The most recent articles from Personal Computer World

Review: Sennheiser PC-350 gaming headphones

Will Stapley — 2008-10-03T11:42:00.000Z

Will Stapley, Personal Computer World, Friday 3 October 2008 at 11:42:00

High performance headset suited to gamers

According to Sennheiser, this high-end gaming headset offers features such as Duofol Diaphragm technology, adaptive baffle damping and a frequency response optimised for binaural perception.

However, what most potential buyers will want to know is how it performs and we can confirm it’s stunning. Audio is clear and crisp, with deep, thumping bass tones.

While the large, padded ear cups are incredibly comfortable and the 3m cable means it won’t be yanked off your head when you stand up.

A large, flexible microphone comes attached, though sadly it can’t be removed, so use away from a PC could result in you being heckled.

Review: Sony SRS-T10PC speakers

Anthony Dhanendran — 2008-01-07T00:00:00.000Z

Anthony Dhanendran, Personal Computer World, Monday 7 January 2008 at 00:00:00

A sound surprise from a small set of speakes

Small speaker sets almost always suffer from poor-quality sound because the speaker cones are simply not big or deep enough to move the large amount of air required for deep, loud bass sounds.

However, sound quality was better than we had expected from these speakers, which measure only 15cm wide.

Bass response is fair and, although you won't be able to get any parties started, it beats the internal speakers of almost any notebook PC.

All in all, they're great if you want to listen to a bit of music or watch videos while on the move.

Review: Gear4 Houseparty III iPod speaker

Paul Lester — 2007-07-20T00:00:00.000Z

Paul Lester, Personal Computer World, Friday 20 July 2007 at 00:00:00

A multifunctional iPod oriented speaker solution

Gear4’s unstoppable tidal wave of iPod accessories is constantly expanding, even though it seems like every possible environment has now been now catered for.

ust in case you’re still left wanting, the Houseparty III has arrived with yet another subtle combination of features.

Unfortunately the ‘wall of sound’ is not so much a wall as a small pile of breeze blocks. What looks pretty impressive at first glance sadly fails to live up to its billing, at least from an audio standpoint. It feels a tad cheap to begin with, the white plastic casing is no doubt to co-ordinate with the iPod’s styling but doesn’t give the unit a particularly solid feel.

There’s 30W of total output from the twin speakers, which should be enough for most but sound clarity isn’t exactly the Houseparty 3’s strong point.

Our biggest issue is the lack of bass, which even the most conservative party animal will argue is a necessity. The bass issue combines with a fair amount of distortion at higher volume levels and when you dial things down to an acceptable degree it’s not nearly as loud as you’d expect.

Combine this with a distinct lack of atmosphere from the narrow stereo image and you’re left with performance that’s passable at best.

The strengths of the Houseparty III come in other areas though. To begin with you’ll find a rather nifty slide-out tray that houses your iPod using a supplied adapter.

When properly mounted you can use the remote control to browse your audio collection from afar, charge your iPod’s battery and, if plugged into a PC or Mac, use a USB cable to synchronise your music collection.

You’ll also find an FM radio built in, so there are some handy additional features over standard audio playback that gives it some appeal.

For around £80, we’d have liked better sound from the speakers though, which it has to be argued is the unit’s primary purpose. If you own an iPod and like the sound of the extra functionality, the Houseparty III would do for casual listening, but in terms of loudness and audio clarity there are better alternatives around.

Review: Sony SRS-DZ10 speakers

Paul Lester — 2007-03-07T00:00:00.000Z

Paul Lester, Personal Computer World, Wednesday 7 March 2007 at 00:00:00

A style-oriented 2.1 speaker solution aimed at multimedia users

Sony has a good reputation in the audio market and its typical attention to aesthetics is particularly evident in the new SRS-DZ10.

This 2.1 multimedia speaker system is intended primarily for computer users but would fit nicely into other environments.

A cylinder-shaped sub complements the mid-range satellites and in terms of looks is light years ahead of the more standard and frankly rather boring grey or black box.

You’re also provided with a separate terminal that houses volume and bass controls along with a headphone socket and two inputs, ideally suited to wiring up a PC while leaving a spare for an mp3 player or other audio source.

