Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Big sound at low volume, October 9, 2009
When I was searching for speakers, there were a few important points on my checklist. First, I wanted speakers that would sound great at low to medium volume, because that's how I listen to it 99% of the time. Second, it must be small, because I don't have much desk space. There's a large UPS behind my monitor, so I can't fit asubwoofer. Third, I wanted a remote, and this one has a very basic wireless IR. Maybe it's a bit too basic. I would have liked to have a fader so I can balance the volume between the two sources. I have a small TV and my PC hooked up to these speakers, and it would be nice to fade the TV when viewing a video online.
I'm up late working, or playing games, and I don't want to disturb anyone, so the speakers must sound clear at low volume. With the sony, the sound is clear, and the bass is audible without disturbing others. The bass port is very effective at boosting the bottom end. Looking into the reflex port, the small tube is lined with felt, a nice functional detail. The bass output is decent for such small speakers. They can reproduce a sine wave down to 45 Hz. At 40 Hz, the sound is barely audible. My Bose Mediamates could only reproduce a sine wave down to 60 Hz. When playing the Deadline Dissident CD, the bass was clearly audible, but it did have trouble reproducing the deeper notes of Bill Laswell. When playing music at high levels, the bass just could not keep up, and the sound distorts. So, I would not recommend these if you expect to fill a room with music.
Another thing I like about these speakers is that the housing is made of thick aluminum. They do not suffer from that hollow plastic sound, where the enclosure resonates sounds. The surface has a rich satin finish, with polished edges that give it an elegant look. The metal case probably adds a lot to the cost of the unit, but it really is a nice departure from all the plastic speakers out there. These feel as if they were engineered to last. If you are not bothered by the price, and you want a clean, clear, and natural sound at low volume, then these speakers are for you. I was lucky enough to find these on sale at a local store for less than $150. At the price I paid, I gave it five stars.
I wish these had a headphone jack, and a fader control. Having separate bass and treble controls might help, but it's not critical, since the sound is fairly balanced. When compared to the Bose Mediamate speakers (also 2.0), the Sony sounds natural, and the music seems as if it's coming from much larger speakers. In contrast, the Bose sounds brighter, because the the upper midrange is coming through loud and clear, but the bottom spectrum is weak. The Sony sounds more like a hifi than the Bose, which sounds very thin. The thumping of the bass drum will go through walls a lot easier with the Sony, so you'll need to be a little more careful with the volume control.
Out of curiosity, I decided to pull out the old Cambridge Soundworks Microworks (3 piece system). I've forgotten how great these sound. It fills a room with rich, and dynamic music. The sub will produce a sine wave down to 25 Hz, and is loud enough to make any music sound so much richer than the diminutive Sony. Unfortunately, when you turn down the volume, it sounds awful, most of the spectrum drops off except for the lower midrange. This is where the Sony really shines, all frequencies come through loud and clear. I'm glad I brought them out, because I can use the CS remote as a volume control for the TV.
Overall, these speakers sound very natural, and clear. It lacks the bottom end of larger 2.1 systems, but at low volume, it sounds as if you are listening to larger speakers from across the room. Doing a frequency sweep reveals a smooth response across the entire spectrum. It's true that a 2.1 system will sound better than this unit, but if you don't have the space, and you're looking for speakers that sound good at low volume, then you should consider these.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nothin' Special..., July 17, 2009
These are $400 speakers? I don't think so. Cool design, but the special bass tech is hype. These sound like any $50 pair of speakers. These were a gift so I'll keep them. Glad they "only" paid $179 for them.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Great speakers for the right application, December 15, 2009
These speakers are perfect if you want something small to use instead of crappy TV speakers, particularly because they have a remote. The low end is amazing for the size, but it is difficult for the single, tiny driver to deliver frequency response across the entire spectrum. I find myself wishing they had a bit more high-end crispness, but I'm still impressed overall given the physical dimensions. There isn't a way to adjust the treble/bass levels on these, but setting my ipod EQ to "treble booster" seems to help.
Compared to the Altec Lansing powered speakers I had before, these are much better. I don't have any problems with interference as I did with the old speakers, so the shielding on these must be decent. The one feature I wish these speakers had is auto-on; not a big deal turning them on & off though.
For the money, you can get better-sounding powered speakers that are just a bit larger than these. If you really want a remote, however, I have not been able to find a better set.
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