Sony SRS-D211 2.1 PC Speakers

Sony is not such a common name in the market for 2.1 speakers, but on a broader perspective one cannot deny the impact this brand has had in the realm of audio, since the dawn of recorded music itself. Fast forward back to the future, we have a simple looking 2.1 speaker system for the PC by Sony called the SRS-D211, and with the onset of so many multimedia options today, it’s exciting to check this one out, and see how it stands in this swarming market.

Design and feature
The entire system is black except for the silver rim around the drivers for the subwoofer and satellites. The sub is cuboidal and straight edged, while the satellites are conical sections, with typical looking meshed grilles for driver protection. They perch themselves on black plastic stands. Also there is a controller for the whole system: a vertical box with rounded edges that perches on its own black plastic stand. Wires come in and out the back panel, while the front panel has 2 small knobs and a power button.

The overall look and feel is not really outstanding or spectacular; it’s got a very everyday and simple aesthetic scheme. The output power is rated at 35 watts RMS. The driver size for the sats is 57.0 mm, while the sub has a front firing driver measuring 120 mm, and also it is front ported. All necessary wires are attached to their respective units, also the one that will connect it your source. This is a good thing as one doesn’t have to connect an extra 2.5 mm wire to connect players or PC. The rated response is 30 Hz- 20 KHz.

Performance
The sound output of this model has one thing really going for it and that's the deep and powerful bass. We tested with Bassdrive.com’s perennial thumping Drum and bass numbers, and ran it for almost 2 hours on assorted radio and our own personal music. The bass is wholesome and reaches till about 32 Hz healthily. We also played Left For Dead 2, and enjoyed the sharp transients in the firing SFX.

The rest of the frequency response was alright with a decent openness to the sound that is not so common in sub-sat systems. The bass was a bit dominant when viewed in perspective, especially at the crossover point between the subs and satellites. The overall volume was loud and clean with no distortion issues.

Conclusion
At an MOP of Rs. 3490, this product is a really good choice for the enthusiast on a budget, looking for huge amounts of audio power. The sound is bass heavy, but not to the extent of being boomy or muddy; it’s more of an asset. The aesthetics are too ordinary for an industry where looks do matter.