Champaign Speakers... What Will The Alcoholics Think Of Next??
Written: Sep 14 '04 (Updated Sep 14 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great design. Sound great at mid-range volume.
Cons: Can't play music that loud...
The Bottom Line: Sound quality is "iffy." Nothing special.
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| rapoob2's Full Review: harman/kardon HK695 2 Speakers |
About four years ago my computer kicked the bucked, croaked, choked, hit the big one... call it what you will, my computer died and it was time to get a new one. I was a junior in high school, so getting a new computer was necessary. This was also the time when music was spreading around the internet and every time you blinked you could find four new cds. Naturally, in getting a new computer, getting speakers was on the top of my list as well. I went to dell.com and chose the Champaign Speakers to by my very own...
Sound Quality - This is by far the most important thing to look for when buying speakers. If you were unaware of this, I would appreciate it if you would stand up from your computer, turn around, and run full speed into the closest wall. Thanks.
The sound quality is okay, but just okay. It's nothing special, but it's nothing terrible. Keeping the volume at a mid-range level will produce a crisp, nice sound. Playing music at a high volume level results in distortion and mass chaos. The problem is, there is a very fine line between the two. They're great if you're looking to listen to music casually while working. However, don't try to host a party and play music off these speakers. The result will be devastating to your social life.
Subwoofer Quality - The subwoofer quality, like the speaker quality, is just okay. If you are not looking to play anything that requires a lot of bass, than you're going to do just fine with the Champaign Speakers. However, if you're looking for some bass... than... well... move on. You're going to be in trouble. Putting the bass too loud results in a pretty horrible sound. I kid you not.
Volume Control - When evaluating speakers I think that looking at how easily volume can be controlled is very important.
Speakers - The volume of the speakers is controlled by touching the top of the right speaker. While that is an okay system (and it is very stylish), I am not a huge fan. This is because it takes forever to turn the volume down or up. I am someone who usually gets yelled at for the volume of my music and I'm asked to turn it down. When I have to click continuously to do that, it doesn't work so well because I end up getting yelled at four times in the process because it takes so long. Even if I'm not getting yelled at, it still is annoying if I have to, for example, pick up the phone. Cry me a river. I prefer to have the good ol' nob to turn to adjust the volume. Life is just better that way.
Subwoofer - This is adjusted with a nob on top of the subwoofer system. So while this is much easier to adjust than the speaker volume, how often do you really change the bass amount on your subwoofer system?
Size - Everything is pretty small, so if you are strapped for space they are great. The subwoofer can be hidden fairly easily and forgotten about. I put it down on the floor after getting the bass to a level that I liked and didn't think about it for a long, long time. The speakers are shaped like champaign glasses (that's why they're called Champaign Speakers!!). They're tall and elegant, and very thin. This is great because they don't take up a lot of floor room, but still have a decently sized speaker.
Stability - While this may seem like somewhat of a stupid topic, having speakers fall over can be extremely frustrating. That being said, I haven't had a problem with Champaign Speakers yet. I had them on top of my monitor for awhile (it was a CRT monitor, so there was a slanted back... if you don't know what a CRT monitor is and want a brief explanation, Click Here) and they didn't fall unless someone hit the monitor or the table fairly hard. I now keep them on the table next to the monitor and haven't had any trouble there either... but if your speakers trouble on flat ground I think you're in trouble...
Color - The color of the speakers is the standard Dell color, black and gray. While it's nothing exciting, they fit well with the dell computer and monitor. Being somewhat of a neutral color, they don't stand out like crazy either. They never really appear to be dirty (even though sometimes they need to be cleaned), whereas white speakers show their uncleanliness like crazy.
Overall - While the Champaign Speakers are sleek and stylish, I'm not overly impressed. This is because of the volume level that needs to be maintained to keep it sounding great. If you're not looking to play music overly loud, than these are great speakers for you! However, I tend to enjoy blasting music so they're not perfect for me.
(c) Ryan Brennan 2004 All Rights Reserved
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
rapoob2
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Member: Ryan Brennan
Location: New York, New York
Reviews written: 63
Trusted by: 26 members
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