Cambridge SoundWorks CSW PCWorks FourPointSurround
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A poor man's surround sound.
Pros
Crisp, clear highs and lows; small size, big sound; Won't break the bank.
Cons
Lots of cables, "brick" power supply.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If you want surround sound, but can't afford the newest setups, give Cambridge SoundWorks a try.
I purchased these speakers about 2 years ago as a replacement for Cambridge SoundWorks' previous model, the CSW PCWorks (essentially the same, but with 2 satellite cubes instead of 4.)
Cambridge SoundWorks was founded by Emmy award-winner and Audio Hall of Fame member Henry Kloss (also founder of Advent) in 1988.
Style and Design: This speaker system comes with 4 "satellite cubes" (similar in style to the Bose cubes) and a stylish subwoofer. Two types of stands are included with this setup: Small stands to angle the cubes slightly up when sitting on the computer desk, or poles you can use to place the speakers out away from the desk.
Let's go to the movies: One major reason I purchased these speakers was to use them as a surround sound-type setup for my DVD collection and 19" monitor. All I can say is that I certainly made a good choice in purchasing these speakers.
The sound quality is crystal clear - you can hear (and feel, thanks to the great subwoofer) everything from explosions in action movies to crisp, pounding basslines in your MP3 collection.
My Setup: I don't really have lots of open space to put the speakers, but I was able to have 2 facing me directly, and 2 out on the edges of my desk facing in. While I wasn't able to get any speakers behind me, I feel this setup still works well.
The subwoofer is in the most perfect place I could ever hope for. My computer "desk" is more of a bureau, with two small, square drawers at the bottom. After putting the subwoofer into a drawer (there's just a decorative front piece), it's like an echo box, and with good bass, I can always feel it.
Controls: The subwoofer has a control knob on the back where you can set the bass level and turn the speakers on and off. There's also a "remote" wire with a knob you can use to set the master volume without having to set the volume through Windows.
Cables, cables everywhere: I suppose one good use of long cables would be if you were going to hang the cubes up around the room, but for me, they're much too long for my purposes. Thankfully, most of the wiring fits inside the subwoofer area so I don't have to look at all the clutter.
Thick as a brick: Yes, the power supply is pretty huge, and thankfully I was able to find a separate outlet for it, rather than having to fit it somewhere on a power strip. If you're forced to plug it into a strip however, try to put it in the last position so that the brick hangs over, instead of blocking an extra outlet.
Overall Pros: Big sound and small size are the name of this speaker's game. If you want crisp treble and thundering bass, be it for movies, MP3s, or games, you'll find it all in these speakers.
Overall Cons: As I mentioned, the speaker wires are very long, but unless you plan to place them all around the room, they'll pretty much go to waste. Also the brick-like power supply is very cumbersome. Hopefully there's a single grounded outlet behind the desk. That would be the best place for it.
I purchased these speakers a few years ago, but it appears you can still buy them online, if not in retail outlets. If you want excellent sound for an affordable price, you can't go wrong with Cambridge SoundWorks.
Cambridge SoundWorks was founded by Emmy award-winner and Audio Hall of Fame member Henry Kloss (also founder of Advent) in 1988.
Style and Design: This speaker system comes with 4 "satellite cubes" (similar in style to the Bose cubes) and a stylish subwoofer. Two types of stands are included with this setup: Small stands to angle the cubes slightly up when sitting on the computer desk, or poles you can use to place the speakers out away from the desk.
Let's go to the movies: One major reason I purchased these speakers was to use them as a surround sound-type setup for my DVD collection and 19" monitor. All I can say is that I certainly made a good choice in purchasing these speakers.
The sound quality is crystal clear - you can hear (and feel, thanks to the great subwoofer) everything from explosions in action movies to crisp, pounding basslines in your MP3 collection.
My Setup: I don't really have lots of open space to put the speakers, but I was able to have 2 facing me directly, and 2 out on the edges of my desk facing in. While I wasn't able to get any speakers behind me, I feel this setup still works well.
The subwoofer is in the most perfect place I could ever hope for. My computer "desk" is more of a bureau, with two small, square drawers at the bottom. After putting the subwoofer into a drawer (there's just a decorative front piece), it's like an echo box, and with good bass, I can always feel it.
Controls: The subwoofer has a control knob on the back where you can set the bass level and turn the speakers on and off. There's also a "remote" wire with a knob you can use to set the master volume without having to set the volume through Windows.
Cables, cables everywhere: I suppose one good use of long cables would be if you were going to hang the cubes up around the room, but for me, they're much too long for my purposes. Thankfully, most of the wiring fits inside the subwoofer area so I don't have to look at all the clutter.
Thick as a brick: Yes, the power supply is pretty huge, and thankfully I was able to find a separate outlet for it, rather than having to fit it somewhere on a power strip. If you're forced to plug it into a strip however, try to put it in the last position so that the brick hangs over, instead of blocking an extra outlet.
Overall Pros: Big sound and small size are the name of this speaker's game. If you want crisp treble and thundering bass, be it for movies, MP3s, or games, you'll find it all in these speakers.
Overall Cons: As I mentioned, the speaker wires are very long, but unless you plan to place them all around the room, they'll pretty much go to waste. Also the brick-like power supply is very cumbersome. Hopefully there's a single grounded outlet behind the desk. That would be the best place for it.
I purchased these speakers a few years ago, but it appears you can still buy them online, if not in retail outlets. If you want excellent sound for an affordable price, you can't go wrong with Cambridge SoundWorks.
