Thursday, January 6, 2011

Bringing Home The Bass: 2.1-Channel Speaker Roundup



Is it just us, or are 5.1- and 7.1-channel speaker systems impractical for PCs? In our 2.1 speaker roundup, we look at the Corsair SP2500 and Antec/Soundscience Rockus 3D|2.1, along with the Creative Gigaworks 3D, Klipsch Promedia 2.1, and Logitech Z623.
If you’re a PC user who hasn’t experienced what a subwoofer can do, you owe it to yourself to try one out. Strong bass brings incredible power to game sounds, and extends the range of music much lower than a two-speaker setup can achieve. If you want to feel those explosions and rhythms, a subwoofer isn’t an option. It’s a necessity.
Creative, Logitech, and Klipsch are well-known names when it comes to 2.1-channel PC audio systems, but Corsair and Antec (under a new audio/video division named Soundscience) have dipped their toes into the market with some new products that we have the pleasure of reviewing today.
We put the following PC speaker systems through the paces—some are new, while others have been around for quite a while—but all represent the premium 2.1-channel offerings from their respective brands:


Corsair
SP2500
Creative
Gigaworks T3
Klipsch
Promedia 2.1
Logitech
Z623
Soundscience
Rockus 3D|2.1
Power:232 W
by FTC guidelines
80 W
nominal RMS
200 W
peak
200 W
RMS
150 W
maximum
Satellites:
(two)
1" 10 W tweeter
3" 40 W driver
2" 15 W driver0.75" tweeter
3" woofer
2.5" 35 W driver2.5" 25 W driver
Subwoofer:8" 120 W driverthree 6.5" drivers
50 W total
6.5" 130 W driver7" 130 W driver6" 100 W driver
Inputs:1/8" jack (remote)
1/8" jack (sub)
RCA jacks (sub)
1/8" jack (remote)
RCA jacks (sub)
1/8" cable (satellite)
1/8" jack (satellite)
1/8" cable (satellite)
1/8" jack (satellite)
1/8" jack (sub)
RCA jacks (sub)
1/8" jack (sub)
RCA jacks (sub)
optical (sub)
Outputs:1/8" headphone (remote)1/8" headphone (remote)1/8" headphone (satellite)1/8" headphone (satellite)N/A
Controls:Volume, subwoofer,
EQ presets, effects
Volume, subwooferVolume, bassVolume, bassVolume, input, 3D
Dimensions:6.3" x 4.3" x 4.7" satellite (2)
11.7" x 18.1" x 10.2" subwoofer
5.9" x 3.0" x 3.7" satellite (2)
8.4" x 9.3" x 11.3" subwoofer
8.5" x 4.2" x 5.67" satellite (2)
9.5" x 9.8" x 10.2" subwoofer
7.75" x 4.5" x 4.75" satellite (2)
12" x 11" x 10" subwoofer
5.7" x 4.7" x 6.3" satellite (2)
13.8" x 7.7" x 10.2" subwoofer
Weight:2 lbs. satellite (2)
19.2 lbs. subwoofer
0.8 lbs. satellite (2)
13 lbs. subwoofer
2.1 lbs. satellite (2)
11 lbs. subwoofer
1.6 lbs. satellite (2)
13 lbs. subwoofer
1.4 lbs. satellite (2)
13 lbs. subwoofer
Accessories:1/8" mini-to-RCA splitter cable,
two satellite tilt stands,
wired remote with color LCD display
1/8" mini-to-RCA splitter cable,
wired remote
1/8" input cable
(attached to satellite)
1/8" input cable
(attached to satellite)
1/8" mini-to-RCA splitter cable,
1/8" input cable,
wired remote
Price:$249.00
(MSRP)
$249.99 (us.store.creative.com)$154.99 (bestbuy.com)$146.99 (newegg.com)$249.99 (newegg.com)
Warranty:two yearsone yearone yeartwo yearstwo years

Corsair is new to the speaker industry, but the SP2500 shows that the company is quite serious about establishing respect right out of the gate. The 232 W rating (using RMS voltage, according to FTC guidelines) is the highest in our test group, the subwoofer enclosure is the largest and heaviest, and Corsair’s product is the only one that comes with a remote equipped with a color LCD screen.

