And how they sound! / Review Microlab Solo 6C
If you believe the Internet, then under the cut we are talking about one of the best home speakers of format 2.0.
I clearly hinted at Microlab Solo 6C - representatives of the legendary Solo series. I’ll say right away that they didn’t appear today or even yesterday - these columns went on sale another three or four years ago.So, Microlab has absolutely no sense in promoting the old product. But the old horse, as they say, does not spoil the grooves) Indeed, the first Solo 6 reviews appeared back in 2007 - already at that time the speakers began to please user ears; for example, the IXBT website awarded them the “Class Leader” award in the Crystal Sound comparative testing. And the “new” version 6C differs from the “old” only in the presence of a remote control (and all the resulting design changes), so there is every hope that the sound itself has not been affected.
')
Before that, I already had two audio systems from Microlab - this is H300 (2.1, stands at the TV) and H500 (5.1, stood at the computer at the last workplace). For several years, they have proven themselves well. No, they did not break and did not go anywhere ... just for my new workplace (balcony) of the 300-watt 5.1-system was too much. I didn’t want to arrange-hang all 5 satellites (and there wasn’t any practical way to do it), but the subfoot under my feet took an unforgivable lot of space - from the very first days of work I began to think about space optimization.
Now I have nowhere to throw my legs under the table) I looked at the 2.0 Solo 6C system a long time ago, but finally I was convinced of the correctness of my choice among the readers of my twitter (link is in the profile) survey.
In a large black and red box (which weighs about 15 kg, like a good computer case), in addition to the speakers themselves, there were:
- Cable for connecting a passive speaker
- Cable to connect the speakers to the sound source (minijack-2RCA)
- Remote control
- User's Manual
For the sake of interest, I looked into the manual - it is black and white and very small. Of the useful, I found only two proposed column arrangements (relative to the user) - at the corners of an equilateral triangle (with a side of at least 1 meter) or isosceles (at least 70 cm between columns and 1 meter to the user).
By all indications, I now have the second option, although the speakers are exactly and the axes of their acoustic systems do not intersect me :) Another distance from the phase inverter to the wall is smaller, but this is because of the desire to harmoniously arrange everything. The columns are really big - I barely had enough space for them on the table, although they are positioned as desktop ones. However, hardly anyone buys such things blindly - I also spent all the necessary measurements in advance.
More precisely, there was enough space, but the monitor wall mount had to be abandoned. How did I agree to such sacrifices? Because the “balcony” photos in yellow-orange tones were already pretty much bored by everyone, including me — the mount simply made it possible to clear more space for photos. Now there is no need to move the monitor back and forth and the factory monitor mount is enough. However, it is made by the same Ergotron company.
As for the possibility of mounting the speakers on the wall - on the back there are no holes for this. Therefore, in the best case - to put a stereo pair on some stable shelf.
Perhaps there are various color options, but in my case they were stylish dark brown wooden cases (judging by the specs, MDF).
From above, behind and partially from the front, the case is covered with frosted rough vinyl. It is very nice that the speakers are not brandy at all - unlike the H300 and H500 (they were completely glossy, the color of mahogany). On the contrary, here everything looks quite strictly, “like an adult”.
On the front side, the speakers are covered with a protective mesh made of cloth - as in most cases, it is removed (held on 4 pins that are sufficiently strong at first glance).
Below them is a large (6.5 '') polypropylene midrange / woofer and a small (1 '') fabric for high frequencies. The latter (and maybe even both) was specially developed for the company by the quite well-known Danish specialist Peter Larsen , whose autograph is on a passive column. The tweeter membrane was developed by Dr. Kurt Mueller , if, of course, it tells someone something.
Unfortunately (fortunately?) I didn’t get inside, so I cannot judge the quality of internal performance. But the fact that in plain sight, collected and bolted to the conscience, the column literally bribe their solidity. In other reviews, it is said that an amplifier assembled on discrete elements is installed inside (without using integrated circuits in a power amplifier). If you wish, you can read about the filling and frequency response here and here .
On the back of the right column are most of the functional elements. Among them - a radiator for passive cooling, a volume knob, a power button and two stereo inputs (RCA) for connecting to two sound sources. Well, and clamps for connecting wires, of course - here they are made conveniently, unlike the models mentioned above. Non-removable power cord - because it all works from the network.
