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A wide audience reading this might not have heard of Microlabs. I admit, initially I was dubious that they were yet another cheap far eastern brand, with little room to fit into an already cluttered marketplace. The company name for example is less than inspiring, as it gives the impression of cold, clinical audio reproduction for the budget computer audience … who are only interested in the price point.
This is a rather unfortunate oversight, because audio expert Peter Larsen has clearly set out to build a set of speakers which focus on warm, inviting, audio reproduction. They really aren't that ‘technically' accurate, but the colourful and rich tones can effectively reduce listening fatigue and sibilance, often associated with compressed audio files.
In the computer industry there are very few speakers which offer a little ‘personality' of their own, which can subjectively add to the enjoyment of music. I really enjoyed listening to a wide range of material via the Solo 6C speakers, rather than analysing all the frequencies as I normally do. That said, they are not perfect and can sometimes suffer from a narrow soundstage, and don't make an ideal partner for movies or gaming.
The price point is very attractive, with UK sites such as Amazon offering them for £79.95 inc vat. At this price point I am willing to overlook some of their minor shortcomings. I really like the warm bias to the sound quality and very impressive levels of bass, which can be fine tuned to suit your specific genre. They might not be as clinically accurate as the Creative Gigaworks T40 Series II, but their overall balance of audio reproduction is rich and full bodied.
Pros:
- Remote control gives complete control over audio settings.
- Very appealing, traditional ‘hifi' appearance.
- powerful amplifier for the price.
- slightly warm sound is appealing for Mp3 playback, ensuring less long term ‘fatigue'.
- great for acoustic music playback.
- Great value for money.
Cons:
- Competition is fierce in this sector.
- Slightly narrow soundstage.
- Heavy, and need good support to keep the sound ‘tight'.
- better options for gaming or movies (5:1 sets).
- The company name is not going to attract the right kind of attention.
Kitguru says: Speakers designed for enjoyable, audio playback at a competitive price point.
Very good indeed. like the look of them.
The remote is a great ideal, especially for a media center system.
Th designer of these speakers used to make very high end speakers for a different audience. I agree their name is crap, but I bet these are really very good indeed.
Very good value for money IMO. I like the design, more classic hifi than computer speaker, which wins it points.
Hello. I would like to ask for an advice here as I haven’t found any Microlab forums. I have just unpacked my new Solo 6C speakers. Connected them to my computer and switched them on, and noticed a problem straight away – a buzzing noise. It is not very loud but it drives me mad. I do not understand any technicalities but I don’t think the speakers should be doing that. The buzzing noise level does not change as I try to increase or decrease volume. Unplugging the stereo jack from my PC is not helping either. It only stops when I switch the speakers off at the back panel. Is it normal or is there something wrong with the speakers?
Did you try more than one source? There should be no buzzing….
If you mean a power source, then no, I haven’t tried a different one. But I have discovered that the back panel of the speaker with the amplifier gets burning hot, even without me playing any music. I just switch the speakers on and in a few minutes I could start frying eggs over there. That is definitely not right and I am returning the speakers. Hopefully the next set will be fine.
Thank you for the interest Zardon.
Sorry to hear that, sounds like a faulty amplifier inside the main speaker to me – would explain the buzzing sound. It should get quite warm after a while, but not burning hot.
I have arranged a replacement. Thanks for help Zardon.
Jan: The new speakers are OK ? Without buzzing noise ?
Thank you 🙂
I am experiencing the same humming issue as described above by Jan. The speakers are brand new. Planning to replace them next week.
Forgive me if I’m a bit skeptical about the T40 II’s sounding better than these; particularly after extended burn-in.