I just received a set of these little speakers to rid myself of my awful PC monitor speakers for good - typically used headphones but wanted some for music and media. What can I say? I'm very impressed!
I was in the market for a set of Bose Companion 2, or Creative T40 but they're both upward of £75. Having stumbled on these and doing some research over on Headfi / AVforums I took the plunge at less than £50!
Amazon UK price is £88.29 for reference.
My speakers arrived in 2 days via tracked DPD (included).
Features:
-Auto power on/off, great if you planned to use them as TV speakers to get rid of the typically anemic sound. These will dtect the signal and power on immediately, they turn off 20 minutes after the signal has gone.
-Auto loudness, they feature a system whereby you set a reference volume on the speakers and using only your external source to alter the volume they manage the delivery of a balanced sound, regardless of volume. Some speakers suffer with bass at low volume (voltage).
-Well made, solid construction, metal woofer cover.
-They sound FANTASTIC for their size, superb wide stereo imaging, airy sound with ample bass and decent separation. Proof being I've just moved the Sonos Play 3 from my office as its now redundant in this room!
-Dual input, there's 2 inputs (unusually) on these which means you can play two sources simultaneously (they call it auto-mix?) if you're in to that sort of thing. Handy if you have others sources and don't want to mess with cables.
Unfortunately they only have the white on offer, but they don't look out of place on my desk as they're reasonably understated.
Thanks, now i just need to find somewhere that stocks them in UK for similar price to this deal.
scottyb
22 Nov 16#23
Anyone tried these with chromecast audio? i'm wondering if the speakers auto on feature works when you start casting and then auto off when you stop casting. Thanks
The_Hoff to scottyb
22 Nov 16#24
It will, based on my testing with my PC.
If I switch playback device from headphones to speakers the speakers can be off but immediately power on when I switch the signal. I don't foresee your use case being any different.
They would probably power on when you turn on the amp, power down after 20 minutes and remain so until you case.
jklondon
30 Oct 16#22
Out of stock, I called.
The_Hoff
28 Oct 16#19
Ah, unfortunate for those unable to get a set, worth a phone call perhaps?
Superpanda, please with them?
superpanda to The_Hoff
28 Oct 16#21
They look great, but won't be trying them out for a while as hopefully moving house soon. Pleased I got them.
johnthehuman
28 Oct 16#20
Must be worth a phone call, their site is now saying
- Available. To discuss, please call us on 0844 50 403 50
The bluetooth model looks nice, but it only has one 3.5mm input. The selling point on these was two inputs, for me.
superpanda
28 Oct 161#18
Had these delivered today, thanks.
johnthehuman
27 Oct 16#15
Should've bought these yesterday, looks like they're sold out :disappointed:
bednim to johnthehuman
27 Oct 16#16
ive ordered them yesterday when it was showing stock but had an email today that these are OOS. got offered bluetooth model at higher price but didn't go for them in the end.
bednim to johnthehuman
27 Oct 16#17
ive ordered them yesterday when it was showing stock but had an email today that these are OOS. got offered bluetooth model at higher price but didn't go for them in the end.
trd
26 Oct 16#14
I'd hope they're better than T20, which I found to be very underwhelming :disappointed: Maybe worth £30 but not the £55 paid!!
Neostar
26 Oct 16#12
How do these compare to the Creative T20?
The_Hoff to Neostar
26 Oct 161#13
Hard to give you an objective comparison mate, I'd say an audition of both is the only way of assessing what sounds right to your ears. They're as good as the Bose Companions according to many which are broadly equivalent to the T40, so I'd suggest they'd be in the same ballpark, features and aesthetic is down to you.
These youtube videos of people recording the sound over a POS phone microphone with YT compression is utterly pointless, as it largely anybody's single opinion on the topic.
leehardacre
26 Oct 16#9
Anyone tried these with a dot? The auto on/off function could result in missing some of Alexa's response?
The_Hoff to leehardacre
26 Oct 16#10
Yeah, interesting question that I might be able to test with my phone and an "Ok Google" command. To be clear the speakers remain powered and go in to standby (13w power draw to <0.5w) and appear to wake up immediately on my PC at least.
Will see if I can replicate later if I have time.
bilbob to leehardacre
26 Oct 161#11
You can set the dot to emit a sound after you've spoken, so that, I presume, would be enough to wake these speakers up...
The_Hoff
26 Oct 161#8
Sound is always subjective and a topic of debate - probably not one for here or now - but to answer your comment. The mDSD uses the same DAC, so sonically will be very much in line with the DF Black (not the Red), but there's some significant (for my use case) differences:
1. mDSD features an S/Pdif which for me is useless.
2. Dragonfly is significantly smaller and looks better, important for mobility.
3. mDSD current draw has been measured at over 100mA (in some cases much more), the DF uses no more than 50mA, as a result the DF runs cooler and importantly doesn't destroy your phone battery!
