Life is too short...

...to listen to music on computer speakers.

G-Fab's Guide to Good Computer Audio

Any set of speakers that came with your computer are junk. This is especially true of the nasty unit attached to our Gateway monitors at work. Do yourself a favor and use the little thumbscrews on the back to remove that piece of shit and get it off of there. [Well, I take that back--that unit is just fine for listening to voice only or the occasional YouTube clip; but you should have your knuckles rapped if you listen to actual MUSIC on that thing.]

Here's a cheap and fun way to improve your musical life instantly. I've been doing it for a while.

The 1980s was what I call "The Golden Age of Japanese Mid-Fi." Basically what I mean is this: consumer grade audio equipment was of surpisingly high quality. In the 80s and 90s, companies such as JVC, Denon, Harmon/Kardon, Kenwood, Onkyo, etc. were selling millions of units. These were well cared for, and now they are being sold on eBay at fantastically low prices. The gear from this era is as good or better than anything you can get at BestBuy or Circuit City today (unless you need 5.1 or other HT formats, which is a sure-fire way to RUIN music anyway--stick with good old 2-channel stereo).

Consider the gear pictured below.



These Baby Advent II bookshelf speakers sold on eBay for $26 (they went for around $300 back in the day). I have a pair of these Babies in my office, neatly tucked into the bookshelf. Unless I am listening, you don't know they are there.

A JVC integrated amp, similar to the receiver you see here, is being shipped to me right now. I paid $9.



So you see where I am going: for under $80, you can have decent audio quality attached to your computer. I have my computer hooked to an integrated amp just like a tape deck. When the phone rings, or when someone stops by, I simply pause the tune or lower the volume. Between my iTunes music, your Muxtape mixes, and my Rhapsody account, I have more music than I could ever want.