Original article has been published on the web site www.igromania.ru
January 2010
Dmitry Kolganov

It is very difficult to estimate portable speaker systems, because habitual criteria of sound quality are not applicable to it. Speakers designed for a quick transportation or journeys cannot sound similar to their table counterparts and this must be taken into consideration. We test mobile systems for quite a long time and we are satisfied with some rare models. Today we test just such speakers – SVEN PS-34.

Its design is a main difference of this system from usual portable loudspeakers. SVEN Company offers a 2.0 system and at that, it abandons batteries: PS-34 required much higher power, than batteries can provide, therefore the set operates through USB. So that new system is exclusively for owners of notebooks, as well as for those people, who are bored with cheap tweeters but big table speakers are not required.

Design

In outward appearance PS-34 resembles a serious speaker system on a very reduced scale. Two black satellites 17 cm high lie in the package and that is quite well for a speaker system of such type. They are completely plastic. Cases are glossy, but the front panel is covered with a shallow grill. There are two loudspeakers under it. But only upper loudspeaker can be connected to the power supply network. The second one is a passive emitter, it operates based on vibrations in its case.

SVEN names such position as a sound bar (musical bar).

SVEN Company offers two variants of PS-34 placing. They can be placed as an ordinary 2.0 speakers on each side of a monitor. There are two sliding supports on the rear panel for this purpose: speakers are placed to an inclined position in such a way that loudspeakers should be directed to a listener. Other variant is to make of the system one horizontal speaker using four loudspeakers. There are special holes on the bottom of each speaker and a two-sided support is included in the package content: so you are able to fix both satellites on it and you will get one long emitter. It looks extremely stylishly beneath a monitor.

Network

Speakers are connected to the computer through a USB port. The cable is quite long to reach to the system block, even it is placed under the table. Satellites are connected to each other with an undetachable thin wire. The whole control is digital and it operates directly with the control panel of Windows. Well, SVEN PS-34 can control programmed players: there are the small buttons on the left speaker to control the volume level, mute sound/microphone and rewind tracks.

Control buttons are on the left speaker and operate directly with Windows.

As these speakers are used also as a sound board, they have headphones and microphone jacks. They are located on the left speaker on the side part (if placed horizontally – on the top). But there is no separate linear input there, unfortunately you will not be able to connect a MP3 player.

Sounding

These speakers are portable speakers; therefore, we strongly reduced our requirements to the sound: power supply through a USB port and low capacity impose limitations on the quality. In this case, we can say only that SVEN PS-34 sounds adequately for its class of speaker systems. They reproduce authentically modern pop music and, if you do not go too far with the volume they will be able to reproduce more difficult rock. At that, there is even hint of bass parties, about which you usually should hold your tongue regarding portable speaker systems. In regard to movies and games SVEN PS-34 sounds much better than any notebook loudspeakers, and their location on each side of a display provides a clear idea about stereo scene.

SVEN PS-34 speaker system is an unusual portable system. Well, it is better not to compare their sound with serious 2.0 systems, but for speakers of the “always with you” class it one of the best variants, the more especially as their price is RUB 700.