Little Review for a fun couples

After the redesign of my living room I wanted to build two listening areas, even sofa with 5.1 and even desk with stereo. Setter should my PC for both zones, my sound card should take care of the management of audio sources, besides TFT were (via DVI) and TV connected (via HDMI) to my graphics card. So I could for all games the mouse and keyboard required (Shooter, Role Playing) take on desk space and me for playing with the gamepad and to watch movies on the sofa in front of my television cast.
To the listening sofa an existing 5.1 Set Edifier S550 was set up and oriented, now only lacking the right sound for the listening position desk, reservation price 200 EURO.

The Edifier S550 already come with a subwoofer, therefore, why was 2.1 at the desktop for me no longer an option, I wanted to make no other subwoofer into the living room. So had a 2.0 system which provides her with plenty Shooter Burst Action for enough depth, but this could also play background music and dialogues with the appropriate dynamics. Not an easy task. I soon the weeks of deliberation, planning and comparison times from using I make the following statement: Because my Edifier 5.1 system has already made a lot of fun a few years I was willing to give even the R1700 from the same manufacturer obvious way a chance.

I shall begin with a few negative points, these I want to have fairness mentioned. Of these, no one should abeschrecken, the list is much shorter than that of the positive points.

When the system crackled again from the right speaker and although at the moment where the green power light comes on. No loud crack, but wahrnembar. I suspected a defect and sent the set back in the first instance, but also the replacement put this behavior to light.
The sound from the PC via Bluetooth for the R1700 is scary, sounds somehow broken. Here, however, I would not rule that this is due to my Bluetooth stick. In addition, this function is just a nice bonus, not a purchase criterion, because I wanted to connect analogue via RCA on front panel audio header speakers anyway for me.

The bottom line, of course, two minuses, the first not bother me in retrospect, the second for me has no meaning, and both together affect the envisaged function in any way. This may be of interest to one or the other, but provides with me for no devaluation.

Now we come to the beautiful things and plenty of it.

OPTICS
The speakers look really great, simple but unique. The built-Wood looks classy and quality, agree the gaps, they bring good weight on the desk. Knobs for volume (rasterized, but endlessly), bass and treble (both fixed scale -6 / + 6 unscreened) located to the right of the right speaker and can also be in the dark sensing well.
Only the speaker covers are the remaining processing quality not quite live up to pull in strings and are not bonded completely clean. Since I like to wear my boxes are open the covers in the closet and so bothers me not that.

HANDLING
Attached are the R1700 via RCA on front panel audio header of my body which is internally connected to my soundcard Asus Xonar D1. The rear connectors of the sound card are 3 x connected analogue to the Edifier S550. I can switch to 5.1 to have for the couch or just 2.0 at the desk, perfect About the Xonar software with a few clicks between the rear and front entrances.

SOUND MUSIC
Curious, I started the MediaMonkey to hear times as beat the Edifier in music so as the first test. I am an enthusiastic supporter of electronic dance music (Dance, Handz Up, Trance, Hardstyle), so unpacked a few reference numbers ... and amazed. Whether more fun Hanz Up / Dance, melodic and far-ranging trance or harder line hardstyle, the sound is played as it should be. Strong bass, crystal clear in the voices, dynamics in the heights. Next dug and times gone something Alternative to work, soundtrack of the Ice Queen (the first time), Child of Light (Off To Sleep), Wolfenstein The New Order (I Believe), rock of Bon Jovi and Peter Maffay, John Murphy (Strobe ). Rousing instrumental passages, crisp display and spatiality of instruments, grade with very vocal-heavy pieces you get the feeling the singer sit behind the screen. Absolute enthusiasm of the very first minute.

Meanwhile, the speakers are going well 1.5 months with me and the positive first impression has remained. Even if it was not there before so thought I use the R1700 also very much for listening to music and throw my "big" Edifier S550 rare, even though this is happening rounds out punchier through the subwoofer in stereo mode down.

I would like to mention at this point that the music playback not entirely neutral fails. Regardless of the genre, in principle, I would classify the Edifier as little bassy. Not an exaggeration, but audible to me. For me personally, just with my musical preferences, like the very good so people could put more emphasis on a neutral Abstmmung feel uncomfortable here.

CHIMES
Actually, here was my main requirement. After I was through the musical experience already blown away my expectations were high when gaming. I came here from a (due to space) poorly prepared 5.1 and was curious if I'll miss the ability to locate ("Behind me a bird chirps") with the step to 2.0.

So started the new Call of Duty and the same the first explosion shot me out of the chair. Specifically, it was the draft of the bass reflex tubes, on I was not prepared. Bullets and cartridges were flying about my ears, there barked me a warrior pixels from left to commands, drones pounced from heaven down at me, somewhere struck a rocket. I was intense in gameplay like never before, incredible!

The next candidate, it went to a lot quieter. Risen 3, relaxing on an island in the jungle. My companion gives me easily perk sayings around the ears, there fluttering parrots later yells a scavenger, here rippling a lake flanked by a thundering waterfall, sounds dramatic music, I'm going to attack and draw my sword, the clinking of my opponents descends. These impressions emerged only through the fortuitous, so I never have cast a spell over an RPG.

I can at this point I can answer my initial question with a resounding "No," I miss the unfavorable realized surround sound from previously not a bit, instead finding make good bad 2.0 5.1 preferable.

OTHERS
As for the volume I'm really surprised how much potential lies in the small Edifier. You sound for my desk with her stereo sound that's a delight and have to supply (16 square meters) with duly level no problems from their site the entire living room. The reproduction quality not deteriorated by the way, the clear sound remains constant.

The controller for the bass to me comes in handy, just when late-night games and want something out of consideration for the neighbors it can take out as far as it goes.

The toggle switch for switching on / off on the back is easily accessible from the front by buttons.

The bass reflex port is the front was a purchasing criterion. The speaker can be set up only close to the wall with me on the desk and back ports built me ​​the risk would have been too large would be a roar developed.

A small Fernbedieung in piano finish there with them. Have they come to appreciate because they quite practical is to adjust the volume when you lying on the sofa and listening to music from your desktop.

A complete cable package is included, RCA to jack (with me in use), RCA to RCA and a connection cable for the speaker to each other (no standardized XLR, looks for proprietary development), exemplary, so you can get started right away.

CONCLUSION (FINALLY)
Oha, quite long text ... if I even begin ... So to make it at least briefly, who can live with the listed negative points gets here at all the positive points a really great pair of powered speakers for the desktop, which bring a lot of fun in games and music with it.