Xbox Spherex 51000 6-Piece 5.1 Surround Sound System
by Spherex
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List Price: Category: Video Games See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Xbox Spherex 51000 6-Piece 5.1 Surround Sound System
Customer Review: ASTOUNDING SOUND QUALITY AND VALUE
Summary: 5 Stars
I actually do not own a XBOX. I want a SMALL surround sound system for my living room and I don't want too many bulky electronics. I decided to for for Spherex based on many raved reviews. The satellite speakers are based on the highly-regarded Omnipolar technology developed by Mirage system.
I was not disappointed
Out of the box there's MINIMAL adjustment needed - just hook up your TV's analog output and your DVD player's digital output to the subwoofer. There are 2 optical and one coaxial digital inputs and one analog input (total of 4 inputs). No need to buy bulky receiver / amplifier. After breaking-in the satellite speakers for a few hours (this is very important) and then put the subwoofer in the corner of my living room (where it should be placed), I fired up the system for critical listening.
My first impression is that this is a SUPERB, neutral sounding system. I also have a Rotel / Vandersteen surround system in my theater room (over 10 times the cost of the Spherex) and I have to say the Spherex system held on its own. Its sound stage is incredibly wide and deep, especially for my small living room. The treble is smooth, not fizzy. The subwoofer is full and tight-sounding, perfectly matching the satellites. I then hook up my home theater PC to it and play my classical MP3 collection ripped at 256 kbps via the Dolby Pro-logic II mode - again superb sounding.
For movies the Dolby Digital and DTS works superbly as well. The sound stage is again incredibtly wide and immersive. Try to watch the Lord of the Ring with Spherex and you will see what I mean.
Now the down-side. There's some mild static noise when no music is playing - it does not bother me at all, considering there's nothing in this price range (surround receiver + surround sound speakers) that can match the Spherex (I paid $380 shipped). Secondly, it doesn't look like audiophile product - then again it's only $380. Third, it doens't use regular speaker cables (it use RCA plug speaker cable - go figure.) I need more than 20 feet for my rear speakers so I have to go to Radioshack to buy longer cables.
Overall I am thrilled by the sound quality of the Spherex system.
Five Mirage Omnipolar speakers + a subwoofer + a receiver easly cost over $900. I have not compared it to the Logitech Z-5500 system which is probably Spherex's closed competition but it does not have the Omnipolar technology.
Bottom line - anyone looking for a small surround sound speaker system and don't want bulky electronics should check the Spherex out. YOU DON'T NEED A XBOX TO ENJOY THIS SYSTEM.
Customer Review: Probably the best 5.1 sound system under $500
Summary: 5 Stars
For the money this is a great system. It's easy to set up, you don't have to have a degree in sound design to balance your speakers and you can't beat the price. It took me longer to get it out of the box than it took me to get this puppy up and running. It will take some time finding a way to hide the wires. This is my first 5.1 surround system and after a lot of research (6 months) and hearing other systems this one beats others in its price range hands down.
On the positive side, the satellite speakers are heavy and have great output. The subwoofer is great in producing low end. You couldn't ask for more simpler hookup instructions. The omni polar design does make it a lot easier in finding the "sweet spot" no matter where you put them and they give you 2 optical audio inputs and one coaxial input as well as analogue inputs. They supply you with all the cables including a 1/8" jack to stereo RCA jacks so you could plug your Ipod, Nomad or whatever MP3 player you have. There is also a USB port for any future system upgrades via the web and an expansion slot for any future devices so this won't be an obsolete item in 6 month. Finally someone was using the old brain box. There is also a 10year-limited warranty.
