Genius SW-Flat 800 2.1 Speakers

Genius has a wide variety of speakers, iPod docks, mice, webcams and other computer and electronics peripherals in their product lineup. With their SW-Flat 2.1 800 that we are reviewing today, they have focused on affordability and a modern style to go along with flat screen LCD and laptop designs. Coming in at around $35 USD online, it is certainly one of the least expensive 2.1 speaker sets that we have reviewed. Let’s take a listen to this flat-panel speaker set to see good how it sounds.

Design

Most prominent to the design of the SW-Flat 2.1 is the flat paneled face of the left, right and subwoofer speakers. The design gives a sleek look to the speakers, although it is not entirely apparent that they are flat when you are directly facing them. The flat panel model slightly reduces the amount of desk space that is needed, although they are small to begin with --- as are most 2.1 computer speakers on the market.

The glossy black finish of the speakers also contributes to their modern appearance, but makes it easy to get smudges and fingerprints on them. If you move the speakers around very often you will also find yourself needing to wipe fingerprints and smudges off the surface to keep the speakers clean.

The left and right speakers use a small base, with slightly backward-angled alignment of the drivers, to sit atop any flat surface. There is no rubber or other material on the bottom of the units, so they slide easily once placed on your desk.

Specifications

• RMS (Watts:) Total: 15
• RMS (Watts): Subwoofer: 9
• RMS (Watts): Satellite: 3 watts x 2
• Woofer: 4", 4Ω
• Satellite: 40 x 70mm, 4Ω
• Frequency Response: 20~20kHz
• Signal-to-Noise ratio: 74 dB
• Volume: Yes
• Bass: Yes
• Headphone jack: Yes

In the Box

• One subwoofer
• Two satellites
• One AC adapter
• One stereo audio cable for desktop or notebook sound card
• Multi-language user’s manual

Out of the Box Setup and Controls

All of the speaker connections go through the rear-side of the subwoofer unit. The central location of all of the connections makes it easy to get the speakers set up, as you just need to connect the left and right speakers, plug in the AC power adapter and finally plug in the 3.5mm jack to both your laptop and the subwoofer unit. Assuming that you don’t get any of the cords tangled together, the setup only takes a few minutes.

If you want to switch from using the speakers to using headphones, there is a line-out headphone jack that can be used. Plugging in your headphones works very well if you want to keep others from hearing your music, although the speakers do need to be powered on in order for the audio to pass-through to the headphones.

In addition to powering the unit on/off, the wire remote control allows you to adjust the volume and the bass output using small control knobs. A bright blue LED light is used to indicate that the unit is powered on. I knocked the left speaker over multiple times as I was trying to move the wired remote to an easily reachable location. Both the left and right speakers are very light, so they slide and tip very easily when any of the cords bump into them.

Performance Testing

The sound quality performance evaluation using Genius SW-Flat 2.1 800 speakers was done by listening to MP3s stored on my laptop. The laptop uses an internal Realtec audio chip for sound processing. I listened to a number MP3s with bit rates of 128kbps and 320kbps. A wide selection of classical, rock, alternative and hip-hop music was used in the evaluation.

With the bass volume knob turned half-way up, my first impressions revealed the SW-Flat 800 to have a sharp, almost edgy sound quality. The high notes and even the mids are very pronounced and much more prominent than the low-end frequencies. The highs are clear and blend well with the vocals, but the lack of bass is quite apparent.

Turning the volume up revealed how lacking the bass is – the subwoofer does not dig very deep at all – and lacks punch. Turning up the volume to near full power resulted in some heavy distortion, so do not expect to fill a room with sound using these speakers. The high frequencies also become very shrill and unpleasant sounding.

All cables connected		Controller powered on

Portability

The shape of the speakers, along with no pouch or other travel bag, makes the speakers unfriendly for any travel. The AC power adapter is also a full-sized adapter that weighs more than the speakers do, so it becomes a pain to tote around if you are carrying it in an over-the-shoulder bag. The speakers are too big and awkwardly shaped to be carried around in a laptop bag.

Genius SW-Flat 2.1 800 Speakers

The biggest selling point of the Genius SW-Flat 2.1 800 speakers is, in fact, their selling point – an average online price of $35 USD. Style-wise these speakers are sleek looking and feature a clean and modern look, and they are very easy to setup out of the box.

But the speakers suffer from poor sound quality, and the overall performance listening to music is simply not impressive. The sound quality is a step above most laptop speakers, but there are other 2.1 speaker sets that sound much better. If you just want an inexpensive pair of 2.1 speakers to use for occasional listening, the SW-Flat 2.1 800 will likely satisfy your needs. If you want to hear full, rich sound from a 2.1 speaker set - do yourself a favor and spend a bit more money on a more powerful and better sounding speaker set.

Pros: Low price, sleek looking, easy to setup and use, wired volume and bass control, headphone output jack for listening with headphones.

Cons: Poor audio quality, bass is lacking, not easily portable.

Rating: 3.0 out of 5

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