Why not PC speakers?

**Un_discovered** · 07-23-2007, 02:09 AM

Originally Posted by checksum

I doubt, I will ever take these speakers past 1/2 the volume. I mean just sitting down surrounded by 5 speakers that are about 4 feet away from you, and the bass pumping was just too much. I don't know how many WATTS that was, but it was just too damn loud, and the sound wasn't distorted at all. And these speakers are only 550WATTS.

Uhm... what?

I'm with durwood and 2k1Toaster on this one. Road noise and wind will kill this most likely. And the durability issue.

Road noise will likely kill your mid-range.

There's always the possibility that you haven't had a fair deal of experience with properly tuned sound systems. Personally I find too many people buying themselves a Logitech/Creative speaker package and thinking it's state of the art. Yea, they're fancy, but they're not as "audiophilic" as many would like to think.
Too many times I've had someone tell me how great they are, and then watched their speakers distort at 50-75%+ volume. I can't say my computer's sound setup (compenent hi-fi system) doesn't, but that's because I'm yet to have it reach 50% volume, as the SPL is too high with 2x one metre full range towers in a 4x4 metre room.
The reason your speakers seemed so powerful is because you're using a system that's designed for a much larger environment. Bringing them into an environment as small as a car cabin is increasing the SPL a great deal, and thus the volume.

Most of all, the issue is road/wind noise and durability.
I'm not saying that PC speakers in a car won't work, I'm just saying that it would be of very questionable quality.

- Of course it sounds clear, if memory serves, each of your satellites have two tweeters, and with five speakers, that's a lot of treble.

I'm just seriously doubting the endurance of the audio when we start talking intefering sounds, ie. your wind and road noise.

Then again, maybe I'm just not convinced because you seem to think your speakers are out to get you.
"I only went half way with the volume, and I was about to go death"
"I was scared to go all the way, because I thought I might go death"

I am however eager to see the results after a road test.
Be sure to keep us posted,

**scott_fx** · 07-23-2007, 02:17 AM

sound is all subjective, i'm glad you're happy with them. You saved a grip load of cash :-)

Originally Posted by Un_discovered

I am however eager to see the results after a road test.
Be sure to keep us posted,

when i had my old system with 75wpc it was very very loud in the driveway. when i was on the highway I'd have to max out the computer's volume (there was no distortion even at this point with my old setup) and it still would be drown out with engine and road noise.

the biggest potential problem i see; besides headroom, with that has been touched upon already. the sat. speakers are probably x-overed very high and that's going to bring the soundstage back behind your head.

**rijndael** · 07-27-2007, 10:53 PM

any word on how it turned out, Checksum? would love to find out...

**Un_discovered** · 07-28-2007, 12:00 AM

Uh-oh, looks like he's gonna disappear for a year again.

**checksum** · 07-28-2007, 12:14 PM

I will let you know as soon as I run the test. I had to RMA my motherboard, so it will be another week or so...

**rijndael** · 07-28-2007, 07:44 PM

that sucks dude...hopefully you didnt have to send it back to MSI...cause i waited 2 months to get mine back and without them telling me what they fixed on it, they sent it back saying it worked (on a page in the box they put the mobo in)...when i put everything back in, it still didnt work...turns out it was my HDD which developed a short somehow which prevented me from turning on the computer. the mobo had a bad component as well...so it wasnt just the HDD...i hope you have beter luck with yours

edit: they did fix one part on the mobo, but never told me what...

**Maheriano** · 07-28-2007, 11:56 PM

This took 15 pages? It's common sense.

**blk02si** · 07-29-2007, 12:48 AM

I could have told everyone this works. I mean a speaker is a speaker, give it a powered signal and it will produce sound. New PC speaker do sound hella good! I think the debate here is not weather or not it will work but how to retrofit PC speakers into your car speaker locations. This can be done with good fabricating. My main concern with this setup is the same problem with running a PC power supply from an inverter. Its dirty, very inefficient, and bulky. What you are failing to see is that PC speakers have a built in amp so you are not eliminating the amp. You are powering a 110 volt amp with a 12 volt inverted source. If you can get a clean signal from that setup than I say go for it. Realistically though the cost of fabricating custom mounts for the PC speakers would probably offset the cost of just buying real mobile audio equipment. Hooking up a mobile system to a carPC is actually very easy. I spent about the same as you on my 2 amps and sub and I'm pretty sure it can out perform my high end desktop PC speakers.

Your nissan looks like it had a PC explosion lol

**hithere** · 07-30-2007, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by blk02si

I could have told everyone this works. I mean a speaker is a speaker, give it a powered signal and it will produce sound. New PC speaker do sound hella good! I think the debate here is not weather or not it will work but how to retrofit PC speakers into your car speaker locations. This can be done with good fabricating. My main concern with this setup is the same problem with running a PC power supply from an inverter. Its dirty, very inefficient, and bulky. What you are failing to see is that PC speakers have a built in amp so you are not eliminating the amp. You are powering a 110 volt amp with a 12 volt inverted source. If you can get a clean signal from that setup than I say go for it. Realistically though the cost of fabricating custom mounts for the PC speakers would probably offset the cost of just buying real mobile audio equipment. Hooking up a mobile system to a carPC is actually very easy. I spent about the same as you on my 2 amps and sub and I'm pretty sure it can out perform my high end desktop PC speakers.

Your nissan looks like it had a PC explosion lol

Agreed. If the guy was getting anywhere near 500 watts in practice after inversion, he'd probably be looking at a new alternator. The speakers he's using are efficient, but of questionable accuracy in the midrange, and I could probably...check that, I know I could do better, SQ wise, in a car, with a ported JL 10w0 and two (2) Pioneer components in factory locations. I know what the logitech's sound like, and I had my old Ford Focus sounding better than my in-house Logi's with a similar setup (4 chan Pioneer amp, Boston FX series speakers up front, JL w0 in rear (sealed...but if he wanted to approximate the sound of the Logi's, then ported)....and at similar cost, practically drop-in fabrication, no inversion power loss/noise.

Yes, PC speakers will "work" in a car. But in the end, you can get similar or better sound at similar cost with something that doesn't require fabricating of the extent this does. The logitechs are made to sound boomy in the low end and have clear highs, precisely because they are engineered to be used primarily for movies and games.

I don't want to sound preachy, and I commend the OP for having the gumption to try it out, and I'm far from an expert...but I do know from experience what it would take to fab something that would make that set of Logi satellites not look ghetto in a vehicle I cared about. Can it be done? Sure! But very much pain for very little gain, unless you're one of those that's happy with Logitech satellite enclosures bolted onto your dash. I'd be deeply ashamed of such a setup if I didn't fab the satellites and sub in...and my wife would have a fit. But that's just me.