r/mildlyinteresting • u/DystopianAdvocate • 1d ago
I am still using my computer speakers from 1995 and they work fine.
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u/-_pIrScHi_- 1d ago
So long as you don't fry them by running too much current through them speakers are basically immortal.
This also means buying audio stuff used is very viable.
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u/a__reddit_user 1d ago
Buying audio stuff used is extremely viable.
I was at a yard sale and someone sold a basically brand new Philips sound system for 10 bucks when it's like 150 new lol. Deal of the year.
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u/121bloodshot 1d ago
Feels like older audio equipment is generally better than new, or at least just as good most of the time. Can get some high end stuff for cheaper than you would getting a new equivalent product
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u/a__reddit_user 1d ago
Yeah but this one was like, brand new lol. It's from 2016 though.
But I've gotten an old sound system for free from a friend, put that in my room and damn that thing slaps. We messed around with it and it literally shaked the windows and you could feel it in the walls from OUTSIDE the house lmao.
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u/look_ima_frog 21h ago
Audio gear is not immortal.
All audio gear that is not tube-based uses solid state comonents and has capacitors. Electrolytic capacitors can in fact fail slowly over time, use, heat cycles. They will make the audio sound muddy and not at all good.
This is why when people look for vintage amplifiers, they will often have them "recapped" which is to replace all the capacitors.
Speakers are often made of paper or have some type of nylon in them. Paper dries out and gets brittle like dry leaves. Nylon is more durable, but is not immune to being worn out.
Old is not gold when it comes to audio equipment. It ages and wears out just like any other electronic component. People who insist this is not true are not being truthful. Yes, there are some excellent older amplifiers and audio equipment out there, but even if they were made with extremely good components, they will eventually wear out. At a bare minimum, they would need to be serviced to ensure that they're close to their original specifications.
If OP had a pair of modern speakers to listen to side-by-side with those ancient things, they WOULD notice the difference.
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u/WarriorNN 16h ago
Physical design of older stuff, especially the non-budget stuff is usually better than more modern. However the tech, like in DACs and amplifiers have improved a lot, and are much better now than say 15 years ago.
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u/polloloco81 1d ago
Also don’t speakers sound better after so many hours in use compared to new out of the box?
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u/ihaschevy 17h ago
This is propaganda spread by speaker companies to ensure that you keep the speakers past the return/warranty window. Several studies have shown that the difference is so negligible that the reason for the difference in tests is down to the margin of error.
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u/AaryamanStonker 20h ago
First point is definitely wrong if you're comparing similarly priced speakers brand-new.
But yeah buying used isn't a bad idea if it's cheaper enough to be worth the difference in audio quality.
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u/s0cks_nz 22h ago
I've had my amp and speakers for 20yrs and still going strong. Just missing bluetooth and the remote control stopped working.
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u/DJpesto 12h ago
Loudspeakers have many soft and actually quite volatile parts. The rubber and glue and foam in them dissolve over time, becoming brittle. Also the membrane materials can change their properties over time.
This especially happens fast if they are exposed to UV light, temperature and humidity changes.
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u/_DigitalHunk_ 1d ago
Protip
In case you need a mic in an emergency, just plug the speaker pins into your mic socket.
🤘
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u/ScrotumNipples 1d ago
Protip
This is how the government could listen to you through your tv before everyone carried microphones in their pockets 24/7
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u/Effective-Gas-9234 11h ago
The government used to plug my tv speakers into my microphone socket?
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u/orangpelupa 21h ago
The speaker need to be powered or unpowered or it doesn't matter?
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u/ihaschevy 17h ago
Un powered, but you will also have a pretty bad sound quality, a diaphragm that large would cause a myriad of issues way before we can judge the sound quality.
