Edifier M3300SF - a top 2.1 sound solution (From The Northern Echo)

Edifier M3300SF - a top 2.1 sound solution

8:59pm Tuesday 24th August 2010 in

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BIG beefy hi-fi speakers offer unrivalled sound but they do have their drawbacks.

To get the best from serious speakers you need a serious set of hi-fi separates. It's no good plugging them into a mini system and expecting crystal-clear sounds.

Hi-fi speakers lack magnetic shielding - so don't go putting them near a television or a computer monitor.

And they come in hulking great ugly cabinets that need careful placement – not great feng shui.

The sound is surprisingly full, plucking details from your music, movies and games you probably haven't noticed before

Nigel Burton

Flat panel speakers offer the perfect solution if you don't have much room or just can't stand the idea of big speakers cluttering up the place.

Originally developed for the military, flat panel technology is totally different from traditional speakers.

Almost ever since the first flat panel speakers went on sale audio lovers have argued over their relative merits from a musical point of view.

In their favour, flat speakers don't have a “sweet spot” (the ideal point at which the stereo image comes together) like conventional speakers so placement becomes easier. It seems almost eerie to move around the room without the soundfield collapsing.

But even their biggest supporters will admit that flat panels just don't “do” bass.

As a result, a system using flat panel speakers will often sound thin and weedy.

Edifier's solution is to pair a couple of flat panels with a hefty sub-woofer to handle the bass notes.

The M3300SF is a compact 2.1 multimedia speaker system that uses 2-way flat panel satellites and a powerful 6.5” subwoofer, controlled by a handy wired remote sitting on your desk.

The sound is surprisingly full, plucking details from your music, movies and games you probably haven't noticed before – and the soundfield is wide enough to give a surround-sound effect in smaller rooms.

Edifier reckons the M3300SF is a great accompaniment to a PC and I'd agree – but it also makes an excellent companion for an MP3 player or a cheap way of drastically improving the usually dreadful sound from flat screen TVs these days.

The side firing sub can be hidden beneath a desk (the very low bass notes it produces aren't directional, so you can stash it out of sight) and the gloss black satellites, sitting on nifty little silver stands, are dinky enough to perch on even the smallest desk. Alternatively, they can be wall mounted.

The 54w overall output is big enough to fill a medium-sized room and the speakers go loud enough to prompt complaints from the neighbours.

Edifier's asking price of £59.99 makes this a very cost-effective audio upgrade for a PC and a fine speaker/amp set up for an MP3 player.