Below the speakers there are black round rubber washers - they dampen parasitic vibrations and prevent the speakers from moving arbitrarily in space. But if you move the column, then on the table there will be a black rubber mark on it (erased).
As you can see, there is a small something on the active column below. That's right, this is an infrared receiver signal from the remote control (included). It is also an indicator for two characters - while working, the characters unobtrusively glow in red.
The presence of the remote is the only difference between the Solo 6C and the conventional Solo 6. I was looking for exactly 6C, because no one would want to reach for the volume control every time.
With the H300 and H500 models, there were quite large consoles (and with them special remote units with a display; but there are more functions) ...
Remote control and control unit from Microlab H500
... here the remote control is absolutely tiny - it is exactly the same as from the FM transmitter in my car. What once again says that many products are made in Chinese factories on the same patterns)
There are 12 buttons on the remote, 4 of which are not signed - in fact, they are really superfluous. The remaining buttons are responsible for the volume, bass, treble, mute and switch its source.
I have both interfaces involved - to one input (PC) is, as you might guess, the sound from the computer; The second one (AUX) is connected to the Cowon S9 player, which sometimes is much preferable to me for Winamps and other simple player players.
Online I came across reviews that the system settings are reset when the power is turned off. I do not reset anything, but, apparently, only because I never turn off the power) The speakers do not “sizzle” in silence, so the maximum that I need is for music not to play when it is necessary (for example, at night). And for this there is a button "mute", a button to switch the mode from PC to AUX - both options work. There is no power off button on the remote itself - there is a switch on the back side, but I used it only once.
As for sound quality - like some authors / publications, I could go to any audiophile site and pull out a couple of sonorous appropriate words “about dense and resilient basses, slightly shifted to the upper part of the low-frequency spectrum” and about other horizons of the sound panorama ...) No, I do not know, I do not want and I will not. There is no special equipment, and my ears are very ordinary, so I'm better off somehow, but myself. And I myself will be brief - the sound is really cool! In complete silence, the speakers do not hiss; at high volume I did not hear any artifacts on any of the music files. The sound is crystal clear and very detailed, there is no confusion or untruths - everything is as I used to hear with good headphones. In addition to all this, there is a huge volume margin (on a speaker it is level 60, although I rarely turned up louder than 40) and good bass. Someone will have little bass - here it makes sense to buy some subwoofer or initially choose from 2.1 systems. But for my desk / room it’s almost perfect!
Well, I talked about the remote. Without it, it would be much more inconvenient to operate the system - it’s good that it exists and takes up so little space.
* UPD * At the request of workers:
AFC taken from a review on IXBT.com
Frequency range : 55-31000 Hz
Body Material : Wood (MDF)
Output power : 2x50W (RMS)
Signal to noise ratio :> 88dB
Harmonic distortion : <0.3% at 1W at 1kHz
Number of audio channels : 2.0
Connectors : 2 stereo inputs (RCA)
Speaker diameter : MF / LF - 6.5 "(polypropylene), HF - 1" (material - silk)
Weight cbcntvs : 13.7kg
Optional : wireless remote control, indicator, magnetic shielding? Discrete power amplifier
Chic appearance
High-quality assembly, neat case
Excellent sound quality, high volume
Ability to connect the system to two sound sources
Compact control panel
Adequate price. High ratio "price / quality"
There is no possibility to connect headphones. But sometimes it is necessary
Big sizes. Columns are positioned as desktop, but their sizes are such that on some tables they may simply not fit.
Speak, give the body from an array, but not from MDF? ) Oh well
On the average price tag for the Solo 6C model in online stores it says "from 4,200 rubles." And this is just great!
Much worse is that these columns are almost never found. More precisely, how ... on many sites they seem to be there, but when I tried to order them (it was still in the summer), I always ran into some excuses - “we only have Solo 6”, “We don’t take you to the city "," We can order from the warehouse, but you have to wait a week ", etc. The company's unofficial response is “very high demand, like hot cakes”. I don’t know how things are going now, but I’m sure that if you go in search, everything will be there.
Internets and magazines did not lie - for their money, these columns are simply smart. It is very pleasant to realize that I lost the agony of choosing computer acoustics - the very first acquisition suited me completely. And all this at a reasonable price! On the other hand, I chose them not from the bald;) I dare to assume that these speakers will suit many users, even the most demanding, in terms of the quality of performance and sound. But everyone’s ears are different - it’s good if you can listen to a sound somewhere carefully before you buy it.
