EV SonicXS 2.1 Speakers
Out of stock |
Similar in Computer Speakers
- Max. Power Output: 15 Watt (RMS)
- Number of Speakers: 2 Speakers + Subwoofer
- Connection Type: Cable
Similar in Computer Speakers
More suggestions in Computer Speakers »- Overview
-
Reviews
-
Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
Telex EV SonicXS 2.1 -- Desktop Thunder!!
Pros
Superb power, EV reliability, cheaper than competition.
Cons
Sub and satellites VERY large, speaker wire could be upgraded though adequate.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
EV cachet without the cash -- priced below competitors yet meets or exceeds their performance.
Decades of Reputation
Let's face facts -- most of us just don't have the desktop room for the all out surround sound system for our computer workstations. Heck, the wife gives us enough flack for all the stuff the way it is, right? So, you're forced to consider a 2.1 system -- that being two main speakers (the 2) and a subwoofer (the .1).
Electro-Voice is a well known name in the professional audio for many decades. I used to swear by EV speakers when I was DJ'ing and KJ'ing -- their product has always been very durable and very capable. EVs just throw a sound field out there that is hard to compare, their stuff is that good.
When I saw that Telex was marketing computer multimedia speakers under the EV name I had to look into them further. I was pleased to find they didn't just slap EV tags on the gear, they preserved the EV name, look, heritage, and quality with the product.
Satellite Design
EV has two lines of multimedia speaks -- the Sonic XJR series which has a suggested retail of $99.99 and the Sonic XS series with a $199.99 suggested retail. Although the two lines look similar they are very different. For simplicity's sake I'm just going to compare the 2.1 systems -- the XJR series is only available as a 2.1 system while the XS series has a 4.1 system as well. The XS 2.1 debuted in April 2002 followed by the XJR 2.1 in October 2002.
The XS series main speakers are comprised of a 4" magnetically shielded woofer and a 1" horn tweeter while the XJR has a 3" magnetically shielded woofer and a 1" dome tweeter. The XS series speakers are horizontally oriented, that is the tweeter is directly over the woofer while the XJR series uses a horizontal, side-by-side design. Let's discuss those differences.
First, EV's competitor Klipsch only uses a 3" woofer in their Promedia 2.1 THX system ($179.99 at the time of writing through a major retailer). Already EV has the upper hand with the XJR equaling that size and the XS besting it. The EV satellites are going to be able a to handle a wider frequency range and produce deeper bass than the Klipsch system which will have to pass the work onto the subwoofer. The only system close to the XS is Cambridge Soundworks' $500 Megaworks 213 system which also uses a 4" woofer.
Where the differences abound between these four systems is in the tweeters. The XJR and the Cambridge system both use dome tweeters while the XS and the Klipsch system both use horn tweeters. Dome tweeters are well known in the home theater and pro audio industry and are usually the choice for smooth and bearable treble. However, they're the most common and performance varies by construction. I didn't have an XJR to take apart nor is it referenced in the specs but I believe the XJR uses an inexpensive plastic soft dome tweeter while the Cambridge uses an expensive silk soft dome tweeter. The Cambridge is going to have smoother and more effortless treble response.
Both the XS and the Klipsch use horn tweeters which are going to have bright treble which can become tiny without quality amplification. Klipsch is well known in the home theater industry for their horn tweeters that they use. Personally, I'm not a horn tweeter fan because the highs can be much to bright for me. I good reference material for what I'm talking about is the tank scene in Saving Private Ryan. For me, that scene is almost unbearable with a set of Klipsch speakers because of the treble wearing on my ears. Klpisch does use their own "Tactrix" horn design and they incorporate it in the Promedia 2.1 system, EV uses a different design. The XS system was of grave concern to me with the horn tweeters. This is largely a matter of preference rather than fact though, some people love those highs, I'm not one of them.
The Foundation
Finally, to round out the system we have the subwoofers to pound out that bass. The XJR uses a 60w front firing sub with a 5.25" woofer in a dual ported enclosure. The XS uses the same design but with a 6" woofer and a whopping 125w of power. As for the competition, Klipsch uses a 6.5" side firing ported 50w sub and the Cambridge uses an 8" front firing ported 150w sub. I didn't have all these systems for comparison but obviously the Cambridge is going to win the bass contest.
Controls
EV has nicely built the volume/power knob, tone knob and power LED into the right speaker. It's right there and easy to control. The sub, however, has its level on the back which is pretty common in home theater. Getting the sub adjusted to the right power level my take you a bit of time but once achieved you can set it and forget it and use the tone knob or your software equalizer to fine tune it. There is no crossover knob for the sub (common in computer and low end home audio). When one takes into account the fact that the sub and satellites are sold as a package though a crossover knob should not be necessary and one presumes is very accurately set by the factory. However, if you're going to use the sub with another brand of satellites you may have problems.
