Howdy howdy guys, Ponchato here, and today I’m gonna show you my 2.1 Audiophile Speaker
Setup that cost under $250.
[intro]
If you're like me, you value high quality music.
You only stream the highest bitrate you can find, lossless files are your favorite, and
you cringe whenever your friends play audio ripped out of a YouTube video from 2006.
But, to actually enjoy all that crispy audio, you need a speaker setup to match.
High end headphones are fantastic, but they just can’t deliver the bass and I prefer
having my head uncovered.
My first real audiophile setup is still the one I'm using today, and you don't need to
spend thousands of dollars on speakers and amplifiers to create a really enjoyable listening
experience.
All you need is a pair of high-quality bookshelf speakers, a powered sub, and an amplifier.
That's it.
In this video I'm going to show you my setup, where to get the components, and how to put
it together all for under $250.
The centerpiece of any setup is the stereo speakers.
They produce everything from the midbass all the way up to the highest cymbal notes.
The speakers I chose for my setup are the $90 75 Watt Micca MB42X Bookshelf Speakers.
They're based on a 4-inch carbon fiber woofer with a silk dome tweeter, and include a 12dB
crossover network.
These speakers are honestly strong enough to stand well on their own and give a very
controlled listening experience, and in fact, probably perform better than any pre-built
system from Logitech across the spectrum.
They’re powered by the $27 Lepy LP-2020A+, a 2x20W stereo amplifier.
This is the go-to for entry level systems, and has worked out extremely well for me.
Before you go out and spend $400 on a USB DAC ultra-high-resolution studio amplifier,
try out a high quality setup with this.
You'll find out if you need more headroom, and more importantly, you'll find out if it's
worth it to get something more expensive.
There's a reason so many people choose amplifiers based on the 2020A+, and it's not just because
it's inexpensive.
The sound output is clean and they provide plenty of power for near-field listening and
even smaller home theater setups.
The power supply it comes with is slightly underpowered and noisy, so getting a replacement
like this one for about $7.50 is well worth the cost.
With this power supply, I can only hear noise if I turn the volume up past about 80%, which
is 50% higher than where I normally have it.
The third and final piece of the puzzle is the powered subwoofer.
This is what gives you the 'punch', this is what makes the walls shake (if you want them
to), and this is what gives music and movies that authentic full-bodied sound.
For me, having a sub is as important as the speakers or even the music itself.
I have a no-name 10-inch 100W powered sub (which I can no longer find on Amazon), but
the Polk Audio PSW10 has all the same or better specifications at close to the same cost.
In fact, the PSW10 reaches 5Hz lower than my current sub.
And at $100, it's a no-brainer for entry level systems.
This sub is more than powerful enough to fill any room under about 20'x20', and quite well
at that.
The last parts you need are just logistics.
You'll need some speaker wire, wire strippers, and a 3.5mm cable to send music from your
PC or phone to the amplifier.
To put everything together, you'll need to cut 4 lengths of speaker wire; two to go from
the amplifier to the subwoofer's high-level inputs, and two more to go from the sub's
high-level outputs to the speakers.
The reason you need to route all the audio through the sub is that that's how it extracts
all the low-frequency sounds when producing music; some more expensive amplifiers (especially
those used in home theater systems) have a dedicated "Sub Out" or "LFE"
(that's "Low Frequency Effects") output so only one cable needs torun to the sub.
The cheapest one I’ve seen with an LFE output is about $200 and way overkill for an entry
level system.
Once you’ve cut the wires to the correct lengths, strip about half an inch of insulation
off each end.
Press the spring clamp or loosen the binding post to insert the cables into the components.
Make sure you match the red and black on both ends; speaker wire normally has a white stripe
printed on one of the conductors and I just match that to black on both ends of the cable.
Plug one end of the 3.5mm cable into your computer or phone and the other into the amplifier,
and the system is all hooked up!
On the sub, adjust the crossover frequency to about 80 or 90 Hertz.
This is where the Micca MB42X speakers start to drop off, and where the sub will pick up.
Set the volume to about one quarter, and power it on.
You can adjust the volume to your taste later.
On the amplifier, make sure the volume is turned all the way down, then power it on.
Play some music and adjust the volume to a comfortable level.
Once you’re there, you’re golden.
Your system is ready to go, whether it’s enjoying a lossless album solo or filling
a living room with theater quality audio.
High quality setups don’t need to be ridiculously expensive, and I hope with this video I can
show some people the light.
Or… the sound.
If this video was helpful hit the like button, if you want to see more hit subscribe, and
if you have any questions about speakers or audio, or suggestions for future videos, let
me know in the comments below.
Thanks for watching, I hope I helped, and I’ll see you in the next video.