Each satellite houses a 1" 10 W ferrofluid-cooled silk diaphragm tweeter and a 3" 40 W bi-amplified, two-way design mid-range driver. The satellites are attractive, despite a somewhat conservative design, and at 6.3" x 4.3" x 4.7", they are average-sized compared to the rest of the test group.
The 8” subwoofer is the largest by an inch, and is rated at 120 W. At 19.2 lbs. and 11.7" x 18.1" x 10.2", the sub enclosure is no small box, and placement is something you’ll want to consider if you’re interested in the SP2500. This is the only subwoofer in our roundup that uses a fourth-order band-pass design, as opposed to the standard bass reflex configuration. This is a fancy way of saying that the 8” driver is mounted completely inside the enclosure. Corsair claims that this is a superior enclosure configuration that provides better power handling and more detailed bass. It also explains why the subwoofer is so large compared to the competition.

These speakers come with a 1/8” stereo mini-to-RCA cable, satellite stands, a manual, and speaker and power cables. The speaker cables use a four-pin color-coded connector I haven’t seen elsewhere, which works well, but doesn’t allow for easy wiring customization. The stands can be used to better aim the satellites at the listener if more of an angle is appropriate. The bundle also includes a wired remote that we’ll examine shortly.

The rear of the subwoofer is home to RCA and 1/8” mini-jack stereo inputs, and the wired remote has another 1/8” mini-jack input. Unlike some systems, only one input can be used at a time, which must be selected with the remote. The requisite headphone jack is conveniently located on the wired remote.

A quality speaker system offers good controls, and Corsair has gone beyond the call of duty here with a wired remote that sports a ton of options and a color LCD display. A large knob allows the user to change the master or subwoofer volume, and can also be employed to navigate and select menu options. The control knob works a lot like the wheel on an iPod. It is possible to select effects, equalizer presets, source input, and setup options with the remote.

Corsair’s SP2500 is also equipped with digital crossovers using a dynamically-controlled DSP. This allows for unique abilities, such as “night mode,” which redirects bass signals to the satellites in order to keep the large sub from disrupting the neighbors.
Strangely enough, despite the integrated DSP, the SP2500 does not accept a digital audio input. Corsair points out that a digital input would have to downmix Dolby or DTS streams into two channels, a function already built into integrated audio codecs and sound cards.
The Corsair SP2500 has an MSRP of $249.00, putting it in a three-way tie for the most expensive option in our roundup.

As the originator the iconic Sound Blaster brand, Creative needs no introduction to PC users. The company has been producing PC speaker systems for years, and offers a number of notable products. The Gigaworks T3 is its premium offering in the 2.1 speaker arena and can be purchased for $249.99 on store.creative.com. The speakers come with a one-year warranty.

The Gigaworks T3 is the most compact satellite/subwoofer combo in our roundup. Each satellite holds a single 2” full-range driver, and most of its 5.9" x 3.0" x 3.7" size is taken up by space between the bottom of the stand and the speaker.

Despite the relatively small 8.4" x 9.3" x 11.3" subwoofer enclosure, it contains three times the number of bass drivers of any other option in our roundup. That’s right, the Gigaworks T3 comes with three 6.5” subwoofer drivers. Total subwoofer power is rated at 80 W and each satellite is rated at 15 W each for a total of 110 W. This might sound relatively low, but Creative lists nominal, not peak, power output.

This speaker system comes with a 1/8" stereo mini-to-RCA splitter cable and a wired remote. The satellites have built-in speaker cables with RCA-style connectors, which are convenient, but somewhat difficult to customize.

The remote is simple, yet functional. The entire top half is a volume knob with a nice, heavy feel. It also features well-placed headphone and auxiliary input jacks. All of the $250 options in the roundup offer a remote, a feature that we find very convenient when desk placement doesn’t allow for easy access to controls located on satellite enclosures.

