High Performance Budget Speakers
Written: Mar 01 '02 (Updated Mar 01 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cute Cubes are Stylish, Hi-Performance Sound rivals most hi-fi speakers.
Cons: Bulky power adapter, mid-range a bit drowned.
The Bottom Line: A high performance 3-piece multimedia speaker that sounds incredibly good not only on computers but on any portable audio device that accepts a mini stereo plug.
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| minusflo's Full Review: Creative Technology SoundWorks SW320 2 Speakers |
The Good:
Before I proceed with details of the review, let me first list down the complete specifications and features as provided in the manual and packaging.
* 2 satellites with 2 meter cables.
* Wooden subwoofer made of medium density fibre board.
* Wired volume control that is ergonomically designed.
* Separate power supply adapter.
Specifications:
* Satellite Power: 4.5 Watts RMS per channel
* Subwoofer Power: 12 Watts RMS
* Frequency Response: 42 - 20,000 Hz
* Signal-to-Noise Ratio: above 75 dB
I went to buy this as a companion to my new Creative CD-MP3 player for $40. I figured it would provide better overall sound performance over my current two piece SBS-16 speakers also from Creative. Over the years my experience with Creative products have always been pleasant. They do not always turn out the best products but they were always full of features and above satisfactory overall. I have grown to respect this brand name for any PC components. Truly enough I was not disappointed with this one.
First of all, the price being cheap for a 3-piece speaker system, one can only expect a performance typical of budget speakers. I must admit, though made by Creative, the Cambridge Soundworks name is appealing as Cambridge is a well respected brand in professional audio. However, with its low cost, it would be unrealistic to expect a Klipsch professional performance. The design is very stylish especially the black color which is the one I got. Complements not only your computer and its furniture but also any portable audio device you may have. The satellite cords are 2 meters long. Just the right length to spread the satellites wide enough for better sonic dispersion. Setting the unit up was a no-brainer activity. The back of the subwoofer has all the connections from the power supply to the sattelite speakers properly labelled and organized. It also has a subwoofer level knob so you may adjust the bass level to your liking. Overall volume is controlled through a wired-remote control that is ergonomically designed so it is easy on your fingers. Range is from 0 to 10 (max.) Power adapter is not built-in to the subwoofer unlike some that I have seen.
Now having gone through the setting up, let us now proceed to the audio quality. My test CDs were the Corrs album and China Crisis best hits collection. I chose the Corrs because of its strength in the mid and high notes being rich and detailed in its strings arrangement as well as the vocal presence. China Crisis because of its mixed new wave and jazzy music that provides strong bass notes. My test portable audio is the Creative CD-MP3 player. Playing the Corrs album was such a pleasurable experience. Vocal presence was clear and distinct from the accompanying instruments. However, some of the string instruments sounded a bit low in the background and was drowned by the thumping bass. When I switched to the China Crisis, my expectations were met. The bass came out punchy but smooth. My bass volume setting was at 1/4th which is always my practice when starting any audio amplifier. At an overall sound setting of 6, the bass volume may be increased to about 40% without the wooden box starting to rattle. Above 50% of bass volume, subwoofer housing although wood starts to rattle making the sound muddy and irritable. It is best to set the bass volume at no more than 25% then just adjust the overall volume to suit your liking.
Lastly, the amplifier was tailored at an optimum making the sound naturally smooth and this can be appreciated even at lower volumes. Between 2 and 4, bass was very warm and emotionally moving. The unit without a doubt compares in terms of hi-fidelity to some leading high-end audio components from Aiwa and Sony.
The Bad:
The separate power adapter is bulky. Would have been better if housed inside the subwoofer like in some Altec Lansing models. Cable cords are not very flexible and adds to the cheap feel of the components. Sound imaging although above average at normal settings degrades siginificantly at high bass volume settings. The rattling of the subwoofer box may be irritable for some. However, the sound limitation is common to other known brands at this price level.
Overall, sound performance and quality is at par with any other known brands (Altecs, Labtecs, etc.) in its price class and may even surpass most hi-fidelity audio speakers from consumer brands such as Sony and Aiwa. Certainly an excellent buy for the budget conscious.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
minusflo
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Location: Illinois, USA
Reviews written: 24
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Works for a surfactant company. Enjoys reading reviews from various and diverse topics at Epinions.
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