Amiga Computing - Commodore Is Awesome

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II HARDWARE MA Multimedia Haim Speaker Sotem Given Aiwa's reputation for top-quality equipment such as their latest CD-ROM drive which received a Blue Chip Award last month, high hopes were held for their mid-priced speakers. The Aiwa speakers, although quite compact, are stylish in design and because they are slim. fit nicely by the side of your monitor without taking up too much space. Three control buttons are situated at the lop and as well as the usual power button, there is a Surround control which, in theory, gives you more of a stereo effect due to the Front Surround Circuitry. However, when tested it didn't actually alter the sound a great deal. From such small speakers you do get quite a powerful sound. although bass sounds don't come across all that well, and unfortunately, although it claims 'Dynamic Super Linear Bass', it still sounds fairly tinny. At this price the Aiwa still feels like a durable, sturdy system, and if you're not too fussy about deep bass sounds then the Aiwa provides value for money. Tina llarkett and bareth loftbou52 round-up 50 Product: Aiwa SC-055 Pnce: £49.99 Supplier: Aiwa Tel: 0181-897 7000 Sound quality Features Build quality Overall Amiga Computing OCTOBER 1995 of flip 11713171/ 5fledifel 5115IPM5 wadable for 6 7 a 7 sony 5H5-Pcso Probably the most ugly speakers on the market, the Si)fly I SRS-PC50 are designed to be attached to the side of your monIto! ' although rubber feet do allow them to be placed on your desktop. Featuring built-in amplifiers that give a total of 5W, they are magnetically shielded to Isc prevent distortion on Product: Sony SRS-PC50 your monitor. The con- Price: £79.99 trols are placed on the side of the speaker so when mounted they would face forward Supplier: Gem Tel: 01279 442842 allowing ease of use. A bass control can be Sound quality Features 1 adjusted to give deeper Build quality sounds arid the quality overall is good. Overall 101.• . • - < I t 1
Yamaha yst-ms Powered Monitor Speaker5 The cheaper of the Yamaha set, the YST offers only a three Watt per channel output, but as we've seen before this is usually irrespective of the sound quality you get. However, in this case the sound is very feeble and reflects the low wattage. Design is rather questionable too. Apart from looking like an upmarket air freshener, the speakers don't feel as if they'd survive any knocks or bumps, The controls are front- mounted which makes them easy to reach, but because of the lightness of build you have to have both hands free to support the speaker while you make your adjustments. Their size also makes them fiddly and even those with the most nimblest of fingers are going to have problems. Feature wise it comes complete with an extra output socket to allow it to be connected to Something like a very impressrve sub-woofer. A presence dial allows you to change the amount of treble you get but unfortunately this wasn't all that responsive. For this sort of price, you're better off going for the Power Speakers or the Aiwa which both feel like they should last a lot longer and provide better value for money. Product: Yamaha YST-M5 Price: E49 Supplier: Yamaha Kombals Tel: 01908 366700 Sound quality Features Build quality Overall Egdec ay-FI Pro 2 Zydec may not have the brand image that Sony and Yamaha products carry, but this arguably accounts for their lower pricing. The question is, can they match the bog boys in terms of sound quality? The first noticeable point is their strange. and some would say tacky, styling, with the pink and wobbly power button standing out like a sore thumb. However, their upward tilt makes some sense considering theyll be set on a desktop well below ear level. Unpretentious but comprehensive controls Include volume, bass and treble, though they are rather stiff to use Combine this fact with the units lightweight and not very solid look and feel and the Zydec begins to look less durable than virile el its more expensive rivals Sound qua* is not at all bed, and high volumes re attainable without too much distortion. The bass has impressive depth and mid-range clarity is reasonable considering the price. The trade-otf between bass and size is less impressive, however, 'flan with the more compact Yamaha speakers. It you're not bothered about looks and ergonomics and let's face it. it's not as important for computer applications as with a hi-fi then the Zyli oilers a perfectly decent sound solution for standard Amiga purposes Product: Zy-ti Pro 2 Price: E46.99 Supplier: Special Reserve Tel: 01279 600204 Sound quality. Features Build quality Overall 4 5 7 5 7 Amiga Computing OCTOBER 1995 Song (55-0100 HARDWARE II An all-in-one set designed to fit snugly underneath your monitor, this unit from Sony is at the higher end of the computer speaker market. Magnetically shielded to prevent distortion of your monitor picture and boasting an unusual array of extras, on paper it already looks like one of the tidiest audio solutions. The Sony's large base is designed to support monitors up to 25 kg. and though it looks big when removed from the box, it actually takes up less desk space than having a couple of small speakers wired up next to the computer. The only passible problem might be that when used with big box Amigas. the Sony will put your monitor at a neck-straining height. In terms of sound quality, the Sony was a strong performer. Of course it suffered from the same limitations you'd expect from cheap midi hi-fis, such as a lack of depth in the sound. but to expect much more for under £100 would be unfair. At least the bass was substantial enough to avoid too much linnyness, providing the bass booster was turned to full. A downside of having everything located neatly beneath the monitor is that the speakers are too close to properly benefit from stereo. In fairness, though. few computer users will be overly bothered on this count. The Sony scores points for efficiency, for although it has a low wattage, high volumes can be achieved with distortion only occurring at the very highest output - which is a lot more than can be said for many of its rivals_ Connection to the computer is made using the standard left-right channel audio jacks, but more unusual are the secondary set of ports hidden behind a flap mounted on the unit's front. These allow for the connection of video, a microphone and a Discman or Walkman. Not only is it good to have these available, but the fact that users won't have to fiddle around behind the unit too much is also a welcome feature. Finally, it has to be said that paired with the right monitor, the Sony's smart fascia can only make your kit look more impressive. Strong on sound and features, this sound system is a high calibre contender. and only its price will make serious users have second thoughts about buying. Product: Sony CSS-B100 Price: E85 Supplier: GEM Tel: 01279 442842 Sound quality Features Build quality Overall 8 9 7 35
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Amiga Computing - Commodore Is Awesome

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