Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/445
Midiland S4/7100 5.1 Channel Surround Speakers
by Jason Clark on January 14, 2000 2:28 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Mobile
|
Quick Look |
||
|
MidiLand S4 7100 5.1 Speakers |
The Good | |
|
|
+
Crisp, clean treble and mids + Fantastic cabling set-up + Punchy Bass + Slick Control Module |
|
| The Bad | ||
| - Lack of headphone jack | ||
MidiLand is based out of Pomona, California. They have existed for 16 years as a company, when they were first called Data Soft International based in Taipei, Taiwan. Their main concentration back then was MIDI, and sound card solutions. In 1990, they moved to San Dimas, California, incorporated the company, and became Midiland Inc.
There are two lines in the new S4 series from MidiLand: the S4 4060 and the S4 7100. The 4060 is Midiland's 4 channel solution and the 7100 is their 5.1 channel solution. The 7100 features 100 Watts RMS of power, with 5 shielded 10 Watt satellites and a 50 Watt subwoofer with a nifty green power LED. Below are the complete specifications for the 7100s.
| Specifications | |
| Control Module | Volume
button, fade button, balance button, bass button, treble button, loudness
button and power on/off button, LED power on/off display PlatallicTM cabinet fits in standard 5.25" computer drive bay slot Dimensions (WxHxD): 5.8" x 1.7" x 2.6" |
|
Satellite Speakers - 2 front -
2 surround |
2.5"
full range high power speaker driver technology 10W (rms) output power each (x5) Frequency response: 180Hz - 20kHz Ergodynamic 15° & 25° angle adjustment PlatallicTM housing Elegant cloth grill Dimensions (WxHxD): 3.30" x 3.90" x 4.10" |
| Subwoofer Speaker | 6.5"
subwoofer driver 50 Watts (rms) output power Frequency response: 20Hz - 180Hz S4 logo as LED power on/off indicator Wood housing Elegant cloth grill Dimensions (WxHxD): 8.70" x 13.40" x 13.50" |
Sound Quality
In assessing the sound quality, 6 areas of interest were considered: Treble, Mid-range, Bass, Gaming, Music, and Movies.
Treble
One word: Clear. Very much like most of the higher end speaker packages
we have looked at here at AnandTech. The treble was very clear, and precise.
Each sound in the high frequency range was replicated very well, and in a clean
and full manner.
Mid-range
The mid-range was replicated in the same manner as the treble - very clear.
One impressive thing is the separation of the treble and mid-range - it was
very good coming from a one-speaker system.
Bass
| The bass was adequate. The subwoofer reminded me of the Cambridge Soundworks 2000 and 2500 lines. Some have reported that the bass wasn't heard at all, which is definately untrue. The bass is there, but not at the same level as the Klipsch or some other bass boomers; there is no doubt that it is there. The bass isn't quite so loud and boomy as some would like perhaps because of the box design. It's about as simple as you can get for a subwoofer box design. It's a single 6.5" wooder in a MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) enclosure with two ports firing out the top of the box. You can see this quite clearly in the shot I took of the inside of the sub cabinet. |
Gaming
After playing countless hours of Need For Speed High Stakes and Unreal Tournament
(A favorite), the speakers performed very well considering all aspects of immersing
the user in a 3D Audio environment.
Music
Music sounded good. A little more bass would be nice; but overall, the sound
quality was very good. The sound was similar to that of the Cambridge 2500s,
yet only a little more volume was present.
Movies
The S4 7100s are equipped with inputs for various configurations, including
5.1 in. Now this 5.1 is for decoder input, meaning you have to have an external
Dolby Digital 5.1 decoder. So you could use a home dvd player that has a decoder
built in, or just a standalone decoder. The standalone decoders will run you
about $200 USD for an average decoder. The 7100s worked very well just playing
dvd movies through normal stereo mode. 5.1 won't be much different in quality
except for the fact that the you will have true 5.1 seperation.
Functionality
The S4 7100s came with everything you need to hook them up to just about anything.
One thing that was impressive was their cabling set-up. It uses RCA everywhere,
so you can really do anything you want with them (e.g. hook them into a MIDI setup,
home stereo etc.). One major thing that wasn't included was the Dolby Digital
Decoder. But, is it really a standard yet? That is the question. The most probable
reason for leaving it out is to keep the cost down. The speakers can be purchased
on the street for as low as $199 USD. Other than that, there are no rear stands
included, but again who else includes them? Only Cambridge SoundWorks. So, you
cannot fault them for not including them.
| The control module is a great way to control the speakers. It's similar to the module used in the S2 series. With Treble, Bass, Fader, Balance, Volume, Mute, and Power controls. What more do you need? Well, a headphone jack would have been nice. It is available with the 4060s but not on the 7100s, which seems unusual. The module can either sit on your desk somewhere or it can slide into a 5 1/4" drive bay. It has a cable that goes down to your card slots in the case and then the sub unit hooks into there. Either way you hook it up, great idea. |
Conclusion
The S4 7100s are a decent set of 5.1 speakers that should keep most users very
happy. Now, if you are the kind of person looking to shake screws loose and
rattle windows, then you should probably look elsewhere. These are not meant
to tear the house apart :) The construction quality seems to be quite sturdy;
and overall, the design and appeal were well thought out. The control module
was a great idea, but why they left out a headphone jack is beyond me. How do
these compare to the Cambridge 2500? They are both very similar in sound, but
the Midilands are a bit louder than the Cambridge. It's a toss up really: stands
& dolby decoder vs. volume and a slick green LED :)
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
