Here's the situation i own a Sharp LC-26D5U for 3 yrs now and never really considered getting external speakers because my room is small. My setup is as follows i have the TV hooked up to OOL Cable Box and Wii via component, PS3 via HDMI and PC via DVI. My friend recommends i get "digital speakers" because my TV has a digital output (sure enough when i looked at the back it was there). He says these two are good #1 Edirol MA-15D/Black Digital Stereo Micro Speaker Monitors by Roland and #2 Behringer Digital Monitor Speakers MS40 - PAIR both are at J&R and I'm going to pick one up today after work. My question is does anyone own either of these speakers or can offer any advice it will be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long post.

#1 http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4159280

#2 http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4186234

Well, here's my thoughts. First, the digital output on your TV isn't going to do anything different than the analog outputs. It's always (probably) going to output two channel sound. The exception is if you are using off-air cable and viewing HD, in which case it would output Dolby Digital--which is really only valuable if you have a receiver (which it appears you don't). "Digital" speakers are not a necessity, nor are they necessarily advantageous over other speakers. The benefit of the speakers you list are that they are powered speakers. That means that they have the amplifier already built into them. When you don't have a receiver or amp of some kind, this is what you would want. Here's the issue though. The speakers you list are actually studio monitors, used for mixing at a mixing station. In other words, they are designed for listening at close range. They will also not have much in the bass department (but then again, neither will your TV speakers.) And they are not super powerful. You say you have a small room, but that term means different things to different people. If it's not really that small, you could have problems getting them loud enough.

Now, with all of that said, if you want to know if those speakers will work in your setup, the answer is yes. I have no experience with them, so cannot attest to their quality, although I've thought about them for editing radio broadcasts at my computer. If you want to know if you need "digital" speakers, the answer is no. You can use whatever speakers you want, but you will need amplification for them. You can get amplification by getting a receiver, getting an amp, or getting speakers with an amp already built in (known as "powered" speakers.) I hope than answers your question, even though I may have given you a whole lot more than you asked for. I hope that helps though--and if you have any additional questions, feel free to ask. I'm happy to share what knowledge I have!

drrick thanks for the informative reply i don't have a receiver as you mentioned so that's why my friend recommended "powered speakers". My room size is 12' x 12' x 14' WxLxH. when i watch the TV or DVD, play a game etc i'm usually about 6' from the TV and i can hear the sound but it's not "clear" (i do clean my ears by the way so it's not me). It's hard for me to explain the sound is just not clear. My friend says that the digital speakers will produce a much "cleaner" sound than analog will is this true? thanks

Well, I would bet that these digital speakers will provide a better sound than your TV speakers, but not simply because they are digital. You see, here's the thing...all speakers are analog! You have to convert a digital signal to analog to amplify it and send it to the speaker (the actual drivers). The advantage to the speakers you list is that they will accept a digital input, and convert it to analog all within the speaker. But, the fact that they do that doesn't make their sound superior to other speakers. There are lots of good speakers out there. All speakers need amplification, some need more than others. I agree that in your situation, powered speakers are probably ideal, but I really think that whether they are digital or not is a non-issue, because you'll be able to run digital or analog out of the TV to your speakers. So, here would be my recommendation. I think that you're going to have much clearer sound if you don't use your TV speakers, and so I'd say that if you have a B&M store nearby that will accept returns, pick up a set and see what you think. If you aren't happy with them, then take them back. I think what you listed should be fine, I just wanted to correct what sounded like faulty information you'd been given. Hope that helps! And, as always, I'm happy to anwer additional questions if needed.

drrick thanks for the advice. the same friend who suggested i look into purchasing the digital speakers loaned me a pair of Bose Media Mates (the first computer speakers made by Bose) to see if i would like the sound better. the speakers do sound significantly better (clearer) when watching TV than the stock TV speakers but games don't benefit much. But they seem underpowered so I'll be purchasing the Behringer Digital Monitor Speakers MS40 i'll let you know how they sound. Once again thanks for the helpful advice.