Got one of these pairs the last time they were wooted. Still cannot make them work. BEWARE!

DrAmbrosius wrote:Got one of these pairs the last time they were wooted. Still cannot make them work. BEWARE!

You haven't taken advantage of their warranty?

These have been highly reviewed in previous woot!'s and are highly reviewed at Amazon. The main complaint was they they turn themselves off after 30 minutes of no use requiring you to push a button to turn them back on.

If I wasn't so broke I'd definitely be in for a pair this time around.

I have a couple of questions about connectivity for those who own these. Is the 3.5mm jack on the front input or output (headphones)? Also, where is the TOSlink connection located?

Curious because I want to use them with a computer, but don't like having the cables visible from the front. The PC has a sound card with optical, so either connection would work.

Thanks in advance!

computermd82 wrote:I have a couple of questions about connectivity for those who own these. Is the 3.5mm jack on the front input or output (headphones)? Also, where is the TOSlink connection located?

Curious because I want to use them with a computer, but don't like having the cables visible from the front. The PC has a sound card with optical, so either connection would work.

Thanks in advance!

both in the back with the headphones front

Got them on Woot last time. Sound is great (a little bit too boomy on the bass for my tastes, but overall great). The auto-shutoff is annoying as all hell since I can't hear my computer's notifications when the speakers are connected unless I've explicitly turned on the speakers. They desperately need an auto-on to match, which just isn't present.

As for the above question, the 3.5mm in and optical audio in are on the back, the jack on the front is a headphone jack.

computermd82 wrote:I have a couple of questions about connectivity for those who own these. Is the 3.5mm jack on the front input or output (headphones)? Also, where is the TOSlink connection located?

Curious because I want to use them with a computer, but don't like having the cables visible from the front. The PC has a sound card with optical, so either connection would work.

Thanks in advance!

Not an owner but in considering these myself I checked out Audyssey's site. The inputs appear to be on the back, per the product quick start guide, so i'd assume that front jack is indeed for headphones/aux output

computermd82 wrote:I have a couple of questions about connectivity for those who own these. Is the 3.5mm jack on the front input or output (headphones)? Also, where is the TOSlink connection located?

Curious because I want to use them with a computer, but don't like having the cables visible from the front. The PC has a sound card with optical, so either connection would work.

Thanks in advance!

The quick start guide shows the location of the inputs/outputs.

The Crutchfield video demo also shows them connecting up the inputs.

Got these last time. These are great for background music. They produce quite a bit of LF, and have a very processed sound, and the highs are internally turned up, but a bit too rolled off for my taste (loud highs, but not natural). I would NOT recommend these as accurate monitors. There's nothing audiophile'ish about them. They do have the initial "wow" factor, because they sound very full especially for the size. I don't know why people compare these to B&W speakers. From an audiophile point of view, these are much closer to bose than to any serious audio gear (even the low end dm600's will blow these away in every respect, except for the gobs of flobby/resonant bass that these produce). I'm just telling it how it is. These speakers do have impressive frequency spectrum for the size, and they have the overprocessed LF and HF internally turned up for the WOW factor; but that's about it. What they are good for is hanging them on a shelf, and they're small and unobtrusive, and have great frequency response as background speakers.

Easily one of the best values I've ever taken advantage of on Woot. Excellent desktop speakers, solid construction and attractive. The standby mode is a bit curious but hardly an issue for me. I'd recommend them instead of most sound bars as well for a boost to your television with optical out.

computermd82 wrote:I have a couple of questions about connectivity for those who own these. Is the 3.5mm jack on the front input or output (headphones)? Also, where is the TOSlink connection located?

Curious because I want to use them with a computer, but don't like having the cables visible from the front. The PC has a sound card with optical, so either connection would work.

Thanks in advance!

Toslink connection is in the back, and the 3.5 jack on the front is output. There is another 3.5 jack in the rear.

You should know that BOTH inputs are active all the time, there is no switching between them. Not a big deal, I use them for both my video game systems (through a 3.5mm conversion) AND my PC through Toslink. They perform flawlessly. I left a review at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R19E8KICUMG49Y

Also, I recently had to take mine in for customer service, they were popping on power up and power down, and since I live near their headquarters, they were nice enough to let me drop the speakers off physically. Would've been much easier for the service rep to say no, and have me pay the shipping costs, but she went out of her way to talk to Shipping and Receiving, who took my set of LES in. Haven't received them back yet, but the service has been great so far, and the speakers were *fantastic.* I know people with expensive B&W set ups, and while these are not surround-sound B&Ws, they definitely still impress me.

revotto wrote:I'd recommend them instead of most sound bars as well for a boost to your television with optical out.