Also very darn useful and superb in operation is the jacks on the side of the right speaker. Not only can you plug in your headphones and line inputs from other sources (portable CD player, MP3 player, etc) into the side of the system (and thus turn off the power to the speaks) but there is a mic pass through as well. A cord to go from the back of the right speaker to the mic input of your sound card is included. This feature is a godsend for anyone who is tired of plugging and unplugging their headset either from the front or the back of their computer.
Music
I didn't have the Klipsch or Cambridge systems to compare the subjective comments in this test but we can have a pretty good idea based on the solid reputations of all three companies involved. Also, I have the XS system and not the XJR. Performance-wise I would expect the XS, Klipsch and Cambridge to be very close and largely a matter of personal preference.
The XS system creates a sound stage that I am not accustomed to on a computer system -- it is spacious and enveloping and nothing like anything that I have heard before. The beauty, smoothness, and power of my treasured EVs from my DJ rig were here in miniature form. Logitech and others need not apply here -- these are serious pro audio speakers.
Producing 105 dB of sound they are also very powerful. In fact, I'm pretty certain they would give my home theater speaks (Mission 700 Series) a run for their money as far as power is concerned. They quickly adapted to whatever form I needed them to -- they were invisible and floating on live acoustic work but thumping and powerful on dance tracks. Definitely the total package and almost too good.
Something that I noticed is like any quality piece of equipment, if you expose it to garbage it will reveal all the flaws. MP3s with lower compression settings (128 and under) were almost pelting me with artifacts. However, as I stated, this is not the fault of the speakers but simply an indication of just how good they are. If you want to listen to MP3s at 128 I'm sure you're not spending this kind of money on computer speaks anyway!!
Once properly tuned the sub produces tight punchy bass and will bring the pictures off the walls. This baby has a kick you wouldn't believe. In fact, when my mother stopped by my house one day she went over to my home theater rig to turn the music down only to find that I was listening to MP3s on my computer -- that's how good these speakers are. I have read other reviews with complaints about the sub not being enough. I don't know what sub these folks were listening to because if you can get performance out of a 125w sub there is something wrong with you.
My suggestion is to turn off all crossover and other speaker settings that you may have either in Windows or in your sound card driver program. At first I was having difficulty but once I told my system I was just using two desktop speakers with no special stuff they were absolutely beautiful. Let the SonicXS' crossover do the work, it was specifically set by designers to be effective, I don't suggest overriding them with your settings. If you must, the tone knob is a far better place to adjust.
Much to my surprise the horn tweeters on the SonicXS were superb and not overbearing. I'm a flat response speaker guy (hence my beloved Missions for my home theater rig) but these speakers definitely impressed me. The response was amazing and the highs were effervescent and never strained. Very nice work indeed by EV.
Games
Much has been made of the surround environments and other processing tricks that are out there. For my money, when it comes to computers, give me two good stereo speakers like the SonicXS and you can toss those surround rigs goodbye.
Suddenly footsteps and other cues from first person shooters are right there. Even playing Yahoo Pool the cue thumped and the balls crackled like I was sitting in some smoky pool hall. Where they created a sound stage for music they created a sound envelope on games. In fact, there are effects on some games (mostly low bass effects) that I had not heard until I hooked the XS system up.
Pricing
I purchased my system at a major computer retailer online and picked up at a local store. The price -- a whopping $50. Unbelievable. I believe the store had the two systems priced wrong though as the XJR system was there for $100 and the XS was $50. That is a no-brainer if I have ever seen one.
When taking price into account the XS simply blows Klipsch and Cambridge away. The Klipsch system is triple the price and the Cambridge system is (gulp) ten times the price. In fact, I bought a nice headset when I got these speaks -- I paid $30 for the headset and $50 for the speaks, totally unbelievable and under wife radar range (though she's sure to ask when she sees it!!).
You can also find these systems on eBay and other outlets from time to time though they are definitely hard to find compared to the Klipsch and the Cambridge systems.
Conclusion
I was absolutely floored by this system and couldn't believe my ears a good part of the time. Long ago I had written off computer audio as something for children or largely inferior to home theater -- I'll never do that again with this system. It is truly awesome to behold and you won't ever listen to your computer the same way again.
