Buying locally used is a great option. Just make sure to be safe (duh) and individually demo the speakers before you buy. Buying affordable speakers used online is tough due to shipping costs; they can easily run $50-$100 or higher which kind of kills the value.
Our own sidebar guides are a great resource for bookshelf speakers/ and tower speakers.
This roundup of bookshelf speakers at TheWirecutter is a good place to get started. There are some notable omissions, but it's fairly comprehensive and (most importantly) it offers some background about what to look for.
Our own sidebar guides are a great resource and this roundup of bookshelf speakers at TheWirecutter is a good place to get started. There are some notable omissions, but it's fairly comprehensive and (most importantly) it offers some background about what to look for.
Buying locally used is a great option. Just make sure to be safe (duh) and individually demo the speakers before you buy. Buying affordable speakers used online is tough due to shipping costs which kind of kills the value.
One thing to remember with a surround-sound setup is that the speakers don't really need to match. For 5.1 video, dialogue is sent exclusively through the center channel, the L&R speakers are used for sound effects and music, and the rear speakers are strictly sound effects (usually ambient sound).
A great strategy, especially if your system will see a lot of music use, is to start with a high-quality 2.0/2.1 setup and expand to 5.1 later when budget allows.
Alternately, if you're really in a hurry to get to 5.1: start with a high-quality 3.1 setup and put two random cheapo speakers in the rear. You can always upgrade them later if you really want to (you probably won't feel the need to).
Our own sidebar guide is a great resource: https://www.reddit.com/r/AverageJoeAudiophile/comments/3w9tdw/i_have_xxxxx_to_spend_what_should_i_buy_subwoofers/
This roundup at TheWirecutter is a good place to get started. There are some notable omissions, but it's fairly comprehensive and (most importantly) it offers some background about what to look for: https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-budget-subwoofer/
Audioholics's subwoofer reviews are excellent. Focus on their "review" articles, not the "previews" which are basically regurgitated press releases: http://www.audioholics.com/subwoofer-reviews
If you have the space, consider multiple subwoofers. A single subwoofer will often leave you with massive peaks and dips in your bass coverage as you walk around your room. Multiple subwoofers will give you slightly more (+6dB) peak output but more importantly, a more even sound. Two modest subwoofers may give you better results than a single monster subwoofer. Ref: One Two Three
Onkyo TX-8020 (sub out, phono in) https://smile.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-8020-channel-Stereo-Receiver/dp/B00EE18O7W
Alternately, the analog outputs on iPhones (6S and earlier, RIP headphone jack) and the Lightning-to-headphone adapters measure well.
- http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/airport-express-audio-quality-2014.htm
- http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/lightning-adapter-audio-quality.htm
- http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/iphone-6s-plus-audio-quality.htm
- http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/iphone-5s-audio-quality.htm
Desktop speaker stands recommended by /u/dumb_shitposter https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=16250
If you add a second identical sub you'll gain about 6dB. It will sound a little louder.
The real benefit of a second sub is that you get much more even bass coverage. Even if your sub placement is less than ideal (which is often the case, because the ideal location for a subwoofer is typically rather inconvenient) adding a second sub helps mitigate this.
- https://hometheaterreview.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-multiple-subwoofers/
- https://www.soundandvision.com/content/subwoofers-4-2-or-1-0
- https://www.harman.com/sites/default/files/multsubs_0.pdf
Have a look at the information on our sidebar. Particularly the amplifier, bookshelf speaker, tower speaker, and subwoofer recommendation lists. Wirecutter's roundup reviews for bookshelf speakers and subwoofers are also great starting points.
The links above will not cover every single audio product on the market, but will give you a lot of excellent options to put together an extremely capable system from around $100USD to $1,000USD.
Once you've read these links, feel free to let us know if you have any questions. If you're asking for recommendations, let us know your use case (games? music? movies? all of the above?) and the approximate size of your room.
Here's my current TL;DR version of how to put together a nice 2.0 or 2.1 stereo system for a few hundred bucks or less. Will outperform soundbars, computer speakers, boomboxes, BT speakers of same price. Goal is max brevity; subtleties have been avoided.
All-In-One Systems: Self-Powered Speakers: These are real stereo speakers with their own power supply. Upside: If you go this route, you don't need any of the other stuff below. Also some of these are very attractive. Downsides: you pay a little more for the convenience and they are not as expandable as separate components. For example, many of them don't allow you to easily add a subwoofer. Depending on your tastes and needs they may be a smart choice. Some popular options include the Kanto YU6 (review), the Fluance Ai40 (review, review), the Edifier R1280T & Edifier R1700BT, and Klipsch's powered offerings which range from bookshelf speakers like the R-14PM to floorstanding monsters like the R-28PF.
or....
Speakers: Pick some passive bookshelf or tower speakers from our sidebar guides, or Wirecutter. Tower speakers: generally louder, moar bass, moar wife annoyance.
Subwoofer(s): Coming from cheap 2.1 computer speakers? Might be surprised to know subwoofers are optional when you get into "real" speakers for most music, especially w/ tower speakers or bookshelvess that produce decent bass down to 40hz or 50hz on their own. But, subwoofers can be fun. Check our guide or Wirecutter's guide for recs. Consider multiple subs... ref: link 1 link 2 link 3 link 4
Receiver/amplifier: They sound the same until pushed to their limits. Some go louder than others. Tiny class D amps: fine for desktop or small room use. Good old class AB amp or a high-powered class D amp for larger rooms and high output. Pick one from our sidebar list or Wirecutter.
Home theater receiver, or amplifier? If you're adding a subwoofer, or juggling multiple inputs, choosing a 5.1/7.1 home theater receiver w/ bass management features is recommended. Craigslist can be a goldmine for affordable receivers. Two-channel amps are cool though, just sayin'.
Pairing speakers and amps: Almost literally anything will work with almost literally everything, regardles of power rating. Don't worry about impedance as long as you're using 4-8ohm home audio gear. Just don't crank so loud that it sounds bad (or gets too hot) and you'll be fine.
DIY? Flat-pack DIY kits from PartsExpress or DIYsoundGroup can outperform commercial speakers that are 2x-4x the price. Build video to see if flat packs are for you. Or, use NoAudiophile's DSP corrections to make cheap commercial speakers sound great with EqualizerAPO or a MiniDSP.