The rear of the subwoofer houses the RCA-style input. As mentioned, there is a 1/8” auxiliary input jack on the remote.
While the remote offers easy access to the volume control, the bass level control is not very accessible, located on the back of the subwoofer. This is poor placement for any user input, especially on a product with a premium price tag

Klipsch was one of the first U.S.-based loudspeaker companies, and has been building premium speakers since 1946. The Klipsch Promedia 2.1 has been a staple of upper-echelon 2.1-channel PC speakers systems since its introduction in 2000. While the company recently released a new wireless version, we’re testing the standard, wired speaker set. It can be purchased for $154.99 at bestbuy.com, and comes with a one-year warranty.

The Klipsch Promedia 2.1 is only one of two systems in the roundup that boasts THX certification. A THX-certified audio system meets or exceeds specific levels of audio performance. as specified by THX Ltd. The THX specifications are proprietary and aren’t publicized, but we do know they include things like signal-to-noise ratio and distortion level requirements. Keep in mind that the THX certification isn’t free and, in fact, can be very expensive. This is why many speaker manufacturers do not opt to get the certification, even if their products might meet the standard. There are also four tiers of THX certification, and the “THX-certified multimedia product” is the easiest to achieve.
The subwoofer enclosure is the lightest in the group, containing a single 6.5” long-throw fiber-composite cone subwoofer rated at 130 W peak. At 9.5" x 9.8" x 10.2", the enclosure is only slightly larger than that of the Gigaworks T3.

Despite the relatively low price tag, the Klipsch Promedia 2.1 is only one of two systems in this roundup that offers both a tweeter and driver in each satellite. The tweeter is a 0.75” poly compression driver and it’s paired with a 3” long-throw fiber-composite cone woofer in each satellite measuring 8.5" x 4.2" x 5.67". Individual speaker power isn’t specified, but each channel is rated at 35 W peak per side. The satellites are attractive with or without the removable covers and have an understated home audio look, the only identifying mark being the small orange/gold Klipsch and THX badges.
The Promedia 2.1 speakers don’t include much in the way of separate accessories because they come permanently attached to all of the necessary cables. The 1/8” mini line-in and control interface cables are attached to the right satellite. Both satellites also have speaker cables built in, and these attach to standard speaker clips on the subwoofer.

As an alternative to the line-in cable, users can plug an audio source into the auxiliary input on the right satellite enclosure. A 1/8” headphone jack is also conveniently located here.

The Promedia 2.1 controls are simple, but effective, with volume- and subwoofer-control knobs. A treble control would have been nice, but volume and subwoofer control is par for the course in our roundup.




Logitech was established in 1981 as a PC mouse producer, and has been a staple name in computer peripherals ever since. With the acquisition of Labtec in 2001, the company made huge strides in the PC-speaker market with high-end products like the Z-560. The Logitech Z623 that we’re testing today appears to be the replacement for the well-reviewed Z-2300 that has been available since 2004. This 2.1 system can be purchased for $146.99 at newegg.com and comes with a two-year warranty.

The plastic finish on Logitech’s premium 2.1-channel product might seem a little lacking compared to the other contenders in our roundup, but the Z623 looks quite good in person, with its matte black finish and silver Logitech and THX logos. Along with the Promedia 2.1, the Z623 is the only other THX-certified speaker system in the roundup. Both of these products also retail for about $100 less compared to the other speakers being reviewed.
Each satellite measures 7.75" x 4.5" x 4.75" and is equipped with a single 2.5” 35 W dome driver with an aluminum phase plug. The subwoofer is the second largest in our test group and has a 7” 130 W pressure driver inside an enclosure that measures 12" x 11" x 10".

This product comes with a 1/8” mini-jack input cable and the requisite getting-started and warranty pamphlets. It’s a Spartan bundle, but you don’t really need anything more, and the relatively low price doesn’t afford any frills.
The subwoofer has an RCA-style input for the left satellite cable, but the right satellite is attached to a cable that looks like a 15-pin serial port. This carries both control input signals and the right speaker output.

