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Thermaltake Xpeaker Panel |
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Written by Mikhail Ivanenkov
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Wednesday, 13 June 2007 |
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Page 2 of 2
The top slides off using 4 screws. Once inside, we can see exactly how simple this device really is. On either side are a pair of 2 watt drivers (yes, 2 watts). These are protected by steel boxes which are held in place via two screws each. Given the low output of each driver, these cases are most likely used for acoustic purposes rather than EMI shielding. Both speakers are wired to a central PCB which contains the rest of the electronics. The rear features hookups for the power, external audio, and internal CD-drive audio.
Installing the unit couldn't be simpler. Since it's basically a pair of speakers, no software is necessary. As soon as it receives power, it works. When you first turn the Xpeaker on all 8 LEDs activate for a couple seconds. Unfortunately, given the high presets that's the only time you'll see them all lit at once, especially for long periods of time. Then two of the blue central LEDs stay lit as long as the power is on. The rest of the lights pulsate to audio beats. The higher the volume, the more lights will activate.
To give you a better idea of how it works, I shot a 30 second, 7MB AVI of the Xpeaker in action. You can download it by clicking the image above. The clip starts out with the "bass" activated. Pay attention to the difference in how many LEDs light up when the bass is turned on and off. That's another interesting point: the bass only increases the volume. The drivers are too small and too weak to reproduce any low frequencies, so the result is a slight boost in sound levels. As for distortion, there really is none since it never reaches levels where it would be noticeable. In short, these are quiet speakers.
For what it's worth, the Xpeaker is a neat contraption and useful in certain situations. However the hype is rather misleading. Thermaltake claims (and I quote), "Play it LOUD!! Xpeaker builds you a heart-pumping experience for games, music, and more!!". This couldn't be further from the truth. I did almost everything with the setup: fragging, listening to some tunes, watching a movie, etc. Yes, it's bearable, but the fact remains that the speakers are low on both physical dimensions and power. Therefore, any low frequency reproduction is unheard of. That's not to say it's a flop. Built-in speakers have their niche, albeit a small one. To that end, Tt created a decent integrated speaker device. It's just that relative to the hype (after all Thermaltake calls it a "Professional Music Kit") it's a bit disappointing.
Pros
- Well designed panel
- Old concept reborn
- Complete kit
- Sound activated LEDs
- Acceptable audio (a decent achievement given the limitations)
- Good performance as far as built-in speakers go
Cons
- No grips on the volume knob
- Bass control only changes the volume (speaker are too weak to reproduce low frequencies)
- If you have case fans, some of the audio will be drowned out
- Doesn't live up to the hype (though I never expected it to)
Thermaltake's Xpeaker is a bit of a bold step. While Tt could have done a bit more with the device (perhaps using larger drives and taking up two 5.25" bays), even serious tweaking couldn't match the performance of budget $10 speakers. Long story short, if you require built-in speakers for whatever reason (convenience, no real need for audio), the Xpeaker is a good choice, but if you want to play games, listen to music, and watch movies while getting a better-than-merely-acceptable experience, a pair of generic speakers is the way to go. Nevertheless, you can find a list of retailers here.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 25 July 2007 )
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