Powered desktop speakers like the XD3 must also fully integrate with your entire sound system and outboard accessories. The XD3 has the capability to handle multiple inputs, you can switch instantly between your computer as a source or other more portable platforms such as iPods, phones and other media players via the 1/8″ stereo Auxiliary input. The XD3 also has a convenient headphone jack which allows you full control through the front panel power switch and volume adjustments. How well will they actually stack up in our testing? Read on and find out …

Packaging:

Specifications and Features:

Next: XD3 Speakers and Installation

Arctic has been a well recognized and respected name in the custom PC building world for many, many years due largely in part to their PC cooling solutions. These solutions range from case fans, heat sinks, and of course their renowned thermal compound (MX family, please take a bow).

Unknown to some in the PC world, Arctic, under the guise of Arctic Sound, has been in the business of putting out audio devices to the public for a few years now. These products include headphones, headsets, speakers, and earphones. Some geared toward the hardcore audiophiles, and some targeted at the casual market. Today we take a look at one of their casual market target products, the E461-BM Earphones.

Do these earphones live up to the reputation of Arctic’s other products in terms of quality and reliability? Lets take a look.

Packaging & What’s Inside

The E461-BM comes in a small grey box with the earphones’ specifications shown on the back.

The E461-BM is silver with replaceable black silicon caps. There are six pairs of replaceable caps in total with sizes small, medium, and large. A pair of medium caps come pre-attached to the earphones out the box.

The cables of the earphones are black, and measure about 51 inches (129.54 centimeters) in total per our own measurements. The length of the cables from the buds to the in line controller (more on that later) is approximately 13 inches(33.02 centimeters).

The earphones come with a 3.5mm TSSR plug which allows you to use the earphones as both a microphone and a listening device. A TSSR supported port is needed if you wish to utilize the microphone capabilities, otherwise the E461-BM will only work as headphones. The earphones also come with a Y splitter for use with PCs.

The earphones also are bundled with a number of cable management options. These include a cable clip to attach to your person when you are using the earphones, a silicone cable winder which keeps the earphone wires nice and neat when you aren’t using them, and a travel case.

One of the more interesting features of the E461-BM is the in-line remote control. The remote is located on the earphone cable, and can be used to pause/play video, or music selections as well as select next, or select previous track. In regards to phone calls, the remote can initiate voice dialing, answer, end, or refuse calls. This function is said to only work, with Apple’s line of iDevices.

Next Page: Testing & Performance

Packaging:

Specifications and Features:

Next: The Z305, Installation, Usage, and Conclusion

Today we will be reviewing Tt eSports’ latest offering, the Shock Spin Gaming Headset. The Shock Spin is not touted as being a high end headset, but rather a midrange offering which can be used to play games, or listen to movies or music while connected to your favorite portable device.

Packaging & What You Get

The Tt eSports Shock Spin Gaming Headset comes in a black and red box detailing. At the bottom, the features of the headset are listed. This headset does not support 5.1 surround sound. /sadface

Opening the box you will see the Tt eSports Headset, Microphone Box, In Line Volume Controller, and owner’s manual. The headset itself is plug and play. No software for the device is included, or required.

The Shock Spin  comes in three different colors. Shining White, Diamond Black, and Royal Red. Our test sample is the Royal Red version. The headset has large ear cups which aid in blocking out environmental noise as you enjoy whatever it is you are listening to.

Below you can see the Auco Adjustment Headband, which offers decent adjustability when needed. The Tt eSports logo can be found on the top of the headband as well as the sides of the ear cups themselves.

The headset connects to your preferred device via a 3.5mm audio cable which is braided. This is also the case with all of the cables included with the headset which gives them a sturdy feel. The cables not attached to the headset themselves have velcro straps attached to them which also sport the TT eSports name. Besides the fact these straps aid in cable management, they are aesthetically more pleasing then simple twist ties some companies use to keep the slack of their cables’ lengths neat.

The Volume Box, as the name indicates, controls the volume of the headset. The box comes detached from the headset, and attaches itself to the headset via the 3.5mm audio connection. The cable itself is a little over 3 ft. (91cm). Add the volume box, and the full length of cable you can use is approximately 11 ft. (3.3m)

The Shock Spin’s microphone is also detachable, giving you the freedom to use it independently from the headset. The microphone can be attached to your person via an adjustable clamp (we recommend affixing it your shirt; more adventuresome or hirsute readers can go for skin or hair – OUCH). The on / off switch can be found on the side of the microphone box, and the cable of the microphone is quite long, measuring approximately 9ft (2.7m).

