Ultimate sound for your desktop PC !!
Written: Feb 06 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Good quality of digital sound, space saving, powerful, hi-tech and well priced.
Cons: Some design aspects needs some changes.
The Bottom Line: The only sound you'll ever need for your desktop PC. Dynamic, powerful and crystal clear sound by a 3-piece speaker system that doesn't blow a hole in your wallet.
|
|
|
| ivanhgomes's Full Review: Boston Acoustics 635 Speaker System |
Boston Acoustics is well known in the audio market and now commonly heard as the sound provider of today’s latest desktops PCs. Being a rival to the other market leading brands like Altec Lansing, Creative Labs and Klipsch; Boston acoustics have been consistently developing new sound systems for the desktops PCs fairly well and always comes up with more new updated models entering the PC speaker market.
Many people may not know of the Boston Acoustics history of producing good sounds for today as it goes way back in 1979 when Andy Kotsatos and the late Frank Reed teamed-up based on their experiences to start the business for this award-winning PC speakers of today. By its name ‘Boston Acoustics’, I won’t be surprised that many would think that the production was based in Boston, Massachusetts. Well, in the actual fact, Boston Acoustics manufacturing plant is presently based in Peabody, Massachusetts. Currently, operational with its 350 work force manufacturing over 100 products; Boston Acoustics also have its own Design & Manufacturing Department. We definitely know that it takes decades in research & design for PC Speaker manufacturer like Boston Acoustics to get the award which they deserved. Presently, Boston Acoustic speakers have won many prestigious awards and some of them were the awards from Audio/Video International Magazine and Electronic Industries Association.
The BA635 was priced at $69.99 in Best Buy a couple of months ago. I decided to give it a test run when Best Buy had a $30 mail-in-rebate offer for the system and on top of that Best Buy also gave me a $20 Gift Card because of a promotion technicality mistake (previous week promotion was free $20 gift card and the week I bought it was $30 mail-in-rebate). At the time of which I’ve bought it, I got a really good deal on the BA635 since the price was slashed down to like $19.99 because I got the $30 mail-in-rebate and they gave me the $20 gift card too as both of the promotion tags were still up at that time by the store’s mistake.
The BA635 is one of the finest mid-range desktop computer speakers I have ever tested and I am using it everyday now. The BA635 was built with many excellent features:
SPEAKERS
The BA635 speaker system consists of 2 satellite speakers and a subwoofer. The Satellite speakers are 2 inch (50mm) wide each with wide-range driver capable of reproducing seven octaves of high and mid-frequencies with remarkable accuracy and smoothness. The satellite speakers each are 0.5 lbs (0.2kg) and in computer gray color. The Subwoofer uses a 4 and a half inch (115mm) bass driver in a ported enclosure and it delivers strong bass down to 55Hz. The port is flared at both ends to eliminate audible turbulence and the subwoofer unit’s weight is only 4 lbs (1.9kg)
Comments on the Speakers:
The speakers produce excellent quality of sound and the satellite speakers sits on plastic legs with a slight tilted-up angle facing the user at all time. The fantastic quality of sound produced by the satellite speakers will face directly to the user. The only lack from these satellites speakers are the rubber pieces on the plastic legs. The little rounded rubber pieces always moves away from its original position from time to time and don’t be surprised if one day you’ll find it went missing.
POWER
The Boston Acoustics BA635 speaker system has more to surprise you. The BA635 does not have any power on/off switch button at all !! The BA635 will turn on and off automatically when required. Works like your simple calculator and this is what you call a “hi-tech speaker”. The BA635 runs on a 12V AC/DC power and the adapter is included.
