AZTECH AMS 5.1 MULTI-CHANNEL SPEAKER SYSTEM

• 58 Watts RMS Output Power
• Five 7 Watts RMS, 4 Ohms Satellite Speakers
• One 23 Watts RMS, 5.5 Ohms Active Subwoofer
• One Digital Control Unit with 9 ft Interface Cable
• One Remote Controller
• Three 9 ft Satellite Cables
• Two 18 ft Satellite Cables

Back to top

Introduction

Local manufacturer Aztech has been around since 1986. Since then, they have been providing users with a wide variety of multimedia products. This time round, we bring you a totally innovative product - The AZTECH AMS 5.1 MULTI-CHANNEL SPEAKER SYSTEM. It packs a wide variety of features users have yet to see or experience.

Features

• Supports 2-channel, 4-channel and 5.1-channel Analog Inputs
• Outputs discrete 2-/4-/5.1-channel audio output with any 2-/4-/5.1-channel input sources
• Outputs 2-/4-channel 3D positional audio effects with any 3D interactive sound modules
• AMS Movie Surround Processing for 2-to-5.1 channel surround sound output
• AMS Simulated Center Processing for 4-to-5.1 channel surround sound output
• Pre-set Environmental Effects such as Jazz, Game and Rock for compelling audio output
• Memory storage for user-defined Environmental Settings
• Independent programmable volume and mute control for individual channel  Subwoofer, Center, Front Left, Front Right, Rear Left and Rear Right
• Magnetically shielded speakers for flexible positioning and placemen
• Digital Control Unit for ease of access and operations
• IR Remote Controller for Home Entertainment Experience
• Ideal Speaker System for 3D Interactive Sound Cards such as Aztech PCI 368DSP, Aztech PCI 288-Q3DII, Creative Sound Blaster Live! And Diamond MX300!
• Ideal Speaker System for A/V equipment such as DVD/LD/VCD Players, Hi-fi Set and Portable Audio Players

Specifications

• One 23-watts four-ohms 5.25" powered subwoofer
• Three seven-watts four-ohms 3" compact satellite speakers with 3-metre speaker cable
• Two seven-watts four-ohms 3" compact satellite speakers with 6-metre speaker cable
• One Digital Control Unit with eight-feet interface cable
• One Infra-Red Remote Controller
• Functional and Volume Controls for
• Master Volume, Independent Channel Mute and Volume Control (Subwoofer, Center, Front Left, Front Right, Rear Left, Rear Right), Treble, Bass and Loudness
• Speaker Configurations (Normal, 2-to-5.1 Channel, 4-to-5.1 Channel)
• Pre-defined/User-programmable Environmental Settings
• Power Standby, Mute
• LED Indicators for
• Master Volume, Treble, Bass and Subwoofer Volume
• Speaker Configurations (Normal, 2-to-5.1 Channel, 4-to-5.1 Channel)
• Power Standby
• Headphone Output Connection
• Power adapter
• Brackets and screws for satellite speakers
• Rubber footings for satellite speakers

Package Contents

• 23-watts powered subwoofer
• 5x seven-watts magnetically shielded satellite speakers
• Digital control unit
• Remote controller
• Power adapter
• 2x stereo jack cable
• Installation guide
• Warranty Card
• Brackets and screws for rear satellites
• Rubber footings for satellite speakers
• 4-color packaging box

Back to top

The Good

When I first got hold of the product I was quite impressed with what the box contents had to offer, if boast of quite a wide variety of feature not heard of many speakers PC speakers. Upon opening the box, I was amazed at what it could offer. 5 sets of satellite speakers, a sub-woofer that if generally much bigger than most (lets not include the Cambridge MicroWorks to compared though), and a Digital Control Unit Console and a remote controller.

I really like the Digital Control Unit as I need not reach all the way behind to the sub-woofer to do any adjustments, also with an 8ft cable attached I could easily place it on my table for easy access. (Also it made my system look quite impressive). There is also a remote controller for the ultimate ease of control. (Also for the ultimate lazy people) but then again this set of speaker was also design for home entertainment so users can sit back and relax to enjoy their movies or Audio on their Sofa or bed without having to get up to do any adjustments. The remote control provides full access/control to the speakers it is not limited to just a few functions like some speakers. Also with led indicator on the Digital control unit, users who are familiar with it can easily identify which setting is being set. It may take a while to adjust to it but after that its well worth the effort.

Developed with the latest technology to deliver the performance, the Aztech AMS 5.1 Multi-Channel Speaker System is a dream come true. A movie-lover, you ll be experiencing home theatre entertainment with this sophisticated speaker system. A hardcore gamer, you ll be totally immersed in thrilling, nerve-racking games, for the ultimate audio performance. It comes with a vast array of settings where even at times I got lost myself too. There are a number pre set configurations but users can adjust to any setting to meet their requirements. A feature not many speakers can boast of and none within this price range.

For the testing purpose I used the Skywell Magic Live sound card. Together with Win DVD provided. As mentioned earlier, the Skywell performed well on most aspect except for General Midi. Playing DVD movies on this set of speakers, overall clarity was quite good. When playing Audio CDs the different effects proved to be quite good (e.g. Jazz, Rock). However, it does lack warmth in the sound though and the bass was quite weak. Playing games like Unreal and Quake3 test arena, the sound quality was quite impressive as the movements and effects could be heard clearly. This set of speakers also good for playing flight simulation games, as the engine and background effects are clear and realistic

Back to top

Installation

The Bad

The overall workmanship of the speaker is only fairly good. The satellite speakers from the front look pretty good, but the support handle for wall fixture look quite cheap - a simple piece of bronze metal with just a hole drilled through. As for the sub-woofer it is quite light for a product its size, and the material quality is also not that great. The digital control unit from far look quite impressive with only a button knob to operate the speakers. However, on a closer second look, it is merely a hollow plastic box. The overall sound quality lacks a lot of warmth, and there seems to be no punch in the sound. It may have a lot of functions but are they really necessary? Most users would prefer to stay with one or two setting that does it all. With so many settings, it does make things quite complicated.

Also batteries are not included for the remote controller - so remember to get a pair of AAA sized batteries.

Back to top

Conclusion

This is a good set of speakers for users looking for surround sound, clarity for D3D sound, EAX or A3D sound. It will definitely meet overall desktop applications requirements. However if you are in to deep audio music and movies, the AMS 5.1 does not seem to provide enough warmth. So if you are looking for a set of speakers for that added punch you'd might try the Creative FPS 2000.

Back to top

Ratings

Back to top