PS Since we started talking about the sound ... remember, last year I did a review of the wonderful Razer Megalodon headphones, sharpened for games? More recently, the company has released new ears Razer Orca - if you want, I can try to get them for review.
Successes!
I clearly hinted at Microlab Solo 6C - representatives of the legendary Solo series. I’ll say right away that they didn’t appear today or even yesterday - these columns went on sale another three or four years ago.
')
Before that, I already had two audio systems from Microlab - this is H300 (2.1, stands at the TV) and H500 (5.1, stood at the computer at the last workplace). For several years, they have proven themselves well. No, they did not break and did not go anywhere ... just for my new workplace (balcony) of the 300-watt 5.1-system was too much. I didn’t want to arrange-hang all 5 satellites (and there wasn’t any practical way to do it), but the subfoot under my feet took an unforgivable lot of space - from the very first days of work I began to think about space optimization.
Now I have nowhere to throw my legs under the table) I looked at the 2.0 Solo 6C system a long time ago, but finally I was convinced of the correctness of my choice among the readers of my twitter (link is in the profile) survey.
First meeting
In a large black and red box (which weighs about 15 kg, like a good computer case), in addition to the speakers themselves, there were:
- Cable for connecting a passive speaker
- Cable to connect the speakers to the sound source (minijack-2RCA)
- Remote control
- User's Manual
For the sake of interest, I looked into the manual - it is black and white and very small. Of the useful, I found only two proposed column arrangements (relative to the user) - at the corners of an equilateral triangle (with a side of at least 1 meter) or isosceles (at least 70 cm between columns and 1 meter to the user).
By all indications, I now have the second option, although the speakers are exactly and the axes of their acoustic systems do not intersect me :) Another distance from the phase inverter to the wall is smaller, but this is because of the desire to harmoniously arrange everything. The columns are really big - I barely had enough space for them on the table, although they are positioned as desktop ones. However, hardly anyone buys such things blindly - I also spent all the necessary measurements in advance.
More precisely, there was enough space, but the monitor wall mount had to be abandoned. How did I agree to such sacrifices? Because the “balcony” photos in yellow-orange tones were already pretty much bored by everyone, including me — the mount simply made it possible to clear more space for photos. Now there is no need to move the monitor back and forth and the factory monitor mount is enough. However, it is made by the same Ergotron company.
As for the possibility of mounting the speakers on the wall - on the back there are no holes for this. Therefore, in the best case - to put a stereo pair on some stable shelf.
Appearance
Perhaps there are various color options, but in my case they were stylish dark brown wooden cases (judging by the specs, MDF).
From above, behind and partially from the front, the case is covered with frosted rough vinyl. It is very nice that the speakers are not brandy at all - unlike the H300 and H500 (they were completely glossy, the color of mahogany). On the contrary, here everything looks quite strictly, “like an adult”.
On the front side, the speakers are covered with a protective mesh made of cloth - as in most cases, it is removed (held on 4 pins that are sufficiently strong at first glance).
Below them is a large (6.5 '') polypropylene midrange / woofer and a small (1 '') fabric for high frequencies. The latter (and maybe even both) was specially developed for the company by the quite well-known Danish specialist Peter Larsen , whose autograph is on a passive column. The tweeter membrane was developed by Dr. Kurt Mueller , if, of course, it tells someone something.
Unfortunately (fortunately?) I didn’t get inside, so I cannot judge the quality of internal performance. But the fact that in plain sight, collected and bolted to the conscience, the column literally bribe their solidity. In other reviews, it is said that an amplifier assembled on discrete elements is installed inside (without using integrated circuits in a power amplifier). If you wish, you can read about the filling and frequency response here and here .
On the back of the right column are most of the functional elements. Among them - a radiator for passive cooling, a volume knob, a power button and two stereo inputs (RCA) for connecting to two sound sources. Well, and clamps for connecting wires, of course - here they are made conveniently, unlike the models mentioned above. Non-removable power cord - because it all works from the network.
Below the speakers there are black round rubber washers - they dampen parasitic vibrations and prevent the speakers from moving arbitrarily in space. But if you move the column, then on the table there will be a black rubber mark on it (erased).
As you can see, there is a small something on the active column below. That's right, this is an infrared receiver signal from the remote control (included). It is also an indicator for two characters - while working, the characters unobtrusively glow in red.