The sub-woofer incorporates a dramatic blue light (that you can turn off in dark environments) and seems equally effective either on its end or lying flat on the floor. 25W RMS output, with 6W for each of the satellites makes it a pretty versatile beast without really pushing the boundaries of power.

In terms of audio quality it’s certainly no slouch, but we were expecting a little more considering the technology giant’s reputation. Achieving well-balanced sound is the main issue; bass tends to get mixed up somewhat with higher tones from the satellites, something that’s particularly evident at high volumes.

You can resolve the issue to some extent if the audio source offers a graphics equalizer or environment presets, but it would have been nice to see a dedicated treble control or perhaps loudness feature on the device itself.

Available online for around £90, it’s reasonably priced, particularly taking the high design standards into account. There are other solutions around that, while not as pretty, offer better audio than this Sony, but for the casual user or those who consider looks important it should certainly satisfy.

Review: iHome iH19 portable speakers

Paul Lester — 2007-01-26T00:00:00.000Z

Paul Lester, Personal Computer World, Friday 26 January 2007 at 00:00:00

iPod speakers in a protective travel case

There are more than a few portable speakers available that offer additional security for your mp3 player in the form of a protective case. We looked at Kensington’s excellent FX300 in 2006 and were impressed at the level of functionality offered at a very reasonable price.

iHome is another manufacturer who has offered a similar, albeit more powerful solution with twin speakers mounted in. The iH19 is similarly hard wearing and water resistant, although we’d still be extremely wary of splashing around with it in a pool.

Unlike the FX300 this unit is intended primarily for iPod users. Although it also includes a standard 3.5mm jack plug so that it can be used with any player, you’ll only be able to take advantage of the exterior track control if you use the iPod connection supplied.

Inside the toughened exterior is the main speaker unit and a protective foam casing for your mp3 player. There’s not a lot of room here though, anything much larger than a standard iPod was a tight squeeze.

In fact it’s not quite the portable solution you’d expect it to be, the speaker unit is quite bulky and is more like a mini ghetto blaster than a slimline travel solution. Sound quality is fairly impressive from the twin 3W built-in speakers, but bass sounded rather muffled and it’s not quite as loud as we would have liked.

Inside the box you’re provided with a mounting strap to attach it to sports or gym equipment, but quite why you’d want to do this we’re not sure. The device is powered by either four AAA batteries or the mains adaptor supplied, and comes with a carry strap attached.

We liked the styling and convenience of the iH19 but everything from the dedicated controls and carry space for a player orients it towards iPod owners. If you don’t have one of Apple’s players you might consider the price a little too much for the limited functionality.

Also consider:

Logitech Freepulse

Listen to your music without getting tangled in wires

Parrot Sound System

60W hi-fi speakers with built-in Bluetooth connectivity

Saitek i-Phonic A-100 speakers

Small, sleek and loud travel speakers

All speaker reviews

Review: Logitech Freepulse wireless headphones

Will Stapley — 2007-01-08T00:00:00.000Z

Will Stapley, Personal Computer World, Monday 8 January 2007 at 00:00:00

Listen to your music without getting tangled in wires

If you're fed up of the daily struggle to untangle your music player's headphones, Logitech's new Freepulse Wireless Headphones may well be the answer.

The headphones aren't much bulkier than standard over-the-ear phones. The headband sits behind your neck and is flexible enough to be curled up in a bag while a rubber hook on each earpiece ensures they won't slip off your head when moving around.

Data is sent between the transmitter and headset via Bluetooth, which results an operating distance of around 10 metres. They're simple to set up – press the connect buttons on the transmitter and then on the headset and the two will pair with each other in a matter of seconds.

Volume controls are found on the right-hand earpiece, but since the device connects through a standard 3.5mm jack, advanced functions such as track navigation aren't available. By pressing the connect button on the headset you can mute the music, but it will still carry on playing on whichever device the transmitter is connected to. Holding down the volume up button for a second or so activates the Bass Boost mode.

