I've got a set of these, and they replaced a T40 S1 set which eventually blew after many years of service. The S1's originally replaced a pair of T20's.

I like them. They don't take up a lot of space due to their vertical orientation, they are plenty loud for a computer/gaming type application, and the sound quality is really good considering the size of the enclosure and the drivers.

Yes, they do have an auto power-down function built in, but it's not really that much of a problem to work around. I've never had it intrude whilst gaming - it tends to catch me when I'm due on a Zoom or Teams call and I haven't had any music playing for the last 15-20 minutes (I'm not sure what the time out is). In my case pressing the reset button on the mixer which feeds them kicks them in to life instantly when needed.

I run everything through the T40 S2's, via a mixer - so they do my main office pc/workstation, retro pc's, consoles etc. Plenty loud enough and a well rounded sound - you don't get the punch of a set of good bookshelf speakers in an enclosure this small, but they are pretty damn good for what they are.

I don't like the blue LED ring around the volume/power control knob. The S1 was better in that regard with the small single LED that could be blanked out, I also think the gunmetal fronts of the S1 enclosures was classier, but that's an subjective opinion!

They are great with very clear sound, but they tend to amplify the noise of noisy sound cards. I have a T20 and a T40 and I never saw them going in standby mode with a PC ON. I think they uses the amplitude level of the line to detect audio activity and with volume set high enough on the sound card it avoid they pass in standby even when sound is played.

megatron-uk wrote on 2024-04-02, 17:26:

I don't like the blue LED ring around the volume/power control knob. The S1 was better in that regard with the small single LED that could be blanked out.

Indeed, the blue light around the volume knob is quite bright... But for PC gaming we get used to it, it's not really a disturbance.

i prefer active studio monitors over any speakers designed for pc.
only $99
https://mackie.com/en/products/studio-monitor … ries/CR3_X.html
or the cr4 for $129
https://mackie.com/en/products/studio-monitor … ries/CR4_X.html

wirerogue wrote on 2024-04-02, 17:55:

i prefer active studio monitors over any speakers designed for pc.

+1
"computer speakers" always seem overpriced for the quality.
when better studio, Hi-Fi, etc can be had cheaper especially second hand.

I've also always preferred having a subwoofer as this will even make cheap speakers sound a lot better (I guess because games like booming noises like explosions, gun fire, etc)
but I haven't listened to T40's in person so may not be needed in this instance?

I tried the T40s with my Win98 machine a few years ago. From what I remember, they had very peaky output at around 110-150Hz; likely plastic enclosure resonance.
After you tone down the peaky mid- and upper-bass, give the lower 50-65Hz bass regions an additional 5-6db, and increase the 18.5K-20K highs just a skosh, they do sound reasonably good. However, good speakers shouldn't have to be EQ'd.

In short, T40s are not much better than your typical Logitechs; adequate for DOS games, but I wouldn't use 'em for music or even bass heavy Windows games. You may want to give the Edifier R1700BTs a try (if you do, wait for a sale on Amazon). They have larger drivers, wooden enclosures, and a sub output for future upgradeability. I can't say I've ever heard the R1700s, but I think it's safe to say they'll easily outperform the T40s.

There are always compromises to be made. I'm no audiophile snob, but I do like a good sound setup - I have a nice set of (rather old) Tannoy Mercury floor standers, central channel and sub downstairs for the home cinema.

A nice set of bookshelf speakers / monitors would be lovely, but in terms of footprint they would use far more desk area - which is not an option in my case.

I certainly don't feel that bass is missing with the T40's, but I also share the house with my wife and two daughters who probably wouldn't appreciate listening to my eclectic music tastes at volumes which drown out their chosen tv or music soundtrack (despite the trash that my girls listen to!).

If you have the space for some powered monitors or amp and bookshelf speakers then go for it. If you want compact, good sounding all-rounders, then you can do a lot worse than the T40's.

Standard Def Steve wrote on 2024-04-02, 23:18:

You may want to give the Edifier R1700BTs a try (if you do, wait for a sale on Amazon). They have larger drivers, wooden enclosures, and a sub output for future upgradeability. I can't say I've ever heard the R1700s, but I think it's safe to say they'll easily outperform the T40s.