4. Amazon are selling the mDSD for £98, the DF is £89.
5. Warranty, there's no UK distributor I can see for the mDSD.
On the broader topic of desktops catching up with dedicated DAC devices? Sorry chap, do not agree, at all. Yes there are quality SC's out there from the likes of Creative, but onboard sound? I've heard nothing on devices I use (I work in IT) that would allow me to leave my DAC at home and still enjoy the same quality - sound is almost always junk, its routine cost cutting.
I wasn't blown away by the Dragonfly. It will be an improvement on the sound from most mobile devices but less so with desktops. I think most desktops have caught up with it unless you have a bargain basement computer. It was a wow back in the day when it came out but the market seems a little crowded now with similar me-too devices. Out of these, the Encore mDSD looks interesting and is in the same budget price bracket as the cheaper Dragonfly 1.5.
dave111
26 Oct 16#5
worth pairing with a chromecast audio?
The_Hoff to dave111
26 Oct 16#6
From a pricing standpoint it would be a good solution, particularly as you have a secondary 3.5mm input to use for an additional source.
You could for example have the Chromecast and a TV plugged simultaneously..
ThunderBolt
26 Oct 161#4
Got some of these myself and agree whole heartedly about the quality. They're bulky wee fellas and you wouldn't want one on your toe.. I know!
Istanbul_Kop
25 Oct 16#2
The auto on off is what sells these for me. Many speakers have an auto off, but not on.
For those seeking better sound from mobile/laptop/PC, grab an AudioQuest Dragonfly Black amp/dac and connect the 3.5mm of either speakers to the DAC, plug the USB in to your PC or USB OTG cable for mobile and enjoy stunning sound quality - versus what you may be used to!
![Fresh Breakfast Meat Box (Using code) @ Campbells Meat [Haggis / Lorne Sausage / Bacon / Black Pudding & More]](/images/topics/208684_1.jpg)
![[Xbox One] Q. u. b. e: Director's Cut on Deals with Gold](/images/topics/208716_1.jpg)
Opening post
I was in the market for a set of Bose Companion 2, or Creative T40 but they're both upward of £75. Having stumbled on these and doing some research over on Headfi / AVforums I took the plunge at less than £50!
Amazon UK price is £88.29 for reference.
My speakers arrived in 2 days via tracked DPD (included).
Features:
-Auto power on/off, great if you planned to use them as TV speakers to get rid of the typically anemic sound. These will dtect the signal and power on immediately, they turn off 20 minutes after the signal has gone.
-Auto loudness, they feature a system whereby you set a reference volume on the speakers and using only your external source to alter the volume they manage the delivery of a balanced sound, regardless of volume. Some speakers suffer with bass at low volume (voltage).
-Well made, solid construction, metal woofer cover.
-They sound FANTASTIC for their size, superb wide stereo imaging, airy sound with ample bass and decent separation. Proof being I've just moved the Sonos Play 3 from my office as its now redundant in this room!
-Dual input, there's 2 inputs (unusually) on these which means you can play two sources simultaneously (they call it auto-mix?) if you're in to that sort of thing. Handy if you have others sources and don't want to mess with cables.
Unfortunately they only have the white on offer, but they don't look out of place on my desk as they're reasonably understated.
Official spec:
http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/yamaha-nx-50-desktop-speakers
Warranty:
2 years
Latest comments (26)
If I switch playback device from headphones to speakers the speakers can be off but immediately power on when I switch the signal. I don't foresee your use case being any different.
They would probably power on when you turn on the amp, power down after 20 minutes and remain so until you case.
Superpanda, please with them?
- Available. To discuss, please call us on 0844 50 403 50
The bluetooth model looks nice, but it only has one 3.5mm input. The selling point on these was two inputs, for me.
These youtube videos of people recording the sound over a POS phone microphone with YT compression is utterly pointless, as it largely anybody's single opinion on the topic.
Will see if I can replicate later if I have time.
1. mDSD features an S/Pdif which for me is useless.
2. Dragonfly is significantly smaller and looks better, important for mobility.
3. mDSD current draw has been measured at over 100mA (in some cases much more), the DF uses no more than 50mA, as a result the DF runs cooler and importantly doesn't destroy your phone battery!
4. Amazon are selling the mDSD for £98, the DF is £89.
5. Warranty, there's no UK distributor I can see for the mDSD.
On the broader topic of desktops catching up with dedicated DAC devices? Sorry chap, do not agree, at all. Yes there are quality SC's out there from the likes of Creative, but onboard sound? I've heard nothing on devices I use (I work in IT) that would allow me to leave my DAC at home and still enjoy the same quality - sound is almost always junk, its routine cost cutting.
Some chatter RE voltage:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/797668/review-encore-mdsd-dac-amp-a-new-pocket-rocket-to-make-you-hum/75
You could for example have the Chromecast and a TV plugged simultaneously..
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/yamaha-nx-b55-active-desktop-speakers-with-bluetooth-great-for-tv-pc-laptop-amazon-2534406
For those seeking better sound from mobile/laptop/PC, grab an AudioQuest Dragonfly Black amp/dac and connect the 3.5mm of either speakers to the DAC, plug the USB in to your PC or USB OTG cable for mobile and enjoy stunning sound quality - versus what you may be used to!