The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Labtec is computer accesories. These guys make everything you could possible want to add to a computer. But when you think about speakers, Labtec is probably not the first company that pops into your head. However, Labtec claims right on the box to have "America's #1 Selling Computer Speakers." Of course "best selling" does not always equate to "best," so let's see how Labtec's value model fares.

Available starting in June, 1999, the Labtec LCS-2414 is expected to retail for just under $50, making it one of the cheapest 3-piece speaker sets available on the market. If you have heard Labtec's past "value" speakers, you may not be expecting much, but the computer audio market is becoming increasingly competitive and Labtec has responded to such demands. Currently in the multimedia speaker market, just like in the rest of the computer industry, you can get a lot more for a lot less than ever before - just a year ago, a 3-piece speaker system for $50 was unheard of. And if one was released, everybody would expect very little of it. This is simply not true anymore, so do not prejudge Labtec, or anyone else, on their past products.

The most important thing to keep in my mind when buying an audio equipment is that your ears are always the best judge because everyone has different musical tastes. Keep that in mind while reading speaker reviews and, if at all possible, listen to any speakers before making a purchasing decision.

Design

Just based on the size of the box, it is obvious that these speakers do not take a lot of space. Nevertheless, it is still quite surprising to see just how small these things are once they are out of the box. The box and speakers themselves are also quite light. This all points to a design that simply is not going to sound good. But remember, listen and judge with your ears, not with specs.

The subwoofer features a wooden enclosure for improved bass response. A four inch driver fires downward in the bottom-ported enclosure. This driver is complete unprotected, so be careful with it. Since it is on the bottom, this shouldn't pose a major problem. The power button is right on top and the AC adapter plugs into the back of the sub. The sub is not shielded and is designed to be placed on the floor.

The satellites, however, are shielded, and are intended to go next to the monitor. They are incredibly tiny - less than half an inch surrounds the 2 inch drivers. Soft cloth covers the plastic grill that is underneath. The satellites are angled slightly upwards to help point the sound at the listener.

The right satellite is apparently the center to this whole system as it features the volume control and three separate audio cables permanently affixed to its backside. The volume control is a nice dial on top that allows for quick and easy adjustment of the system volume. There is no separate level control for the sub.

Those cables coming out of the right satellite include the input from the computer, the output to the sub, and the input from the sub. Why two separate cables that run to the sub? Only Labtec knows the answer to that question. As such, the LCS-2414 has an unnecessarily complicated set up that helps produce a tangled mess of wires. Fortunately, Labtec has color coded all the cables to make things a little easier.

A giant AC adapter connects to the back of the sub to power the whole system. Unfortunately, the power brick is designed such that it will block one or two additional outlets on a surge protector.

Each satellite is driven by a 2 inch driver with 5W RMS power each. The sub uses a 4 inch driver and a 15W RMS amp. Labtec does not specify a distortion level for those power ratings. The crossover frequency is also unspecified, but it appeared to be near 200Hz.

Those drivers feature "Max-X" technology that supposedly provides for high-excursion, which in turn gives greater dynamic range, improved bass response, and lower distortion. All that leads to a claimed 40Hz - 20kHz frequency response with human hearing from 20Hz - 20kHz. Few, if any, computer speakers make it all the way down to 20Hz and even many home speaker systems cannot go that low.

LCS-2414 Specifications

Courtesy of Labtec

Sound Quality

This is probably the most important area to consider when choosing a speaker set, whether for the computer or a home theater. Once again, the most important thing to keep in my mind when buying an audio equipment is that your ears are always the best judge because everyone has different musical tastes. It is also necessary to keep in my mind what you plan to use the speakers for. Just about anything will get you buy if you just want Windows beeps and dings, but if you plan to listen to music 6 hours a day, you are going to need much more. With that in mind, not many people by three piece speaker sets for beeps and dings, so the focus here will be on music and (to a lesser extent) gaming.

The Labtec LCS-2414 continue to surprise when it comes to sound quality, especially considering their size and price. Usually, the weakest part of a system this size and price is the bass response. With just a 4" sub, don't expect the bass to shake the walls, but what this sub does do is produce excellent distortion free bass that can go surprisingly low. Labtec claims that their dynamic bass equalization will prevent distortion of the bass at any volume level and it seems to be quite effective.

Similarly, the satellites produce very directional sound, which is to be expected from such small drivers. Again, their frequency response is quite good, especially considering the lack of a dedicated tweeter. Highs are crisp and clear. With such small drivers, quite a bit of the midrange is sent to the sub, which muddies up the stereo separation a bit. Highs however, come clearly from one satellite or the other.

With its minimal sub and power output, you won't be able to crank these loud enough to have a big party, and the satellites do a poor job of filling the room with sound, but, sitting at a desk with the speakers right in front of you and the sub on a nearby piece of floor, they sound excellent. The LCS-2414 simply do not try to over exert themselves, and thus produce distortion free sound at any reasonable sound level. To top it off, there is little background hiss, even when turned all the way up.

No tone controls or sub level control are available, but they are not really needed. The response is smooth and the transition from sub to satellite is even smoother. There is also a distinct lack of gimmicks such as "3D" sound that many other speakers offer. These "3D" sound features often cause distortion and generally make things sound funny, but some feel that it helps fill the room better. This reviewer certainly does not miss the feature in the LCS-2414's though.

Conclusion

Labtec is claiming to have brought "breakthrough performance and power to the sub-50 dollar speaker market" and these claims are certainly well founded. There certainly are not many 3-piece speaker systems for under $50, and this one outperforms others costing much more.

If cash is tight, but you are looking for a system that does more than just produce loud distortion, but rather for one that produces crisp audio at reasonable volume levels, look no further than the Labtec LCS-2414.