Although the transmitter unit will connect to any audio device with a 3.5mm headphone socket, it's clearly designed for iPod owners. Six plastic iPod adapters are included to ensure the transmitter fits snugly, but if you're planning on using a non-Ipod audio player, you'll find the transmitter swings around rather ungainly. Measuring 39mm wide, 35mm high and 14mm deep it also makes the likes of the iPod Nano slightly less pocket friendly.

We gave the Freepulse Wireless Headphones extensive testing and, in the main, found them easy to use and reasonably comfortable to wear. Audio quality is excellent, although we didn't notice a huge difference when the Bass Boost feature was turned on.

During a half-hour test period audio very occasionally dropped for around a second at a time. At one point, the transmitter actually turned itself off, which meant we had to pair the two devices before normal service was resumed. Logitech suggests you place the transmitter in a right-hand pocket since the receiver in the headset is located in the right earpiece, but when we experienced our sound outages the transmitter was placed on a table very close to the headset.

It's important to bear in mind that these glitches were reasonably rare and, overall, we found the Freepulse Wireless Headphones a good alternative to a set of standard wired phones.

Also consider:

Shure E500PTH earphones

Enjoy outstanding sound quality from these tiny earphones

Steelsound 5H v2 headphones

Flexible headset designed with professional gamers in mind

Terratec Headset Master 5.1 USB

These cans promise surround sound from two multi-driver earpieces

All home entertainment reviews

Review: Saitek iFreedom Bluetooth speakers

Emil Larsen — 2006-11-22T00:00:00.000Z

Emil Larsen, Personal Computer World, Wednesday 22 November 2006 at 00:00:00

Excellent sound but poor connectivity

The Saitek iFreedom speakers jump on the iPod-speaker-bandwagon but go a little further by connecting to your mp3 player or laptop wirelessly using Bluetooth.

It is a true 2.1 set comprising two 1.5W tweeters and one large 3W subwoofer underneath. A back-lit LCD display shows volume, battery life and connectivity status.

The distinct bug eyes are a bit of an acquired taste. Although the red and gold speaker frames are garish and the whole surface is prone to finger prints, the overall build quality is excellent.

The speakers have a 3.5mm line in to connect audio devices, a power jack and a battery compartment for music on the move. Saitek claims that four AA batteries will last 24 hours, but the batteries drain away faster at high volumes.

The rest of the package includes a Bluetooth transmitter, which is a small black box with a 3.5mm male jack that can plug into any mp3 player or computer. It also has a mini-USB input used to charge the transmitter box.

When the mini-USB is plugged into a PC using the supplied cable, the Saitek speakers can remotely play/pause and skip tracks with the buttons above the right speaker.

The sound quality is excellent and feels like a much bigger set of speakers. Treble response is clear and at full blast it gets loud enough to satisfy a modest house. Bass is generally strong but peters out as the volume is cranked up.

Confusingly, the iFreedom set are also labelled A-250, however the A-250 is an older model that lacked the 3.5mm line-in jack and used a proprietary Bluetooth format. The range cuts out at just less than 10m, which is standard for Bluetooth.

We had problems syncing the transmitter with the speakers because they hadn't been correctly configured in the factory. This was solved once we delved into the manual's troubleshooting section which revealed the procedure to connect the two.

The box claims the speakers can connect to 'any A2DP source', for example mobile phones and laptops, without the transmitter box. After lots of problems, we finally got A2DP working with a Treo 750v Smartphone. The manual does not mention A2DP compatibility at all and no four-digit passcode (Bluetooth password) was included.

Saitek has now rectified the situation but we recommend anyone wanting to use the feature test for compatibility with their own phone first.

Because the wireless range is less than 10m, it feels more like a gimmick than a useful feature. The A2DP should have made connecting compatible devices a doddle, but the speakers turn themselves off after a minute of being turned on, which is too slow for many A2DP devices to finish their search.

If your transmitter isn't synced like ours was, then you have 20 rushed seconds to complete the operation. Bluetooth certification has not yet come for Saitek. Despite this the sound quality means they represent good value at around £99 when compared to similar iPod speakers. The iFreedom are available now.

Also consider:

Parrot Sound System Bluetooth speakers

Parrot had a good stab at producing some powerful Bluetooth speakers for wireless audio streaming, but considering the drawbacks most would consider the technology far too expensive.

