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Hardware Goodness October 2000 • Vol.8 Issue 10 Page(s) 118-119 in print issue |
Speakers Cutting Corners Is Not The Way To Go | ||
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The next time you buy a computer, there are two things you should strongly consider throwing away as you unpack it: the speakers. With consumers demanding lower computer prices, computer makers have to cut corners. Many start the cost cutting with the speakers. Instead of including impressive speakers, they toss in the least expensive speakers they can find. Those speakers are fine for the beeps that Windows makes, and you can tolerate them for playing an occasional MP3 file. However, if you play serious music or games, or you use your DVD (digital versatile disc) drive to watch movies on your computer, then you are going to want better speakers. Much better speakers. You do not have to spend a fortune. For $100, you can buy speakers that will produce sounds that rival your home stereo. For less than $300, you can buy speakers that will surround you in sound as you listen to DVD movies or play your favorite games. Shop For Speakers. You shop for computer speakers the same way you shop for stereo speakers. The main thing to do is listen to them before you buy them. When you do this, listen to the same audio sources you will be listening to at home. Rock fans should take some Alice Cooper with them, country fans some Johnny Cash, and so on. If you plan to use them with your DVD player, take a movie with you. Only try to compare two sets at once; otherwise, your ears will have difficulty telling them all apart. As you listen to the speakers, notice the sound. Is it clear? How is the bass? At the volume you normally use, does the speaker rattle or wimp out? Listen to enough music (or DVD) that you are sure the speakers can handle everything you will be throwing at them. In addition to the listening test, also consider the following: • Do the speakers run off an AC adapter rather than batteries? You do not want to change batteries all the time, and battery-powered speakers rarely sound as good as AC-powered ones. • In addition to volume and on/off, what controls do the speakers have? At a minimum, they should have bass and treble controls. • Do they feel solid? Will they last? Pick them up and hold them. You might also notice if they fit with your overall décor. All of the speakers in this review are black, white, or light beige, and none gives you a color choice. • Notice the size of the speakers. If you have a small, crowded desk, you will need small or even flat-panel speakers. If you have more room, you can consider larger ones. Keep in mind that generally, the smaller the speakers, the more basschallenged they are since it requires a certain amount of air movement from the speaker to generate the long wavelengths of low frequencies.
Speakers Less Than $100. With those tips in mind, we will take a look at a couple of different groupings of speakers. The first grouping we will consider includes some good speakers that cost less than $100. These are the first category of speakers above the $50, no-name, no-subwoofer speakers that ship with new systems and clutter up the discount stores. As a group, these sets include three speakers: two satellite speakers and one subwoofer designed to place on the floor. As a group, they deliver far superior sound to anything likely to be included as standard with your computer. Sonigistix Monsoon MH-500 At $99, the Sonigistix Monsoon MH-500 speakers (http://www.sonigistix.com) are one of the best of the less-than-$100 category. The Monsoon line is an upscale line and has a heritage of impressive sound. The MH-500 set consists of three speakers: two satellite speakers and a 17-watt subwoofer. The two satellite speakers are tall and skinny. The tweeters in the satellite speakers use Sonigistix's patented Planar Focus Mylar-based construction, which gives them crisp and clear high notes. The lower half of the satellite speakers is a traditional cone speaker for handling the mid-range. A pair of 8.5-watt amplifiers drives each satellite speaker. The result is speakers that are too highly directional for our tastes but would be appreciated in an office setting. The subwoofer has a separate volume control and is housed in a lightweight case you place on the floor. The system produced great sound at low to moderate volumes that were every bit as sharp and clear as the more expensive Monsoon speakers. However, the subwoofer had trouble keeping up with the satellite speakers and had real problems handling high volumes. Users will find the Monsoon MH-500 speakers are a significant improvement over their factory-supplied speakers. For most users, this modest upgrade is all that is required. Serious gamers and anyone who likes loud music with lots of bass should consider one of the more expensive sets of speakers.
At $79.99, the Labtec Edge-418 speakers (http://www.labtec.com) combine innovative design with an impressive sound. The satellite speakers are flat-panel speakers that are thinner than a sandwich. They can free-stand on a desk, or you can mount them to the monitor or hang them on the wall. All the necessary hardware is included. No matter how you mount the speakers, there is a handy thumbscrew device for your desktop for easy volume control. A pair of 5.5-watt amplifiers drives the satellite speakers, and they produce powerful sound, considering the wattage. A 19-watt amplifier powers the subwoofer. The base is solid and superior to the Monsoon MH-500, but the Monsoons did a better job on the high and midrange sound. The small size of the satellite speakers makes finding a spot for them a snap. Top Of The Line. The next batch of speakers we looked at was the top-of-the- line speakers. These generally come with a massive subwoofer and four satellite speakers for surround sound. They also feature more power and clearer sound. These are the speakers that serious gamers and audiophiles want. They are also great if you use your computer to play DVD movies. Boston Acoustics BA4800 The Boston Acoustics BA4800 ($199.95; http://www.bostonacoustics.com) is a great set of speakers. They are $100 less expensive than the Cambridge Soundworks speakers reviewed here and play music and games just as well, although the Cambridge speakers do a better job with movies. The satellite speakers are deceptively small, almost tiny. The two rear speakers have 20-inch stands you can mount them to. The subwoofer is heavy and massive, but the cabling is straightforward and it is a snap to set up the system. The speakers do not have a digital input, and they also lack an onboard Dolby Digital decoder so the input source must do the decoding. Boston Acoustics also has a new system, the BA7500, targeted at the home theater market. The sound that comes out of these speakers is fantastic. You can turn it up as loud as you like and there is no clipping or distortion. The speakers have powerful amplifiers and could produce sound louder than most people are comfortable with; however, Boston Acoustics does not publish power figures. Using these speakers with your computer makes it sound as good as a good stereo. The combination of surround sound, great sound, and a lower price also make these great gaming speakers. Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Theater 5.1 DTT2500 The Cambridge Sound-works Desktop Theater 5.1 DTT2500 speakers ($299; http://www.creative.com) are designed to be used with a DVD player, so they make an excellent choice if you are going to watch movies on your computer. The set comes with five smaller satellite speakers, a heavy
Setting up a sound system like this took some time, as much more was involved than simply plugging in a couple of speakers. Once we got everything connected and the speakers properly positioned, the sound was fantastic—the best of the group. The amplifier took the signal from the Sound Blaster Live sound card used for this test and generated clear and loud sound, and the six speakers did an excellent job of reproducing that sound. The decoder accepts both analog and digital inputs, so if your sound card supports digital sound, you can send sound to these speakers without the quality losses associated with computer audio. This is especially important with newer DVD movies. Simply put, the Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Theater 5.1 DTT2500 speakers are the best home theater speakers you can buy for your PC. The speakers are too much for music and for many games, but games such as Rogue Spear that generate surround sound are wonderful with these speakers. As more games take advantage of surround sound, gamers are going to flock to these speakers.  by Ronny Richardson |
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