Best speakers for their price + size, period.
Written: Feb 26 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Unbelieveably clear sound, accuracy, natural fluid sounding bass, 2 miniplug inputs, attractive with black monitor
Cons: Only 2 satellites means no surround, AC cord bulky, may sound over-bright to some
The Bottom Line: I would recommend any speaker with this type of design: PCWorks, SoundWorks, Microworks. Microworks II design may not sound the same but CSW products have never disappointed me.
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| leonthelooker's Full Review: Cambridge SoundWorks CSW MicroWorks |
I purchased these speakers over a year ago now, after having had a set of the PCWorks speakers beforehand. I read some rather superlative reviews on the Hifi.com website (CSW's direct site.) In fact I ordered them directly from them.
One would be very hard pressed to say anything bad about these speakers. One testimonial on Hifi.com reads "I would take a bullet for these speakers" - well, I don't know I'd get quite that extreme, but they are awfully good.
The cube satellite are very well constructed and have some "heft" to them - slightly larger (maybe double the size) of the cubes that come with the PCWorks version (very close to be ing as good as these and they sell for only $40, which is a ridiculously good value). Unlike the PCWorks, the AC adapter / transformer is built directly into the subwoofer (a good design choice). The subwoofer has a kind "side bass reflex design". The only downside I can note about the subwoofer is that the (high-quality) AC power cord is a bit bulky when plugged into the back of the sub, affecting its placement in that you cannot put it completely "flush" against the wall to get the best bass response. However, trust me when I say, it will hardly matter -
The cubes connect using what appears to be 16 gauge or so speaker wire - a generous amount of it. Another plus is the fact that there are TWO miniplug inputs, so you could, say, listen to a component stereo receiver and have the speaker output computer audio at the same time.
When I first used the speakers with a computer game that has a lot of environmental sound effects and incidental music - the first thing that stood out was just how CLEAR,CLEAR,CLEAR ... these speakers sound. Bass sounds very fluid and "organic". In fact, there were moments in which it was almost an "orgasmic" experience (heck, it still is, to me!) . In a relatively large room, I can't imagine putting these speakers much past the 3 or 4 level without it being ear-bleedingly loud (yet still just as CLEAR, CLEAR, CLEAR as can be).
MP3 music sounds nothing short of spectacular on these speakers, if a bit over trebly - I have reduced the treble slightly with the soundcard's software controls. This "over-bright" sound may not appeal to everyone but can easily be managed. In fact, most pop music is mastered / produced to be a tad over-bright, which only reinforces just how accurate these speakers are!
One final note: it appears that the original speaker design has been phased out by CSW and only the MicroWorks II is now available. Both the satellite and sub designs have been changed, yet the basic capabilities have not. I do not know if this redesign incorporates the same type of design as invented by the late Henry Kloss. If you can EBay the old design of these speakers, snap them up quickly. You will not be disappointed.
The SoundWorks model which is slightly less powerful (only 33 watts compared to 80 for Microworks) , but typifies the same kind of design, and I would certainly recommend those as an alternative if you don't want to "take a chance" with the MicroWorks II redesign. Power output is merely a number and is almost irrelevant with this design (e.g., MicroWorks I, PCWorks, SoundWorks).
Very highly recommended.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
leonthelooker
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Reviews written: 4
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