Let’s face it. The speakers on my laptop are pretty crappy, not only in terms of volume but also in terms of sound quality. Sure, they get the job done in letting me know when I’ve received an instant message, but if I really want to enjoy my music, movies, or gaming, I really have to go with some sort external speaker system.
Even so, most of the smaller two speaker systems that you find on the market are less than fantastic. I know that the el cheapo set that came with my mom’s desktop weren’t exactly impressive. The M-Audio Studiophile AV 20 Portable Desktop Speaker System, on the other hand, is supposed to bring studio-quality sound in a reasonably compact package. Does it deliver? Well, let’s just say that it’s just a few notches above better than nothing.
Full Features
M-Audio, previously known as Midiman, is a company that typically provides a series of digital audio and MIDI solutions for “today’s electronic musicians and audio professionals.” While most of their line hits up the higher-end of the market, the Studiophile AV 20 speaker system is supposed to be more entry-level and more accessible by the average consumer. That’s not to say that it doesn’t bring anything to the table, though.
According to the official spec sheet, the M-Audio Studiophile AV 20 Portable Desktop Speaker System comes with the following features:
- optimized for computer audio including music, DVDs and games
- acclaimed M-Audio technology used in pro recording studios
- separate high- and low-frequency drivers with crossover
- high-fidelity 10-watt-per-channel internal amplification
- custom cabinet with dense wood construction for full, warm sound
- tight, accurate low-frequency response
- smooth, crisp highs
- OptImage III wave guides for superior stereo imaging
- portable design
- magnetic shielding for desktop use
Build Quality
Typically, when you purchase a desktop computer from a big box store, you get a set of stereo speakers for free. These are usually made by guys like Polk Audio (in the case of HP, anyways) and they are tiny plastic wonders that pump out the sound in the softest of manners. Wanna thump away with some hip hop? Wanna feel the rattle of your fragging machine gun? Good luck, because these little plastic wonders, which are usually not much bigger than a grapefruit, offer some of the worst sound quality I have ever seen…err…heard. Their construction is equally cheap and disappointing, but for most users of the web, word processors, and instant messengers, these speakers serve their purpose. They don’t do much more.
Contrast that to the Studiophile AV 20 speaker system from M-Audio. These speakers are decidedly bigger than their el cheapo counterparts, measuring about 8-inches tall and almost 6-inches deep at the base. I’m very pleased with the physical build quality on these speakers. Instead of a cheap plastic exterior, you actually get a “custom cabinet with dense wood construction.” It definitely feels solid and has similarities in some ways to home theatre speakers with an MDF-like cabinet.
It’s also notable that there is a significant amount of weight to these speakers, and that can probably be attributed to the un-plastic cabinet as well. Plastic is lighter, after all. Because of the tight construction, there is minimal rattle and vibration, which is also a good thing.
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Setup and Installation
There are no drivers and no real installation involved. The M-Audio Studiophile AV 20 comes packaged with a standard RCA audio cable and this plugs into the back of the left speaker. On the other end of this cable is a conventional 3.5mm audio connection and this gets plugged into the headphone jack on your laptop.
Because of the RCA connection, these speakers are really compatible with just about anything. You can use them as part of your home stereo, for example, or even as a speaker system for your iPod. The 3.5mm plug makes the connection very easy.
To complete the setup, two other cables are involved. There is a power cord that you plug into the wall; this is one disadvantage over the smaller desktop speakers that come with your computer. The second cable is standard speaker wire (+/-) that you use to connect the left speaker with the right speaker. This is the only connection coming out of the right speaker.
I personally found that most of these cables were too short. The power cord is probably only six feet, as is the speaker wire that connects the two speakers. I would have liked a little extra length for added versatility.
Sound Quality and Performance
Each speaker has two separate drivers. There is a one-inch ferrofluid-cooled Mylar balanced-dome tweeter near the top of the speaker and a two-inch composite paper/fiberglass woofer near the middle. Around the back is a port for added airflow, providing you with more thumping and bumping. There’s also magnetic shielding to prevent any sort of interference with your desktop peripherals.
Below the woofer on the left speaker is a volume knob which also turns the speaker system on and off. Behind the knob is a glowing blue light that makes for quite the attractive appearance. In terms of sound quality, it was reasonably crisp and tight for the low to mid-volumes, but when I cranked it up a little higher, there was significant distortion. I’d recommend keeping the volume at about the 40-50% range.
Sound production is also quite a bit better than the integrated speakers on most laptops and significantly better than the cheap plastic pack-in speakers for most desktops. You get 10 watts per channel for a total of 20 watts of sound production. This is roughly equivalent to small boomboxes and other stereo systems.
In the end, I found performance to be adequate, but not anything that I’d write home about. It’s a step up from bargain speakers, but I wouldn’t exactly call the M-Audio AV 20 Portable Desktop Speaker System a “studio quality” unit. Speaking of portable, without any concessions for batteries, they aren’t THAT portable though with the selectable voltage, I guess you could take them with you if you get ousted from North America.
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Worth the Asking Price?
With an MSRP of $129.95, the M-Audio AV 20 is obviously not the cheapest desktop speaker system on the market, but its build and sound quality are several steps above its cheaper counterparts. If you want a more powerful solution, M-Audio also offers very similar speaker systems with 30W and 40W of total sound production, appropriately called the AV 30 and AV 40. I would recommend looking at these high end options if you really want something that plays loud and proud.
The solid wood construction and the dual driver design make the Studiophile AV 20 a formidable buy, but for $100+, I’d rather invest in a 5.1 system. However, for those setups where you can’t spread out five speakers adequately, the AV 20’s might just be an option for you…albeit a pricey one.
Pros
- Wood construction is solid and professional
- Deeper lows and higher highs than other compact (plastic) speakers
- Attractive dual driver design with blue-lit volume knob
- Easy to pack up and move
- Versatile RCA connections
Cons
- Severe sound distortion at higher volume levels
- Cords and cables are quite short
- Pricey (MSRP $129.95)
Overall Rating: 8.0 / 10.0
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