Excellent 2.0 Speakers - Solid Sound - Solidly Built

UPDATE: Once I moved the speakers straight back as far as possible towards the wall behind them - and thus the sound bounces of the wall behind me - there's an enormous improvement. The sound is full, rich and deep.

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But they cannot, and are not, a replacement for 2.1 or higher speakers. The mid- and high ranges are excellent, but the bass really needs its separate outlet. The overall first impression is a rather flat sound but if you have a good sound card and/or a good sound application most of these shortcomings can be alleviated.

They're built like brick outhouses - the most solid computer peripherals I've seen in a long time. And, in a fit of absolute genius, no separate power brick but an actual, honest to goodness old-fashioned plug that goes straight into the wall. (Hallelujah!)

Should be free....

I'll not say much other than everyone who is giving these 4 & 5 stars must have VERY low expectations. I realize these are cheap speakers, but most the free speakers I've had over the years with computer I've bought are better than these.

- Tinney: like a drain pipe
- NO bass: yes there is a Bass response, similar to thumping on a scratchy balloon.

These are fine for very low volume use.

Better Than Most - Especially For The Price

For the price: These are tough, sturdy attractive looking speakers. In fact, better than most. The treble is excellent and the mid-range is near perfect. The bass is a high-bass, so don't expect your desk to rumble, but the overall quality of sound is very good. There is distortion after a ¾ turn of the dial. The orange "on" light is a bit bright (I'd prefer blue or green, but that is a minor concern). The volume control does make a pronounced difference in loudness, but the tone control varies only in the absence of bass. It is easy to set up and there is a convenient headphone jack and a single male plug for external music sources (not great for iPod users - you'll still need to use your computer's USB port).