Compact bass & satellites. Crisp sound, full bass

None

I decided to pick up a set of cheap speakers for my PC to replace the crap ones that were packaged with the system I bought. I never expected them to sound so crisp!

Incredible sound for the price!! I couldn't ask for much better. Perfect for PC, actually outperforms many stereo systems that I have heard!!

Top Notch! Top Notch!

Similar Products Used:

Harmon/Kardon, Altec Lansing

Inexpensive, unobtrusive, great sound

Front mounted connections look cheesy; not for high volumes

We live in a Victorian cottage with lots of little rooms. These speakers are great for background music in the kitchen, dining room and living room. We have 2 sets connected to a Bose Lifestyle module that we picked up on Ebay. The speakers are great for listening to music at low levels or during entertaining; they don't like being pushed, but we rarely do that anyway. At $60/set for "B stock" they were a great buy.

Similar Products Used:

Boston Accoustics

The current price for these speakers is $99.99. I purchased these speakers years ago as my first "real" stereo. Just to set the record straight, this is a self-amplified small speaker system intended for dorm rooms, computers, bedrooms, etc. It is not intended for larger rooms at high volumes. The entire setup consists of a 5 1/4" woofer in a wooden cabinet utilizing a bandpass design (RMS power 10 watts @ 100 Hz, 1% THD); two 2.25" mid-tweeters in fully-sealed ABS enclosures with fixed metal grilles (RMS power 4 watts each @ 1 kHz, 1% THD). The "satellites" connect to the "subwoofer" via spring-loaded clip terminals and 18-gauge stranded wire. An in-line volume control, a bass level knob, and a power button are the only controls. A single minijack input is provided.
Now that the technical mumbo-jumbo is out of the way, we can move on to how it sounds.

I found that the Soundworks system had a coherent, precise sound to it. Bass from the woofer was warm, tight, and punchy; however, the woofer was definitely not intended to play rap music (it fell short in this area), although loud rock wasn't as much of a problem. The satellites had good imaging, but not great. Music was detailed and crisp, although soprano voices sometimes had a spitty quality. Demanding classical works at moderate volumes had a tearing quality and individual instruments smeared together. Overall, the system is pretty good, well worth the $99.99. It may not sound as good as a mid-priced component system, but then again, this system is hardly mid-priced. It will sound better than any mini shelf system by Sony, Aiwa, JVC, etc. Don't expect it to blow away a $400 shelf system in overall volume and bass, but do expect it to be a well-made, inexpensive stereo that will be easier on your ears and more accurate to the original recording. And yes, it will impress your friends.

The best computer speakers I've ever had!

You have already read the tech specs in previous reviews. I replaced a set of Altec Lansings with CSW after the price drop to $99.95, and have never been sorry. My only quibble is the cheapie volume control-on-a-cord which reminds you of an accent lamp on-off switch. Real controls on one of the satellite speakers would me much more accessable, along with imparting a more professional appearance.
This CSW unit makes a fine reasonably priced combo for those who like to listen to CDs while they work with an occasional game from time to time. Bass and imaging are quite acceptable. The sound quality, while not the best available in computer speakers, is quite pleasant and sounds more like $150-200. For less than $100 you can't complain!

I paid about $80 for the Soundworks Digital speaker system. The difference between these speakers and the regular Soundworks is this one has an RCA type digital connection (I doubt the digital connection gives much of a noticeable difference, though). Also, I think these are designed differently from the original soundworks speakers in terms of amp/drivers (the sub box looks different, anyways) but i don't know if it is better or worse.

In terms of sound quality, these speakers are pretty damn good! (for a computer system, anyways) 8 watt sattelites and a 22watt sub. I have yet to bottom out my sub. i have it set about half power and it is more than enough boom for my bedroom. the bass is pretty tight and low, which is good. i don't like sloppy muddy bass no matter how powerful it is. the satt's are great too, but they are bright, mind you, edging towards downright harsh at very loud volume levels. that's my only disappointment, too bright, a bit shrill at loud levels. other than that, this system is great, especially for the price.