Comments on Power:
Power had always been the case of consideration in buying a speaker system and with the BA635, I wouldn’t know of any other good reason why someone would want to buy a bigger or more powerful PC desktops speaker than this (unless you run a studio at home I guess). Although the BA635 is categorized as a mid-range speaker, it delivers a digital high quality sound and don’t even mentioned about “how powerful is it ?”. This 3-piece system when set on a full volume is powerful enough to get the cops knocking on your front door !! Don’t even think about putting it into full volume as it is powerful enough to blast you from your chair while doing your work on the computer……and gamers, this would be something you need for a start to the good quality of sounds. The subwoofer piece place on top of my computer workstation, facing towards me at a distance of 2ft, turned on at half volume is already powerful enough to blow my hair like a hair-dryer. Louder than this ?? No Way !! I’m not planning to use a hearing aid at all !!!
DESIGN
The BA635 is a Powered Sub/Satellite System with MagnaGuard Magnetic Shielding. The satellite speakers are made of high-impact injection-molded ABS plastic and the reason for it was for its strength and characteristics. The satellite speaker has metal grills that are darker grey in color which are similar in color to the volume control knob. The system was design to take-up minimal space and it would fit in to any unoccupied space on the computer desk or workstation.
Comments on Design:
As you can see the design of the BA635 are slightly different than the rest of the 3-piece speaker system in the market. The sub-woofer for instance is not the common boxed type subwoofer and the speaker for the subwoofer and its outlet are facing directly towards you unlike the rest. Some might not like shape of the complete unit because the design of the system was not proportionate to one and another; you have one big subwoofer, one satellite speaker with a volume control with 3 huge wires coming out from the back of it and 1 satellite speaker just by itself. The design however, had a good reason for sure, by compromising with the design and became a big fat slightly rounded standing subwoofer with 2 little satellite speakers, the sound produced is so dynamic, crisp clear and perfect for such 3-piece system.
CONTROLS
The BA635 has a different concept than the common 3-piece speaker system in its class. Besides being a speaker with no power on switch, it also has many input/outputs located at the back of the subwoofer system. The subwoofer control which basically controls the bass sound for the system is located at the back of the subwoofer unit. On the back of the subwoofer unit itself there are 4 input/outputs for jacks, 1 for the power adapter and 3 for the speakers. The satellite speaker with the volume controls on its front has 3 jacks and one goes to the ‘right’ output (red) on the back of the subwoofer, one goes to the input source (purple) also on the back of the subwoofer and another one goes to your computer sound card (green). The other stand alone satellite speaker uses the white output on the back of the subwoofer.
Comments on Controls:
The controls are not really that conveniently located on this speaker system since the bass control knob is at the back of the subwoofer system and every different kind of sound you’re playing that needs a different bass level, makes you go nuts looking for the control at the back. The volume control which is located at the front on one of the satellite speakers is an easy access but, when you switch it up and down, the satellite speaker tend to move slightly all the time and don’t be surprised after doing it for some amount of time you’ll get a missing rubber piece leg.
Recommendations:
The BA635 has all to offer for a 3-piece speaker system and it is the finest in its class in comparison to sound quality and concept. If you need a crystal clear digital sound for your desktop computer, this is definitely the #1 choice. Well, nothing’s perfect right ?, with the lack of a conveniently designed bass control for this unit, it gives you in return the finest sound for a 3-piece speaker system. For the same budget range with this unit, don’t compare or consider it with other 3-piece speaker system; this is definitely the right choice, well unless; you are taking into consideration of the Altec Lansing ATP3 system. But then, would you have the space for an ATP3 system on your desktop ?
For the present user of the BA635, I recommend that the unit be handled with good care……and guys, you would definitely know what I mean by that. Not only the little rubber piece legs are something you need to watch for, you also have to take into consideration on where you want to place those nice little satellite speakers; because I presently have a dent on one of my speaker grill and it’s very hard to get it back in the right exact smooth shape. The unit was designed so accommodating that I can even placed it below my 17inch monitor and I had accidentally dent one of it while trying to adjust the position of my monitor. So guys, this unit needs a good place on the desktop and gentle handling too.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 19.99
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
ivanhgomes
|
|
Member: IVAN GOMES
Location: Michigan, U.S.A.
Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 2 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.