I'm not an audiophile, but I love high quality audio devices,

I got the audioengine speakers for my sound engineer husband. They're very effective for when he is working due to their flat response, the sound is very accurate, but for things other than working with sound, it is a little lackluster. You need to use an equalizer to give movies and games the same punch they normally have.

The quality of the speakers themselves is nice, no need for a subwoofer, but they're also really big and have trouble fitting on a standard-sized disk with a decently-sized monitor.

>>16848234
>>16848257
I have the A5, they're great speakers, not too analytical. If you want a more analytical signature, then you want monitors. The A5 is good for consumer use, but people say they're overpriced. Are you using these for recording or listening to music, watching movies, and gaming?

>>16848919
I'd use them only for music, gaming and movies.

>>16848234
Dude don't use anything but a krk

>>16849465

for casual monitor use, id have to agree.

critical response stuff will be wasted or not understood in context

I've had a pair of M-Audi BX5's for a couple years now, I feel like I'm missing out by having them connected with dual TRS to the line in on my motherboard. Only there's no way in hell I'm buying a $100+ DAC. Is there anything good for the budget minded?

Also, what I really lack is a subwoofer. I really wish my music, games, and music had more oomph. I was going to buy parts and build one but that'd be like $300 and I'm probably not even doing justice to my monitors as it is.

>>16850151
You could buy a soundcard. I have one, but that's before I knew about DACs. The higher end ones have an onboard DAC.

>>16850886
Asus Xonar U7? Is this good enough?

>>16850886
I should correct myself. The higher end cards have really good DACs.

>>16851269
Are you on a desktop or laptop? Do you use headphones? If so, what kind? On your budget, a soundcard will be best, otherwise you'd be better off with individual components (DAC, amp, etc) but the sky's the limit on how much you can spend there. A soundcard will also offer surround sound options for gaming, but they don't release drivers forever. If you're willing to buy used, you can probably find the high end ones in your budget. The U7 will probably meet your needs, but I recommend reading some reviews first.