SVEN MS-106 is one of the few decorative systems featuring a pleasant combination of small size, affordable price and wireless control. A full-function remote control in this price bracket, which is $25, is an exceedingly rare occurrence. This is why the model we are reviewing is not just beautiful but convenient as well.
Appearance and Design
The appearance of the MS-106 triphonic system really deserves our most flattering comments. The designers have obviously put a lot of work into it. The satellites slightly remind of flattened and truncated cones. Their cabinets are made up from glossy black plastic, and on the front side they have metal grilles with tiny holes. For desktop installation, there are silvery stands providing excellent contrast with the basic black color.
The subwoofer is designed as a replica of a full-sized low-frequency speaker. Its cabinet is manufactured from small MDF boards decorated as wood imitation with a special film. The silvery plastic stand serves for installation on any horizontal surface, and it raises the cabinet some centimeters higher. It’s done to avoid damage to the down-firing driver.
The decorative ring on the front surface of the subwoofer performs several functions at once. First, it’s a superb decoration. Second, it has a bass reflex port integrated in the center, and there are volume control buttons carefully hidden at the top of the ring. Finally, we couldn’t but mention that most modern sets of the kind made by SVEN are equipped with an additional mic jack. MS-106 is no exception.
The wireless remote features a neat thin rectangular plate. Its buttons allow not just master volume control, but also treble adjustment and subwoofer boost control.
Using Experience
Perhaps, discussing frequency response might seem needless here, but still let’s have a look at the diagram. The system starts playing at about 70 Hz. There is some ripple in the frequency response, but the whole sound range is worked out. As to our personal opinion, the system can be given quite a good grade, taking its price into account. The sound of the satellites is a bit far from the original, with slight sharpness and resonance, which adds some special beauty. The subwoofer doesn’t do its job to the full, but it really helps the satellites at the lows. The volume is high without achieving obvious non-linear distortions, and it’s quite enough for a small-sized room.
Conclusion
To sum it up, we must admit that SVEN MS-106 was a pleasant surprise for us, not just because of its appearance, but also because of the sound and the included wireless remote. Such a decorative speaker system will become a pretty pleasant upgrade for such a device as a laptop.
