Up on the review block today I’ve got a
rather inexpensive set of speakers from Hercules called the XPS 2.1
40 Slim. The name comes from the fact that they’re 2.1 of course, 2
speakers and a sub woofer, but also because the satellite speakers
are thin and they should fit on most any desk or any other place
where space is limited. The cost is about $40, and for that price
they are well worth it I think, the sound is very good especially
considering the price. Included is an in-line remote for volume
control, but it also has a headphone jack on it and an input jack as
well so you can hook up an MP3 player or whatever and use the
speakers for sound from that device. So read on to learn more..
Product
Name: Hercules
XPS 2.1 40 Slim Speakers
Author: Kristofer Brozio
Sponsor: Hercules
Tech
Specs,Features or the Basic Info:
2.1 speakers with “Slim”
design
* Exclusive design: refined and
incredibly stylish. Beautiful, slim satellites that fit perfectly
into your room’s decor.
* Total power: 32 watts RMS (2
x 8W RMS + 16W RMS).
* Peak power: 64 watts
* Each satellite features dual
drivers
* Speakers are magnetically
shielded so as not to disturb your surroundings
* Headphone jack and secondary
line input on the remote control
* Integrated power supply
* Satellites feature a black
lacquered finish
* Satellite dimensions: 23.5cm
(height) x 5.8cm (width) x 7.2cm (depth)
* Subwoofer dimensions: 24cm
(height) x 16.5cm (width) x 20.5cm (depth)
* 1.8 meter cable to connect to
audio source
* Product meets RoHS standards
Compatible with:
-PC
-Netbook
-Mac
-MP3 player
-CD/DVD player
-TV
-Game consoles
Box contents:
-2 magnetically shielded
satellite speakers
-1 subwoofer
-1 wired remote control
-Connection cable to audio
source
-Warranty certificate and paper
manual
A
Better Look at Things:
How about a video unboxing to
start us off with:
So the speakers come in a box with
pictures on it and spec listed.
In the box you’ll find right and
left speakers along with sub woofer, remote control, power adapter and a user
manual.
The remote control is wired, on it
you’ll find input and headphone jacks along with a large volume
control knob and a power LED.
The sub woofer has a volume
control on it as well so you can adjust how much bass you want
manually.
The speakers are thin, there’s
where the set gets it’s name. They’re cloth covered and seems well
made.
On the back of the sub woofer
you’ll find inputs for the speakers and the power, along with a main
power switch.
On the bottom of the sub woofer is
the speaker itself, and there’s four nice big feet.
Installation,
Testing and Comparison:
There’s not much to the
installation process, you hook them up as you would any other
speakers really.
My setup isn’t your average setup
though, I’ve got a large desk and a table next to it, so I’ve got a
very large work space. I’ve got four monitors on my desk, and then my
PC on the table next to me and I found the cords reached everywhere
they needed to but they were a bit stretched, in other words it would
be nice if they were a bit longer.
I like the little remote that
comes with the speakers, it’s nice to be able to control the volume
that way. I had a set of Altec Lansing speakers that had a volume
control on the right speaker, but during a thunderstorm they got
fried, and I missed that ability. The control for these speakers have
line in and a headphone jack on them along with a blue LED indicating
power, along with the volume control knob of course.
As far as sound is concerned I
tested them quite a bit, I work from home so I listen to quite a bit
of music while I work on my computer and these sound very good
honestly.
The bass is very good from the sub
woofer, I actually had to turn it down as it was vibrating my desk
even with light bass style music.
The sound is full and clear, highs
are crisp and clear, and lows are very low.
Yes at high volumes it does get a
bit distorted, but that’s to be expected with most any speakers
really, especially lower priced ones.
For movies and gaming the sound
was very good as well, no complaints there.
As
far as price is concerned, I checked over at Amazon and found them
for $39.99, which
is much lower than I expected.
So I’m very impressed with these
speakers really, especially considering the price.
Summary
and Comments:
For the price I’m truly impressed
by these speakers, they actually sound very good. If I didn’t know
the price I would think they cost at least two to three times more
than they do.
They’re well made, and they look
very good. The black color should fit in with any décor, and the
speakers are nice and thin so they will not take up much space on
your desk.
DragonSteelMods gives the Hercules
XPS 2.1 40 Slim Speakers a 4.5 out of 5 score.
Pros:
+Decent sound
+Low price
+Well made and look good
Cons:
-Cords could be longer
review# 650
Disclosure: This product was given to DragonSteelMods for review by the company
for review purposes only, and is not considered by us as payment for
the review, we do not, never have, and never will, accept payment
from companies to review their products.
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learn more about our review policy, testing methods and ratings
please see this page.