Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)With the recent purchase of an LG M237WD-PM 23-Inch Class Widescreen Multi-Function LCD 1080p Monitor/HDTV with a great price and picture quality but terrible sound (as is the case with most small, thin LCD HDTVs), I needed some good quality, but moderately priced powered speakers without the cumbersome subwoofer for TV listening.The choice was between the popular, well-known Creative Labs Inspire T10 2.0 Multimedia Speaker System with 5 watts RMS per channel or the similar but lesser known Hercules XPS 2.0 30 Multimedia Speakers with 6 watts RMS per channel and a lower price.Hercules has been around since the early days of PCs setting a standard with its graphics cards, so I felt confident opting for the Hercules XPS speakers even though almost no reviews were available.
The Hercules XPS 2.0 30 Multimedia Speakers are made in China with a sturdy, decent-looking plastic enclosure.They are powered by a 12 volt, 26 watt external power supply.The frequency response is given as 80-20,000 hz (the same as for the Creative Labs Inspire T10.)
The supplied 3.5mm stereo cable plugs right into the LG M237WD headphone jack for input to the XPS speakers making them ready to audition.My first impression of the XPS speakers was that the sound of human voices was annoyingly "boomy" especially during newscasts.The single tone control only controls treble and not bass. (The single tone control on the Creative Labs Inspire T10 only controls bass and not treble.)To determine what frequency imbalance was causing the boominess problem, I happen to have a parametric audio equalizer which I hooked up between the LG M237WD and the XPS speakers.I found that lowering the gain at 200 hz frequency centered over a 2.0 octave range greatly improved the sound quality of the XPS speakers and eliminated the boominess.This is basically the same as lowering the gain of a bass control which, of course, is not an option with the XPS 2.0 30 speakers.However, bass levels can be adjusted on the LG M237WD.
The LG M237WD has 5 sound settings, each sound setting having its own bass and treble adjustment.So the bass must be adjusted 5 times for each of the 5 sound settings.On a scale of 0-100, the LG M237WD bass settings which work best with the XPS 2.0 30 speakers are in the 16-20 range as opposed to the LG M237WD factory bass settings near and about 50.With the LG M237WD bass settings appropriately adjusted, the XPS 2.0 30 speakers sound very good and quite acceptable for speakers in their price range.It would be nice to have both a bass and a treble control, but that's the sacrifice to keep the price down.If cost were not a consideration, I would go for the Hercules XPS 2.0 60 Multimedia Speakers which do have both bass and treble controls plus 15 watts RMS per channel.
With the bass and boominess problem taken care of, the sound of these Hercules XPS 2.0 30 Multimedia Speakers is very clean and undistorted, even with the volume turned all the way up.There is no hiss or hum or any noise at all when there is no audio input.Because there are bass ports on the back of the speakers, the speakers need clearance from walls for full sound.I also note a slight improvement in sound if the speakers are set atop small platforms about 4 inches tall, like a tissue box.While peak volume won't blow the roof, the speakers are plenty loud enough for enjoyable HDTV and music listening.Music sounds great on these speakers.Explosions, gunshots, crashes, and big drums all sound clean, undistorted and impressive with plenty of punch.These are great speakers if you are on a budget.With that consideration, they rate 5 stars.
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Product Description:
Having become one of the world leaders in the domain of 3D graphics cards, Hercules has developed and exploited its fields of expertise in a variety of fast-growing market segments over the years. Hercules currently offers a complete range of webcams, speaker systems, digital DJing devices, WiFi solutions, iPod/iTunes accessories and sound cards. Hercules launches compelling products which have been fastidiously researched in terms of performance and produced with quality in mind. Hercules XPS 2.0 30 - Black (4769188) 2.0 Speaker set. Manufactured with high-performance components and with a smooth finish these 2.0 speakers guarantee a high-quality sound emission. Exclusive compact design. Total power output: 12 W RMS (2 x 6 W). Peak power: 24 W. Satellite featuring a gold-plated audio connector (not wall mountable). Speakers equipped with magnetic shielding for an interference-free environment. Line In input at the back of the speaker for connecting the main audio source, and auxiliary input for connecting MP3 players etc. Stereo headphones connector located on the right-hand side of the speaker. All switches and knobs are located on the front of the speaker: General volume control knob with standby position and treble volume control knob. External power supply allowing the maximum space possible within the casing for the sound to develop. Satellite measurements: 19 cm (H) x 10 cm (W) x 12 cm (D).
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