Logic3 SoundStation

Soundbeat Sound Station

Manufacturer: Logic 3 (SpectraVideo)

Price: 69.99 (US)

Review Date: 12-31-99

Features:

• 300W (PMPO)
• Subwoofer with 2 Satellite speakers (magnetically shielded)
• Volume control
• Bass control
• Purple/Grey or iMac Blue cases
• PC, Sega, Nintendo (console), portable device, etc. compatible (comes with appropriate adapters)

The Logic 3 Sound Station arrived along with some Logic 3 PC controllers sent to The Control Center for review. The fine people at Logic 3 wanted me to try the speakers out and let them know what I thought of the product. Why not share my thoughts and the product details with all of the CC visitors?

The Sound Station comes with adapters to connect to the popular console systems so you can enjoy full stereo sound and rich, earth shaking bass. Unless you have a high end TV sound system the Sound Station is a great, affordable sound solution. The adapter for the Playstation connects to the PlayStation unit and has 3 RCA outputs- one for video and two for either stereo channel. Setup was easy and only took a few minutes to complete.

Like most speaker systems the Sound Station also comes with standard 1/8" stereo plug so you can use it with your PC, Mac, portable CD player, MP3 player, laptop computer or any other device supporting a 1/8" plug.

I used the Sound Station with PlayStation games and the built in CD player. The Sound Station is a welcomed addition to my PlayStation setup. Using just the TV speakers for the PlayStation is quite dull. Many of the PlayStation titles have great stereo effects and the Sound Station brings this out with a real full, rich sound. The long cords for the satellite speakers allows you to place the left and right speakers well separated for better effect. Playing audio CD's through the PlayStation is now a viable alternative to my home stereo system. The room can be filled with sound if this is what you desire; otherwise the sound can be tamed to a "neighborly" level.

The speakers provide decent high and low range output. Like other 3 piece combos the midrange can seem lacking at times. The Satellite speakers handle the low to mid range sounds and due to their size they don't seem to have the bulk to produce the mid-range sounds with as much authority as the bass (from the sub-woofer) and high range. The woofer is the powerhouse of the combo (both figuratively and literally). The electrical power is provided by a power brick that plugs into the front of the woofer.

Also at the front of the woofer enclosure are plugs for sound in and sound out (for the satellite speakers). The main volume control is a large knob in the center of the woofer front. The bass adjustment is a smaller knob just above it. Setup of the entire combo takes but a few minutes. An instruction sheet is included with graphical details on hooking up the speakers. It does a good job of illustrating how you should connect the Sound Station to various systems.

The Sound Station comes in two "flavors"- classic purple and iMac Blueberry (clear and light blue). I received the iMac version. The Sound Station is a good, versatile speaker combo. Its one of the first speaker sets designed to accommodate a wide variety of devices. Whether your plugging in your console system, a portable player or you computer you'll be sure to "feel the sound" the way it was meant to be.

The Sound Station can be purchased through any number of retail outlets or on-line via the Logic3- SpectraVideo website.