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The P205 subwoofer's 10-inch ultra-long throw polymer woofer is identical to the one used in Cambridge's best sub, the P1000 (the P1000 uses two woofers, while this sub uses one.) The woofer is powered by a 200-watt digital amplifier; connectivity runs to stereo RCA inputs and stereo speaker level inputs. The "-3 dB" button switches between "25 Hz" and "35 Hz," the lower number produces deeper bass, and the higher setting allows the sub to play louder without distorting. The sub is also available separately for $600.
Performance
Starting with the I Am Legend DVD, the Newton Theater MC155 sounded rich and beautifully balanced. Will Smith driving through deserted Manhattan streets in a red Mustang demonstrated the subwoofer's potency, and the satellites revealed the more subtle reverberations of the engine's roar bouncing off the buildings. The sounds of birds and insects buzzing over the surround channels created a sense of dread and uneasiness. The few scenes with dialogue sounded fine; the small center speaker avoided the closed-in quality we hear from many small speakers.
We used the audience ambiance sounds on the Blue Man Group's new concert DVD, How To Be A Megastar Live!, to evaluate the Newton Theater MC155's bipole/dipole surround speakers. When we switched to dipole mode when we had the surround speakers placed directly to the sides of the couch, they nearly disappeared as sound sources (that's good). The audience claps and cheers were spread across the sidewalls of the CNET listening room. To check out their sound in bipole mode we moved the surround speakers farther back into the room, but still on the sidewalls. So sure, the sound seemed to come more from the rear of the room. We liked the sound in both locations; so chances are you'll be able to get spacious surround sound in your room. That level of surround placement flexibility is rare in 5.1-speaker systems in the Newton Theater MC155's price class.
The Blue Man Group DVD also showed off the Newton Theater MC155 subwoofer's power. The little sub went plenty deep so the drums and percussion instruments, especially the big-bass drums, felt realistic.
Rock, jazz, and even classical music didn't sound like they were coming out of small speakers, and while it's not always the case with sat/sub systems, the Newton Theater MC155 worked equally well in stereo or surround. The treble might be lacking in detail for some listeners, so the speakers can seem a little "polite" on rock music. For example, the Newton Theater MC155 took the gritty edge off our old Rolling Stones CDs.
That said, that smooth quality made it easy to listen to the Newton Theater MC155 at louder volumes than we could with the Definitive Technology ProCinema 600 speaker system. That system is brighter and punchier than the Newton Theater MC155, but the Def Tech speakers might strike some listeners as too bright. As always, it's a matter of taste. The Def Tech's subwoofer was no match for the Cambridge's in terms of low bass power, but the Def Tech's bass was "faster" and more detailed. It rendered pitches of bass instruments with greater clarity.
In the final analysis, we'd give the nod to the Newton Theater MC155 for its smoother overall sound and because we felt its sats and sub were better matched to each other than the ProCinema 600's.
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