The presence of the remote is the only difference between the Solo 6C and the conventional Solo 6. I was looking for exactly 6C, because no one would want to reach for the volume control every time.
With the H300 and H500 models, there were quite large consoles (and with them special remote units with a display; but there are more functions) ...
Remote control and control unit from Microlab H500
... here the remote control is absolutely tiny - it is exactly the same as from the FM transmitter in my car. What once again says that many products are made in Chinese factories on the same patterns)
There are 12 buttons on the remote, 4 of which are not signed - in fact, they are really superfluous. The remaining buttons are responsible for the volume, bass, treble, mute and switch its source.
Turn on and work
I have both interfaces involved - to one input (PC) is, as you might guess, the sound from the computer; The second one (AUX) is connected to the Cowon S9 player, which sometimes is much preferable to me for Winamps and other simple player players.
Online I came across reviews that the system settings are reset when the power is turned off. I do not reset anything, but, apparently, only because I never turn off the power) The speakers do not “sizzle” in silence, so the maximum that I need is for music not to play when it is necessary (for example, at night). And for this there is a button "mute", a button to switch the mode from PC to AUX - both options work. There is no power off button on the remote itself - there is a switch on the back side, but I used it only once.
As for sound quality - like some authors / publications, I could go to any audiophile site and pull out a couple of sonorous appropriate words “about dense and resilient basses, slightly shifted to the upper part of the low-frequency spectrum” and about other horizons of the sound panorama ...) No, I do not know, I do not want and I will not. There is no special equipment, and my ears are very ordinary, so I'm better off somehow, but myself. And I myself will be brief - the sound is really cool! In complete silence, the speakers do not hiss; at high volume I did not hear any artifacts on any of the music files. The sound is crystal clear and very detailed, there is no confusion or untruths - everything is as I used to hear with good headphones. In addition to all this, there is a huge volume margin (on a speaker it is level 60, although I rarely turned up louder than 40) and good bass. Someone will have little bass - here it makes sense to buy some subwoofer or initially choose from 2.1 systems. But for my desk / room it’s almost perfect!
Well, I talked about the remote. Without it, it would be much more inconvenient to operate the system - it’s good that it exists and takes up so little space.
* UPD * At the request of workers:
AFC taken from a review on IXBT.com
Specifications
Frequency range : 55-31000 Hz
Body Material : Wood (MDF)
Output power : 2x50W (RMS)
Signal to noise ratio :> 88dB
Harmonic distortion : <0.3% at 1W at 1kHz
Number of audio channels : 2.0
Connectors : 2 stereo inputs (RCA)
Speaker diameter : MF / LF - 6.5 "(polypropylene), HF - 1" (material - silk)
Weight cbcntvs : 13.7kg
Optional : wireless remote control, indicator, magnetic shielding? Discrete power amplifier
Advantages and disadvantages
Chic appearance High-quality assembly, neat case Excellent sound quality, high volume Ability to connect the system to two sound sources Compact control panel Adequate price. High ratio "price / quality" There is no possibility to connect headphones. But sometimes it is necessary Big sizes. Columns are positioned as desktop, but their sizes are such that on some tables they may simply not fit.Speak, give the body from an array, but not from MDF? ) Oh well
On the average price tag for the Solo 6C model in online stores it says "from 4,200 rubles." And this is just great!
Much worse is that these columns are almost never found. More precisely, how ... on many sites they seem to be there, but when I tried to order them (it was still in the summer), I always ran into some excuses - “we only have Solo 6”, “We don’t take you to the city "," We can order from the warehouse, but you have to wait a week ", etc. The company's unofficial response is “very high demand, like hot cakes”. I don’t know how things are going now, but I’m sure that if you go in search, everything will be there.
The end
Internets and magazines did not lie - for their money, these columns are simply smart. It is very pleasant to realize that I lost the agony of choosing computer acoustics - the very first acquisition suited me completely. And all this at a reasonable price! On the other hand, I chose them not from the bald;) I dare to assume that these speakers will suit many users, even the most demanding, in terms of the quality of performance and sound. But everyone’s ears are different - it’s good if you can listen to a sound somewhere carefully before you buy it.
PS Since we started talking about the sound ... remember, last year I did a review of the wonderful Razer Megalodon headphones, sharpened for games? More recently, the company has released new ears Razer Orca - if you want, I can try to get them for review.
Successes!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/106563/
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