EV SonicXJR 2.1 – PC – Review

For some time now, Electro-Voice (EV) sound
systems have been chosen by audio professionals for bringing power and clarity
to a wide range of audio applications.  In fact, everyone who has ever
attended a concert, a club or a movie theater has most likely heard EV speakers,
whether they know it or not.  Offering products such as flyable speaker
systems, underwater speakers and everything in between, it’s obvious that EV
knows their audio.  Even though most people would probably love to have a
set of professional-grade EV speakers in their home; for a few different
reasons, this is not typically feasible.

Luckily though for us audio lovers, Telex
Computer Audio Products, in conjunction with EV, has recently decided to get
into the home multimedia market.  One of the products that has been
introduced for this segment is the SonicXJR 2.1, a 3-piece speaker system
designed to be used with personal computer systems.  With 120 watts of
total power (60 watts RMS), this system is focused on "hardcore multimedia"
enthusiasts who like it loud.  So if you typically enjoy games, movies and
music on your PC, or any other device with a mini-plug output, then the SonicXJR
2.1’s may be right up your alley.

This system’s two compact satellite speakers each
pack a 3" woofer for the mid and mid-bass ranges and a 1" dome tweeter for the
highs.  Having 30 watts per channel (15 watts RMS) and an acoustically
engineered cabinet design done by the experienced folks at EV; these speakers
deliver crystal clear sounds and have enough horsepower to handle the high
volume levels often demanded.  Their size is also fairly small at 6.75"
high, 4.5" wide, and 4.5" deep, so they can fit just about anywhere.  When
coupled with the 5.25", 60 watt (30 watts RMS) subwoofer in its double ported
enclosure, which effortlessly handles the deep bass frequencies, the result is
quite impressive.  This piece also fits nicely under just about any desk at
11.75" high, 6.75" wide, and 8.25" deep.

Having a wide frequency range of 80 Hz to 20 KHz,
the SonicXJR system is great for gaming in stereo, as it has more than enough
oomph to keep the action intense and realistic.  Likewise, this compact
system does exceptionally well with DVD and audio content, often producing
sounds that would seem to require larger components.  My only gripe in
terms of the actual sound quality is that the system is somewhat treble-heavy
and can sound tinny if not properly adjusted.

While the 3-piece system may not be able to offer
everything that some of the competing 5-piece or 6-piece systems can; many
people don’t quite have the room for four or five speakers and a subwoofer in
their computer area.  As a result, a quality compact system can often do
the job quite well.  If you’re interested in a larger system though, EV
does also make a model called the SonicXS 4.1, which offers four satellites and
a subwoofer, but the price tag is up there.  There is also a 2-piece
SonicXS system that is more powerful than the SonicXJR, which we
previously reviewed.

The SonicXJR’s satellites, covered in all black
and equipped with metal grills and the famous EV logo, resemble the classic EV
floor monitor that we’ve all seen on stage.  Their design allows them to be
placed either horizontally or vertically on a surface, allowing for maximum
arrangement flexibility.  All components are covered in a hard plastic,
which seems to be fairly durable.

In attempt to make the speakers more visually
appealing, a blue LED was placed on the top of the right speaker as a power
indicator.  While it looks cool; it is also extremely bright and can be
distracting in dark rooms.  Unfortunately, the only way to turn it off is
to power down the system, but putting a small piece of black electrical tape
over it works well too.

The right speaker is outfitted with the controls
for the system as well as some additional audio connections.  These
controls, system volume and bass level (subwoofer volume), however, are somewhat
limiting when setting the speakers to your liking as a treble control seems to
be necessary with this particular set.  While the treble can be adjusted at
the software level via the Windows Control Panel (or equivalent), a dedicated
knob would have been a lot more convenient.  Also, the power switch is
located on the back of the subwoofer, so killing the LED takes some effort.
Placing the switch on the satellite would have been a lot more convenient.

In terms of cabling and connectors, the system
comes through quite well.  Included is a sufficient length mini-plug cable
to connect from the output of the PC’s soundcard to the input of the system,
which is located on the right satellite.  A cable that allows the amplifier
and subwoofer to be adjusted also must be connected between the right satellite
and the subwoofer.  The last required connections are those from the
subwoofer to the satellites, which provide the smaller speakers with their
power.  The choice to use RCA style connectors on the subwoofer side was a
good one as they provide a very solid connection (the cables are permanently
connected to the satellites).

Also located on the back of the right satellite
speaker are connections for a microphone, headphones, and an output that can be
connected to the PC’s audio input.  This output allows the microphone to
function when plugged directly into the speaker system.

The EV SonicXJR is without a doubt a worthy
competitor in the compact 3-piece speaker arena.  With a solid design,
compact size and hard-hitting sound, these speakers live up to the EV name at a
$99 retail price point, which is needless to say, impressive.  Once the
treble is set to an optimum level, this system is ready to handle anything you
can deliver to it, "with an attitude".

Pros:
While the system maintains a small footprint for easy placement in limited
spaces, the sound it produces is very rich and very clear, even at high volumes,
which will easy fill a small room.

Cons:
This system really needs a treble/tone knob as it, by default, produces too much
on the high frequency end.  Not being able to turn off the bright LED,
except via the poorly located power switch is also somewhat annoying.

Verdict: 8
In terms of sound quality and level, this compact, well designed system
really delivers for any multimedia application.  The cons are easily
overcome by some software adjustments and a small piece of electrical tape, so
they aren’t extremely significant.