One of my friends has asked me for searching a low costs “Hifi” systems. After understanding his budget is very tight, a low cost solution is a must.
Since he would like to listen music when he is working at home, I have recommended a number solutions as follows.
Logitech Z-10
Logitech Z-10 or Creative 40 Mark II – For the sound quality, Z-10 is a better choice with more bass and clearer sound. However, there are still advantages for the Creative product, there are 2 input for the music source and they are:
- The Speaker input jack which is directly connected to the computer.
- The Auxiliary input jack is also available on the front panel.
At the same time, there is a jack provided for your headphone. The sound is not bad and can be compared with some “mini-hifi”. So, with the above functions, it is possible for the users to enjoy the music with different sources like a discman, iPod and the computer sound card.
Head-Phone Amp
Apart from computer speakers, another good choice for low cost listening is the “Headphone”. In recent years, the price of the top-quality headphone is always dropping in Hong Kong because of the huge competitions and production lines moving to China or other Asian countries.
Multimedia Player
iPod is also another possible solution. You can pick up your music with tiny size boxes and available to listen at any time. Another Hint is that you can download pieces of music via the Internet cheaper than CDs.
Mini HiFi
I do believe that most people will take this option as the solution. Personally, I would put this option as the last resort. It may cost you about HK$3,000 for better quality comparing to a head-phone amp at around $2,000. However, it is still difficult to have high-quality sound without higher investment with brands like Bose, Linn or B&O for around HK$12,000.
Finally, my friend bought an iPod and a pair of Creative speakers. However, for myself, I have all of them.