers are fairly loud but are not that good sounding. logitech speakers are fair but not great but generally reliable. i've had sets last 10 years but of course your mileage may vary. any 5.1 sets around that budget are only going to be moderate quality and moderately good sound.

if you didnt mind 2.1/2.0 instead then the creature III and soundsticks III along with the t20/t40 are all good quality. if you had more of a budget then the z906 isnt bad though not on par with the z5500. likewise the 2.0 corsair speaker set isnt bad either. if you have access to decent home theater speakers though... i would use that instead but its your choice.

 

[internalmemory]

I sadly don't believe my motherboard supports optical out lol.