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Speaker Layout:

Test Hardware:

• Intel i7 920

• Asus P6TD Deluxe
• 12Gb DDR3 1066Mhz
• Gigabyte AMD HD6970
• 2x Seagate LP 2TB Drives Raid 1
• Creative X-Fi Fatality Series

Comparison Speaker Systems

Corsair SP 2500 2.1

Logitech LS21 2.1

Logitech mm50

Test 1: Music

The first test setup is a diverse playlist of music to test range of sound the SP2500 is capable of. The first test was run 3 times on each set of speakers at the following settings:

• Sound output at 30% Volume
• 70% Volume
• 100% Volume

During each run, if any of the speakers failed to produce quality playback with low distortion, the volume was reduced on the speakers themselves until clarity was restored and the point of distortion was noted. In each run, Creative SVM, Bass, Treble, and Crystalizer are enabled and at 100%. As these are all 2.1 systems, no crossover frequency was set.

Playlist:

• Come Clarity – In Flames
• Derezzed - Daft Punk
• Of Mice and Men – Megadeth
• Come Together – The Beatles
• I’m Afraid of Americans – David Bowie
• Right Where It Belongs – Nine Inch Nails

30% Tests

30%: MM50

On the first play through at 30% volume, the Logitech MM50 provided its best performance; its sound output equaling that of the other sets. The highs and mid-tones sounded great, but the low end could not match the Logitech LS21 or SP2500 speakers. This was not an issue that could be fixed by adjusting settings on the speakers.

30%: LS21

The budget series LS21 speaker set could not clearly reproduce high-range sounds, even at 30% volume. The mid-range and lows came out close to that of the SP2500, but the crisp treble required for the hi-hat and lead guitar in Of Mice and Men simply didn’t exist on the LS21 set. To an extent, this problem could be fixed by lowering the volume on the sub and increasing the volume to the satellites, but this really just made the sound louder, not clearer.

30%: SP2500

I was not sure what to expect from the SP25oo’s, but I knew I was hoping for a damn good performance. The SP2500 delivered. Throughout the spectrum, the audio was so clear, I could hear subtleties in the guitars in Come Together that normally are only present for me when listening to quality headphones.

30%: Conclusion

In the low volume range, the SP2500 was the hands-down favorite throughout. Clear, crisp, and robust, without any notable deficiencies in color or tone, they sound exactly like what you’d want to hear.

70% Test.

At 70%, output from an X-fi series sound card is quite loud, and in most cases, it simply is not an enjoyable experience. We’ll see if any of these systems can overcome this adversity.

70% MM50

On the second play through at 70% volume, the Logitech MM50 could not output clear sound in any part of the dynamic range. After turning the volume down to 7/10, they did manage to approach the audio quality they had at 30%, but with a lot more bite on the low end due to the preamp.

70% LS21

Similar to the MM50s, the LS21 could not reproduce any part of the audio as clearly as they could at 30% volume. Unlike the MM50s, however, the LS21 distortion was minimal, and may not have bothered the casual listener.

70% SP2500

On the second sound test with the SP2500s, I started to get it. There was no noticeable distortion at 70%. With the Logitechs, I was constantly thinking about how bad the music sounded at such a high volume, whereas with the SP2500s the music became an adventure. For instance, Derezzed features a pattern in the static that I had never even been aware of until I listened to it this loudly, and with these speakers. The SP2500 speakers provide a completely different, and much more enjoyable, listening experience than the other speakers used in this review.

It Goes to Eleven: 100%

At this point, doing a test at 100% volume is only going to serve two purposes: to put these speaker sets and our ears through hell. 100% output from an X-fi series sound card is very loud, and in most cases, it is simply not enjoyable, akin to being beaten to death with socks full of gravel. The only reason this test was included is so we could say, “Earplugs were used during this test.” Don’t say we never suffer in the name of bringing complete information to our readers. It’s not all free heatsinks and video cards around here!

100% MM50

On the final play through at 100% volume, the Logitech MM50 simply could not output clear sound. Sound quality approached “reasonable” once we’d turned the MM50′s volume down roughly halfway.

100% LS21

The LS21′s sound became moderately acceptable when the sub was turned down to around 30% and the speakers to about 40% of total volume.

100% SP2500

At 100% volume, the SP2500 finally began to suffer slightly diminished sound quality, but this was still much less pronounced than the LS21 exhibited at any point in our tests.

Next: Gaming and Movie Testing

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