![]() Some audiophiles may wish that a treble knob was also included so it could be dialed back slightly, but I think the overall frequency response is both pleasant and articulate. Guitar strums, orchestras, percussion, and vocals are never overly sibilant or harsh, but there is definitely a certain shimmer that Cambridge SoundWorks built in to the system. You notice just how much crisp treble they pump out when the subwoofer level is lower, but even at more preferable sub levels, these speakers will never be called dark or muddy. If you are dying for more volume, slowly raise the iPod or computer volume-but with the MicroWorks II on max and my iPod at half, the speakers were loud enough to irritate coworkers in the distant corners of our office floor.Īs for the performance of the satellite speakers, I found them to be bright, but not overly so. I think a wise rule is to keep your iPod or computer at half-volume and do the real volume adjusting on the system itself. Rest assured, if you blast both, a Tiny Tim song would distort your speakers. That said, it should be noted that, unlike with an iPod speaker dock, which would override the iPod's volume settings, you are working with two sets of volume controls here: your sound source's (your computer or MP3 player) and the actual volume control for the speakers. The Knife's "Silent Shout," which features extremely deep bass synth drum hits, does not distort, even at maximum volume. With the sub at mid-levels, things sound balanced and full. The system doesn't suffer from its lack of super-deep sub bass. Since the sub only goes down to 45Hz (many subwoofers go all the way down to 10-20Hz), you are missing some of the very deepest bass that, at high volumes, can make photo frames fall off your walls. I enjoyed pushing the knob slightly past the mid-level setting to add a bit of extra push. At mid-level, the bass response is not subtle, but it is not nearly as thunderous as it could be. The sub's bass volume level is far easier to dial in to your specific tastes than the Editors' Choice Antec Soundscience Rockus 3D 2.1 Speaker System's ($199.99, 4.5 stars) subwoofer, which has three different bass preset volumes to choose from rather than a dial (but sounds excellent nonetheless). The system sounds fantastic, and its signature is quite customizable so that neither bass fiends nor audiophiles who prefer a flatter response are left out. ![]() What the MicroWorks II lacks in good looks it makes up for in performance. All of the necessary cables are included in the box. The bad thing about this is that the volume knob has no effect on the headphone level-you have to adjust the volume at your sound source. The great thing about the headphone jack is that it works when the speaker system is powered down-the jack just transmits the output of your computer or iPod passively. A Power/Volume knob is located on the wired controller, which also has a 3.5mm headphone jack. The rear panel also houses a 3.5mm aux input and a connection for the power adapter, as well as a subwoofer volume knob that allows for a wide range-from barely-there sub presence to a thunderous boom. Each speaker individually connects via stereo speaker wire (which has dual prongs for each speaker), and a wired controller also connects via 3.5mm jack. Following the same black plastic motif, the sub acts as the connection hub for the system. At 11.2 by 10 by 10.8 inches (HWD), the subwoofer is bit of a space-eater. The satellites' removable desktop speaker stands, which can be replaced with floor-standing speaker stands (not included), angle the speakers slightly upward towards your ears, which is ideal for desktop monitoring. Aside from the Cambridge SoundWorks logo on each speaker, there is very little visual flourish here-the design is a bit boxy and drab. ![]() Measuring 6.3 by 4.4 by 5.6 inches (this includes the stands, which come attached out of the box), the left and right speakers have a black plastic contour with black cloth grilles covering the 20-watt drivers. If you're shopping for a 2.1 PC system, the MicroWorks II is one of a handful of options worth considering if your budget is below $250. The subwoofer is highly tunable, so you can get exactly the right amount of low-end you crave, and the left and right speakers offer clear, pristine audio. But that matters very little when you power up the $249.99 (list) system and hear how great it sounds. ![]() The company's MicroWorks II is a 2.1 PC speaker set with virtually zero bling factor. Unlike Harmon Kardon or Bowers & Wilkins, Cambridge SoundWorks doesn't spend much of its budget making its quality audio products beautiful. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software.
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