Kensington SX2000 iPod speakers

If you're looking for style over substance, the Kensington's SX2000 is a good bet. Audiophiles should look elsewhere.

Minispeakers K8000 mp3 speaker system

You’d be hard pushed to find better sound from a device this size and, if it weren’t for the price, the K8000 Minispeakers would be the new mini speakers of choice for one and all.

All speaker reviews

Review: Parrot Sound System Bluetooth speakers

Paul Lester — 2006-11-13T00:00:00.000Z

Paul Lester, Personal Computer World, Monday 13 November 2006 at 00:00:00

60W hi-fi speakers with built-in Bluetooth connectivity

Despite over five years of constantly being refined, Bluetooth compatible hardware still causes frustration amongst consumers and few products can claim unblemished wireless operation.

Parrot has achieved some success in the field recently with, amongst other things, the Bluetooth photo viewer, and has now followed this up with Bluetooth wireless hi-fi audio. These twin digital high-powered speakers are finished in, for want of a better term, iPod white, and as well as Bluetooth support include RCA line-in for other audio sources.

While the manual does a great job of convincing you how easy it is to set them up; expect to encounter a problem or two along the way. You’ll need Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP profile support on your source device, so those who have a notebook or mobile phone that’s over a year old might have some problems.

To counter this Parrot supplies a Bluetooth USB dongle, currently available to buy separately for just under £20. Provided you have this, or a compatible mobile phone or other device (check the Parrot website for the latest compatibility lists) you should be fine, but expect to spend a bit of time coaxing Windows into setting up a connection.

Parrot provides you with a basic software application to control the orientation of the speakers and search for and pair source devices, but the Windows Bluetooth wizard can (eventually) set everything up for you so the Parrot software isn’t strictly necessary.

When you are set up and running you’ll find that any sound played through your PC or other device automatically plays through the Parrot speakers. At 60W RMS output they’re certainly powerful enough, and with dedicated RCA con nections available they offer a more than suitable replacement for your existing hi-fi speakers.

A digital graphic equalizer and a digital crossover for separating the mid-bass and treble frequencies means that results in terms of the speaker’s capabilities are extremely good, all that’s left then is to see how they handle a wireless audio stream.

During testing, we found sound quality via Bluetooth wasn't consistent. When the source device is reasonably close (less than 3m away) streaming was flawless and aside from a faint crackle behind the audio, sound quality was very good.

If you’re looking to use the speakers from distance of say, more than 5m and through a wall or two, things to start to degrade - the crackling gets louder and occasional pauses start to ruin the experience. Parrot also states that use of additional Bluetooth devices at the same time can cause further disruptions to audio quality, so bear this in mind before you buy.

Indicator lights on the front of the speakers inform you of the condition of the Bluetooth connection, along with individual volume controls. You’ll also notice that each speaker requires its own power connection, but on the up side this means it’s easier to position them individually in a room for optimum sound.

The fact that Parrot has produced a pair of Bluetooth speakers as powerful as these that work well under optimum conditions is worth a pat on the back, but with an RRP of £250 you’re paying a lot of money for the technology.

To be satisfied with your purchase you’ll need to be convinced you’ll get a good deal of use out of the Bluetooth connectivity and not require your source device to be too far away.

We’re not convinced that Bluetooth in its current form, despite recent improvements, is good enough to justify the inflated price tag of products that carry it. Unfortunately Parrot doesn’t do a lot to disprove this theory, and while the speakers themselves are high-quality units, they suffer from the inherent problems of the technology they employ.

Also consider:

Saitek i-Phonic A-100 speakers

Small, sleek and loud travel speakers

Intempo iDS-02 iPod speaker system

Shaped like a bowling ball, this iPod speaker system strikes a chord with us

Philips SPA9300 multimedia speakers

A 2.1 set capable of decent audio, but it's hampered by poor controls

All speaker reviews

Review: Saitek i-Phonic A-100 speakers

Rob Jones — 2006-10-24T00:00:00.000Z

Rob Jones, Personal Computer World, Tuesday 24 October 2006 at 00:00:00

Small, sleek and loud travel speakers

The Saitek iPhonic A-100 pocket speakers are pebble shaped, come in a black casing and are surprisingly loud.

