The modern market of multimedia speaker systems is overfilled with various offers from the most different companies for all tastes, color and wallet. There are portable micro/tiny systems, appendages to the Apple electronics, as well as there is a great number of other versions to listen to audio in the most unpredictable conditions. If a speaker system is designed to operate in a specific situation, then we can forgive it certain imperfections, but only not in the case if speakers are designed for household use, for formation of the home theater and for maximum qualitative audio reproduction from different multimedia sources.
The competition at this market is quite high and specialists and customers meet every new good very meticulously. A new product of SVEN Company, MS-3000 2.1 channel multimedia speaker system, stands a good chance to take a rightful place among qualitative modern solutions for the home use. Let's get it straight, why.
Package
Let us look at the carton. There are main system parameters on it, as well as a possibility to connect different removable flash storage devices is indicated there, that makes the speaker system compatible with many devices. Right away it is necessary to note the support of music replay from SD memory cards, as well as the built-in FM tuner availability.
Package content
In addition to speakers, subwoofer and amplifier unit, the following item are included in the supply package:
- 2RCA to mini-jack signal cable
- Audio cables (3pcs)
- Antenna wire
- Power cable
- Remote control
- Operation manual
- Warranty card
Appearance. Controls
The system looks quite compact. The subwoofer dimensions are 265 x 265 x 265 mm, satellites – 120 x 202 x 125 mm, amplifier unit – 69 x 200 x 220 mm. The general design is sustained in the classic style for multimedia home speaker systems. Coating of speakers and subwoofer is cherry stylized, so the system, most probably, will successfully blend with any modern interior.
Let us consider the design of speakers-satellites. The case of loudspeakers is made of MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), which theoretically improves the playback of low frequencies spectrum substantially.
The arrangement of high-frequency and middle-frequency loudspeakers in satellites is standard, as in the most multimedia systems. There is a bracket between the loudspeaker cone and the woofer and squawker case. The tweeter dome diameter is 22 mm; the diameter of the squawker loudspeaker cone (broadband) is 90 mm.
The loudspeaker cone material of both loudspeakers is fabric with special impregnation; in case of high-frequency twitter it is more flexible and elastic. The estimated and checked elasticity of loudspeaker cones provides quite smooth amplitude-frequency characteristic in the given frequency range for satellites 150–25,000 Hz.
There is the phase inverter and standard terminals to connect the amplifier on the rear side of speakers. Provision is made for the wall mounting of speakers.
The subwoofer is actually a cube with the rib length 265 mm. It is also made of the same material as satellites, i.e. MDF.
Huge 165 mm low-frequency loudspeaker cone allows naturally and evenly reproducing frequencies in the declared sound range 35-150 Hz.
The amplifier unit contains main controls. There is a display unit on the front panel upper part to display current settings or time, if the device is in the stand-by mode. There are buttons in the upper part of the amplifier case to select an operation mode, and lower there are controls to change power level of high and low frequencies, as well as the master volume control.
Three connectors are located on the front panel: to connect USB flash devices with musical files in MP3 format, headphones jack and linear AUX input. On the right lateral side of block there is the slot for SD-cards is located on the side panel.
The amplifier rear panel contains standard connectors for linear connection of speakers and the FM-antenna jack. There are inputs to connect a computer, as well as an additional linear input in the upper part. The power cable connector and the ON/OFF switch key are located in the lower part.
The audio path of SVEN MS-3000 system is executed on three microcircuits, which are quite popular in designs of modern multimedia systems, TV-sets and motor-car audio equipment. The first microcircuit is a four-channel digital switch-controlled audio processing unit based on PT2313L CMOS chip produced by Princeton Technology Company. The preliminary signal amplification, tone control, commutation of inputs etc. are done with its help.
The chip is executed in the 28-pin SO housing and it is plug compatible with TDA7313 analogue.
