Audio Notepad Speaker System

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Julie

October 16, 2003

 

"Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast"  Right? Well, that really all depends on just how good your speakers sound! This review is going to take a look at the Audio Notepad Speaker System from Zmart Shoppers, which is actually a repackaging of the 56MS system from AcousticSpecialties. More about the repackaging details in a bit.

Hardware Specs

Left / Right Speaker	Subwoofer
External Dimensions	External Dimensions
5.25" x 8.5" x 0.65"	5" x 8" x 8"
Weight	Weight
0.6lb.	6.5lbs.
RMS Power	RMS Power
3 Watts	10 Watts
Peak Power	Peak Power
6 Watts	20 Watts
Impedance	Impedance
4 Ohm	4 Ohm
Sensitivity	Sensitivity
90dB	89dB
Frequency Response	Frequency Response
200Hz-20KHz	45Hz-250Hz

This is a 3 piece speaker system comprised of a left and right speaker, and a subwoofer. The left and right speakers are flat panel speakers. Flat panel speakers have been on the market for a few years now, and are desirable due to the fact that they tend to be lighter in weight and have a smaller footprint then conventional style speakers.

The left / right speakers in this set are indeed light weight, but they really don't take up less room than the left / right speakers in my 5.1 Cambridge set which I use with my desktop PC. However, the plastic base on each speaker is removable, so that you do have the ability to attach the them to a wall instead of sitting them on a desk. Speaking of plastic, these speakers are constructed very cheaply. I don't think it would take a lot of effort to break them.

The subwoofer on the other hand, has a more substantial feel to it, even though it is very compact. On the back of the unit there is a variety of input and output connections, that give you the ability to connect the speaker system to different devices such as computers, MP3 players, DVD players, etc. Two sets of RCA cables, and a 4.5ft 3.5mm stereo patch cord are included.

During my review, I tried this speaker set with my PC, iPod, and HP2215 Pocket PC. To put it nicely, I wasn't impressed with the sound quality that this speaker system produced. Although the subwoofer provided adequate bass, the flat panel speakers sounded... well.... flat. And to make matters worse, I could hear a low buzzing whine coming out of them at all times. At first I thought this might be my computer causing the noise / interference, so I unplugged the speaker set, hauled it upstairs to my bedroom and hooked it up to my iPod there. Unfortunately, it still had same annoying buzz. A friend of mine who is knowledgeable in electronics, guessed that the buzz might be due to a shoddy power supply design.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, this speaker system has been repackaged and called the Audio Notepad from Zmart. They are marketing it as a speaker solution that has the added benefit of keeping your desk clutter free. How would a speaker system do that? Well, they include a dry erase marker and a glue stick. You can use the dry erase marker to write notes on the flat panel speakers instead of post it notes or other scraps of paper that tend to clutter a desktop. You can use the glue stick to temporarily glue pictures to the speakers. Affixing pictures to the speakers does not have any effect on the sound quality, or lack there of.

In my opinion, I think a person would be way better off buying a speaker system other than this one. I personally prefer a 5.1 surround sound system. Those can be found for about the same price as the Audio Notepad. For those on a budget, basic traditional style 2 speaker / subwoofer sets can also be found much cheaper.

 

Price: $54.95

Pros:
Subwoofer has a variety of inputs
You can write and/or glue pictures to the front of the speakers

Cons:
Cheaply constructed
Buzz / whine from speakers