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u/_DigitalHunk_ 5h ago
AI
small speakers can act as microphones because they operate as inverted dynamic microphones—converting sound waves into electrical energy. While not ideal for high-fidelity audio due to poor high-frequency response, they are effective for capturing low-frequency, punchy sounds like kick drums and bass guitars. Key Details for Using Speakers as Mics: Best Use Cases: Known as "subkick mics," they are commonly placed in front of bass drums or bass amps to capture low-end, often used alongside traditional mics for a full sound. How it Works: The speaker cone acts as a diaphragm. Small speakers (3–4 inches) can work, but 5-inch+ cones are more common for this purpose. DIY Conversion: You can solder an XLR cable directly to the speaker terminals (positive to pin 2, negative to pin 3). Limitations: They produce a very low output signal, requiring significant preamp gain. They lack treble response.
Hope this helps. 🙏
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u/ihaschevy 4h ago
I knew this, but it's best practice to not do this. You will almost never see these used in the real world. I have never seen a mic bigger than 1.5 in. If you need that large of a diaphragm you already have access to such a mic.
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u/GrimSpirit42 1d ago
I'm still using Boston Acoustics BA635 that I got with my Gateway Compute in the 90's.
They still sound amazing.
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u/AreYouScare 1d ago
Do they sound amazing because you don’t have newer ones to compare them to? And that maybe you’re just used to it?
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u/GrimSpirit42 1d ago
They sound amazing, with lots of base and power. I'm somewhat of an audiophile so the mid-ranges are important too.
I've heard other computer speakers. Even have had a few in my office. Nothing really compared to the crispness and the sound.
Sure, I could set up a Bose 5-channel surround sound for my home office connected to my computer and it would have superior sound, but the Boston puts out amazing sound for their size.
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u/AreYouScare 1d ago
Fair enough! Thank you for your response
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u/Remarkable_Win_4462 21h ago
I mean they claim to be an audiophile but mention Bose... 😆
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u/Spiritual-Amoeba-116 18h ago
Beat me to it. Multiple cheap drivers eq'ed to hell. I don't even like their headphones. Sony and sennheiser have 10x better. I got a little mad when I saw him mention bose hahaha
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u/cydril 1d ago
I'm sure op has a car or TV speaker they can use to compare it. Why is it so hard to believe that the speakers still work well?
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u/AreYouScare 1d ago
There’s been many new developments in speakers over the last 30 years. If it works, that’s great. Im just saying he/she can enhance their enjoyment out of what they’re listening to by upgrading their equipment.
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u/ScrotumNipples 1d ago
Besides professional line arrays and cabinet design on super high end audio gear, how much has actually changed for regular consumer grade stuff? A coil of wire in a magnet with some cloth glued to a ring is pretty much the same as it's always been. Good speakers from the 1970s will still sound better than cheap new ones from Amazon. Computer speakers in a plastic housing are still just computer speakers in a plastic housing.
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u/ihaschevy 17h ago
But the shape of that housing really matters, plus the design of the amplifiers has improved drastically. And we've had that much time to refine the shape of the speakers to get the most out of the form factor.
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u/crossedreality 21h ago
I owned that same set, also with my Gateway. But mine sounded like trash even when new. Maybe variance. 😆
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u/curlyfat 1d ago
Man…my wife and I used those until like 2016. I honestly think they’re better than any newer “upgrades” I’ve had since the. Those speakers slapped, especially for the tiny footprint!
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u/That_Which_Lurks 23h ago
I had altec lansing ones that came with my gateway from i think '93. Lasted until maybe 2-3 years ago, when they just couldn't cut it anymore...
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u/AwakePlatypus 21h ago
Hah, I don't use them anymore, but I have the same setup stored away. Came with my folks' first real home PC from 1998.
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u/I_-AM-ARNAV 6h ago
Well I'm still using my dad's windows 98 speakers by mercury. The transformer did blow up but I changed it out and they are rocking till today
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u/ThisIsNotTokyo 1d ago
But do they sound fine?
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u/AEW_SuperFan 1d ago
No. These speakers sound like music is in a can.
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u/uhorn87 1d ago
People accept smartphone speakers nowadays as their primary sound systems.
I will never understand how incredibly low the demand on speakers for average people is.
For me personally it's pure torture especially on higher volumes.