Similar Products Used:

Cambridge Soundworks PCworks
Altec Lansing ADA880
Boston Acoustics Micromedia

The Cambridge Soundworks "Soundworks" is basically an upscale, self-powered computer speaker. I found that it offered much more than that, however.
The Soundworks consists of two satellite speakers, each with one 3.5" driver, plus a single enclosure housing a 5" woofer. The woofer enclosure also contains a stereo power amplifier for the satellites and a monaural amplifier for the woofer. In other words, it's bi-amplified. It's also equalized to get the most out of the drivers used. Power is about 3 watts to each satellite and 10 watts to the woofer. Controls on the woofer enclosure include a volume knob for the woofer output and an off/on push button. Speaker wires from the satellites are connected by push-clips to the woofer enclosure. There is one input: a stereo mini-jack designed for a line-level signal or the headphone output from a Walkman player or other portable unit.

So, how did it work? Amazingly well. I set the Soundworks up in my component stereo system, feeding it a line-level signal from my preamplifier. After I'd placed the woofer on the floor against the back wall, and adjusted the woofer volume to where everything sounded balanced, I sat back and listened. And I was impressed. Although it was not a match for good quality bookshelf speakers (like the killer Tannoy M-1's) the Soundworks had good octave-to-octave balance with a natural quality which made acoustic and vocal music very enjoyable. Treble was there, and was OK. However, it was not as open and airy sounding as from a good dome tweeter. In the midrange these babies sang. Imaging was good, with some real depth portrayed on recordings that had it. The woofer went down strongly to 50 Hz. with the placement I used, and I didn't feel robbed of bass in any recording except one that contained strong organ pedal tones. My only quibble with this system's bass is that is sounded "slow" -- on popular or rock music with a strong bass line, I kept wanting the bass to pick it up a bit, to convey more rhythm to the music. On the other hand, the pitch of bass tones was easily discernable, and added to the fun I had listening to classical music through the Soundworks. And lastly, this system won't play really loud. Definitely not for head-bangers. But loud enough for most folks in small to moderate rooms (like my apartment front-room).

In conclusion, I highly recommend this system as a computer speaker (although I never used it that way) AND as a music system for small rooms, or as a portable system for folks who want better quality sound than they'd get from a comparably priced boombox. This Soundworks can be had from the manufacturer, as B-Goods (slight cosmetic damage, or returned under warranty) for $99. That's what I paid for mine, and I consider it the best money I've ever spent on a stereo component. At it's price point and given its performance, I rate it five stars.

After reading reviews of these speakers and looking at the Cambridge Soundworks catalog,I bought a set of the "seconds" for $99. Wow, what a disappointment! The coloration in midrange is terrible and the bass sounds like it's coming from a box. I challenge anyone to listen to an entire CD at good volume without getting fatigued. As a computer speaker they aren't bad explosions in Duke Nukem 3D are awesome!), but the reviews said these were nearly as good as home stereo speakers. I don't know what speakers they are comparing them to, but the Soundworks I have are not good for music at all. Solution: I bought a pair of KLH 970A's from Best Buy (on sale for $9.92 ea.!) and replaced the satellites with them. BIG difference! Great highs, no coloration in midrange, and the 4" woofers on the KLH's even help reduce the "bass in a box" sound of the subwoofer. Sorry, Henry Kloss, but that "other" speaker company you helped found is kicking your *ss, even with their cheapest speakers! (Hey, Damark has a complete set of KLH home theater speakers including
subwoofer for $99! Hmmm, I wonder what they sound like...?)

I would have to say that for their price, I have been happy with these speakers. The treble is decent, and the bass is quite powerful. The only problem I face with it is the volume -- it can't go up that much without sounding like its in pain. I've got it connected to my discman on the lineout, and have a pair of Sony speakers on the headphones jack, so that makes the soundquality MUCH better (the Sony speakers are VERY bass heavy).