I'm not sure I'd personally recommend them for a TV, because of a manual volume control and the standby thing. Still, if you can deal with that, then sure it'll work for the TV. I just know there's no way I'm convincing people in my living room that they need to get up to change the volume every time, and adding another step of having to turn the speakers on would be too complex as well.

Picked up a pair in December. I was impressed during my initial sound test. The low end is very full and quite clear (for a tiny driver), responding well to my trip-hoppiest grooves. The high end is very crisp; these speakers provide a surprisingly clear sound stage. My Marantz/B&W rig is muddy in comparison.

However, I have been unable to find a good use for them. The mid-range response is anemic compared to the treble and highly-emphasized low end. Dialog and most musical content is in the mid-range. To clearly hear dialog, I have to turn the volume up to a level where bass bothers the neighbors (and eventually irritates me). I tried these on my gaming PC, but the constant barrage of bass-heavy sound effects started to fatigue my ears.

Hook a small pair of speakers up to a good amplifier, muffle the main drivers with a blanket and turn the treble and bass all the way up on the amp (and punch the "loudness" button for good measure). Now you have an idea what these sound like. Perhaps to your taste--but I think my pair will end up on eBay.

Bought these on a previous woot. Today they stopped working. Seems like they are getting no power. Sent in a request to the company. Now we'll see how the customer service is.

I purchased these the last time they were offered(October 12)...I was first disappointed, thinking that they were just marginal speakers with little volume and a disappointing, flat soundstage...then I hooked them up with an optical speaker wire - Wow, huge difference! They really shine with the optical connection, very good volume and great bass...however....

After a few weeks the optical line connection, which was a little loose, started to loosen just a bit and I had a stuttering connection....I sent them back,(my $25.00) - they would not pay for shipping back to their location, even thought the product was defective...

I am STILL waiting on my replacements - I sent them this e-mail 12/28 and still have not heard from them...

The defective speakers were received by Audyssey last Wednesday....when will I receive new replacement speakers? I am not happy about spending $25.00 to send Defective speakers back to you for replacement - according to the site I purchased the speakers from, there were many defective speakers sold on that one site....please have someone respond as why so many defective speakers were sent out, and why the burden of replacing the speakers is on the Client - sadly, great speakers, terrible customer service tactics.....

As said, Great speakers, terrible customer service.

In regards to the auto shut off after 30 mins, there is a free program called SPDIFKeepAlive that sends a continuous inaudible signal over the TOSlink or wire connection. This should keep it from auto turning off when you don't want it to. It has several different ways to keep the device on in case the inaudible tone doesn't work such as running an audible one at the lowest volume setting possible that is hard to hear unless you turn the speakers way up.

I use this on my home PC because my sound card will turn off the TOSlink when there is extended audio inactivity resulting in a nasty loud pop sound coming from my surround system. With the program running, it stays active all the time.

I bought these when they were wooted in October. Here's a few thoughts on my experience with them.

Immediately apparent when unpacking these speakers is the solid construction. Plugging in devices I noticed the rear jacks pose a lot of resistance which is encouraging for their long term durability.

The exterior design does not demand attention, yet the speakers remain distinct among other electronics which I believe is attributable to their built-in stands.

As for the sound, these are not your ordinary 2.0 PC speakers. They get downright physical with bass. Very deep low range ability is probably these speaker's hallmark. Sure you can buy a 2.1 setup that could easily make more noise with a standalone cabinet and large driver...if noise is what you want. Bass is clean with the Audysseys although it can get a little over powering at times...but who am I to argue with Bass XT!?!. The sound is better than speakers this size have any right to be.

Auto-off is my only complaint. If the right speaker happens to be in arm's reach at the point you realize they've shut themselves' off, it's not a problem. Just reach over, press down on the volume knob.

If you plan to use these when you're on the couch or in bed then I think you will be disappointed at their propensity to be off when you sit/lay down. Auto-on or an IR sensor would be a nice feature for these scenarios.

There's a great deal of potency and fidelity in a tiny package here. The price is right. I mean, your not going to get Kevlar drivers from Logitech.

I had a problem with auto shuttoff occurring on my z5500 speakers when using the spdif connection. I just told windows to actively listen to a recording device, like line in, and play that signal through the spdif connected speakers. No added software necessary, as long as you aren't using either your line in or microphone ports. Unless I'm mistaken people using the 3.5mm jack shouldn't have any auto shutoff problems.