Another two microcircuits – TPA3123D2 (the nearest analogue is TPA3120D2) produced by Texas Instruments, executed in TSSOP 24-pin housing and covered with the heat-removing radiator, are used as the class-D end amplifiers. Every chip is able to increase two channels with loading 4 Ohm up to 25 W power per channel with supply voltage 27 V or up to 20 W per channel with supply voltage 24 V, at that the chip operates in the range of supply voltages from 10 to 30 V.
InMS-3000 system one of such chips is used to amplify the output stereo signal to satellites (2 х 20 W), but the second chip in the bridge tied is the amplifier of the subwoofer (40 W).
According to the declared characteristics of TPA3123D2 chip, at the ordinary switching on, the total harmonic distortion + noise (THD+N) with loading 4 Ohm at the output power 10 W does not exceed 0.08%, and the signal-to-noise ratio at the maximum power at THD+N < 1% and f = 1 KHz makes about 99 dB. This can be considered as a worthy level for a multimedia amplifier of such class.
The pulse power supply unit of the system is placed on a separate board. Connectors to connect speakers and the subwoofer are located directly on the board of amplifiers, but the linear input on the switching card, which is located under the front false panel, is connected to the amplified with the shielded cable.
With the help of the remote control you can control the audio system entirely without the necessity to use the amplifier.
By and large the speaker system is controlled fairly simple and does not cause any claims, every invoke setting is clear displayed on the digital display of the amplifier.
FM radio reproduction
There are no problems at all with the mode of radio stations reproduction in the FM range. Most popular radio stations are reproduced qualitatively even with the use of supplied antenna, and in the stereo mode at that. Stations are scanned automatically promptly, but you can scan radio stations manually as well.
Sound. Operation impression
We were pleasantly surprised with the sound quality of SVEN MS-3000 speaker system. There was a task for our editorial staff to find shortcomings by the method of music playing of absolutely different genres. The speaker system was able to cope well with any genres with ease: at times, it even seemed that it was able to unveil its potential in more considerable scales, than it was commonly supposed sufficient for systems of a similar class and the price bracket.
First of all we wanted to estimate the subwoofer efficiency on the example of electronic music with the saturated background of basses. With the maximum volume level neither timbre distortions nor intraframe vibrations were noticed, that is the incontestable advantage for amateurs to “thunder” to spite neighbors – the power will be over and above for this. The vocal and classic music are also played very naturally and pleasantly. Details are listened distinctly at the whole frequency range regardless of the voice pressure level of the system.
Maximum stereo effect is achieved at the farthest spatial separation of satellites in the room – due to long audio cables it is not a problem.
It will be recalled that the frequency coverage of the passive type subwoofer is in the range 35-150 Hz with the output power 40 W. This allows playing sounds of low frequencies in detail even at small volume level. Thanks to the Loudness tone compensation system, the equalizing powers of basses and high frequencies, the sound panorama turns out more saturated and surrounded, at that the total dynamics of the sound stream remains natural. This mode can be named as the general-purpose one, because after the Loud mode activation, you hardly probable will want to switch it off.
This function is also actual one when it is used as a speaker system for a TV-set. So, during viewing of movies every detail will be distinctly audible, even if the volume level is minimum.
The possibility also exists of selective level correction of high and low frequencies (Bass/Treble), but these parameters will have to be controlled depending on the music type, i.e. quite often.
Amplitude-frequency characteristics were directly provided by SVEN Company. Frequency response plot is smooth, without visible sharp steep slopes and transitions. The frequency range is represented in accordance with initial characteristics.
Conclusions
It is rather arduous task to choose a speaker system of high quality, but at the same time a cost effective system. Many producers offer either inexpensive devices compatible with Apple gadgets, or even for considerably more money, but multipurpose and more professional.
Modern speaker systems, including SVEN MS-3000, are already deprived disk drives for the music play from CD-ROM carriers – they belong to the past decade, so their absence will not influence on the popularity of this model. The product of SVEN Company perfectly blends with a niche of high-quality cost effective speaker systems, because a suggested market price of SVEN MS-3000 in Russia is RUB 4,500 only.