I just got these. The system consists of two small (3 inch cube, with permanently attached stands) satellites; a woofer box about 13x7x8 inches, and a control head/iPod dock. Connection is simple. I'm using them as the speakers on my PC, using the good old "green plug" 3.5mm analog connection. They will also work as speakers on a PC or Mac using a USB connection. That same USB cable is also used to connect to the built in iPod dock. You can also switch them to play directly from the iPod, as you would expect. You also get a wireless remote that can control all audio settings, plus control the docked iPod too. Finally, there is a headphone jack in the front. Power comes from the usual brick, similar to most laptops. I got these because I needed something a lot better than the usual clock-radio-quality ten-dollar computer speakers, for evaluating recordings and editing. I actually bought these on spec, without hearing them first, and I was pleasantly surprised when I did hear them. The sound quality is very good, verging on excellent, when used up close (as PC speakers tend to be). As long as you don't push them into distortion, they have a very clear "hi-fi" sound. A big part of this is that they don't have the "one note thump" bass disease that afflicts so many other systems of this type. If you play with (i.e.,crank up a bit) the built-in BASS eq system, you can make these sound pretty darned good. And with a little more playing around with EQ (a bit more high end),they sound even better. Cons? Well, of course they have volume limitations. You won't fill a large room with wall-shaking sound. (I have a full sized sound system for that job.) There's no true deep bass (but at least Sony didn't try to fake it with thump). And I will note that like many near-field speakers, there is a fairly tight "sweet spot". Meaning, they only sound really good when you are up close and personal with them, sitting centered between the satellites, with them aimed so the sound hits you at ear level. (There is a good reason why the stands tilt upward.) They will also sound better if the woofer is not buried under the desk, but is up top somewhere, perhaps behind the monitor. With those stipulations, I would say they do a very good job. They are sufficient to tell a poor recording from a good one, and will easily show how bad most MP3s sound. I couldn't ask much more at this price level. And even at a buck-and-a-half, the price is not that bad, considering you get an iPod dock in the bargain. The dock comes with a couple of iPod adapter plates, but not the right one for my iPod nano 5G. No worries, the standard Apple adapter plate fits perfectly, even if it is white. Overall, I am very pleased. Highly recommended.
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