Corsair SP2500 2.1 Speakers featuring Asus Xonar Essence STX Review

1. Introduction2. Corsair SP2500 2.1 Speakers (1)3. Corsair SP2500 2.1 Speakers (2)4. Asus Xonar Essence STX5. Sound Quality and Testing6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

Like everything in life, creating a well balanced configuration is the key to ultimate enjoyment. We are confident that our setup today is pretty much as good as it gets within the enthusiast PC audio market.

The Corsair SP 2500 2.1 Speakers are the best ‘computer' oriented speakers we have heard, especially in this price range. They outclass the Razer Mako THX speakers which have been a firm favourite with KitGuru staff for many years now. The bass is punchy, controlled and capable of rocking your teeth out of their sockets. This low end impact is well matched with a dynamic, refined mid range and restrained treble delivery.

While they are being marketed by Corsair as primarily focused on the gaming market, we feel the potential audience is much wider. Discerning music lovers with a demand for a clear, focused, yet powerful sound would be well advised to shortlist these in regards to a potential upgrade.

Corsair have done it yet again, this is a stunning first foray into a new an exciting market for them, and if they can maintain this quality then they will surely continue to strengthen as a company.

If we can advise anything, then please be sure not to skimp on the quality of the output signal, many onboard sound solutions will not do these speakers justice.

These can be bought from YoyoTech for £233 including VAT

Pros

• Bass is extremely well defined
• very little harshness in upper end of frequencies
• Control pod is magnificent
• cabling is durable and well thought out
• power output is insane

Cons:

• demands a good audio source and sound card
• costly
• subwoofer demands a lot of physical space

Kitguru says: The finest pair of PC centric speakers in this price bracket, easily.

Which leads me nicely into the Asus Xonar Essence STX sound card.

When paired with the Corsair 2500 2:1 speakers, it is a match made in heaven. The dynamic range is much wider than onboard sound solutions, and the differences aren't just noticeable on paper, they can be easily heard. Vocals sound more realistic, the bass impact is tighter and it kicks harder. The midrange is wider, and the soundstaging leaps into a new zone. It might be an expensive card, but it is clearly worth every penny, especially if your take your music and audio experience seriously.

This can be bought from YoyoTech for £140 including VAT.

Pros

• dynamic range puts onboard solutions to shame
• presentation is first class
• highest quality components used in the design
• well shielded to maximise sound quality

Cons:

• expensive
• needs paired up with high quality components

KitGuru says: One of the finest sound cards on the market.

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