For inputs, the Z623s have two 1/8” mini-jacks—one for the subwoofer and the other for the right satellite, plus an RCA stereo input on the sub. The headphone output is in the standard position on the right satellite.

The Logitech Z623 controls offer no surprises, including a power button along with volume and subwoofer level knobs. Happily, the control knobs have a solid, quality feel to them.

You may not have heard of the Soundscience name, but if you have experience in the PC world, you’ve most likely heard of Antec. The company has been producing PC components like cases and power supplies since 1986, and Soundscience is Antec’s new subsidiary created to market audio- and video-enabled products. The brand’s flagship is the Rockus 3D|2.1, a speaker system that costs $249.99 at newegg.com and comes with a two-year warranty.

The Rockus 3D|2.1 differentiates itself visually from its competitors with a number of unique touches, such as the cylindrical anodized aluminum satellites and a tall and thin subwoofer. Each satellite measures 5.7" x 4.7" x 6.3" and contains a single 2.5” 25 W hemp driver, while the tall enclosure houses a 6” 100 W passive radiator subwoofer. At 13.8" x 7.7" x 10.2", the subwoofer enclosure is the tallest and thinnest in the roundup.

This product comes with a 1/8” mini-jack input cable and a stereo mini-to-RCA splitter cable. The satellite cables have an RCA-style jack on the speaker end and bare wires on the other for the output clips. There is also a remote control pod along with its dedicated cable.

All of the inputs are on the back of the subwoofer enclosure and consist of a 1/8” mini jack, a stereo RCA input, and a digital optical input. Yes, the Rockus 3D|2.1 has a digital input and is the only product in the roundup that can make that claim. Speaker systems with fewer than six channels that come equipped with a digital optical input are quite rare, although there are a few models with built-in sound hardware that use a USB interface. In any case, the Rockus 3D|2.1 sports an AKM AK5358B DAC, a higher-end component that can be found in respectable amplifiers like the Denon AVR-4311.

The control pod has one large volume knob that can execute a mute function when pressed like a button. There is a small button on the side of the remote that handles input selection (when held down) and toggles between music and 3D mode (when pressed and released quickly). These might not be the most intuitive controls, but they get the job done and are easy to get used to.
The music and 3D modes are for unmodified two-channel audio and virtual surround output, respectively. The Rockus 3D|2.1 uses a suite of DSP algorithms to create a virtual surround experience from two satellites and a subwoofer. We’ll talk more about this later in our tests.
Other than the control pod, there is a three-position bass level switch on the back of the subwoofer enclosure. I’m not a big fan of splitting control locations, especially when it’s on the back of something that isn’t particularly easy to access. But the thing that really concerns us about the control pod is the lack of headphone output for times when your roommate or family isn’t interested in sharing an explosive gaming or loud music experience. In our opinion, a headphone plug should not be optional on a high-end 2.1-channel PC speaker system.

Most PC speaker reviews are limited to subjective opinions. While those are quite useful, this is Tom’s Hardware. We’re going to try to go a little deeper than that with some objective measurements, too.
Our measurements are taken with a calibrated Apex 220 measurement microphone that has a phantom power supplied by TubeMP preamp. The measurement software we use is TrueRTA audio-spectrum analyzer level 4, found at www.trueaudio.com. Testing is done in a 25’x15’ room with the microphone pointed upward 30” from the satellites and subwoofer.

