Considered the best 5.1 Computer Speakers by all Gaming, and some Home Theater Magazines.
Written: May 29 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Extremely high quality sound.
Cons: Unless 5.1 needed and facing same direction as TV, might be better to get 4-speakers.
The Bottom Line: Almost too good, if you don't need the surround sound.
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| grimjack2's Full Review: Cambridge SoundWorks CSW DeskTopTheater 5.1 |
Specific Model being reviewed: CSW 3000
I first became interested in these speakers when I read an article in Home Theater magazine where they couldn't rave enough about them. I couldn't believe it! I tend to think of Home Theater reviewers as the type of speaker snobs who cannot approve of any speaker that costs less than $5000. I assumed that they wouldn't bother to review any computer speakers any more than they would a pocket TV. Well, apparently this is all true.
However, they were sent this product, and were a little reluctant to test it, but were so blown away that they had to review it. The quote was "As soon as we pushed play, we looked at each other in astonishment saying we couldn't believe it sounds so good." The review goes into detail about things I don't necessarily understand, like spacious high-frequency extension and uncluttered ambiance, but the main point was that they really liked them. They actually recommend the speakers as being perfect for a bedroom or home office setup where you only occasionally want to listen to high quality surround sound performances.
I didn't really feel that I needed a 5.1 setup since my laserdisc player doesn't have AC-3 output, and I didn't have a DVD player in my computer at the time, and doubted I was going to get one very soon. But I did really want to get a 4 speaker system since I had heard a set of those while recently playing games and loved the extra immersion they gave to games that took advantage of them. The 4 speaker sets were about $200 and the 5.1 was $300, and I figured no way do I want to pay the extra money if I'm not going to use it. However, when I was ready to buy them in August of 1999, the newer CSW 3500 went on sale for $300, so the CSW 3000 was being sold at the Cambridge Soundworks store for only $200. I figured I couldn't lose since the 4-speaker at my local computer store was still selling for $200!
Well it took me almost a year and a half to get anything that might even play in 5.1 surround, and only then did I notice some problems. First lets review what does work well with it.
The Desktop Theater comes with the combination decoder/amplifier, a subwoofer with a 5 inch woofer, four 3 inch cube speakers for front and rear each packing a 2 " long-throw driver, and a 3.5 inch center speaker with a 2.5 inch driver. Of course, they are all magnetically sealed so they won't effect your computer or monitor's performance. There are also 4 tripod speaker stands for the front and rear, and two different stands for the center speaker. One points straight ahead, and one down, which is really smart since they are designed to sit on top of a monitor. All the speakers are hard wired with RCA cables.
The amplifier has a Dolby Digital decoder and a six channel amplifier that sends five watts to the four front and rear speakers, and fifteen watts to both the center speaker and subwoofer. The speakers come with both screws and velcro, which could make a lot of sense if you wanted to mount the speakers on the side with velcro and then move them onto stands when watching a movie on your TV. The front speakers have two meter cables, and the rear cables are three meters long. The front cables are more than long enough for almost any setup I can imagine. The rear cables are not long enough for anyone who doesn't want the cables merely trailing along the floor.
The amplifier has a large power button that actually is too strong. I often move the amplifier back instead of turning it on or off. There is a mute button with a very visible light to let me know it is active. A speaker test button that sends a low bass white noise sound through each speaker 3 times which is a convenient way to test the sound levels. An audio mode button to switch between the left and right sides of a sound source. Four knobs to control the volume levels of Master, Center, Subwoofer and Surround. A Dolby Surround button switches between digital and analog input in pro logic mode. A Creative Multi Speaker Surround (CMSS) button that switches between three DSP modes: Music, Movie and 4 point stereo. This will alter the way a sound comes through the speakers to sound better depending on what you are listening to. If I understand it correctly, while playing music it concentrates the sound more on the edges. In movie mode, middle sounds are stronger from the center speaker, and the quieter sounds come through the side speakers.
As far as using these in a home theater setting, there are some complaints that are valid now that there are so many quality surround set-ups under $500. There is no remote, and no auxiliary input in back. If you are like me and have your computer and TV setups perpendicular to each other, it might be worth while to purchase the four speaker system for your computer, and a standard home theater setup for your TV. If your computer is going to be your primary DVD viewer, than the speakers should be a perfect combination to go with a good DVD player.
I wish I could truly test the 5.1 sound effects from my computer, but for some reason, I and many other owners of the Sound Blaster Creative Live series cannot. I have hooked up my DVD player directly to the speakers just to see what it would sound like, and they sounded just fine. However, I cannot get my computer to play 5.1 no matter what I do. If I get it working with a computer DVD player, I'll update my review.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
grimjack2
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: San Rafael, CA, Marin County
Reviews written: 181
Trusted by: 124 members
About Me:
Film is my favorite art form. I live a life of constant amelioration.
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