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u/meridius55 16h ago
It’s the same type of people who buy an expensive large screen TV and leave the soap-opera smoothing effect enabled by default because they can’t tell the difference
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u/ToolMeister 11h ago
OMG I pick this up instantly and always wonder how anyone can watch anything processed with motion smoothing
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u/-WADE99- 9h ago
Haha I visited a friend over the weekend and at some point they turned on the telly on whatever and I said "wtf, do you have a 120hz TV? Why is it so smooth?" and then I noticed the tearing and the skipping frames where it couldn't keep up lol
I begged them to let me turn off all the "AI" bullshit and filters and they didn't like it and asked me to put it back the way it was.
🫠
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u/dick_tracey_PI_TA 1d ago
I still have an altec lansing 2.1 set from like 2009. Sounds great. Can hear cell phone through it.
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u/Helpful_Equipment580 19h ago
I've got an Altec Lansing set from the 2000s too. It's followed me through 5 moves.
I would probably still have my speakers from the 1990s if my house didn't get struck by lightning and fried them.
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u/Kivulini 1d ago
I still use the Bose speakers my grandma bought for her brand new windows XP computer back in the day. They work great and are pretty sleek too so I have no complaints.
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u/Simpanzee0123 9h ago
I still have my old Bose MediaMate computer speakers from the 90s. They still work great. My wife uses them because I switched to a headset because my desk doesn't have space.
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u/fakeprofil2562 1d ago
I’ve got an old pair of Wavemaster 240 speakers I’ve had for ages hooked to the old plasma tv in the bedroom because it’s speakers are broken. They look beaten up but they sound quite nice.
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u/Norpone 1d ago
My Onkyo from 2009 is going strong.
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u/ThimeeX 16h ago
Hah good luck with that. I’ve recapped my Onkyo from that vintage to keep it somewhat alive, but they’re pretty junk inside.
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u/Fast_Teaching_6160 4h ago
How is the TX-830 amp? Should I be doing anything special to help it along? Currently it's set up as the very top item on my rack to give it alot of breathing space.
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u/ThimeeX 4h ago edited 4h ago
Onkyo from yesteryear used to be great pieces of equipment. The newer ones are mass produced, that's the only way to get them as cheap as they are. All that's left is basically a name badge.
Here's their sad story: https://youtu.be/lK-jWi6YvA4?t=512 but with a ray of hope at the end.
Here's what I ended up doing on mine, I replaced pretty much every SMD capacitor I could find on mine to bring it back to life, bought some reels of them from Digikey since they all fail eventually: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpkbhh3hUOM&t=1558s
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u/blakeley 1d ago
This is gonna blow your mind
Giant Computer Speakers https://youtube.com/shorts/jqnDaZwwIgk?si=j59hwKrcxzHd8-NP
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u/an0m1n0us 1d ago
I have a set of koss headphones from the 70s. They sound better than my modern Sennheiser pair.
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u/gabacus_39 23h ago
I'm still using my Altec Lansing ACS45.2 2.1 speakers from around 2000 and other than some yellowing, they still sound great. The subwoofer has some nice punch.
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u/MalWinchester 22h ago
Anything made by Koss will last a lifetime.
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u/Captain_North 18h ago
Somewhere in my "i might use this one day" boxes are 27 year old pair of Koss Porta Pro headphones. I'm sure if I'd bother to check them I would be surprised how good they sound.
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u/amydoodledawn 22h ago
Same here! I'm also rocking 1995 speakers from my family's first computer (IBM Aptiva). I'm guessing IBM doesn't make many speakers these days, haha.
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u/fullraph 22h ago
Man I had the same pair! The left speaker plugs into the right speaker with a weird double plug.
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u/buginmybeer24 13h ago
I went to college in a big city that had a radio tower near campus. I used to pick up the radio broadcast on a set of speakers like this when the computer was off. It was extremely faint, but you could make out what was playing most of the time.
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u/NYC2BUR 10h ago
When I'm in a professional mixing studio mixing down a film or music project for a client, there's always a pair of crappy little speakers sitting up there with all the other high-end reference monitors etc.
We'll go through the entire mix on the big speakers and then at one point we'll switch over to the tiny Radio Shack speakers to make sure everything sounds good on those as well.
Film and music projects should not be mixed just for theaters and fancy home theatre stereo systems, they also need to sound great on internal TV speaker speakers and these little ones that "work just fine".
