Small speaker systems powered through USB are interested first of all to owners of notebooks. This is due to the fact that such systems will reproduce the sound regardless of the availability of an electric power socket until the battery charge is over. But the power supply through a USB port does not in any way limit the sphere of speakers use, but extends it a little bit only. And today we will examine the system, which is not oriented exceptionally for the use with notebooks – it is SVEN OMNI. Furthermore, this speaker system is distinguished among analogues by its very original design and interesting constructional solutions.
Package and package content
The system is packed in a relatively small box decorated in blue colors. There is a small transparent window in the left lower corner, through which you can partially see the speaker system being inside.
Besides the speaker system, we found two cables in the box, one of which was the power cord being connected to a USB port, and the second cable was a signal cable being connected to the sound card output. There were also the User’s Manual and warranty card in the box.
Appearance and design
The form of SVEN OMNI is so interesting that it is even difficult to describe it by words; there is nothing to do but only to offer to our readers to see its photo.
The front panels of both speakers are practically identical and they are grey-blue plastic circles, into the center of which 50 mm loudspeakers are mounted hidden behind metal grills. The grills, in their turn, have the form of a dome. Distinctions consist only in the availability on the active speaker of an indicator of activity, which combines two duties, i.e. the volume level control. The indicator during the speaker system operation lights white. If the front panels are mat, then the cases of speakers are black and glossy at that. There are two inputs on the rear panel of the active speaker – one for the power cord and the second one – for the signal cable.
The availability of just two jacks indicates about two features. Firstly, the signal to the system is supplied from the sound card output, but not through a USB port, as it is sometimes. Secondly, the speaker system can be powered not only through a USB port, but from any suitable 5 V power adapter as well.
Speakers are connected to one another with a nonremovable cable. But the most interesting thing, in this case, reveals on the bottom. And it is, of course, not three soft legs. A passive emitter is mounted there. The producer asserts that such a solution enables to reduce the resonant frequency of the system and extend the range of reproduced frequencies. It has, by the way, the following declared range: 120 Hz – 18 KHz. That is, in this case the improvement of LF reproduction is assumed, but even rather the lower part of middle frequencies. On top of all of that, the dimensions and the case shape of SVEN OMNI do not enable to use a phase inverter.
Suspensions of passive emitters are framed with semitransparent plastic rings, where the white light struggles through them. Such a solution looks especially effectively in darkness. The plastic of speakers is quite thick and of high quality. There are no creaks or crackles at all under the physical impact to cases.
Subjective listening and impressions
The capacity of SVEN OMNI is 2 + 2 W, it is obvious the decorative orientation of the speaker system. Nevertheless, it is good in spite of its size; even with a high volume level, the plastic case does not produce any rattles. Needless to say about perceptible bass, clear high frequencies and the scene construction in this case. But other than that the sounding is more or less correct.
If to compare SVEN OMNI with other inexpensive speakers of small capacity, which are chosen frequently to substitute speakers of a notebook or purchased as a gift, then the examined speaker system in many instances will be more advantageous.
Conclusion
SVEN OMNI is above all a decorative speaker system. Both its futuristic design and the backlighting use hints at it. However, at that it sounds perfectly due to the use of quite rare, especially in affordable solution, a passive emitter. You are able not only to listen to the music using this speaker system, it does also to sound movies, as well as games.
The price of SVEN OMNI is from $ 20 – it is not much, but the speaker system gets its way, firstly, by its universality, because it can be powered both through a USB port and from the power supply system – only a suitable power adapter is required. Secondly, by its design. Not everybody wants to see on his table standard black cubes or cylinders, and in this case, OMNI can be just the thing, which is required, because the appearance of this speaker system is actually cosmic.