Logitech Z680's, who here has them?

See, I don't like the other speakers, they are ugly and for the price they ask, they should be designed much better then they are.  Do you know if the 680's have a treble control level?  As far as the sub, all you gotta do is turn down the base.  I know there is a sub level control on it.

Not certain if they've got a control level. However, the issue isn't just the mix, it's the way the subwoofer is designed. It just can't possibly put out tight bass- meaning that what you'll get is a rumbly boom, rather than a thump. As for the mids and highs, the sats are poorly designed as well- they just can't put out decent sounding music. The Z-680s would be good for games, where the boom is what you're after, but for music and movies, the others beat them hands down. If you don't want to take my word for it, try hitting any of the dedicated computing forums- sharkyforums.com, andandtech, hardocp, or arstechnica (Tom's tends to be highly biased).

No, I believe you.  I have heard good reviews about the other high prices sets.  I guess I need to go into some stores and test them out.  The problem is that most stores do not have the pricey speakers on display, why I dont know!  They expect people to drop 400 bucks down on speakers they cant hear?

So you think the Klipsch Ultra's are the ones to get or at least check out in the stores? (5.1).  Are any of the Klipsch speakers digital or are they all analog?  For 400 bucks, there should be a optical connection but I don't see one.

Would you recommend Klipsch over Creative?  I really dont like Creative's speakers but I can deal with Klipsch if I have too.

What about treble controls?  Why are so many computer speaker systems lacking this control?

Alright then, here we go:

Matching up closest with the z-680s in price, and being superior to them in sound, are the creative Megaworks 550s (5.1): http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?prodid=240

Creative also makes a Megaworks 650 set, which is identical to the 550s but has an extra speaker. However, since most music is recorded in stereo form (2.1), and the forms that aren't, like DVD-A, are in 5.1, there's really no reason to get anything more than 5.1.

Creative also has another 5.1 system, the Gigaworks S700, found at http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?prodid=9304 . It's superior all around to the 550s, but is also more expensive. It has the best sounding sats of the bunch (including anything Klipsch), but again it's up to you if you think the extra sound quality is worth it. There is a 7.1 version (the S750), but again, it's kind of pointless for music to have anything higher than 5.1.

Klipsch has 2 5.1 models available: the Klipsch Promedia line and the Klipsch Ultra line. The Promedia 5.1s are no longer being manufactured (and as such are no longer on the Klipsch website), but if you get them they will still be under warranty and should be considerably cheaper than the Ultras. The Promedias fall in between the Megaworks and Ultras in sound quality, they won't sound as good as the Gigaworks do. The Ultra website is found at http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?prodid=9304 . The Klipsch GMX line is really quite bad compared to their other stuff, it's not worth the money.

Finally, you may wish to look at one of the higher end 2.1 systems, if all you really care about is music, and aren't really into the DVD-A type scene. Among the best choices are the new Altec Lansing MX5021s and the Klipsch Promedia 2.1s (again, not GMX). The Monsoon PM-14s are excellent for some types of music, but as the multimedia division has now shut down, they won't honor any warranties.

OK, set me straight!

Besides the Logitech Z680's, which other packages do I need to check out?  If you wouldn't mind, please specify whether the package is 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1  On the creative site, it's confusing as H*LL!  I guess I should mention, I want an excellent speaker system for the PC basically for MUSIC, MUSIC & MORE MUSIC!  I rarely watch DVD's on my computer as I have a home theater system for that.  However, every now and then, it's not out of the norm to catch me watching *certain types* of DVD's while chatting online:)  But yes, the MAIN point is MUSIC!

Thanks for your input.

Klipsch would be nice to check out, though I strongly recommend the Creative as well (the Megaworks 550s, especially, with your price point). Digital is actually no better than analog with multimedia speakers- any gains you get from the digital signal are lost with the DAC on a multimedia system (keep in mind that the actual sound is analog, so it must be converted at some point). On a home theater system, the receiver generally has a very good DAC, and thus any inputs to it should be digital if possible. However, most decent soundcards (Turtle Beach, Creative Audigy and Audigy 2 line, M-audio, and Terratec) have superior DACs to those found in multimedia systems, including the z-680s; you should really be using analog with the z-680s if you get them. Rather than including a DAC on the Promedias or Ultras, Klipsch found it cheaper to just go with analog only.

As for other sound issues, it really depends on what you can spend. If you don't think that $400 is worth it, then it's not.

Also, you should keep your eye out for deals. Dell had the Klipsch Ultras for just over $300 a couple of weeks ago. While that's certainly still expensive, it's better than $400. The Promedias are still better than the z-680s. And I'd really suggest at least checking out Creative's speakers, their high end (Megaworks/Gigaworks) lines are vastly superior to their budget (Inspire) line.

Speaking of Altec, why aren't the FX6021 for sale in the US?  I can't find them anywhere!  I guess if movie watching isn't a priority for me with a computer, then 2.1 would be good for music.  However on my home theater, I listen to music all the time in 5.1 and it sounds great.  It's not just for movies.

Yeah, you can get them online but not in the stores.  I refuse to buy speakers that I can't hear or haven't heard first.

They are actually on newegg, for just under $200. I haven't heard them at all though, so I have no clue if they're really worth the money or not.

Hey, look at Logitechs z-5300.  They are 5.1 and look great. They retail for $199 but you can order them online for aruond $140(amazon.com). They are analog but again with a decent sound card supporting a digital 5.1 output they will totally rock. I've researched this subject and I too must upgrade my sound card to get the best sound out of analog spekers . These should be great with the Audidigy2 ZL($83 at newegg.com). Both are THX qualified and for a total of $263 this combo will definitly satisfy your gaming and pc home theater needs. Do your homework. Good luck.

I have seen them in the stores, I dont like em:(