Next Page: Testing

Genuis is a Taiwanese company created in 1983 specializing in PC peripherals. These peripherals include mice, keyboards, tablets, gaming headsets, and speakers. Today we will be looking at one of Genuis’s latest audio products designed for use with portable devices, the SP-i400 Magnetic Portable Music Player Speaker.

The speaker itself is a third party audio output option for items ranging from laptops, mobile phones, MP3 players etc. What’s interesting about this speaker is it can also play music  off  SD cards without needing to keep the speaker plugged into a wall socket, or a USB port for power. This particular product is not aimed towards audio enthusiasts, but rather geared towards the casual user who just wants an alternative to the built-in speakers of their preferred portable device. Without further delay, let’s take a look at what the speakers offer up.

Presentation: What’s Inside

The speaker itself is protected by a hard plastic casing while resting in a silver box with the Genuis logo on the top, and a laser sticker of the Genuis logo on the bottom. On the back of the box are pictures of the speaker, showing the different mounting options available. This includes the ability of placing the speakers on surfaces such as a refrigerator, or a laptop via the speaker’s magnetic underside, or utilizing its Stick-N-Go attachment. Granted, most users should frown on placing anything magnetic on, or even close to their laptops, but Genuis seems to imply that their product is safe to do so. [Editor's Note: We don't care what the illustration suggests, if you put a magnet on your computer, you're going to screw something important and possibly expensive up, and we are going to laugh at you.]

Opening the box, you find the SP-i400 speaker itself, a Y cable, a traveling bag, and a multilingual instruction manual. Please note that Genuis seemed to have gone out of their way to include every known language within the instructions.

The Y cable itself is comprised of a USB cable, a mini USB cable, and a 3.5mm audio jack.  The standard USB  cable is used to charge the speaker from any USB port.  The mini USB cable makes it possible to link Genuis speakers to one another for simultaneous usage. There seems to be no limit to the number of speakers that can be daisy-chained together at one time [Editor's Note: someone with a lot of free time, desk space, and USB ports could probably have a lot of fun with this feature]. The 3.5mm audio jack is used to connect the speaker to your device’s audio output port.

The speaker also comes with a travel bag which seems to be made of a black velvet like material with the Genuis logo on it. The bag closes via draw strings.  While most people don’t carry their speakers in a travel bag, the bag itself is a nice touch, and can protect the speaker from unwanted scratches, dirt etc. when it is not in use, and is being transported.

Next: Speaker Features

SteelSeries is not a new name in the world of high-end gaming gear. In fact, their heritage stretches back to the early days of Counter-Strike when they made actual mouse pads made of… you guessed it… steel! Ah, those were the days, hard wrist on a cold pad at 3am, refusing to care about how I’d feel the next day when I had to go to class. But alas, SteelSeries have moved on from the original products that made them so famous among gamers. Now they offer a plethora of gaming gear that runs the gamut from superb value, to ultimate quality and performance, and in everything from mice and keyboards to audio equipment, such as the 7H Headset that we are reviewing for you today.

The 7H represents SteelSeries top of the line, and touts extreme comfort, convenience, and performance for gamers and audiophiles alike. To accomplish each of these goals, SteelSeries would have had to invest serious time in their R&D for this product, and perhaps they have. I’m sure you are all itching to see what I think of them, so please read on for a taste of what Steel brings.

The SteelSeries 7H:

The packaging of the SteelSeries 7H is high in quality, but also not such a pain in the rear to open that you end up hurting yourself in the process. Everything fits into its own neat compartment and is safe and secure.

Next: Unboxing, Features & Specifications

Upon delivery, the first thing you are likely to notice is the sheer size of the SP2500 setup. These things have presence.

Packaging

The speakers arrive in a very, very large box. The SP2500’s packaging dwarfs that of other 2.1 speaker sets, such as the Logitech LS21. The packaging design is very simple and clean, with clear grid-work showing through the body copy; helpfully for overseas consumers, the marketing and specifications are written in multiple languages right on the box.