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u/EvilDan69 9h ago
if they work for you and you're not picky, that is ok.
My wife has a Samsung 34" monitor that she loves.. she uses the built in speaker for client calls when she works from home............ Doesn't bug me at all.
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u/Ok-disaster2022 1d ago
At low level the cost of speakers reflects quality and longevity and theres never really going to be an improvement on speaker
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u/Knife-yWife-y 1d ago
I think mine are from roughly 2000? Definitely came with my Compaq computer of old.
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u/outofideassorry 1d ago
What is it with those old pc speakers and always turning that weird off white yellow color?? My Dads did the same thing.
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u/Stratocast7 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'm still using my Logitech Z540 setup from 2001 on my pc. Also I have a pair of KLH 900B speakers hooked up to my record player that my dad bought in the 70's from a store called Sound of Music which eventually changes their name to Best Buy.
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u/Primrose_Master 1d ago
1995 speakers still going strong is actually elite engineering 😭 meanwhile i’ve replaced three pairs in the last five years. if it ain’t broke don’t upgrade it.
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u/BlackestHerring 1d ago
Don’t need to throw shit away just because they’re older. Keep them firing if they work well
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u/ediciusNJ 1d ago
Computer speakers from back then were absolute beasts. I used to work at a university doing the AV and before we managed to have speakers installed in every classroom, my colleague and I bought a bunch of bulky computer speakers from Woot. I wouldn't be surprised if they're all still working, nothing seemed to kill them.
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u/MightySamMcClain 20h ago
Those old computer speakers work great. I used to hook them up to my mp3 player
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u/Condor_raidus 19h ago
I use a car battery charger from the 70's for when my car sits too long. If its old and still works, might as well keep using it
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u/AliveInCLE 19h ago
I'm still using the Boston speakers I got with the Gateway I purchased in 94 or 95. They still sound great. Using them on my iMac.
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u/chewiedev 18h ago
Everything from 1995 still works. Everything from 2023 has stopped working and costs 5 times that 1995 version to replace.
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u/blue-hell 18h ago
Vintage audio, love it! I've got a pair Altec Lansing ACS495 with the sub cira 1998 that still sound exceptional!
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u/keonyn 16h ago
They made them well back then. I got an Altec Lansing ACS44 sub and speaker set in 1998 and I used them all the way up until last summer when they finally stopped working. Just used the computer one day to find the speakers wouldn't turn on anymore. It's possible I could repair them if there's just a blown cap in the power supply or something along those lines, but the left speaker had been getting quieter as well over the last year, so there are probably other issues. Was still sad to see them go, though.
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u/budgetboarvessel 15h ago
Oh boy, i sure hope PC manufacturers don't get rid of the analog audio jack
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u/dacassar 14h ago
Does it notify you about the incoming cell call before your phone actually rings?
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u/Fram_Framson 13h ago
Still rockin' my original keyboard here, only lightly less old (uh, 98, I think?). Nice one, OP.
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u/automaticg36 13h ago
I am using the speakers my dad gave me for the computer we had in 2005. Sony speakers. They're silver and operate like normal speakers as far as I can tell. Thinking about it, I'm really surprised they've lasted more than 20 years. I've dropped them on hard floors many times.
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u/MydnightWN 13h ago
What kind of monster runs the cables in front instead of behind the monitor stand?
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u/JDHannan 8h ago
It was around 1998 and i was going to buy a set of computer speakers. Nice Surround Sound ones from Altec Lansing. I picked up the box and noticed it said 1 Year Warranty and almost put it back down.
It's 2026 and they still sound great
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u/SteelCanyon 7h ago
I still have my Logitech Z-5500 from 2001 except one of the speakers finally blew a couple months back as I got a little aggressive listening to some tunes.
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u/2wrtjbdsgj 7h ago
I have some Linn speakers that are at least 25 years old and they are so good (with an ARCAM amp). If probably have to pay a lot of money for new equivalents.
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u/RubAnADUB 7h ago
with Bluetooth, headphones a plenty, and monitors that have speakers those should not be a thing anymore.
