The AV 40 features a two-way design; each speaker has a 4-inch polypropylene-coated woofer and a 1-inch silk dome tweeter. The built-in amplifier delivers 20 watts per channel.
Performance
The Studiophile AV 40 immediately impressed us when we played some of our favorite Rolling Stones tunes. We cranked the volume up nice and loud and the sound remained clear while the bass was punchy. When we experimented with the Bass Boost control, it added a nice kick and didn't become overblown or boomy.
The Buena Vista Social Club CD demonstrated a different side of the Studiophile AV 40's talents--the soundstage between the two speakers had an open, unboxy sound that smaller PC speakers can't match. Vocals in particular benefited from this open quality. The acoustic bass instruments sounded very natural, defined, and powerful demonstrating the Studiophile AV 40 as a good hi-fi speaker.
The horse racing scenes on the Seabiscuit DVD were exciting and intense. The film's orchestral score didn't sound shrill and anemic the way it does on many smaller PC speakers. Sure, big-time home-theater dynamics are beyond the capabilities of the Studiophile AV 40, but its size advantages over smaller PC speakers on special-effects-laden DVD movies such as Serenity will be obvious to even the most casual of listeners. That said, as good as the Studiophile AV 40 is, it's still not on par with a decent home theater in a box system.
Rounding things out, we fired up Unreal Tournament 3 for some online fragging and came away satisfied. Gamers will appreciate the big speakers' muscle and power on the virtual battlefield and for online play.
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