Anyone know how these compare to the audioengine a2's

lete wrote:Anyone know how these compare to the audioengine a2's

I've been running the A5's for a couple years now and despite their auto-off feature (where the A5's have auto-on) I much prefer these. I got them during the October woot and use them on my desk, within arm's reach. The A5's have a better bass reach which is understandable given their much larger size. I had been using them as desktop speakers since getting them, now they are temporary TV speakers until I can start building a surround sound system in my living room.

Moving from office to living room while the same song is playing over AirPlay on both sets, Audyssey takes the cake. They sound incredible.

I hope you didn't take my word for it. After reading the amazon reviews I'm of the mind that the speakers actually do disable themselves after a period of inactivity on both the spdif and 3.5mm audio jacks. It's really a bogus power saving implementation. Super lazy/cheap. I have an M-Audio sub-woofer (bx10s) that has an automatic standby mode but it's smart enough to recognize when music is being played and comes out of standby automatically. I'd buy a set to see if I could circumvent this "feature" if I thought it was practical, but with the built in dac, the dynamic EQ and other silly dsp magic they've shoved into this thing I'm sure that's out of the question. Sure you could probably bypass the dsp chip entirely but without the intended dsp effects being applied, the overall sound might not live up to the original perceived quality.

I also don't like the fact that any analog input I give it is going to be digitally sampled before reaching the internal amp. I'd rather have a well made speaker with matched amp, and have the option to add my own adc/dac as necessary. Too bad they couldn't just keep it simple. These seekers are too "smart" for their own good. I'd recommend passing on these even if you don't know what I'm talking about, if only to avoid the annoyance of turning them back on every thirty minutes.(yes I realize that is an exaggeration but it does represent a possible worst case scenario)

I love mine.

The issue with auto-off is not really apparent in my use.

I have them connected via optical to a Samsung TV. I have a Wii (RGB+RW), a Blu-Ray (HDMI), and a Roku (HDMI), plus the internal tuner. I also have a Dell laptop connected via VGA and 3.5->R&W RCA.

Computer: With Windows 7, I actually have never had the auto shut-off occur, even when talking on the phone. And that is mostly surfing forums without music playing. Not sure what sound is coming through, but something evidently is.

TV/movies: My TV does not push the digital tuner sound over optical, but that is a TV problem. Once the TV is on one of the inputs, there is no issue with the auto shut-off in watching anything. I do have to get up and turn them on if I get a phone call and pause for 30 minutes, but I am likely to be up and about if I am on the phone that long anyway...

The only improvement I would pay for would be a remote for the volume - just so I could get a set for my parents who do not move so well anymore (so they don't blow the speakers in their TV).


-Darrell

Audyssey Media Speakers - Price Comparisons

Woot Today = $79.99 + $5 Shipping.
Today's Woot comes in $35 UNDER next best price (ebay) found.


ebay = $119.99 + Ships Free
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audyssey-Media-Speakers-Pair-Brand-New-/200846313965#vi-content

Vanns = $249.99 + $11.48 Shipping (to zip 27405)
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/524148468

Amazon = $179.99 + $8.99 Shipping
http://www.amazon.com/Audyssey-Lower-East-Media-Speaker/dp/B005FLG3OQ/ref=?ie=UTF8&m=A3AEVXE830HN1Q

**NOTE**
Prices and dealers above found using a random Google search. Your random search may find differing and/or lower pricing

Bought a set when they came around before. Love them. Great sound. IMO, they are computer speakers... for your desk top, the sound stage is very nice at that distance.

You audiophiles nutcrackering and moaning and spouting specs that 95% of users don't have a clue about... say it with me "85 dollar speakers" For $85 dollar speakers, I was very pleased. If I had paid retail? probably not so pleased.

Worth 85 bucks?? Oh yea. For sure.

These are only for use with new devices. They will NOT work with traditional speaker outputs on a stereo amplifier. The clips on the back that look like speaker connectors are for connecting the speakers to each other, not to a music source.

I have the Bluteooth wireless version of these speakers which I use with my iPad to stream Spotify and XM/Sirius Radio and these little puppies really crank out the sound. The floor around them actually vibrates with the bass.

I'm neither a hardcore audiophile nor even a technophile so please bear with me as I ask some simplistic questions. What is meant by optical connectivity? Wouldn't I need some kind of matched optical transmitter on my computer, iphone, etc.? Some comments imply that extra software may be required, is it? What is this auto-shutoff that people are referring to? The speakers turn off even when there is input?
Please go easy on the elf with your replies.

computermd82 wrote:I have a couple of questions about connectivity for those who own these. Is the 3.5mm jack on the front input or output (headphones)? Also, where is the TOSlink connection located?

