Cambridge SoundWorks CSW PCWorks FourPointSurround
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Cambridge Soundworks FourPointSurround: These Are The Ones To Buy!
Pros
Impressive sound quality, very good subwoofer, extremely convenient volume control, comes with stands, great price
Cons
Cables are too short, stands are too easy to knock over
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If you want great sound for your PC on a budget, AND you have a sound card that supports discrete front and rear channels, these are for you.
It's hard to talk about these little wonders without gushing about how nicely they do their job. Some serious thought went into their design, and it shows. They are the best computer speakers I have ever owned.
Setup
The setup of these things takes a while. Basically, the four speakers all plug into the subwoofer. The sub, plugs into the in-line volume control (more on this later) and the volume control plugs into the computer with two separate jacks. (One for each of the front and rear channels.) If your sound card only has one output, I highly suggest you upgrade it.
Wiring all of this together takes some time. The wires for the front speakers are 9 feet long, and for the back are 12 feet long. Still, it's kind of hard to get decent separation between the speakers with cable lengths that short. It would have been nice to have an additional 6 feet on the back speaker wires.
Two plastic tripod-stands thankfully come for the speakers, as well as mounting equipment. These stands take a some time to set up, but they're convenient. My only problem with them is that they're way too easy to knock over. I've tipped the rear speakers over dozens of times. Fortunately they're durable and the floor is carpet. They don't seem any worse for the wear.
Sound Quality: Music
Playing CDs, mp3s, and other digital formats on these speakers is a joy. If you haven't had a set of good speakers before, it's like hearing your music again for the first time. All sound frequency ranges are strong. The bass and high frequencies sound especially good. I've heard better midrange sounds in expensive B&W and Tannoy professional speakers. But overall they sound extremely nice in everything from classical to opera to alternative to flamenco.
The subwoofer gives a very focused bass, which is a good thing. It's a bit hard to find that sweet spot on the subwoofer's volume knob (which can only be accessed from the back of the unit.) On the very bassy parts of the Braveheart soundtrack, if I place an empty soft drink can on top of the woofer, it will do the subwoofer cha-cha and soon fall off from all the sound waves!
Gaming Performance
These speakers perform equally well in games. For EAX or Direct3D enabled games, the four speakers actually improve my performance. I can tell exactly how far the pursuing car is behind me in Need For Speed 3. The experience from Looking Glass's brilliant masterpiece System Shock 2 (rated M for mature) was literally goosebump-inducing. The game is terrifying and amazing enough without the four-speaker sound, but the first time you hear one of Shodan's vermin scream out behind you will literally jump up. The designers of this game make far more use of sound than most. Some people think that the "fake" environments in a computer game can't really scare people, but playing this game with this sound setup will change your mind...incredibly creepy. If you want a four-speaker tour de force, get this game. It shows you what these speakers can do.
For the non-3d aspects of the speakers, sounds of engines, gunfire, roaring of water, and other effects are all accurate and focused. There is really no weak area to speak of. For some other good experiences in 4 speaker gaming, check out Looking Glass's Thief: The Dark Project, and Deus Ex.
Features
The best feature of these speakers, besides the fact that there are four of them and their great quality, is the volume control. The little volume knob is independent of software and you can mount it wherever you want via a sticker/velcro patch that comes with it. I just have it on my desk. This is flat out convenience. If I'm in a game or the monitor is turned off, I can adjust the volume without fiddling with a little knob on the speaker or modifying the software volume. You don't appreciate or miss something like this until you have it. I would never buy a set of speakers again unless they had something like this.
Next, these speakers don't have Dolby Digital support or a middle channel. It would have been nice to be able to have support for these things because it would give a superior experience playing DVDs.
Asthetics
These speakers are tiny. Each one is only 2.5 inches cubed. They're cream colour but it would have been nice to see some black ones. Some people think that speakers have to be huge and heavy, resembling something that you might see in Darth Vader's attic, but these units prove otherwise. Besides, I doubt that there's an attic in the Death Star. My only complaint is the one I mentioned earlier about the stands being easy to knock over.
Cost/Value
If you want to get better sound quality in speakers, there are definitely options for you, but you'll have to spend at least twice as much money. Conversely, if you want to get worse sound in speakers, you can spend twice as much as well. As you can see, these speakers are seriously inexpensive for their quality.
