Intex IT-4800 5.1 Speakers

Today we are taking a look at the “superbudget” category in PC speakers, a place filled with varied brands and  some really interesting looking models. One popular brand name in this zone is Intex.  These guys have a large variety of products, including a full fledged range in PC speakers. We have a 5.1 model called the IT-4800, meant for multimedia enjoyment. Let’s check it out.

Design and features
These speakers come clad in MDF (plywooden) cabinets, comprising a rectangular straight edged shape for all 6 speakers including subwoofer. The finish is neatly done with a wood grain veneer. The subwoofer and bookshelves both have black front panels, except the sub that has a matte finish for the front while the others have it glossy black. The sub has a 5.25-inch driver facing downwards, while sats have a 3-inch driver and 1-inch tweeter, thus making them 2 way speakers.

The wires are attached to the sats, which plug into the back of the sub. The latter’s front panel is ported, and contains a column of silver push buttons for volume, mute, select functions etc. The finish of the products is actually very impressive, it’s neat not conforming to the typical tacky IT peripheral feel that these PC products generally carry.  

The output power is rated at 115 watts RMS total, while the frequency response is  20 Hz – 20 KHz, with the sub crossover at 200 Hz. The rated SBR ratio is >= 75 dB. The product is magnetically shielded.

Performance
A quick sine sweep test reveals that the bass is audible till about 30 Hz after which its tapers off into insignificance. Then in the same test we can find out that mids frequencies at about 2-4 K are quiet pronounced and forward. The highs are nice in control and have a good amount of sibilance, not edgy at all. Another important test was distortion test, which this model had a little trouble in. The amount of distortion is not paramount, it is in tolerable limits, mainly occurring at high dBSPL.

Speaking of high levels, the speaker set goes pretty loud, but it’s not the cleanest as mentioned. Bass response is respectable and low reaching, and the thump you get for the low price is satisfiable. The driver cones seem to be made of paper, thus one cannot really expect too much in terms of quality.

Conclusion
At a cost of Rs. 2900, this could be one of the most reasonable 5.1 sets out there, and it’s not that bad, at least in terms of bass and highs. There is a little dirt in the mid frequencies in terms of harmonic distortion, but overall it’s a recommend if you're really out of cash and simply need a surround system for those old DVDs, sound quality not withstanding.