BXR1220 Computer Stereo Speaker System - Black [PC]

I purchased these as an "upgrade" for the broken Trust 2.1 system that my mother-in-law was using. I had a choice between unbranded for >£10 or Altec Lansing, Trust and Logitech for £10-£20. I blew trust straight out of the window, and while I know and trust Logitech for they Keyboards, Mice and Joysticks; I was reading too many mixed reviews about their speakers. And so I went down the Altec Lansing route. I think I should say I was buying off the high street and could not wait to order anything, so that restricted my choices somewhat.

I bought my BXR-1220's from Maplin for £19.99 - a bit higher than their average price, but that is what you pay for convenience.

On to the product. Each speakers is about the size of a can of coke, with the right hand speaker housing the discrete controls. An on/off knob, rather than a push switch, on the rear and a sunken, edge on, volume dial/knob in the top. Both knobs give strong positive feedback when being used, and cannot be accidentally changed. The right speaker also houses an orange power LED in the top of the front of the speaker. Connectivity wise, the right speaker has a cable running to the left speaker and a cable that runs to the back of the computer where it splits into a 3.5mm stereo audio jack and a male USB type-A plug. The cable is of a reasonable length. The USB provides power only, and as such there are no drivers to install. The build quality is very good. The plastic does not feel thin, there are no gaping cracks or gaps and nothing feels loose. The sound quality also seems very good. I am not an expert here, and these speakers will not replace hi-fi cabinets - but at this size any reasonable person would not expect them to do so. That said, they seem perfect for general listening with, to my ears, no noticeable distortion, even at maximum volume and a seemingly even sound quality from base through to treble.

=== PRO's ===
* Smart and compact.
* USB power - does not need a power transformer or mains socket.
* Good build quality.
* Good sound quality for the size of speaker.
* Reasonable price.
* Portable, allowing for powered speakers to be used with laptops and netbooks without resorting to batteries.

=== CON's ===
* Requires a free USB port.
* No headphone pass-through socket.
* Whilst portable, they are still a little bulky.
* Cannot adjust the built-in stands.
* On/off switch may require the use of two hands due to the location and type of switch. A push switch would have been better for rear mounting.

Overall impression.
For a pair of reasonably priced, smart looking, compact speakers, I cannot fault them. The lack of a headphone socket may be an issue for some, as could the need for the USB port. However it was the latter that swung it for me, and even with the lack of the headphone socket they still get 5 stars from me.

Excellent for boosting the sound of your laptop, bass is good, but not booming if that is what you are looking for. I use them for listening to music on my laptop in the garden, and for that it is perfect, and you can't really argue with the price. An added bonus is that there is no need for batteries as they draw power from usb, so they are pretty light too.

These speakers are plug & play, compact, inexpensive, the sound quality is good and ideal if space is limited. Its powered through USB cable and personally it suits me fine because I didnt want yet another AC plug in the socket. I bought them for my PC and the sound is so much better by far than the monitor speaker. I have not tried them with my netbook yet because they are, i think, just a bit too big to be that portable. Bottom line, good value for money and pleased with my purchase.