Logisys Clear Acrylic 2.1 Gaming Speaker Set Review
By: Michael Phrakaysone
Edited By: Steve M. Silver
First off, let me thank Xoxide for providing this product for review.
The gaming crowd has made larger demands than usual for a good set of speakers. New games such as Half-Life 2, Doom 3, and Need For Speed Underground 2, feature great sound effects and ambience that enhance the gaming experience. More than that, sound is rapidly becoming an integral part of the game, and what you can’t hear can kill you. That's why gamers desire a good set of speakers. However, most gamers have a limit to their money so they need something that has bang for their buck. Logisys recognizes this need from gamers and that is why they have made the Clear Acrylic 2.1 Gaming Speaker Set.
The Logisys Clear Acrylic 2.1 Gaming Speaker Set come in a rectangular box that isn’t too heavy. The front of the box displays a picture of a woman listening to some music and on the back of the box displays the specifications.
Specifications
- Power Output: (woofer) 16W RMS (Satellite) 12W x 2 RMS
- Frequency Response: (Woofer) 30Hz-120Hz (Satellite) 120Hz-20Hz
- Sensitivity Input: 300mV
- Distortion: 0.3% at 1W 1HKz
- S/N Ratio: more than 65dB
- Separation: more than 40dB Driver Unit: (Woofer Driver) 5.25" magnetically shielded (Satellite Driver) 2.5" magnetically shielded
- Audio Input Socket: (Input 1) 3.5mm stereo plug (Input 2) RCA plug
- Audio Output Socket: RCA socket
- Product Size: 201x72x12mm(Amplifier) 230x230x260(Woofer Speaker) 100x100x100mm(Satellite Speaker)
The listed specifications look pretty average but bear looking at closely. First off, the power claims of this unit are in RMS and not Watts. Most speaker specifications will be listed in Watts, which can be misleading. Maximum wattage is only encountered when you crank up the speakers full blast and usually that doesn’t happen due to distortion. So big wattage claims may be meaningless. On the other hand, RMS is the continuous, sustained power (in watts) rating that the speaker can pump out every second. RMS is what I normally look for during purchasing a speaker set instead of watts. It is best, then, to look for the RMS rating – that Logisys supplies that information is a good thing. On the other hand, the speakers also have a claim of “more than 65dB” of signal to noise ratio – 65+ S/N ratio isn’t that great. Finally, one of the better things to note is that both satellites and subwoofer are magnetically shielded, so they won’t interfere with your monitor and computer system.
When you part out everything inside the box, you will find the following items included...
- Subwoofer
- Two speaker satellites
- Amplifier/control unit
- Input audio cable
- Two channel input/output cable for use on DVD, VCR’s etc. (Splitter)
- Instruction manual
Let us first look at the satellites. The 2.5” satellites look very attractive and have a unique appearance. They really look like something you would find on a Macintosh computer because the overall look fits the system well. However, this unit can also be for acrylic case users. The satellite bottoms do not have any sort of feet installed. They are just bare acrylic, which I found really odd because at high volumes, these satellites would slide around. The satellites are connected via a single RCA connection cable. Lastly, at the front of the satellites are cut out speaker guards.
The next thing up is the amplifier control unit. This unit is essentially where you tinker with everything that includes the on/off switch, volume, subwoofer level and treble controls. An orange on/off LED is present; it’s not very bright, though, and tends to be hard to see in a well-lit setting.
The subwoofer is quite big and a bit heavy. The whole enclosure looks very bare except for the 5.25” subwoofer that is located in the bottom of the unit facing downwards. The subwoofer’s heat dissipates above. The subwoofer has some rubber feet, which is a needed addition.
Speaker set usage
The Logisys clear acrylic 2.1 gaming speakers are very straightforward to use. When turned on, some background hissing is present. Throughout testing, whether it might be from a CD source, gaming source, and DVD source, the Logisys clear acrylic 2.1 gaming speakers sound hollow and muted. The sound reproduction is not as lively and rich as I encountered with the Altec Lansing VS4121 (link URL up too).
The test system I used to test these speakers was an Athlon XP computer setup, which can be found here (link). The Soltek SL-FRN2-L motherboard utilizes the nForce 2 Sound Storm soundcard, which in itself is much better than a Realtek offering and comparable to a SoundBlaster Live sound card.
The conclusions I gained are based on subjective sound quality (referring to myself) results rather than lab data analysis. I thought this would be a good thing to note as I am not a professional, but I also am not a non-audiophile. I can differentiate good sounding speakers from the opposite.
The subwoofer by itself is good. There is a nice thump to the bass and overall is sufficient for a gamer. The enclosure at full blast did not rattle very much due to the solid construction of the acrylic enclosure.
The satellites, on the other hand, are very underpowered and cannot be used at full volume. They distort like mad when you jack up the volume and, at high volume, can move as a result of vibration. You will find they are loud enough for a gamer with them on either side, but you will be unable project loudly enough for a large living room.
Testing
Halo – Questionable sound quality, and somewhat good bass. Satellites sounds hollow, making explosions and gunfire sound weird. Not very impressive but satisfactory.
Dead of Alive 3 – Sounded much better than Halo. Not too much bass in this game but punches and kicks were executed well. The speakers are better suited for this game.
Panzer Dragoon Orta: One of the better sound effects games and the speakers were adequate but, again, nothing to write home about.
NFSU: 2 and Max Payne 2 played well with these speakers. The sound of engines revving was very good, thanks in part to the bass.
MP3 – Good sound. MP3’s depending on their bit-rate, of course, but, compared to the Altec’s, the Logisys set sounded good but not as rich as the Altec’s.
DVD: Lord if the Rings 2 – The Logisys speakers did not like this awesome movie. The bass was overpowering the treble all the way and I could not make out what the characters were saying during some scenes because the satellites could not project the voices loud and clear enough.
Conclusion
The Logisys Clear Acrylic 2.1 Gaming Speakers Set was a mixed bag for me. The sound quality at best was good but it didn’t have the rich and lively sound that the Altec Lansing’s (even the old ones) could give out. And at its worst, the sound was a distraction. At the price of $49.99, these speakers are not bad, but there are better ones around the same price.
Pros and Cons
+ Solid construction
+ Decent sound for the buck
+ Good bass
- Sounds hallow
- Not rich and lively as Altec Lansing’s
- Could be better speakers for the price out there
Alternative Pricing:
