Hercules brought us the impressive XPS-210s and XPS-510 speaker sets. These represented quality sound at decent prices. Now we see the XPS-2.100 with the XPS-5.100s soon to follow. These speakers are more powerful and prettier to look at.
The satellites incorporate the 2 x 1” neodymium drivers pumping out 12.5 Watts RMS each. The satellites can be pivoted on their base, allowing for more control in speaker placement, such as wall mounting above ear level. The subwoofer features a large bass reflex tube, providing frequencies from 30 – 150Hz. This is all a step up from the original XPS range, providing a more powerful, clear and sharper sound than previous models.
Also included in this system is a wired remote which connects to the rear of the subwoofer. This means the sub can be shoved in the corner under your desk where it belongs, as power, volume, bass and treble controls are located on this remote. Headphones can also be connected to the remote which has a piece of Velcro for attaching either onto the side of the sub, or better still, your desk or monitor. The remote sports a nice blue LED when powered on.
We tested on a SoundBlaster Live, across a range of sound types. When playing 192KB/s MP3s at low to moderate levels, the sound quality is quite good. The bass was responsive and not muddy. The mid to upper tones were acceptably full and detailed. As we increased the volume, however, the mid tones started to hollow out, losing some of the depth and clarity. The bass remained rich and mostly undistorted, but the overall sound quality was less than we expected at these higher volumes.
Similar results were achieved while watching DVDs. Gaming, however, was a different story. Even at high volume, sound was detailed and immersive, with a wide stereo separation and fat pumping bass.
Not a bad system from Hercules. They look better than the original XPS system, and would suit most small environments.
Issue: 137 | June, 2012