They are lightweight, fit comfortably into the palm of your hand and are certainly eye-catching. Saitek claims the shape helps maximise bass and minimise distortion.

There’s no volume control on the speakers, which is a shame, leaving you to control the sound via whichever device they are plugged into. To get around the lack of volume control, Saitek has made these quite punchy, meaning you’ll often find yourself turning them down, not up.

For such tiny speakers, the sound is very clean. At normal to high volumes we didn’t experience any distortion and there’s just about enough bass to stop the sound becoming tinny.

The speakers take four AAA batteries or can be plugged into the mains, although the adapter does not come in the box. There are also a number of connectors for laptops, mobile phones and mp3 players, meaning you can have the two devices either literally attached to each other or with some distance between them.

Classed as pocket speakers, they are easy to carry around and, overall, we were impressed with the sound quality when you consider their size and price.

Also consider:

Logitech mm32 iPod speakers

Good sound and battery life but Logitech should have thought a lot more about the mm32's docking design

Tivoli Audio iSongbook speakers

Despite some niggles and the high price tag, the sleek-looking, good-sounding Tivoli Audio iSongbook is almost irresistible.

All speaker reviews

Review: Intempo iDS-02 iPod speaker system

Luke Peters — 2006-08-18T00:00:00.000Z

Luke Peters, Personal Computer World, Friday 18 August 2006 at 00:00:00

Shaped like a bowling ball, this iPod speaker system strikes a chord with us

Making your mark on the over-saturated iPod accessory market is tough unless you've got an innovative or eye-catching product.

Intempo's iDS-02B may not be that groundbreaking but it will certainly turn heads.

Shaped like a bowling ball, it has two curved speakers positioned on the front with a subwoofer at the back. All three hide behind a black cloth that wraps around the unit.

On the top of the iDS-02B is a docking port that supports four types of iPod (Nano, 20GB, 40GB, Mini). Individual dock cradles are supplied and there's a dust guard that can be used when an iPod isn't connected.

Having the dock on top means you have a front-on view of the iPod screen, which is handy if you're sitting close to the iDS-02B. However, walk a few feet away and the iPod screen becomes hard to read, especially when using the Nano.

The annoyance of not being able to read the display is tempered by the fact that the only options the remote control allows are to change volume, bass and treble settings, pausing and skipping to the next track.

Sound quality is very good and, while it suffers slight crunching and distortion at high volumes, it generally maintains a good balance of sound. The ability to adjust bass and treble is a boon too.

The two 7.5W speakers and 15W subwoofer aren't powerful enough to host a party, but for the kitchen, bedroom or study space it creates an impressive, immersive sound, especially considering its small size.

It's mains powered and will charge any docked iPod; both Firewire and mini USB ports for transferring music from a computer are also available. However, only a USB cable is supplied in the package. A line-in socket lets you hook up non-iPod music sources.

As an iPod speaker system for a small room, the iDS-02 is a great-looking device that performs well acoustically.

Related reviews:

Philips SPA9300 multimedia speakers

A 2.1 set capable of decent audio, but it's hampered by poor controls

Review: Philips SPA9300 multimedia speakers

Marc Delehanty — 2006-08-16T00:00:00.000Z

Marc Delehanty, Personal Computer World, Wednesday 16 August 2006 at 00:00:00

A 2.1 set capable of decent audio, but it's hampered by poor controls

Philips is launching an entirely new range of speakers in September and the pick of the bunch is the SPA9300 2.1 (two speakers, one subwoofer) system.

The two speakers have tweeters and twin mid/bass drivers. They feature a stylish stainless steel finish with pads on their bases to ensure a firm grip to most surfaces.

Together with the subwoofer, the speakers provide output power of 100W (50W RMS). The audio quality produced is crisp, clear and as good as any you’ll find on a 2.1 setup in this price range.

As you push up to the very limit of the speakers’ volume threshold, sound distortion creeps in.

The large and square subwoofer has an 8in driver which can take bass down to an impressive 35Hz. A level control knob to adjust bass levels sits at its rear.