Specifications per EV
DRIVERS (PER SATELLITE): One 4", magnetically shielded woofer and one 1" horn tweeter
DRIVER (SUBWOOFER): One 6" long throw
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 45Hz to 20KHz
SATELLITE POWER: 60 Watts per channel with 1% THD @ 1KHz (30 Watts RMS)
SUBWOOFER POWER: 125 Watts with 1% THD @ 50Hz (60 Watts RMS)
SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL: 105 dB SPL @ 1 meter, 1KHz, 1% THD
SATELLITE DIMENSIONS: 9.5" H x 6.75" W x 4.75" D
Let's face facts -- most of us just don't have the desktop room for the all out surround sound system for our computer workstations. Heck, the wife gives us enough flack for all the stuff the way it is, right? So, you're forced to consider a 2.1 system -- that being two main speakers (the 2) and a subwoofer (the .1).
Electro-Voice is a well known name in the professional audio for many decades. I used to swear by EV speakers when I was DJ'ing and KJ'ing -- their product has always been very durable and very capable. EVs just throw a sound field out there that is hard to compare, their stuff is that good.
When I saw that Telex was marketing computer multimedia speakers under the EV name I had to look into them further. I was pleased to find they didn't just slap EV tags on the gear, they preserved the EV name, look, heritage, and quality with the product.
Satellite Design
EV has two lines of multimedia speaks -- the Sonic XJR series which has a suggested retail of $99.99 and the Sonic XS series with a $199.99 suggested retail. Although the two lines look similar they are very different. For simplicity's sake I'm just going to compare the 2.1 systems -- the XJR series is only available as a 2.1 system while the XS series has a 4.1 system as well. The XS 2.1 debuted in April 2002 followed by the XJR 2.1 in October 2002.
The XS series main speakers are comprised of a 4" magnetically shielded woofer and a 1" horn tweeter while the XJR has a 3" magnetically shielded woofer and a 1" dome tweeter. The XS series speakers are horizontally oriented, that is the tweeter is directly over the woofer while the XJR series uses a horizontal, side-by-side design. Let's discuss those differences.
First, EV's competitor Klipsch only uses a 3" woofer in their Promedia 2.1 THX system ($179.99 at the time of writing through a major retailer). Already EV has the upper hand with the XJR equaling that size and the XS besting it. The EV satellites are going to be able a to handle a wider frequency range and produce deeper bass than the Klipsch system which will have to pass the work onto the subwoofer. The only system close to the XS is Cambridge Soundworks' $500 Megaworks 213 system which also uses a 4" woofer.
Where the differences abound between these four systems is in the tweeters. The XJR and the Cambridge system both use dome tweeters while the XS and the Klipsch system both use horn tweeters. Dome tweeters are well known in the home theater and pro audio industry and are usually the choice for smooth and bearable treble. However, they're the most common and performance varies by construction. I didn't have an XJR to take apart nor is it referenced in the specs but I believe the XJR uses an inexpensive plastic soft dome tweeter while the Cambridge uses an expensive silk soft dome tweeter. The Cambridge is going to have smoother and more effortless treble response.
Both the XS and the Klipsch use horn tweeters which are going to have bright treble which can become tiny without quality amplification. Klipsch is well known in the home theater industry for their horn tweeters that they use. Personally, I'm not a horn tweeter fan because the highs can be much to bright for me. I good reference material for what I'm talking about is the tank scene in Saving Private Ryan. For me, that scene is almost unbearable with a set of Klipsch speakers because of the treble wearing on my ears. Klpisch does use their own "Tactrix" horn design and they incorporate it in the Promedia 2.1 system, EV uses a different design. The XS system was of grave concern to me with the horn tweeters. This is largely a matter of preference rather than fact though, some people love those highs, I'm not one of them.
The Foundation
Finally, to round out the system we have the subwoofers to pound out that bass. The XJR uses a 60w front firing sub with a 5.25" woofer in a dual ported enclosure. The XS uses the same design but with a 6" woofer and a whopping 125w of power. As for the competition, Klipsch uses a 6.5" side firing ported 50w sub and the Cambridge uses an 8" front firing ported 150w sub. I didn't have all these systems for comparison but obviously the Cambridge is going to win the bass contest.
Controls
EV has nicely built the volume/power knob, tone knob and power LED into the right speaker. It's right there and easy to control. The sub, however, has its level on the back which is pretty common in home theater. Getting the sub adjusted to the right power level my take you a bit of time but once achieved you can set it and forget it and use the tone knob or your software equalizer to fine tune it. There is no crossover knob for the sub (common in computer and low end home audio). When one takes into account the fact that the sub and satellites are sold as a package though a crossover knob should not be necessary and one presumes is very accurately set by the factory. However, if you're going to use the sub with another brand of satellites you may have problems.