Mini-ITX Half-Height Build
CPUAMD Phenom II X4 705e2.5 GHz, 6 MB L3 Cache, 65 W TDP
MotherboardAsus M4A88T-I Deluxe Socket AM3
Chipset: AMD 880G, BIOS 0410
NetworkingOnboard Gigabit LAN controller
MemoryMushkin PC3 10700 SO-DIMM
  2 x 2048 MB, 1333 MT/s, CL 9-9-9-24-1T
GraphicsRadeon HD 5570
650 MHz GPU, 512 MB DDR3 at 900 MHz
Hard DriveWestern Digital Caviar Black 750 GB
7200 RPM, 32 MB Cache, SATA 3Gb/s
PowerIn-Win IP-AD120-2
160 W (included with case)
AudioRealtek ALC889High-Definition Audio Codec
Software and Drivers
Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows 7 x64
DirectX versionDirectX 11
Graphics DriversAMD Catalyst 10.11

We’re going to start with the objective benchmarks, and since this isn't an audiophile-centric site, we offer some background information to help our readers make sense of frequency-response charts.
Perhaps the best way to understand speaker frequency response is to learn how it is measured. A special audio signal is played over the speakers, which equally covers the entire audio spectrum at the same level. The speaker output is then measured across the part of the spectrum that humans can hear, from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and the resulting data is the frequency response. A perfect speaker, in ideal conditions, would produce a completely flat response, the same as the test signal. Peaks and valleys in the response graph mean that the speaker isn’t playing back all portions of the audio spectrum equally.
Testing speaker frequency response is best performed in ideal acoustic conditions, such as a lab equipped with an anechoic chamber, and that is something rarely found anywhere except at a high-end studio facility. We’ve done the best we can, but in less-than-ideal conditions, we’re going to see a lot of bumps in the frequency response due to phase cancellation (sound waves from the satellites canceling each other out) or comb filtering (frequency response errors caused when sound interferes with the room it’s measured in or objects in that room). Readers need to keep in mind that our frequency-response measurements are most useful as a comparison tool between the speakers we’re testing, not as absolute representations of reference response.

Before we discuss the results, here’s a quick legend of the audio spectrum:

  • The sub-bass range is from 20 Hz to 60 Hz, and it isn’t heard so much as felt. Sound in this range provides a sense of power.
  • The bass range is from 60 Hz to 250 Hz. This is where you can hear the bass rhythm, especially in the 90 Hz to 200 Hz area.
  • The lower mid-range is from 250 Hz to 500 Hz. It’s also called the bass presence range.
  • The mid-range is from 500 Hz to 2 kHz. This is where you can hear instruments and vocals.
  • The upper mid-range is from 2 kHz to 4 kHz. Higher instruments and most vocals are heard here, and the human ear is very sensitive to changes in this range.
  • The presence range is from 4 kHz to 6 kHz. Too little sound in this range will make the audio seem like it’s coming from farther away.
  • The brilliance range is 6 kHz to 20 kHz. This is where you hear harmonics and clarity, and accented sound in this range will make it seem crisper and clearer with higher fidelity.

Here are the frequency responses of the products in our roundup. We’re not including the Rockus 3D|2.1 in this first graph and we’ll show you why in a little bit. We benchmarked all of these speakers using the maximum bass setting to show the maximum bass response they’re capable of. All five of these 2.1 speaker systems follow a similar line, but there are some notable differences:

There’s a lot of information here, so let’s examine the results line by line.
The green result is the Corsair SP2500. The large 8” subwoofer is capable of strong sub-bass performance. The frequency response curve generally follows the same characteristics of the other products, except for a valley at 500 Hz and a larger dip at 3.5 kHz. These concern us a little, but we acknowledge that it might be a symptom of limitations with our test setup, such as phase cancellation or comb filtering. Nevertheless, since the speakers were meticulously placed and aimed in the same manner as the other test subjects, we have to consider these dips and pay extra attention when we test the speakers subjectively.
Next, the purple line is the response of the Creative Gigaworks T3. This system puts out a little less sub-bass than its contemporaries, but the rest of the response is very neutral until we reach the brilliance range over 10 kHz, which is somewhat surprising when you consider the small 2” drivers. We’ll keep an eye out for a minimal brilliance response when we listen to games and music with this system.
The yellow line represents the Klipsch Promedia 2.1, a speaker system that does a good job of defining the average response of our test group. It rarely shows the highest or lowest response in our tests, and has no obvious weaknesses except a drop-off in the 10 kHz+ range, which is a little surprising when you consider that these speakers are equipped with dedicated tweeters.
The orange line is the result of the Logitech Z623 speakers, which perform similarly compared to the Promedia 2.1s, with slightly less audible bass, but stronger brilliance (although at over 5 kHz, the response does get a bit peak-ish).
Now let’s consider the Rockus 3D|2.1 on a separate graph:

