Tdk Tremor S-150 Review

TDK Tremor S-150

PC Review Category Speakers Review Date 8/01 Publisher TDK Minimum System Requirements PC W/ 2Channel Sound Card

by Shawn Sanders

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Space, the final frontier.

Injustice, hypocrisy and sexual and religious intolerance plague every country in one way or another, yet one singular question remains on the forefront of every PC gamer's thoughts despite their race, religion or cola preference: "Two speakers or four?"

This dilemma is the cause of many sleepless nights, as gamers toss and turn wracking their primitive brains trying to unravel The Riddle of the Audio Sphinx.

More often than not this question is answered for us, as space, being the persuasive mistress that she is, dictates what is and is not conducive. If your desk/computer setup permits the proper placement of a nice four-speaker system without littering your floor with cumbersome cords or needing a friend to stand behind you to hold the two rear speakers up near your ears, then there are many, many four-channel setups that will please.

But most of us have modest space saving computer areas (or so we would like to think) that are much better suited for a hardcore, clear-sounding 2-speaker setup. And they don't come much more hardcore or clearer than TDK's 150 watt flat-panel satellite system, the Tremor S-150.

TDK Tremor S-150

The Tremor speaker line, encompassing their S-60, S-80 and S-150, is TDK's first venture into the multimedia speaker arena. Taking advantage of the industry's most advanced generation of NXT flat-panel technology, TDK's high-end S-150 produces powerfully rich sounds with hard pounding bass.

I should mention TDK's S-60 set proved less desirable than our current low-end champion: Logitech's SR-30. The bass is devoid of any real thump and the overall sound is tinny. But the Tremor S-150 is a different story altogether.

Here's what you get. Included in the package are two stylish flat-panel satellite speakers (with volume, treble and bass controls), a space-saving subwoofer (which kind of looks like the Rocketeer's jetpack), plenty of cords, two desktop stands and two adhesive wall mounts. Woohooo! Finally we get to place some speakers on the wall without having to drill holes all over the place.

Sadly, the S-150 has no included software bundle, which is too bad. I've always been an advocate of the game bundle that shows off a speaker system's capabilities . Oh well, I guess I will have to resort to my vast collection of music and video games to test the limits of this speaker setup.

Music shines brightest on the S-150. Jazz, reggae, traditional ska, hip-hop, funk, Latin, lounge - you name it, it sounds fabulous on the S-150s. You won't find any pesky background whistle or whining sounds that are heard from some other sets, and the subwoofer kicks ass. Seriously. Put your hand on this sci-fi thumper of bass and it'll feel like someone is lightly hitting the palm of your hand with a heavy hammer. This thing can really boom with the best of them.

Toss a game into your PC and you're in for a real treat. Some may doubt the true power that can come from a good two-speaker system. Do you like your crow baked or fried? Because the S-150 system is shattering all preconceived ideas on what to expect from a two-speaker setup. For a full list of features, click here.

Although I will admit that the Logitech Xtrusio DSR-100 set we reviewed a few months back does seem to have a marginal advantage in the 3D-positional sound department, it's a bigger pain in the ass. The trade off for me is a floor littered with speaker cords and two stacks of boxes set up behind me on top of which I must place the rear speakers. It's really a pain, not to mention the price difference of $30.

For 150 bucks, you can walk away with a great two-speaker system. This may seem a bit pricey for only two speakers, but TDK's 150 watt S-150 is easily comparable to Logitech's 100 watt four-speaker Xtrusio set ringing in at $180 bucks, so it's actually a nice deal.

If saving space and a little money is your concern, you can't go wrong with the Tremor S-150. It's an incredibly powerful two-speaker system that leaves its other two-speaker cousins in the dust by setting its sights on and competing with the four-speaker big boys. You won't find a hint of a software bundle, but you will find those nice volume, treble and bass controls very handy. TDK's Tremor S-150 is an easy sound solution for the spatially challenged gamer. Now, what to do with all this free space?