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We used a Denon AVR-1912 receiver and an Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player for all of our SoundWare XS listening tests. Since the SoundWare XS satellites' perforated grilles aren't removable, it wasn't immediately obvious that the satellites are two-way designs. Due to their tiny size, there normally wouldn't be enough room to squeeze in a tweeter and a midrange driver on the front baffle.
Boston Acoustics announced a special edition of its SoundWare XS 5.1 home cinema speaker system in high gloss black or white with matching subwoofers. The ultra-compact 5.1 speaker system brings a new level of style and substance to the fast-growing surround sound home entertainment category. It allows users to enjoy rich, room-filling surround sound with their home entertainment systems, while complementing virtually any decor in a stylish yet subtle manner.
Stricton Acoustic Home Theater Suround System "NEW" - $85 (Dunnellon)
Virtual audio technology allows you to compare sonic characteristics between speakers so you can make a more informed shopping decision. She wrote copy for both the web and catalog, covering a variety of home A/V products that included speakers, camcorders, and Blu-ray players. She also wrote a number articles and blog posts for the Crutchfield Know Zone.
The city is traditionally known for its production of high-quality sausages . Learn about choosing and installing speaker wire at the Crutchfield Learning Center. Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has also worked as a high-end audio salesman, and as a record producer. Steve currently reviews audio products for CNET and works as a freelance writer for Stereophile.
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Its 100-watt (250-watt peak) amplifier and acoustically tuned port ensure powerful low-frequency reproduction of the most demanding audio. If you want wraparound home theater sound and large speakers just aren't an option, check out Boston Acoustics' SoundWare XS 5.1 speaker system. It comes with five ultra-compact satellite speakers — each one fits in the palm of your hand. Their polygonal shape lets you place them on shelves, or mount them on your walls or ceiling with the included brackets.
Please use the DE/EN language switch in the top right corner of your browser to toggle between the two languages. In equal volume mode, we've made the loudness of each speaker about the same. This gives you a more direct comparison of subtle voicing differences between speakers. They only have the ability to "serve" a page from our site and put items in your cart. You’re in control at all times, and you can disconnect at any time by closing your browser window.
Ohm Acoustics Loudspeakers: The Budget Audiophiler
The SoundWare XS 5.1 sounds surprisingly good, and we say surprising because its five satellite speakers feel only a little larger than a baseball in your hand. Combined with its compact 100-watt subwoofer, it's one of the most decor-friendly speaker systems we've tested. Our one nitpick, design-wise, is that the speaker connections are difficult to use, but you'll run into that problem only when you set the system up. Including a subwoofer and five satellite speakers, the SoundWare XS 5.1 Home Theater System delivers big sound from a small package. Each finely tuned speaker features compact driver placement and quality system-specific crossovers for complete audio coverage. The dedicated 8-inch powered subwoofer features BassTrac technology, a proprietary circuit that maximizes bass output while avoiding overload.
Boston Acoustics also sells additional SoundWare speakers in a variety of colors for $100 each. Boston Acoustics is making optional SoundWare XS Special Edition satellite speakers available to create a 7.1 system. The system is designed for space-conscious and style driven consumers who want to enjoy great sounding music or powerful home theater audio. Listening to the tremendous power of the surf and water spray, it was easy to forget we were listening to five tiny speakers and a sub. The underwater shots of the waves were accompanied by the sound of deep rumbling bass. The push-to-open, all-metal connectors recessed into the speaker's rear accept only skinny bare wires (you can't use banana plugs, spades, or pins).
Also, we found that keeping the subwoofer volume higher than average, relative to the satellites, really helped the overall sound balance. Of course, the exact crossover and subwoofer volume settings will vary, depending on room size, acoustics, and taste. The subwoofer's volume control was very sensitive, so even very small movements made a big difference in bass volume. With speakers as small as these, setup details can make or break the sound.
Franks drove the Alemanni south, but the first written mention of Franconofurt stems from Charlemagne’s personal biographer, Einhard, in the late 8th century. The Pfalz served as an important royal residence of the East Frankish Carolingians from the 9th century through later medieval times. In the 12th century the Hohenstaufen dynasty erected a new castle in Frankfurt and walled the town.
Each of the five two-way satellite speakers features a high-performance 2-1/2-inch woofer and a 1/2-inch dome tweeter for deep lows and crisp highs. Each satellite speaker also includes MagnaGuard magnetic shielding, which ensures its magnetic field does not interfere with your television picture. Each features a high-performance 2-1/2-inch woofer and a 1/2-inch tweeter. The contoured subwoofer features a 100-watt amplifier and 8-inch driver.
The speaker's rear is faceted, so instead of being a 6-sided cube, the SoundWare XS satellite is a polyhedron. Its 10 "sides" also make it easier to squeeze the wee speakers into corners. If you place it on a shelf the speaker can be angled up or positioned to fire straight ahead. Or wall-mount the little guys with the included articulating bracket so you can angle the speakers in toward the listening area. The system is also expandable--you can add satellite speakers to the package for 7.1 channel surround sound .
Once the wire is in there it tends to stay put, which was not the case with the spring-clips on the Klipsch HD Theater 500's or Bose Acoustimass 6 Series III's satellite speakers. To help you choose the right speakers, we recommend using Crutchfield’s SpeakerCompare Listening Kit. It includes a pair of studio-quality headphones, and a guide to getting the most out of your session, and a few other necessary items.
We’ve carefully chosen the components of this kit to ensure a crystal-clear listening experience. It’s available for a nominal rental fee, and includes a $25 Crutchfield merchandise credit. When reviewing small speakers, we usually go easy on them at first, so we gently nudged the volume up while watching the "Master and Commander" Blu-ray. We shouldn't have worried, as the SoundWare XS was actually pretty adept with home theater bombast, and even the cannonballs crashing through the sides of the wooden ships didn't result in overt distortion. There are definite limits to how loud little speakers and a subwoofer can play, but the SoundWare XS did a better job with this Blu-ray than what we heard from the Klipsch HD Theater 500.