The yellow line here is the same Klipsch Promedia 2.1 response from the last graph, which is something we’re using as a baseline for comparison purposes. The blue line represents the Rockus 3D|2.1 in music mode and the green line represents that system’s 3D mode. As mentioned previously, all tests are taken with bass settings at maximum.
When the Rockus 3D|2.1 is in music mode (the blue line), we can see a flat overall frequency response, but that’s tempered with some significant peaks and valleys and a relatively low bass frequency response combined with a lot of brilliance. In 3D mode (the green line), we see significantly boosted bass along with accentuated lower and upper mid-range output.
These results give us a little concern that the Rockus 3D|2.1 might have some uneven mid-range response and low bass. We should point out that excessive bass that drowns out the rest of the audio spectrum is not necessarily a good thing. And once again, we’re aware that phase cancellation and comb filtering may be to blame for these uneven results, so we’ll put more faith into our subjective testing.

We’ve seen the response curves with the bass settings maxed out, and since all of these speaker systems have a bass (or subwoofer) level control, let’s examine the ranges that the user can play with: 




Some of these systems have more bass level control than others. There may be situations where strong low-frequency sounds might be disruptive, so the more control the better.
Now let’s consider the Rockus 3D|2.1 in music and 3D modes:

The yellow and orange lines represent the minimum and maximum bass settings in music mode, and the green and purple lines represent the maximum and minimum bass settings in 3D mode. There’s not a great deal of variance here.
Finally, since the Rockus 3D|2.1 is the only system with both analog and optical inputs, let’s see if there’s much difference between them. The following graph doesn’t show a frequency response, but it shows the difference in responses between the optical and analog inputs. A perfectly flat line would mean there’s no difference at all:

There’s a slight difference here in the sub-bass range below our hearing capability, but nothing too disconcerting, and probably not anything someone could notice. The fact is that the optical input is most useful when the PC’s sound hardware is sub-par, but most codecs that support optical output also offer decent high-definition audio in the first place.

Even the cheapest LCD television will look great when it’s all by itself. But when you put it beside the premium model and play the same content, that’s when you’ll see a difference. It’s the same thing with speaker systems. I prefer quantitative testing over general opinions any day of the week, but subjective benchmarking can expose weaknesses and strengths of audio and video equipment, as long as you have a number of products to compare. 
I played a number of songs and games on all five of these speaker systems. Comparing songs is easy, as I simply listened and quickly swapped the auxiliary jack between them to note the difference. Games are a little harder to test side by side, so I recorded some Call Of Duty gameplay to a .wav file and compared the speakers as I did with music.
Here are the records of my observations, and since my conclusions are closely intertwined, it’s difficult to separate the two.
Zoom

Corsair SP2500

The Corsair SP2500 sounds good to my ear, whether playing back hard-hitting games or all sorts of music. I did notice a kind of hollowness in the mid-range—with vocals particularly—and this does reflect the valley we saw in the frequency response at 3.5 kHz. The good news is that the EQ settings can be used to mitigate this issue, and I found I could tweak the sound to taste. The bass is great, as deep or shallow as you ask it to be, but still clear and undistorted.
The tweakability, options, and even the bling offered by the color LCD-equipped remote, are the SP2500’s strong points, and do set this system apart from the rest of the playing field. I’m not sure I’d pay the extra $100 over the Logitech Z623 and Klipsch Promedia 2.1, but if I did decide to shell out the cash, I think I could justify it. If you’re interested in the SP2500s, just make sure you have enough                                                                available floor space to accommodate the 18” wide subwoofer enclosure.
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Creative Gigaworks T3