I had these exact speakers, but the passive speaker was farting, so I returned them. Other than that the sound was quite satisfying. I am currently using a set of R980T Edifiers, but they are hooked to my modern setup. Edifiers have a great price/quality ratio for what they are, so I may look into buying another set, thanks !

megatron-uk wrote on 2024-04-02, 23:23:

If you have the space for some powered monitors or amp and bookshelf speakers then go for it. If you want compact, good sounding all-rounders, then you can do a lot worse than the T40's.

I have just enough space to fit two speakers + my 2 Roland midi modules, so it's a bit of a snug fit. The problem is there's no longer a retail store, that has the T40's on display, so I can't give them a live listen. I remember checking them out 5-6 years ago, but I have no recollection of how I liked them. All reviews state that they have crisp highs and good mids, plus some bass to boot. I can't afford to make an ultimate setup at the moment, so they could be a good starting point. Thanks !

wirerogue wrote on 2024-04-02, 17:55:

i prefer active studio monitors over any speakers designed for pc. only $99 https://mackie.com/en/products/studio-monitor … ries […]
Show full quote

i prefer active studio monitors over any speakers designed for pc.
only $99
https://mackie.com/en/products/studio-monitor … ries/CR3_X.html
or the cr4 for $129
https://mackie.com/en/products/studio-monitor … ries/CR4_X.html

These look really nice, but I don't see a EU store, unfortunately. With shipping and tax I would go a bit over my budget, but I get your point. 2 active monitors can't even compare with a set of PC speakers. I'll check out some local options, thanks !

Just one addition I didn't think of it before. Will you play on CRT or LCD monitor?
Because for a CRT I would recommend shielded speakers as the T20/T40 are not shielded so can be a problem if you put them near your screen.
I think you may be interested to know that before buying. It is rare today to find shielded speakers anyway.
About "studio monitors" with RCA or jack 3.5 mm plugs, in my opinion, they can be an alternative, but from what I have heard, they are better to reproduce bass than treble and I'm not fond of them for video games where I like clear sound effects. But the fact is there is no all-purpose speaker set.
And depending of your free space, of what you are listening the most, you have to chose what is the best. As @chinny22 said, you can go for 2.1 speaker set if you like stronger bass and have little room. For my part, I like the new versions of the T40 as they are very well balanced and produce clear high frequency sounds and good bass too, making them very good for any king of sound especially good old games. Again, my humble opinion as a user.

john_popani wrote on 2024-04-02, 13:13:

I've heard complaints, that due to some EU requirement they turn off after some minutes of inactivity and are slow to turn on again. This would cause issues with some older games that don't have a constant BGM or sfx playing, like Monkey Island 1 for example.

This might be down to whether you get the US or EU version. I've heard that only the EU one is crippled. Both sets support the full 100-240V voltage range, but you may need a plug adapter if you don't get the right one for your locale.

Datadrainer wrote on 2024-04-05, 12:09:

Just one addition I didn't think of it before. Will you play on CRT or LCD monitor? Because for a CRT I would recommend shielded […]
Show full quote

Just one addition I didn't think of it before. Will you play on CRT or LCD monitor?
Because for a CRT I would recommend shielded speakers as the T20/T40 are not shielded so can be a problem if you put them near your screen.
I think you may be interested to know that before buying. It is rare today to find shielded speakers anyway.
About "studio monitors" with RCA or jack 3.5 mm plugs, in my opinion, they can be an alternative, but from what I have heard, they are better to reproduce bass than treble and I'm not fond of them for video games where I like clear sound effects. But the fact is there is no all-purpose speaker set.
And depending of your free space, of what you are listening the most, you have to chose what is the best. As @chinny22 said, you can go for 2.1 speaker set if you like stronger bass and have little room. For my part, I like the new versions of the T40 as they are very well balanced and produce clear high frequency sounds and good bass too, making them very good for any king of sound especially good old games. Again, my humble opinion as a user.

I did get the T40s after all and quickly found out they lack shielding, as I am indeed using a CRT.
Fortunately, the whole stack is pretty high and the speakers do not affect it.

I am getting a strange farting out of the left (passive) speaker, even if the bass is set to the lowest setting. I have to check the mixer settings, maybe something on the software side, because when I hooked them up to my modern pc there was no farting at all. That aside, they sound fantastic and clear.

Check whether you are using line out or speaker level signals. Clipping or farting noises could well be an input signal too high.

megatron-uk wrote on 2024-04-06, 16:26:

Check whether you are using line out or speaker level signals. Clipping or farting noises could well be an input signal too high.

Thanks ! I lowered the bass and treble a bit and the farting stopped.