...and I'm in serious need of help.

I have an iBook G4 which I use as my desktop computer. It's old but it works for me and I don't see an immediate need to upgrade. I only have one problem with it: the internal speakers suck, I think they're popped or something and I use the old ear buds that came with my iPod which I bought many moons ago. Only the left side works.

Pretty bad.

Can I get some recommendations on how to improve my sound situation without throwing out the computer? Specifically, I'm looking for external solution (since it's a laptop) and some good headphones. I'm not loaded or anything so keep that in mind. Best bang for my buck please.

Thank you.

I cannot comment on the headphone issue, but regarding external laptop speakers, you most probably wont get anything qualitative in the ultra-low pricerange (below 50$). However, there is a low amount of small portable speaker models in the low-to-mid pricerange, which offer very acceptable quality and balanced sound.

For example, the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0:
http://www.klipsch.com/products/details/pr...-ultra-2-0.aspx

They go for about 80-100$ and have a long history of very good user reviews.

If you have a decent stereo or blaster, you might consider a good usb outboard soundcard to connect your computer to the stereo.

Those look good. Thanks.

If anybody has any ideas for headphones, do post!



A blaster is a speaker, right? Do you recommend any usb soundcards?

A common recommendation is Sennheiser PX-100, which go for about US$50. I have a pair and am happy with them. There are others at about the same price which are also recommended (but which I don't have experience of) -- it seems to be quite a sweet spot for price/performance ratio.

Have fun

The standard cheap headphone reply is Koss headphones related to the KSC-35. KSC-35 is no longer made but its relatives are based around the same driver as far as I know. You can pick up a pair for less than 20 bucks at amazon.

I've had the KSC-35s for years and they are great.

http://www.amazon.com/Koss-KSC75-Portable-...s/dp/B0006B486K

No a blaster is a self contained stereo. they used to be called ghetto blasters if that helps.

The m-audio audiophile USB is excellent and about 200 dollars I think.

No doubt the best bang for buck headphones around...I love mine.

I concur. The Koss drivers may or may not be coloring the music, but darnit they are: a) efficient (read: loud), b) generally comfortable, c) cheap to replace and d) in my unscientific (and possibly TOS violating) opinion the best sounding drivers in the price class.

I've been using these drivers ever since ~1990 when I first picked them up in the Radio Shack labelled version of the headphones. I probably have three good pairs and parts from about five broken pairs over the years (due to many years of sweat and stress damage from the gym). At ~$20 per pair (on sale) that's a pretty good record for 15+ years of near daily usage.

They are oddly disposable and irreplaceable at the same time. Which is why I keep the parts around.

-brendan

You may want to take advantage of Koss's lifetime warranty on those broken sets.

Thanks. Most of the broken ones are the older RS labeled ones the Koss OEM'd for them. But I'll keep that in mind for the newer ones.

-brendan