A small, but reasonably thick, wired remote control is used to adjust volume via a mechanical wheel. The wheel feels more than a little flimsy and looks particularly vulnerable to being sat or stood upon.

It features a backlit power button, but since the main power switch sits on the subwoofer it effectively acts just as a mute button.

As previously stated, the remote control in this setup is wired and must be connected to both the PC and the subwoofer. This only adds to the mess of cables that speaker sets are notorious for - volume controls would have been better situated on one of the speakers.

An audio socket on the remote control allows you to connect an mp3 player, or indeed any music source, directly to the speaker set.

Annoyingly, Philips doesn't ship the unit with the required audio cable to hook up an mp3 player, so you'll have to buy one.

If you connect both a PC and external audio source to the speakers, playback of the external source takes precedence. A switch to allow you to choose which input you want would have been preferable.

The SPA9300 will suit those without the required space for a 5.1 surround-sound setup but want affordable, good-quality audio. However, the remote control, which should be a great feature, turns out to be more of a hassle due to it being wired.

Related reviews:

Creative I-Trigue L3800 speakers

A 2.1 speaker system with extra functionality for Creative's Zen audio players.

Review: Logic3 I-Station8 iPod speakers

Paul Lester — 2006-07-24T00:00:00.000Z

Paul Lester, Personal Computer World, Monday 24 July 2006 at 00:00:00

An imposing design, but the performance doesn’t match up to its looks

The latest in the endless stream of iPod accessories is the Logic3 I-Station8 docking station, the top-of the range from the I-Station series.

It certainly complements the iPod’s style well enough. Each side houses four mini speakers while a meaty subwoofer sits in the middle.

What might look like a screen to display your videos and photos in the centre of the device is in fact part of the subwoofer. You can, however, display images on an external screen thanks to the video-out (composite and S-video) connectors on the back.

Your iPod fits snugly into the dropdown front panel once you’ve selected from the five dock cradles available for each model.

Minimal controls on the front include power, volume and menu browsing, but you’re also provided with a nifty remote control that has far more options.

Operating the speakers from across the room is easy enough with the help of the scrolling backlit LCD that brings up your album, artist or song information, although the small font can be difficult to read.

The performance of the speakers is pretty good, but because of the sheer number of them and powerful-looking sub and bass radiator design, we were expecting a little more.

Frequency response is OK, but sound dispersal is narrow and the bass isn’t particularly deep or menacing, distorting and rattling away at the highest volumes.

Indeed, you don’t get the feeling that you’re actually hearing sound from eight speakers instead of just two, leading us to believe it was more of a design than a performance choice.

The unit can be operated with either batteries or mains power, giving you the option to use it on the move, but it’s far too bulky to be lugged around in backpack so you’ll probably end up setting it up in a fixed position anyway.

Related reviews

Minispeakers K800

Outstanding sound quality from this compact speaker system

Review: Minispeakers K8000 mp3 speaker system

Paul Lester — 2006-07-03T00:00:00.000Z

Paul Lester, Personal Computer World, Monday 3 July 2006 at 00:00:00

Outstanding sound quality from this compact speaker system

There is a host of options available for those looking to buy a mini speaker system for an mp3 player or notebook.

Little-known UK company Minispeakers is the latest to have a go, claiming to offer a better-value solution by sourcing and importing direct from the manufacturer.

Housed entirely in stainless steel and at over a kilo in weight, the K8000 isn’t exactly light, but it is among the more compact models you can find today.

The three-way speakers (two mid/high-range side speakers and a built-in subwoofer) are entirely housed within the unit, wrapped in a minimalist but very stylish design.

The casing has a soft-touch volume control and two switches to turn extra bass and treble on or off to suit different styles of music, or indeed to make peace with neighbours. When we put the K8000 through its paces the quality was outstanding.

The dynamic range of the midrange/treble speakers is excellent, delivering crystal-clear sound on all the tracks we tested, but it’s not until you jack up the volume and put the sub to the test that it really excels.

Bass response is superb, and the speakers are loud enough for all but the most tinnitus-affected techno-head to have to turn it down a few notches.

All in all the clarity and power of the K8000 means it would easily pass for a permanent audio solution for your desktop PC, notebook or games console, let alone an mp3 player.