There are a couple negatives. You are a slave to the IR box and the remote because this is the only way you are able to adjust any settings. I would have preferred a set of knobs on the subwoofer/amp to do some fine tweaking. And you may want to invest in a set of 20 ft audio cables (phono plug to phono plug) and a coupler for the rear speakers. Even though they give you a judicious amount of cable I found it still wasn't long enough to do what I wanted to do which was run the cables under the floor via the basement and come up the other side so you didn't see any cables hanging off of doorways and the walls. The optical cable that comes with the system was too short. I nearly broke it when I was hooking it up from my Xbox to the system. Also be careful handling the satellite speakers, those covers come off very easily so pick it up from the bottom.
To summarize, if you are looking for a reasonable priced, decent quality 5.1-surround sound system that a monkey could set up this is the product for you. Now if you will excuse me I have to get back to Doom 3.
Ciao
Customer Review: Excellent Sound, Easy Setup, Amazing Value!
Summary: 5 Stars
This system is incredible! I checked out many other set-ups at in-store test rooms and didn't find anything that sounded even remotely as good for less than $2000 (or less than 3x the size). The speakers fit practically anywhere and the sweet spot is literally everywhere; our entire living room, with 2 chairs and a HUGE sofa - which easily fits 4 or even 5 people - is enveloped entirely by perfect surround sound. I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend this system to anyone who is considering buying it; trust me, I did a ton of research and know that this is easily the best purchase you could possibly make. The sound is so clear and engrossing that without even realizing it you'll be completely absorbed in whatever movie or game you're playing at the time. I'm talking about that heart-racing, palm-sweating, edge-of-your-seat excitement that you can only experiece by being totally immersed in the media; even your old, favorite movies that you've seen a hundred times will seem new to you as you begin to hear things you've never noticed before. Also if you're a gamer, like I am, you'll realize very quickly how different, and better, all of your games play - when you can close your eyes and still feel exactly where everything is just by the sound - now that is an incredible experience (not to mention advantage). I could go on and on about it, but should keep this reasonably short, so I'll just finish by mentioning how much potential this system truly has; between the multiple inputs, firmware upgradeability, expansion slot, and 10-year warranty, this system will be state-of-the-art for the next 5 years, and still in your living room for at least a decade (most likely longer than your TV). Buy it and Love it!Customer Review: The best value under $500
Summary: 5 Stars
I wanted a surround sound system not just for gaming but for watching DVDs in Dolby 5.1 and DTS. After reading extensive reviews from gaming and home theatre sites, the choice was clear.
The Spherex system fits nicely in my apartment without taking up a lot of room, yet offers a sound experience much larger than its size suggests. I am impressed not just by the bass but by the clarity of the mid and high frequencies. Equally impressive is the wide sweet spot.
Gaming experience on the Xbox is so much better with the Spherex - epecially Doom 3 (you feel you are truly there with the sound immersion like when the door closes or a monster materializes behind you). Same goes for action movies.
The same sweet spot technology in the Spherex is also found in the higher end Mirage line of speakers at a fraction of the cost.
What's the con about this product? There is only one analog input but this becomes a diminishing requirement with everything going digital nowadays.
One thing I dislike is that the unit may still consume 60W in standby mode. I manually power off the unit via the rocker switch behind the subwoofer to avoid the 60W consumption.
Finally, what other product offers a 10-year warranty nowadays?
Customer Review: Great product
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this a few months ago for $150 and i would say its the best system available for such cheap price. I am not a tech genius but iam very happy with the system. The setup was a breeze and the sound was very good. I had the same problem with the remote, mentioned by another reviewer. The system suddenly doesnot respond to the remote and i have to switch it off using the switch in the back of the subwoofer. This has happened quite a number of times to get me annoyed. Since if i switch it off, i have to setup the surround speakers again and it takes a while. I use this speaker for my Xbox 360 through the optical input and it sounds wonderful. I started playing call of duty 2 the first time i bought it and i was amazed at the sound and effects. i could pretty much hear where people were shooting at me and also whether grenades were exploding to my left or right or front. It was amazing. I havent owned any other surround sound systems before but i am very happy with this one. Hopefully we would get more updates from the website, especially for the remote. Overall i would rate it a 5/5 (provided a update for remote is available pretty soon)