Manufacturer’s Specifications:

Specifications

• Frequency response: 35Hz – 20kHz +/- 3dB
• 232 Watts total power (measured via FTC “RMS” method)
• Subwoofer dimensions: 18.1 x 10.2 x 11.7 inches (46 x 25.8 x 29.7 cm)
• Satellite dimensions: 4.25 x 4.7 x 6.25 inches (10.8 x 12 x 15.9 cm)

Subwoofer:

• 8″ 120W (IEC60268-5 24hr continuous rating) subwoofer with durable rubber surround
• Fourth-order closed bandpass enclosure design
• Bridged dual 60 Watt class-D amplifiers with integrated DSP for 120 Watts of power (measured via FTC “RMS” method)
• Ultra-efficient integral power supply with 100V – 240V AC input

Satellites:

• Bi-amplified, two-way design with detachable audio cables
• 3″ 40W (IEC60628-5 24hr continuous rating) midrange drivers
• 1″ 16W (IEC60268-5 24hr continues rating) ferrofluid-cooled silk diaphragm tweeters
• 56 Watts per satellite (measured via FTC “RMS” method):
• 40 Watt midrange class-D amplifiers with integrated DSP
• 16 Watt tweeter class-D amplifiers with integrated DSP

I/O, Controls and Programming

• PC input on subwoofer
• Dual 3.5mm auxiliary inputs (one on subwoofer, one on desktop controller)
• 3.5mm headphone output with digital signal processing
• Wired desktop controller with high-resolution color 1.8″ (4.6cm) TFT display and multi-lingual interface (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese)
• Mod X™ theatrical audio processing for Blu-Ray and DVD audio that recreates the theater experience
• Dynamic DSP programs and EQ curves for late night listening, environment simulation, and optimal enjoyment of game and movie genres

Package Contents

• Subwoofer
• Satellites (Two)
• Desktop controller with 6′ / 1.8m cable
• 3.5mm to stereo RCA cable for PC input
• Two 6″ / 1.8m satellite audio cables with ATX4 connectors

Once the SP2500 is unboxed, you will find an array of cardboard inserts protecting the equipment. The packaging was organized, easy to unpack, and held everything extremely securely. All in all, this is exactly what we like to see from manufacturers here at TechREACTION.

In addition to the contents listed above, our review sample included two satellite risers used to aim the speakers exactly where your ears will be in order to make a crisper and more accurate “sweet spot” for listening.

Installing the speakers is as intuitive as possible, as the cables and components are color-coded, and include diagrams that are very easy to understand. The only comment that we have to make in this area is that for someone looking to use the home stereo speakers for another purpose (like a home theater system) the 6′ cables for the satellites may not be long enough to provide a sufficiently spacious audio stage.

SP2500 Connectors

Cables, Cables, Cables!

Corsair made interesting cable choices for the SP2500. The power system does not utilize a standard C13/C14 coupler, it is a C17/C18 (see the images below). C13/14 cables are compatible with C17/C18 devices, but C17/18 cables are not compatible with C13/14 devices. This means that if you need a longer power cable, you CAN use any standard C13/C14 ones you have lying around, but you cannot use the cable supplied by Corsair for your monitor or printer or what-have-you.

SP2500 C17/18 Connector

C17/C18 coupler

C13/C14 coupler

In addition to the unique power delivery method, Corsair went with ATX4 connectors for the speakers. This is not completely unheard-of, as Sony has also done this for some of its entertainment centers that utilize dual-driver satellites.

SP2500 ATX4 Satellite Speaker Connector

SP2500 Subwoofer

The Subwoofer

The 8″ subwoofer is powered by a pair of 60-watt class D amplifiers which utilize a 4th-order bypass filter to refine the signal as it leaves the amp, resulting in clearer, more accurate sound.

SP2500 Satellite

SP2500 Satellite Connection

The Satellites

The SP2500’s satellites feature 3″ midrange drivers and 1″ tweeters. Corsair designed the SP2500 first and foremost, as a desktop sound system. What that means for the end user is these speakers are designed to be placed to the left and right of your monitor, a few feet from your ears, creating an acoustic sweet spot in front of your PC. This kind of focus is an advantage – your head will be more or less in the same place all the time (like in a car audio environment), which means they can tune the speakers to deliver their best sound with a fairly high degree of precision as to where the listener is likely to be.

The Remote

The wired remote Corsair has included with the SP2500 series has a wide array of settings, languages, and features.

• Wired desktop controller with high-resolution color 1.8″ (4.6cm) TFT display and multi-lingual interface .
• English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese
• Mod X™ audio processing
• EQ settings: late night listening, environment simulation, and optimal enjoyment of game and movie genres

The Mod X™ and EQ settings will be discussed in further as we perform our testing.

SP2500 Remote in Use

SP2500 Remote Serial Connector

Next: Our Test System

Packaging:

Specifications and Features:

Next: A look at the Genius SW-G2.1 1250

Packaging:

Specifications & Features:

Next: A look at the Corsair HS1A

Packaging:

Specifications:

Next: A look at the Siberia V2