Less than a year after started using Logitech Z200 speakers for my desktop setup, I was hit with an upgrade bug. When I bought them, I did not intend it for serious music listening, just to give a decent sound from the speaker-less Mac mini. I used to prefer using headphones while working, but unexpectedly I craved to listen over (good) speakers over the cans. The Z200 served their purpose, but not enough to truly enjoy the music from my playlists. I had been eyeing on the highly regarded AudioEngine A2+, but I just knew I would be wanting more bass. Then I discovered about the Swans HiVi M50W 2.1 multimedia speakers.
These speakers are considered as one of the best with their price range. They are only slightly more expensive than AE A2+ but comes with a subwoofer. In fact it’s a super solid subwoofer, but more on that later. Does that mean their sound quality below A2+? Many people would disagree. There are also many other 2.1 speaker systems from more recognized brands in the same price range that ended on my shortlist. The reason why I chose M50W in the end is because the brand comes from SQ-centric customers compared to more generic market. The design and finish define it as you can see below.
Unboxing photos
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- The packaging is 2 layered boxes. After opening, you’ll find the manual, power/volume control unit, and cables.
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- The speaker units wrapped in plastics. In early production, they used white cloth to wrap the speakers to make an even fancier unboxing experience.
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- All the units and components taken out of the box.
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- All the plastics unwrapped.
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- The primary units: 1 subwoofer, 2 satellite speakers, and the power/volume control unit.
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- Front look of the subwoofer. It is actually smaller than you expected, but it punches super solid bass.
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- The sub’s back is where all the cables go in. There is also the level knob.
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- One of the satellite speakers, they are perfectly identical.
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- Not much to see at the back of the satellite.
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- Complete setup together with Mac mini, Dell U2515H, Dell P2214H, Logitech K811 keyboard and MX Master mouse.
Early impressions
It could be because I had read so many rave reviews about the speakers prior to ordering them, but when I heard them for the first time, I felt they had been a bit overrated. They produced good sound, but still a tad below my expectation. However the local rep constantly reminded the customers to give them a burn-in time of minimum 100 hours before they will truly spark. Fair enough.
One thing that already caught my admiration was the subwoofer. Even though it can be considered compact with only 6.5″ driver, it pushes solid and round bass. It is surprisingly very heavy too, most of the 17kg packaging weight is from the sub. This alone concluded that I had made the right decision to picking this set over the A2+.
I am now in around 20 hours of burn-in time and have already been noticing the sound improvements. Even with low volume, I can hear most of the frequency ranges, an indication of high quality speakers. Can’t wait to hear when they have unleashed their true potential. I plan to write a full review after spending (a lot) more time with them. But for now, I am very happy with the Swans HiVi M50W and would recommend them to anyone looking for 2.1 multimedia speaker system in $200-$300 range.
The goods
- Superb finish, every piece uses high quality material
- Excellent subwoofer built and performance
- Looks awesome
- Can go really loud
The bads
- Initial listening might not show the true potential, require burn-in and some tweaking
- The satellite is just a tad big for a multimedia speaker at 14 x 14 cm, may require extra space on your desk
- Not easily obtainable in some countries