Also very darn useful and superb in operation is the jacks on the side of the right speaker. Not only can you plug in your headphones and line inputs from other sources (portable CD player, MP3 player, etc) into the side of the system (and thus turn off the power to the speaks) but there is a mic pass through as well. A cord to go from the back of the right speaker to the mic input of your sound card is included. This feature is a godsend for anyone who is tired of plugging and unplugging their headset either from the front or the back of their computer.
Music
I didn't have the Klipsch or Cambridge systems to compare the subjective comments in this test but we can have a pretty good idea based on the solid reputations of all three companies involved. Also, I have the XS system and not the XJR. Performance-wise I would expect the XS, Klipsch and Cambridge to be very close and largely a matter of personal preference.
The XS system creates a sound stage that I am not accustomed to on a computer system -- it is spacious and enveloping and nothing like anything that I have heard before. The beauty, smoothness, and power of my treasured EVs from my DJ rig were here in miniature form. Logitech and others need not apply here -- these are serious pro audio speakers.
Producing 105 dB of sound they are also very powerful. In fact, I'm pretty certain they would give my home theater speaks (Mission 700 Series) a run for their money as far as power is concerned. They quickly adapted to whatever form I needed them to -- they were invisible and floating on live acoustic work but thumping and powerful on dance tracks. Definitely the total package and almost too good.
Something that I noticed is like any quality piece of equipment, if you expose it to garbage it will reveal all the flaws. MP3s with lower compression settings (128 and under) were almost pelting me with artifacts. However, as I stated, this is not the fault of the speakers but simply an indication of just how good they are. If you want to listen to MP3s at 128 I'm sure you're not spending this kind of money on computer speaks anyway!!
Once properly tuned the sub produces tight punchy bass and will bring the pictures off the walls. This baby has a kick you wouldn't believe. In fact, when my mother stopped by my house one day she went over to my home theater rig to turn the music down only to find that I was listening to MP3s on my computer -- that's how good these speakers are. I have read other reviews with complaints about the sub not being enough. I don't know what sub these folks were listening to because if you can get performance out of a 125w sub there is something wrong with you.
My suggestion is to turn off all crossover and other speaker settings that you may have either in Windows or in your sound card driver program. At first I was having difficulty but once I told my system I was just using two desktop speakers with no special stuff they were absolutely beautiful. Let the SonicXS' crossover do the work, it was specifically set by designers to be effective, I don't suggest overriding them with your settings. If you must, the tone knob is a far better place to adjust.
Much to my surprise the horn tweeters on the SonicXS were superb and not overbearing. I'm a flat response speaker guy (hence my beloved Missions for my home theater rig) but these speakers definitely impressed me. The response was amazing and the highs were effervescent and never strained. Very nice work indeed by EV.
Games
Much has been made of the surround environments and other processing tricks that are out there. For my money, when it comes to computers, give me two good stereo speakers like the SonicXS and you can toss those surround rigs goodbye.
Suddenly footsteps and other cues from first person shooters are right there. Even playing Yahoo Pool the cue thumped and the balls crackled like I was sitting in some smoky pool hall. Where they created a sound stage for music they created a sound envelope on games. In fact, there are effects on some games (mostly low bass effects) that I had not heard until I hooked the XS system up.
Pricing
I purchased my system at a major computer retailer online and picked up at a local store. The price -- a whopping $50. Unbelievable. I believe the store had the two systems priced wrong though as the XJR system was there for $100 and the XS was $50. That is a no-brainer if I have ever seen one.
When taking price into account the XS simply blows Klipsch and Cambridge away. The Klipsch system is triple the price and the Cambridge system is (gulp) ten times the price. In fact, I bought a nice headset when I got these speaks -- I paid $30 for the headset and $50 for the speaks, totally unbelievable and under wife radar range (though she's sure to ask when she sees it!!).
You can also find these systems on eBay and other outlets from time to time though they are definitely hard to find compared to the Klipsch and the Cambridge systems.
Conclusion
I was absolutely floored by this system and couldn't believe my ears a good part of the time. Long ago I had written off computer audio as something for children or largely inferior to home theater -- I'll never do that again with this system. It is truly awesome to behold and you won't ever listen to your computer the same way again.
Specifications per EV
DRIVERS (PER SATELLITE): One 4", magnetically shielded woofer and one 1" horn tweeter
DRIVER (SUBWOOFER): One 6" long throw
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 45Hz to 20KHz
SATELLITE POWER: 60 Watts per channel with 1% THD @ 1KHz (30 Watts RMS)
SUBWOOFER POWER: 125 Watts with 1% THD @ 50Hz (60 Watts RMS)
SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL: 105 dB SPL @ 1 meter, 1KHz, 1% THD
SATELLITE DIMENSIONS: 9.5" H x 6.75" W x 4.75" D
