3DsoundSurge Reviews: Videologic Sirocco Spirit

Spirit_box.jpg (20964 bytes)

Important Info:

Speakers By : VideoLogic Systems
Price : £140 (incl. Tax)/$250 SRP in US
Power Output:
Satellites: 50 watts RMS , 25 watts RMS per satellite

Minimum/Recommended System Requirements

Sound card or other audio device with analog line-level output.

Reviewer PC:

-Mikael
- Win98
- Celeron 300a o/c 450
- 128MB PC100 ram
- Creative TNT
- 6.4 GB Quantum SE
- Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! (EMU 10K1), Outrageous 3D Sound (Vortex 2), Hoontech Sound Track YFM 744 Digital XG (Yamaha 744), Aztech PCI 368 DSP (VLSI Thunderbird 128), Trident 4Dwave NX and Terratec's DMX Sound system (Canyon3D)

Features:

Amplifier

Amplifiers: Four integrated amplifiers. Self Peak Instantaneous Temperature (°Ke) (SPiKe™) Protection Circuitry for protection against overvoltage, undervoltage, overloads (including shorts to the supplies), thermal runaway, and instantaneous temperature peaks.
Power output: Satellites: 25 W rms per channel. Full system (all channels driven): 50 Watts rms at 10% THD or 40 Watts at 1% THD.
Frequency response: < 10 Hz to > 100 kHz.
Input sensitivity: Input 1 0.3 V rms, Input 2 1.4V rms.
Power supply: 220-240V AC 50 Hz (UK/Europe); 115V AC 60 Hz (North America).

Satellites

Bass/mid frequency drive unit: Audax 4" cone.
High frequency drive unit: Audax 10 mm polymer dome.
Frequency response: 45 Hz to 20 kHz.
Cabinets: Wood construction MDF cabinets with removable grille, each with mid-frequency (bass/mid) drive unit and separate high-frequency drive unit (tweeter), both magnetically shielded..
Dimensions: Right: 144 mm (W) x 274 mm (H) x 216 mm (D including grille and control knobs).
Left: 144 mm (W) x 274 mm (H) x 194 mm (D)
Weight: Right: 3.7 kg, Left: 2.16 kg.
Controls: Volume, Attitude, Power on/off (located on rear of Right satellite).
Right satellite connectors: Two stereo phono inputs, headphone out jack, DIN output to Left satellite, subwoofer out jack, switched IEC mains inlet.
Left satellite connectors: DIN input from right satellite.
Cables supplied: IEC mains cable, 3.5 mm stereo jack to phono and speaker cable.

The Sirocco Spirit is one of the latest additions to VideoLogic Systems' Sirocco series. If you read our Sirocco Crossfire (4.1 system), Sirocco Crossfire vs. ProMedia comparison, Sirocco (2-satellites+subwoofer) or Sirocco Pro (2-satellites+subwoofer) reviews you already know the Sirocco series offers excellent quality at reasonable, but not low, price points compared to other multimedia systems. If you instead choose to compare it to systems in the home-theater/hifi market the Sirocco Series offers good quality at excellent price points. The goal of the Sirocco Spirit was to offer a relatively compact system while still maintaining as much of the original Sirocco's sound quality as possible. To accomplish this VideoLogic used the same midrange and tweeter as the original Sirocco and the cabinets are still of MDF. To save space they integrated the amplifier into the right speaker and skipped the subwoofer. To still get good bass response the satellites are now ported (bass hole), the cabinet size is increased and VideoLogic has also added something they call Dynamic Virtual Sub Technology to the Spirit. The Dynamic Virtual Sub Technology gives a variable bass boost dependent on volume - most at low volume, tailing off to none at about the mid-point. The changes to save space also reduced the price down to £140(inc. VAT)/US$249. In this review we will take a look at how well these changes turned out. We will not be able to compare it with the original Sirocco but will be able to say how it compares to the Sirocco Crossfire and some other multimedia systems when listening to music, playing games and watching movies.