Curious because I want to use them with a computer, but don't like having the cables visible from the front. The PC has a sound card with optical, so either connection would work.

Thanks in advance!

Hi, yes the 3.5 jack on front is for headphones.

Woodpecker wrote:I'm neither a hardcore audiophile nor even a technophile so please bear with me as I ask some simplistic questions. What is meant by optical connectivity? Wouldn't I need some kind of matched optical transmitter on my computer, iphone, etc.? Some comments imply that extra software may be required, is it? What is this auto-shutoff that people are referring to? The speakers turn off even when there is input?
Please go easy on the elf with your replies.

Optical connectivity is a digital connection rather than analog which produces a cleaner signal.

Woodpecker wrote:I'm neither a hardcore audiophile nor even a technophile so please bear with me as I ask some simplistic questions. What is meant by optical connectivity? Wouldn't I need some kind of matched optical transmitter on my computer, iphone, etc.? Some comments imply that extra software may be required, is it? What is this auto-shutoff that people are referring to? The speakers turn off even when there is input?
Please go easy on the elf with your replies.

No software is required.

galapogos wrote:I bought these when they were wooted in October. Here's a few thoughts on my experience with them.

Immediately apparent when unpacking these speakers is the solid construction. Plugging in devices I noticed the rear jacks pose a lot of resistance which is encouraging for their long term durability.

The exterior design does not demand attention, yet the speakers remain distinct among other electronics which I believe is attributable to their built-in stands.

As for the sound, these are not your ordinary 2.0 PC speakers. They get downright physical with bass. Very deep low range ability is probably these speaker's hallmark. Sure you can buy a 2.1 setup that could easily make more noise with a standalone cabinet and large driver...if noise is what you want. Bass is clean with the Audysseys although it can get a little over powering at times...but who am I to argue with Bass XT!?!. The sound is better than speakers this size have any right to be.

Auto-off is my only complaint. If the right speaker happens to be in arm's reach at the point you realize they've shut themselves' off, it's not a problem. Just reach over, press down on the volume knob.

If you plan to use these when you're on the couch or in bed then I think you will be disappointed at their propensity to be off when you sit/lay down. Auto-on or an IR sensor would be a nice feature for these scenarios.

There's a great deal of potency and fidelity in a tiny package here. The price is right. I mean, your not going to get Kevlar drivers from Logitech.

The Bass XT technology,which we own, is unique in that it monitors the source signal and controls and maximizes the driver excursion allowing deep bass from a small enclosure.

revotto wrote:Easily one of the best values I've ever taken advantage of on Woot. Excellent desktop speakers, solid construction and attractive. The standby mode is a bit curious but hardly an issue for me. I'd recommend them instead of most sound bars as well for a boost to your television with optical out.

We strongly recommend taking advantage of the optical connection. The difference is audible.

Another advantage of the optical connectivity is that it allows you to use this with Apple TV which can make this airplay compatible.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57408758-47/audysseys-potent-little-lower-east-side-desktop-speakers

These are my office speakers... I work at a radio station and do a lot of audio editing and listening to music on these all day long... My co-workers are very jealous of my speakers. They sound amazing!

So, if I were to use these speakers for my HDTV (via optical), I would still have to get up to change the volume, correct? If, as I expect, the knob is the only way to control the volume these don't really seem to be good for anything but computer speakers.

pretol wrote:Got these last time. These are great for background music. They produce quite a bit of LF, and have a very processed sound, and the highs are internally turned up, but a bit too rolled off for my taste (loud highs, but not natural). I would NOT recommend these as accurate monitors. There's nothing audiophile'ish about them. They do have the initial "wow" factor, because they sound very full especially for the size. I don't know why people compare these to B&W speakers. From an audiophile point of view, these are much closer to bose than to any serious audio gear (even the low end dm600's will blow these away in every respect, except for the gobs of flobby/resonant bass that these produce). I'm just telling it how it is. These speakers do have impressive frequency spectrum for the size, and they have the overprocessed LF and HF internally turned up for the WOW factor; but that's about it. What they are good for is hanging them on a shelf, and they're small and unobtrusive, and have great frequency response as background speakers.

How you talk about speakers is how I want to learn how to talk about beer. Thank you for an awesome review!

I bought these a couple months ago and was not impressed at all. I only listened to them with the headphone jack setup from an ipod.

jeffaudyssey wrote:Another advantage of the optical connectivity is that it allows you to use this with Apple TV which can make this airplay compatible.

Why don't you touch base to all of us on why these apparently have a super high "out of Box" failure rate. Evertime these come up for sale a bunch of people receive DOA units.