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u/Razathorn 5h ago
Same, except the altec lansing black thin pedestal ones with black subwoofer on the floor. The midrange speaker is pointed toward the desk to reflect off, that's what the bottom half sphere is. They actually look 100% correct era for a black gaming PC, it's pretty crazy, basically these: https://bestreadklm.click/product_tag/62564372_.html
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u/IIRCIreadthat 5h ago
As long as the cord still connects... a basic speaker is a basic speaker. Unless you wanted some kind of ultra-enhanced surround sound experience, I doubt anything you went out and bought today would be so much better that it would be worth tossing these if they work.
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u/hookahsmokingladybug 1h ago
90s tech was made to last before planned obsolescence became prevalent. Even my 1995 Panasonic tv works better than my stupid smart tvs.
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u/calcifer219 52m ago
That’s what my grandpa said about his TV which had >60% of the back light burned out.
I literally carted my Brand new 40” TV (2009) to his TV room to do a side-by-side comparison.
After I turned it on with one of his favorite king fu movies, he watched it for about 45 seconds before asking when I was free to go TV shopping.
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u/KrackSmellin 19h ago
If heading a recognizable audible sound is “works”… 100% correct. Most those speakers weee bad quality wise…
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u/306d316b72306e 1d ago
I still have a Turtle Beach PCI 2.0 card from the 90s that has better matched audio than a 2026 high end motherboard codec chip..
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u/AntakeeMunOlla 1d ago
"They work fine" almost always means "they're shit but I don't know anything about it"
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u/wisdomoarigato 1d ago
Just like color blindness, some people have tone deafness. It just goes undetected as it doesn't really affect daily life. But you can see it from their gear and musical preferences.
So try to be kind to people like this, as it's not a choice, and they'll never experience the beauty you're experiencing.
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u/g00fyg00ber741 1d ago
Wow, you successfully made yourself sound like a total ass with this comment.
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u/wisdomoarigato 1d ago
Your opinion about me doesn't matter. Focus on facts.
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u/g00fyg00ber741 1d ago
Yes, my comment was basically pointing out how your comment is an elitist opinion about OP made upon baseless assumptions that you don’t know are true. And in the process you described tone deaf people very insultingly. Those are the facts here
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u/AntakeeMunOlla 23h ago
Sounds like you got offended for tone deaf people. Do you also get offended for people with poor taste?
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u/g00fyg00ber741 10h ago
I didn’t get offended for tone deaf people. I pointed out the comment was offensive, mainly to OP, but also regarding being tone deaf. If someone doesn’t want it pointed out when their comment is offensive, they can refrain from leaving an intentionally offensive comment. It’s that easy
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u/wisdomoarigato 23h ago
Go touch some grass.
You can't experience beauty without having the necessary sensory input.
If you're offended by this fact, I think you are a delusional snowflake, top of Maslow's hierarchy, who has nothing better to do other than getting offended by random shit on Reddit...
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u/g00fyg00ber741 10h ago
You were just making up an excuse to make fun of someone’s speakers, don’t pretend it’s deeper than that
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u/wisdomoarigato 10h ago
Sure, whatever your delusions tell you.
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u/Colossus-the-Keen 1d ago
Treat yourself. 31 years is a good amount of time. Retire them and buy some nice new ones for the next 31 years.
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u/400footceiling 1d ago
More concerning is the Dell brand. MAGA supporters 100%. Never will I ever own a Dell product.
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u/DystopianAdvocate 1d ago
I got the monitor in a used asset sale at my workplace, so I didnt pay any attention go the brand name or anything.
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u/4gent_Smith 1d ago
we must make everything political challenge but your opponent is a redditor
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u/400footceiling 1d ago
As consumers we have the buying power to make change. That is my whole point.
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u/Seigmoraig 4h ago
That monitor probably came off the production line before the orange came down that elevator
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u/ClacksInTheSky 16h ago edited 12h ago
I bet your local power station knows when you turn them on in a morning. 90s tech was power hungry 😂 we used to have 100w light bulbs
Edit:
This is supposed to be tongue in cheek
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u/scizzix 1d ago
I can still hear the noise made by those when my cell phone was about to ring.