Sometimes those tiny speakers shoved into the body of your PC just can't hack it. If you simply want a pair of decent speakers that don't cost too much and look great alongside your iMac, the LaCie Sound2s — born in the studio of Red Dot-winning industrial designer Neil Poulton — fit the bill. The speakers' circular fronts cast an "I'm design savvy" glow across your workspace. And they're lightweight enough to move from room to room for show. But these lookers won't be winning any audio awards: Sound quality is merely average, and it gets muffled and blurry as volume increases. The Sound2s can get louder than most built-in PC units, but it comes at a cost. Bass is also an issue — crank up the dBs and these things rattle instead of hum. The lightweight plastic casing was quite a disappointment when compared to the well-crafted bods of Joey Roth's ceramics and B&W's MM1s. Sure, these speaks look like something Picasso might have constructed, but Picasso was a painter, not an audiophile.
Review: LaCie Sound2 Speakers
The affordable LaCie Sound2s will look so good straddling your iMac, but the sound quality is just so-so.
Photo by Jens Mortensen
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WIRED
Magnetically shielded. Sweet desk candy. Powered by USB or their own wall adapter; comes with four international plugs.
TIRED
Another case of style over sound. USB cable is permanently attached, so be careful with those scissors. Volume knob is on the back? Sometimes you just need to tell the designers no.