I'm planning on purchasing a good set of 4.1 speakers for a reasonable price. As i'm looking at my choices, their # of Watts barely compares to the mighty Klipsch's 400W system.

I'm going to use the speakers 80% Gaming, 20% Music&Movies. Do the speaker wattages really make a difference to my listening experience besides?

I have the following choices:
Cambridge FPS2000 Digital 4.1~ 53W Total
Logitech SoundMan Xtrusio DSR100~ 100W Total

With about a 50% difference, will this mean a whole lot besides how loud it can reach.

yup...wattage means how much power will it output..you will also have to look at frequeny ratings to see how clear and crisp it will sound...generally good speakers will have a freqency ratings of 20hz-20khz...I will skip a lot of the details about the speakers since you can read about them...but my recommendation is buy yourself a klipsch..it's clearer,cripser, and at loud output the klipsch has clearer sound then the Cambridge or the other one....use to have a Cambridge DTT2500...it was nice...but didn't have the power and sound of the Klipsch Promedia 4.1...sold that POS DTT2500 and going to get the Klipsch 5.1 whenver it comes out!!! I'm using my old set of speakers...Cambridge Microworks (before Evil Creative took over them)...but hey..they make awesome soundcard..but speakers wise, they suck!!

gudnuf4u nice post.

the klipsch is my far the best speakers. all i cna say is that my neibor came over when i ahev the 4.1 and asked me to turn down my music (i'm in a house not a apartment)

and the 5.1 is out but they made a recall. i should be getitng my speakers soon, im hope by friday

hey..at least your Promedia 5.1 is coming in..I'm still trying to find a place to order it...I've been waiting for this sucker for about a month..since the End of August....living of the Microworks speakers right now....damn..need 5.1!!!

quote:Originally posted by Mofo:
I'm planning on purchasing a good set of 4.1 speakers for a reasonable price. As i'm looking at my choices, their # of Watts barely compares to the mighty Klipsch's 400W system.

I'm going to use the speakers 80% Gaming, 20% Music&Movies. Do the speaker wattages really make a difference to my listening experience besides?

I have the following choices:
Cambridge FPS2000 Digital 4.1~ 53W Total
Logitech SoundMan Xtrusio DSR100~ 100W Total

With about a 50% difference, will this mean a whole lot besides how loud it can reach.

Wattage differences arent as great as you might think. I believe on the RMS scale you need to generally increase wattage by a factor of 10 to get twice the loudness. Thats what it says in this ass-old stereo guide i have laying around anyways.

The things you do need to be concerned with are:

1. How it sounds to YOU. (all the stats in the world cant take precedent over this one)

And for the most important stat, IMHO:

2. Total Harmonic Distortion figures. From all the stat sheets ive seen on computer speaker setups (not a whole lot, but a few), the Klipsch are the best in this area. And i believe that nobody has built a better sub for a computer system yet.

Well the Promedia 5.1 are out there somewhere. WHen i was working at fed ex this summer, i unloaded truckloads of them

how about vidoelogic?

The klipsch are good for bass..and not much else. Wattage means nothing, My crossfire system is rated at **only** 80W yet it is about 20% louder than the promedia's. Not to mention that it delivers netural mid and high range- not that crappy "bright" klipsch sound. The best PC Speakers are the following
VideoLogic Sirocco PRO
VideoLogic DigiTheater DTS*
VideoLogic Sirocco Crossfire
Monsoon MM-2000
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Then comes the medicore range...of which klipsch falls into.

The Klipsch speakers are simply an overhyped product..they would be worth it if they were half the price. Most people simply see, BIG BASS, 400 WATT, THX! and assume that they are getting the best..but in fact they are getting speakers that are good for games..and not much else. Klipsch systems just can't deliver the imaging, smoothness and clarity that other systems even less expensive than the VideoLogics can deliver. That said for games Klipsch does have the best system, cause games cant expose the flaws in the sats and the sub does ok with game effects which are ment to sound boomy in the first place, the sub just makes them boomier..lol.

* I dont really consider the DTS as a computer system as it lacks the independant inputs for the rear sats, It depends if you use it for games I guess.

hey rogue nice to see another videologic use in this forum. Tell you guys what, what rogue said is true. The crossfires on my fiance's system is louder and sounds better than the klipsch. And I am more than happy with the domination of my digitheater dts speakers.

Btw i would have got the sirocco pro if it wasn't a 2.1 system (not to mention it cost tonnes)

IF you used your computer 90% for music then the PRO's would be worth it. I have had the privelage to hear a set of these and they are absolutley awe-inspiring. These are as far above the Sirocco/Crossfire/DTS as those systems are above say the DT3500.