Corsair SP2200 2.1 Desktop Speakers

Corsair is a brand primarily known for its PC components. They specialize in memory, ultra power supplies and recently have entered the PC audio components market. We recently reviewed the Corsair SP2500 2.1 speakers, which we found to be pretty impressive.

Corsair SP2200 - affordable little brother of the SP2500

Corsair has a more affordable model called the SP2200, which we’ll be reviewing today. The SP2200 is targeted at the gamer audience. The pricing is more suited to those who want features and performance at a lower price.

Design and Build Quality
The SP2200 speakers are Black in colour and have a matte finish, something we see in almost all desktop speakers. It comes with two satellite speakers and a sub woofer unit. The sub woofer isn’t as large as the one that came with the SP2500. This one is roughly the same size as a large carton, whereas the SP2500 was much larger. It’s not very heavy, either. The two speakers are pretty small. The cables are not very long and therefore, don’t get entangled.

RCA connectivity on the subwoofer

The subwoofer has the driver showing up from one end and a separate port at the front. The satellite only has the mid-range driver, which doubles up a full-range driver. Hopefully, the lack of a dedicated tweeter won’t be a problem. The satellites look simple. One of the satellites has the volume control and a subwoofer bass volume control. The dials are designed pretty well and operate smoothly. The drivers are protected by a fine mesh  that is also present for the woofer.

Features
The SP2200’s power distribution is 8 watts per satellite and the sub woofer has a power rating of 30W. The frequency response range of these speakers starts from 40Hz and goes up to 20 kHz. The right speaker has the connectivity ports for the set - an auxilliary port is present along with a headphone out  connection, which makes it handy. You don’t really need a wired remote control to use with this speaker. The sub woofer has five connections at the back,  two of them for the left and right speakers respectively, one RCA auxiliary wire to connect to your TV or stereo and one of them that is connected to the adapter, which is connected to the main power source. The left speaker has the 3.5 mm connector which can be attached to your PC, mobile phone or a portable media player. There is no toggle switch to choose between the different input connections though.

Performance
When we received the SP2200, we tried the product with music, movies and also some gaming titles. We were pretty impressed with the audio performance in music tracks. We first tested the speakers on some Electronica tracks. The sound output was detailed, while the bass was punchy and crisp, but not as loud as we’d like. There were no signs of distortion even when we played it at high volumes. We also tried some high-quality uncompressed tracks. The mids sound realistic although they don’t have the same vibrant sound that we heard on the SP2500. The lack of a tweeter isn’t very obvious, but the highs lack that sparkle in the sound.

Tweeter lacking on the satellite

The speakers were then tested on an electronic CD with a BPM of 150. This CD had tracks with double baselines. Even with these kind of tracks, the woofer responds well. The speakers didn’t show any signs of static or distortion when in contact with a mobile device. After the audio testing, we tested the audio quality of the speakers while playing movies. We played an HD clip from the movie 2012. The power from the subwoofer was missing, so the speakers didn’t give us the complete theatre-like experience. In smaller rooms however, the speakers should be loud enough.

Verdict
The Corsair SP2200 sells for Rs. 4,900, which means it’s not exactly the cheapest of 2.1 speakers you can get It’s not as impressive in terms of power as the SP2500.

Not as large as the Corsair SP2500

The SP2500 is roughly twice the price of the SP2200. The SP2200 isn’t a low-powered replica of the SP2500, but apart from a few shortcomings in the mids and highs, it’s a decent purchase for anyone looking at a 2.1 speaker set for around Rs. 5,000.