What kind of external speakers do you use?

definately go with surround sound, a minimum of 5.1 surround sound. I have the Logitech Z680 speakers which are pretty damned good. If you can find them for a reasonable price, then I recomend getting those. Logitech released a new set of speakers which are the Z680's replacement unit, but I cannot find them in the stores in my area. I purchased my Z680 system for $150 from Dell last year and my friend paid $350 at Circuit City 1/2 a year ago. If you will be getting a new sound system, get a new sound card so that you can take full advantage of 5.1 surround sound.

I go for headphones.....

I prefer 2.1 setups myself because 5.1 setups take up alot of room and leave alot of messy wires all over the place and unless you actually mount the rear speakers behind you its kinda pointless to have 5.1.

If the Inspiron 9300 comes with a dongle that attaches to the back of the notebook where the s-video output is, then you can get 5.1 output. If it doesn't come with that dongle, which I don't think it does, then you can't get true 5.1 output and can only get stereo output. Most 5.1 computer speakers come with a setting to make a stereo signal sound like a 5.1 signal but it is not as good as having a direct 5.1 digital output. Additionally, you will want to go through a better audio connection than using the headphone port on the Inspiron 9300. The XPS has SPDIF (Coaxil digital audio) output through a supplied dongle. Get a sound card and speaker system that have digital optical audio or SPDIF connections.

Keep in mind, like the other guy said, getting a 5.1 system is pointless unless your going to mount those 2 speakers begind you. I dont have the room to do that, so i got a 2.1 klipsch promedia system, and i LOVE them.

The Bose Companion 2.1 system is superior to anything up to 500 dollars. Cost $250 Best Buy

I have a set of klipsch promedia 5.1's and before that, I had a set of klipsch 2.1s which are now sitting in the corner somewhere collecting dust. A lot of people will argue back and forth between logitech and klipsch and it really comes down to what you want.

Logitech z-5500
Pros:
Loud bass. A lot of people want punchy bass that they can feel. Klipsch doesnt provide that.

Looks like the logitechs have built in decoders. If you need that, then dont get Klipsch.

Cons:
Single driver satellites. What the hell are they thinking? Expect mediocre highs and more than likely, mediocre mids.

The bass is not "true" bass. A lot of people will argue with me on this but in my opinion, bass is meant to compliment whatever it is youre listening to, namely music. It should not overpower the mids and highs.



Klipsch 5.1
Pros:
Dual driver satellites! Sound quality of the satellites is leaps and bounds over that of z-5500.

The woofer is dual 8" drivers with a slotted port. This produces a very smotoh bass curve. You will -not- get that punchy bass, but if you crank the volume up, you will -feel- it and things -will- be rattling.

Top of the line support. The people at Klipsch are -extremely_ friendly. If you have a problem, they will bend over backwards to make you happy.
Cons:
No decoder. If you need it, youre SOL. If you dont, its one less thing to fail.

The woofer box is pretty big for a multimedia system.

There were reports of the amplifiers dying on the promedia ultras and it seems this problem continues into the promedia 5.1s to a lesser degree. What this means is if its under manufacturers warranty, Klipsch does replace the amp for free. If its not, I believe they charge 50 dollars for the amp plus S&H.



So it all really depends on what you need and what you do most often. If you want speakers for games, I would probably go with the logitechs since loud bass is what you want in most games. If you watch movies and listen to music, the klipsch cant be beat.

One thing about Klipsch, their volume scale is on log based. What this means is that 40 is -not- half volume. It is in fact 1/16th the max volume. 50 is 1/8th, 60 is 1/4th and 70 is 1/2. I have had these at 70 and they were -loud-. Things were rattling on my desk and whats very amazing is, the mids and highs were still clear. Extremely clear. You wont really find any flatter response through the frequency range.

By the way, Klipsch claims it goes down to 25Hz, but it tapers off dramatically from 35Hz I believe which is fine because 30Hz is the ToH. But from 35Hz straight up to 20KHz is pretty damn flat.

As for Bose, its nothing but marketing. There is nothing extraordinary about Bose other than their prices. Avoid them at all costs unless the name really means something to you.


Cliffnotes: Logitech for games, Klipsch if you listen to music, watch movies and play games. Avoid Bose.


*edit: Added another con to the Klipsch system so the post didnt seem like I was trying to say the Klipsch system was perfect.

Where can you get that dongle.

Oh please. Go read any audiophile review site. They completely crap all over anything bose. Honestly, they have a sound of there own. Either you like them or hate them. Most people hate them. I would advise you to stick to either klipsch or logitech. In my opinion, the klipshcs come out slightly ahead, because they use horn loaded drivers, which are VERY nice.

Logitech Z2300 rocks for $99....super good base and clean clear sounds.

I also have the Z-2300s; a great sound system, but I paid $115!

Amen!

I also much prefer a 2.1 setup, and space is of no concern. I don't game, but do listen to a lot of music. I currently use Klipsch ProMedia 2.1. I personally haven't heard much better sounding computer speakers (I also use the Audigy 2 ZS PCMCIA sound card). I love this setup, and for the money, works great for me. I haven't had the issues w/ the sound card posted by many users. Guess I was lucky.

Dont forget ALtec Lansing, they too make some great speakers for the computer, I really like the MX5021 from Altec Lansing, sound better than the Klipsch 2.1, no hissing like on those 2.1's from klipsch.

I have the Z-2300's as well. Their probably the best 2.1 speakers you'll find for the price. I got mine for like $70 through Dell with a coupon. I have a NIB set of Logitech Z-5500's that i just got a couple of weeks ago though that i've decided i dont want and i'm trying to sell. 5.1 setups just take up too much room even on a large desk IMO and i'm not that much of an audiophile that i need surround sound. Usually i'm not able to blast the volume anyways when other people are in the house so its kinda useless. The Z-2300's are in a fairly small box and not very heavy. The Z-5500's however are in a much larger box and weigh like 60 lbs. They were a pain carrying down steep stairs. Their some of the best 5.1 speakers out there for those wanting a 5.1 setup. If anyone is looking to buy a set thats NIB and still sealed for less then you'll find online then hit me up.

Yes the MX5021's are quite good. For music and DVD's the Altec Lansing MX5021's or Klipsch Promedia 2.1's are your two best choices. For gaming though Logitech is usually a little better because of the bass and they are cheaper as well.

I'm going to have to RMA my Z-2300's soon because i've noticed the left satellite is noticeably louder then the right satellite on low volume. I've double checked all the volume settings and they are set the same. I dont really notice it when their both turned up to high volume though.

I use a 2.0 system. Its a Dynaudio Evidence Master. A little over kill but they were free.

Altec Lansing ADA305 baby! Had them 8 years long and still going strong!

I'm very happy with my Logitech Z-5300 system - very nice sound for games & music. I'm trying to figure out why some people are so anal about hating bose systems? overprices-YES, but show me a speaker or complete audio system with the same size with better sound- I didn't think you could Maybe some people have room issue's or don't want 8 different componets. I feel a rant coming on