Creative’s Gigaworks T3 system is surprisingly hard-hitting when you consider the small satellites and footprint of the subwoofer. There’s big sound to be had from this system, with nice highs and good bass for a great game or music experience. The triple 6.5” driver-equipped subwoofer probably has a lot to do with that.
The remote works well, and the only functional complaint we have is that the bass level control is inconveniently located on the back of the subwoofer enclosure. Aside from this, the $249 price tag is probably our biggest stumbling block when it comes to the T3. Unless small size and a remote are your paramount requirements, the Creative Gigaworks T3 is a difficult sell compared to some lower-priced options.  
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Klipsch Promedia 2.1

Even after 10 years, the Klipsch Promedia 2.1 remains a rock-solid PC speaker system capable of great things, including a nice flat frequency response and powerful bass. It certainly seems worthy of the THX certification. The worst thing we can say about this system is that the highest 10 kHz+ end of the audio spectrum might be a little weak. But it’s not so bad that it’s easy to notice, even when you’re directly comparing it to its contemporaries.
At $154.99, you really can’t go wrong with the Klipsch Promedia 2.1 unless you can’t stand controls on a satellite and absolutely must have a remote. If you’re seriously thinking about picking up this system,        you should also consider the Logitech Z623.
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Logitech Z623

Logitech’s Z-2300 has been the product to beat for years, and the new Z623 has taken its place as Logitech’s premier 2.1-channel offering with THX certification. Without a Z-2300 on hand, I can’t compare these systems to each other, but compared to the rest of the current playing field, the Logitech Z623 certainly holds its own. It boasts a flat frequency response with gobs of bass available for games and music at your command. There’s even a bit of brilliance on the high end.
At $146.99, I can’t think of anything bad to say about the Logitech Z623 except that the Klipsch Promedia 2.1 is priced similarly. Picking a clear winner between these two is almost impossible, as it comes down to personal taste. If you’re interested in either one, I heartily suggest you take both of them for a spin at your local electronics outlet.
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Soundscience Rockus 3D

Antec bursts on to the audio scene with the new Soundscience brand and its first product, the Rockus 3D|2.1. It’s hard not to be impressed with the Rockus, with its beautiful anodized aluminum satellites and tall subwoofer.
How does it sound? Clear and rich, but compared to the competition, the bass presence is lacking. There are details that I had trouble making out in the bass range and muted sounds I knew should be there in songs I am familiar with. I’ll be the first person to admit that bass presence is often over-accentuated in some subwoofer-equipped audio systems, and it’s quite possible that I’ve become so accustomed to too much bass that I can’t appreciate a flat frequency response anymore.
Having said that, all of the other systems we’ve tested in this roundup allow for bass adjustment from very low to very high, but the Rockus 3D|2.1 restricts bass adjustment from medium-low to medium. Soundscience might be taking a stand against artificially overloaded bass, but in a premium product like this, why not simply provide more flexibility so the user can set it to taste? Aside from this, I am also disappointed in the lack of headphone output on the remote. For a premium PC speaker system, I consider this a must. 
Admittedly, 3D mode kicks up the bass level and even adds a tangible surround effect, but at the expense of some mids and highs. And let’s not forget that the Rockus 3D|2.1 is on a very short list of 2.1 speaker systems with a digital optical input. If the Rockus' aesthetics and these unique features appeal to your taste, and you don't feel the need for an overly pronounced bass presence, then Soundscience’s flagship product will make it to your short list. Antec has shown us some potential with its Soundscience brand and we look forward to what the company can come up with in the future. But for $249.99, there are some compromises to be made here that lower-priced options do not demand.

A Final Note

To all PC speaker manufacturers out there taking aim at the gamer market: I’d like you to know that we really do appreciate the conveniently-located headphone jacks you include on remotes and satellites.
Unfortunately, gamers don't just listen, they talk. Nobody has figured out that gamers need a microphone pass-through jack for our headsets, too. Please—somebody, anybody—make this a standard feature on PC speaker systems!




1 comment:

  1. A good copy of Tom'sHardware review.

    http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pc-speaker-2.1-channel-subwoofer,2835.html

    Keep up.

    ReplyDelete

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