ATTENTION SPEAKER MANUFACTURERS: Cambridge Soundworks has set a new benchmark. You're all toast until you can match this set of speakers in quality and price.
In Conclusion
If you want great sound on a budget, buy these speakers. You will not be disappointed.
Setup
The setup of these things takes a while. Basically, the four speakers all plug into the subwoofer. The sub, plugs into the in-line volume control (more on this later) and the volume control plugs into the computer with two separate jacks. (One for each of the front and rear channels.) If your sound card only has one output, I highly suggest you upgrade it.
Wiring all of this together takes some time. The wires for the front speakers are 9 feet long, and for the back are 12 feet long. Still, it's kind of hard to get decent separation between the speakers with cable lengths that short. It would have been nice to have an additional 6 feet on the back speaker wires.
Two plastic tripod-stands thankfully come for the speakers, as well as mounting equipment. These stands take a some time to set up, but they're convenient. My only problem with them is that they're way too easy to knock over. I've tipped the rear speakers over dozens of times. Fortunately they're durable and the floor is carpet. They don't seem any worse for the wear.
Sound Quality: Music
Playing CDs, mp3s, and other digital formats on these speakers is a joy. If you haven't had a set of good speakers before, it's like hearing your music again for the first time. All sound frequency ranges are strong. The bass and high frequencies sound especially good. I've heard better midrange sounds in expensive B&W and Tannoy professional speakers. But overall they sound extremely nice in everything from classical to opera to alternative to flamenco.
The subwoofer gives a very focused bass, which is a good thing. It's a bit hard to find that sweet spot on the subwoofer's volume knob (which can only be accessed from the back of the unit.) On the very bassy parts of the Braveheart soundtrack, if I place an empty soft drink can on top of the woofer, it will do the subwoofer cha-cha and soon fall off from all the sound waves!
Gaming Performance
These speakers perform equally well in games. For EAX or Direct3D enabled games, the four speakers actually improve my performance. I can tell exactly how far the pursuing car is behind me in Need For Speed 3. The experience from Looking Glass's brilliant masterpiece System Shock 2 (rated M for mature) was literally goosebump-inducing. The game is terrifying and amazing enough without the four-speaker sound, but the first time you hear one of Shodan's vermin scream out behind you will literally jump up. The designers of this game make far more use of sound than most. Some people think that the "fake" environments in a computer game can't really scare people, but playing this game with this sound setup will change your mind...incredibly creepy. If you want a four-speaker tour de force, get this game. It shows you what these speakers can do.
For the non-3d aspects of the speakers, sounds of engines, gunfire, roaring of water, and other effects are all accurate and focused. There is really no weak area to speak of. For some other good experiences in 4 speaker gaming, check out Looking Glass's Thief: The Dark Project, and Deus Ex.
Features
The best feature of these speakers, besides the fact that there are four of them and their great quality, is the volume control. The little volume knob is independent of software and you can mount it wherever you want via a sticker/velcro patch that comes with it. I just have it on my desk. This is flat out convenience. If I'm in a game or the monitor is turned off, I can adjust the volume without fiddling with a little knob on the speaker or modifying the software volume. You don't appreciate or miss something like this until you have it. I would never buy a set of speakers again unless they had something like this.
Next, these speakers don't have Dolby Digital support or a middle channel. It would have been nice to be able to have support for these things because it would give a superior experience playing DVDs.
Asthetics
These speakers are tiny. Each one is only 2.5 inches cubed. They're cream colour but it would have been nice to see some black ones. Some people think that speakers have to be huge and heavy, resembling something that you might see in Darth Vader's attic, but these units prove otherwise. Besides, I doubt that there's an attic in the Death Star. My only complaint is the one I mentioned earlier about the stands being easy to knock over.
Cost/Value
If you want to get better sound quality in speakers, there are definitely options for you, but you'll have to spend at least twice as much money. Conversely, if you want to get worse sound in speakers, you can spend twice as much as well. As you can see, these speakers are seriously inexpensive for their quality.
ATTENTION SPEAKER MANUFACTURERS: Cambridge Soundworks has set a new benchmark. You're all toast until you can match this set of speakers in quality and price.
In Conclusion
If you want great sound on a budget, buy these speakers. You will not be disappointed.
