PC soundbar / speakers with Alexa

elbyrneo

Hi there

I need (ok, well want) an Alexa speaker for my bedroom.

Also have my gaming pc in my bedroom and was about to order some speakers for it.

Am thinking I could kill two birds with one stone.

Any recommendations? Wasn't sure if you can consider any standard (TV) soundbar with Alexa or, should I be getting proper PC dedicated speakers?

Paired with 27" 1440p Gigabyte M27Q, RTX 3070, AsRock B550 Phantom Gaming4/AC mobo and Ryzen 5 5600X if that makes any difference.

Cheers!

elbyrneo

elbyrneo wrote: »

Hi there

I need (ok, well want) an Alexa speaker for my bedroom.

Also have my gaming pc in my bedroom and was about to order some speakers for it.

Am thinking I could kill two birds with one stone.

Any recommendations? Wasn't sure if you can consider any standard (TV) soundbar with Alexa or, should I be getting proper PC dedicated speakers?

Paired with 27" 1440p Gigabyte M27Q, RTX 3070, AsRock B550 Phantom Gaming4/AC mobo and Ryzen 5 5600X if that makes any difference.

Cheers!

Bit of a bump post some research.

Doesn't appear any such thing as dedicated pc smart speakers or soundbars. Some people recommend the likes of a sonos playbar or sonos beam for pc usage. I know you sit closer than normal viewing so worried it's a bad idea.

Maybe I should just get a simple pc desktop stereo speakers and a standalone Alexa speaker?

bennyx_o

Only PC specific soundbars I've come across is the Razer Leviathan and one by Trust too, but neither will have Alexa built in

Squidgy Black

elbyrneo wrote: »

Bit of a bump post some research.

Doesn't appear any such thing as dedicated pc smart speakers or soundbars. Some people recommend the likes of a sonos playbar or sonos beam for pc usage. I know you sit closer than normal viewing so worried it's a bad idea.

Maybe I should just get a simple pc desktop stereo speakers and a standalone Alexa speaker?

You could always look at something like the alexa studio speaker, and use the aux input or something. I'm not sure how great the quality is vs a standalone set of speakers

grogi

Why not getting regular Amazon Echo and connecting to it through Bluetooth or even line in?

Sound quality is pretty decent on them and if you can split the signal, you can have stereo as well.

ED E

Standalone the Nest has a better integrated speaker, but echo dots have the line out. Ive an echo dot with a €35 pair of Creative speakers in the kitchen, very very good for a run and gun sound system. Use another on its on and its fine.

grogi

ED E wrote: »

Standalone the Nest has a better integrated speaker, but echo dots have the line out. Ive an echo dot with a €35 pair of Creative speakers in the kitchen, very very good for a run and gun sound system. Use another on its on and its fine.

Echo dot has line out, while full size echo has line in. Echo (not dot) has also a better speakers than Nest Audio (not mini)

elbyrneo

grogi wrote: »

Echo dot has line out, while full size echo has line in. Echo (not dot) has also a better speakers than Nest Audio (not mini)

Thanks a mill for feedback lads.

Sorry for being dense but trying to understand the options. Is this right?

1. I could use say an Echo Plus as a computer speaker (connected by Bluetooth or by aux line-in)

2. I could get proper pc speakers and connect them using a cheaper echo dot, the dot having a line out to the pc speakers. The dot is basically a pass through for voice commands.

Advantage of 2 over 1 is I get proper stereo left right sound for gaming. Disadvantage needs both speaker devices always powered on, say it pc off but I want to play music.

Advantage of 1 over 2 is simpler cleaner setup and possibly better music sound quality.

If I've interpreted correctly I think option 2 is fine for me, best of both worlds, once I get speakers that can take a line in from dot and can also connect to pc at same time (a 2nd line in or via Bluetooth).

Head hurts now

Cheers

JoyPad

I would highly recommend the Pebble V3 speakers from Creative.
I have them wired to the PC, and an old Echo Dot connected to it via Bluetooth.

elbyrneo

JoyPad wrote: »

I would highly recommend the Pebble V3 speakers from Creative.
I have them wired to the PC, and an old Echo Dot connected to it via Bluetooth.

