Trust Soundwave 1000 3D Plus speaker system
Matt Pearce
Ever felt that your desktop is lacking a bit of oomph in the sound department? You're not alone. With the advent of DVD-roms,
multi-media applications and increasingly sophisticated games, the market for serious computer speakers is growing fast. itwales.com
chose to review a budget solution that sits halfway between your traditional two-speaker set up and your surround sound super-system. The
Trust Soundwave 1000 3D Plus active speaker system consists of two mid-power speakers plus a chunky subwoofer. The package retails at
around £49.99, which is fairly good value when you consider that a decent pair of speakers will set you back around £25 these days.
The Trust speakers look fairly uninspiring. Styling is simple and a little clumpy, but the speakers are fairly solid and heavy: good
news if you're irritated by toppling speakers (indeed, these make very handy bookends). The speakers are also extremely easy to set up
(you just plug them in), and although the number of controls is limited (you can adjust volume and bass only, and switch the 3D surround
on and off), this makes the speakers very easy to adjust to your taste.
CD replay can be the toughest test for speakers. Computers generally don't deliver hi-fi when spinning your discs, and shortcomings in
the sound become apparent when there is no screen action to distract you. The Trust set up, however, handled The Stereophonics' latest
offering admirably. The music was delivered fairly smoothly, the benefits of a subwoofer becoming immediately apparent: a substantial
bass gives depth to the delivery, yet the bass manages not to overtake even at higher levels. By the strictest of standards, Kelly's
voice did sound one-dimensional and pushed to the fore by the speakers, and the pluck of guitar strings was not totally convincing. But
stereo imaging was OK, and treble was too - definitely not over-bright as is often the case, but not as crisp and sweet as top-notch
speakers. Of course, we are talking about listen-as-you-tinker speakers here, so on the music front, the speakers do more than enough to
entertain.
When it comes to games, things get even better. Maybe it's because many games are accompanied by simpler, synthesised and often ambient
music, but with games, the Trust speakers sound confident and fun. Shooting things is so much more enjoyable when you get rumbles from
your sub. And because the speakers are solid and bass-confident, even the tackiest of sound effects don't make them sound tinny.
Again, a DVD-rom and a monitor cannot offer the best DVD replay, but again, the speakers performed well in a supporting role, this
time delivering DVD sound. The sub came into its own with action movies, adding a bit of excitement with its thunder, and a bit of
realism with its weighty sound. What about the '3D' system, that proposes to make sound more 'three-dimensional' by widening the
perceived soundfield? Well, it worked fairly convincingly with DVDs when the speakers were carefully positioned, but our advice would be
to stay away from the 3D button most of the time. It can make the sound feel slightly insubstantial, even when bass is increased.
In conclusion, the itwales.com verdict is that if you're into an occasional desktop movie, boogie or shoot-out, a sub can add a lot of
fun for relatively little money. itwales.com rates the Trust Soundwave 1000 3D Plus speaker system as a good value upgrade from your
stereo speaker set-up. Its straight-forward delivery of low-end frequencies earns it:
7.5/10
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