It’s a tad heavy to be lugged around for long, so a semi-permanent placement is more practical, but with no battery support you’ll need to be near a mains outlet anyway.

Outstanding sound quality from the K8000 mini speaker system makes the high price bearable. There are few rivals that offer such a powerful solution for the price and none with such small dimensions.

Related reviews :

Logitech mm32 iPod speakers

You'll get good sound from this iPod speaker system and it looks great too.

Review: Logitech mm32 iPod speakers

Luke Peters — 2006-05-08T00:00:00.000Z

Luke Peters, Personal Computer World, Monday 8 May 2006 at 00:00:00

You'll get good sound from this iPod speaker system and it looks great too

Ipod speaker systems are as common as cheating politicians, but while some get away with it, the imperfections of others are very clear.

The latest case in point is Logitech's mm32, a portable speaker system for iPods and other pocket music players.

Measuring 280mm wide and 60mm high, the good-looking cylindrical device initially had us thinking that we had a great piece of kit.

However, start setting it up and it's clear that Logitech's attempt at versatility means it has inadvertently shot itself in the foot.

There's no built-in docking port, which means to charge the Ipod you have to feed your own Ipod charging/synching cable through the bottom of the mm32, up into the correct Ipod dock connector and then into the Ipod.

It also means Logitech has had to use a 3.5mm line-in jack-on-a-cord to connect to each Ipod's headphone socket.

Then there's the awkward tightening dial to turn to keep the Ipod in place.

All this makes for an extremely fiddly process and a mess of cabling underneath and out the back of the speaker.

We weren't impressed and found it infinitely easier to simply plug the 3.5mm line-in jack into the Ipod (or any other player) without battling with Logitech's docking method.

However, as previously mentioned, the mm32 will work with any audio device with a headphone socket.

It also comes with a padded carry case that has a separate pocket at one end for spare batteries. The mm32 runs off main power or four AA batteries, which provide around eight hours of use.

Sound quality was more inspiring and Logitech's 'quad micro-drivers' (four small speaker drivers) worked well, remaining calm and poised even at higher volume levels.

Bass response is almost non-existent, but for what the mm32 is designed for (hotel rooms and bedside listening) we didn't expect it to blow us away.

That said, for £70 we did expect a much better design and at least an integrated docking/charging port.

Review: Kensington SX2000 Ipod speakers

Luke Peters — 2006-04-10T00:00:00.000Z

Luke Peters, Personal Computer World, Monday 10 April 2006 at 00:00:00

A good looking Ipod speaker system, but definitely a case of style over substance

If you've ever had the delight of visiting an Apple Store - in our opinion, the epitome of hands-on technology shopping - you'll no doubt have envied over the range of Ipod speaker systems.

Fancy and expensive designs from Bose, Altec Lansing and Apple itself leave you wishing your boss had given you that Christmas bonus after all.

However, Kensington's SX2000 is a neat-looking Ipod speaker system that costs less than £80.

It uses NXT flat-panel speaker technology, which makes for a very slim design - just 10cm deep. But it manages to exert a reasonable volume of sound, if a little overzealous on the treble, from the elongated pane.

Although there's a definite sweet spot (about five metres back, directly in the centre), it can be turned up loud enough to fill a kitchen, bedroom or living room quite comfortably.

However, at neighbour-annoying levels, the soundstage begins to crack and it's not long before the separation between bass and treble is hard to decipher.

Speaking of low rumblings, the bass is impressive but only because of the flat design; it's nowhere as crisp and punchy as the Bose Sound dock or Apple Ipod Hi-Fi. Pushing it up against a flat surface yielded better results, though.

The SX2000 supports all Ipods that have a dock connector and comes with interchangeable inserts to cradle the Ipod Nano and video Ipod.

There's a line-in socket on the back for connecting almost any audio source.

It will charge any Ipod when docked but the unit only operates on mains power. There's no remote control either, so volume has to be manually altered using buttons on the front and music has to be navigated using the Ipod's controls.

At £80 it's a cheaper option than many other cool-looking speaker systems but the drop in price is reflected in the distinctly average sound quality.