So Ive finally had enough of my Logitech 5.1 jobbies. I got them a couple of years back when I won £500 in some lottery draw my grandmother entered me into.

I soon realised that unless youre willing to spend £££ on a decent set of 5.1, youre probably better off with a good set of 2.1 speakers. My logitechs have always had a bit of crackle in them, but the last few days its been pretty bad. I attributed it to bad wiring in the house (itd crackle when lights were turned off and on etc) and frequently theyd speak to me in french...

...so Ive swapped them with the 2.1 speakers that are about 15 years old now that were on the parents computer...and hey, no more crackle. Im not entirely convinced the speakers were 100% to blame as they only crackled when connected to my computer, but it seems to be a common occurence with logitech speakers.

So, anyone recommend a decent set of 2.1s/stereo which have good sound output, and dont cost the earth considering Ive already gone over budget this month? Id heard some good stuff about some creative ones?

Thats about my budget tbh. Speakers to be used for everything, from day-to-day use (youtube etc) to games and music.

I had a similar problem with a second hand speaker system I got given. The problem can be faulty joints, wiring or components.

The one I was given had a dry joint, one with insufficient solder to make a proper connection, the connection there was there had broken and the leg of the component moved, causing crackle.

Two minutes with a soldering iron cured it. The speakers were still going when I passed them on to someone else.

Ive since bought two really cheap sets of 5.1 speakers and, while the overall quality was nothing to write home about they certainly better than the Sterio output from the TV. They didnt crackle or produce other sounds. Think you were sold a lemon sound system.

Personally Id look into the crackling issue, it could be something as simple as the cables are picking up interference. It doesnt seem worth switching out to another set of speakers as without spending a bit youll either get poor stereo but a sub, or no sub and okay speakers, but it depends how much bass you like I guess.

Bass is good, but I tend to have the sub turned way down anyway, otherwise it echoes throughout the house!

Ive tried all sorts with the speakers, for checking connections, swapping connections (from sound card to mobo to front audio) and even the 6 inch drop test. AFAIK its the speakers. Only way to be sure is to try them on another computer and see if they do it.

It could be due to the way I badly extended the cables on the rear speakers, which is one more reason why stereo speakers might be better...!

Tried the surge protectors, including several different ones.

The desk is too small to really move the sub away from anything else. Sub wise, I have had it at 5-10% most of the time!

Ill have to give the comp downstairs a go for 30 mins to see if the speakers crackle on it. I know at least part of it is the computer as they dont crackle when theyre disconnected from the PC but are powered on. Have a sneaking suspicion it could be from not using mobo spacers, but at the same time its a spacerless case?!

The creative speakers Id read about were these ones:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/153032

I almost got these for the tv, but ended up getting some logitech affair for it, which seem to be doing the job, though the sub is turned down to about 3%! (literally 1mm from being turned off)

I would only recommend Logitech having owned my THX lovelies for years now, i cant even remember when i bought them and they are still going strong, great for movies and music.

Lots of reviews, forum comparisons and general research (yes I really should have been working harder at lunch time ).

Thing is, Im slightly disinclined to believe stronger reviews for the Creative products than the M-Audio kit because Ive heard both in my time and one is consumer while the other is prosumer/pro. But having said that Ive also read plenty of comparisons that do give the Creative TS20 more praise than the low end AV20. Im looking at moving my 5.1 set into the lounge to hook up to my TV, so Ive been looking at the options for active PC speakers for my own benefit as well, I definitely want something more studio/hifi that will be good for nearfield since theyll be on my desk. Im tempted to try and find a pair of Studiophile BX5/8a Deluxe on the cheap maybe via eBay, but I know for a fact the AV30s deliver on quality sound as my mate uses them as studio monitors - the AV40s are supposed to be even better but are closer to the £100 mark. I do know however that the Creative equivalents are likely to be more bassy/musical and can be had slightly cheaper. Personally Id rather have a more reference sound but thats the type of hifi person I am.

For what its worth Im just negotiating a deal on some M-Audio BX8a Deluxe monitors for £60 they need sending back to M-Audio for one to be repaired but it should work out as a £200 saving bargain pair.
Bit bigger than desktop speakers though!

Everyone has a sound preference. Someone find neutral speakers disengaging, some prefer the neutrality, some like really bassy music and dont care about the highs, some like crystal clarity at the expense of bass. The best way to audition is with your own ears but thats not always possible. Id say if youre the sort of person that likes to EQ your music then that kind of neutral sound a studio style monitor produces might not be for you, even if the overall quality of components is very good.