Awesome. Thank you

grogi

elbyrneo wrote: »

Thanks a mill for feedback lads.

Sorry for being dense but trying to understand the options. Is this right?

1. I could use say an Echo Plus as a computer speaker (connected by Bluetooth or by aux line-in)

You don't need computer speakers. Use only Echo (or even better, two of them) and connect your computer to it with regular mini-jack cable.

Wonda-Boy

I have the Creative Soundblaster Katana X soundbar, I had to send back the Logitech G560s after they went belly up (they were cool when they worked) but the sound and build quality of the Katana X is very good. Its made from all brushed aluminium and is quite heavy but look very well, the sound is the most impressive feature and it has alot of functionality and connectivity.

I would deffo give it a look, as it looks very well on a desk and the virtual 7.1 as I said is impressive.

I just have the RBG Ice Blue to match my rig, none of that unicorn rainbow cupcake bull****.

https://us.creative.com/p/speakers/sound-blasterx-katana

Shlippery

Or, as a wildcard you could get a set of bookshelf speakers, some speaker wire and a tiny desktop amp if you're really into your music/sound quality!
https://euro.richersounds.ie/p-10300-wharfedale-diamond-9-0-black-speakers-per-pair.aspx?swapstore=1

Wonda-Boy

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

I have the Creative Soundblaster Katana X soundbar, I had to send back the Logitech G560s after they went belly up (they were cool when they worked) but the sound and build quality of the Katana X is very good. Its made from all brushed aluminium and is quite heavy but look very well, the sound is the most impressive feature and it has alot of functionality and connectivity.

I would deffo give it a look, as it looks very well on a desk and the virtual 7.1 as I said is impressive.

I just have the RBG Ice Blue to match my rig, none of that unicorn rainbow cupcake bull****.

https://us.creative.com/p/speakers/sound-blasterx-katana

Have it too. Very impressive piece of kit.

Cuddlesworth

ED E wrote: »

Standalone the Nest has a better integrated speaker, but echo dots have the line out. Ive an echo dot with a €35 pair of Creative speakers in the kitchen, very very good for a run and gun sound system. Use another on its on and its fine.

Never understood why Google killed the Chromecast audio so quickly.

grogi

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Never understood why Google killed the Chromecast audio so quickly.

Because it is Google?! Amazon has a clear strategy of making sure Alexa ecosystem is complete, while Google does some half-baked solutions. Amazon not only has ability to connect every single Echo Dot to HiFi equipment, they also have Echo Link and Echo Link Amp for more demanding users.


Anyway, unless you're looking for audio-phile quality DACs, MiBox is a good alternative to discontinued Chromecast Audio. It fully supports Chromecast and comes with both analog and optical audio outputs. If you change your mind, you can hook it up to your TV too - it comes with fully suported AndroidTV...

Cuddlesworth

None of those fill the void that that Chromecast audio left. It's tiny, has a 2.5mm jack and runs on a dime. And the chromecast streaming mechanism is/was very well supported. Ohh and it cost like 25 quid.

grogi

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

None of those fill the void that that Chromecast audio left. It's tiny, has a 2.5mm jack and runs on a dime. And the chromecast streaming mechanism is/was very well supported. Ohh and it cost like 25 quid.

You probably misunderstood... MiBox ain't big either, has 3.5mm audio out (and optical if you prefer, with option to decode to PCM) and supports all Chromecast casting as well.

The only downgrade is the DAC.

smacl

I got a pair of echos and the matching Alexa subwoofer which works as a decent enough sound system for both Alexa and bluetooth. After a year with Alexa with a number of different people talking to it, it gives me a pain in the arse, so I'm mostly using the whole thing as a set of bluetooth speakers these days. For music alexa gets flaky with wi-fi and server issues by times and regularly loses connection and gets (and stays) confused. Probably ok with just one person talking to it, but I find it needlessly frustrating. The AI may well have taken the hump with the amount of expletives we've hurled at it

I've also got a cheapo Sakobs soundbar as a general roving speaker which I like a lot. I'd be tempted by one of their higher end units next time around. Also have pair of Creative Pebbles on the work PC, grand little speakers.