What about Epoz AktiMate Mini ?
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Messiah
Well-known member
Good speakers.
Sound quality is good.
Build quality is good.
They look good.
Only downside is lack of input selector so if you have two sources playing at once you will hear both of them.
This slight niggle aside I think they are well worth an audtion.
Sound quality is good.
Build quality is good.
They look good.
Only downside is lack of input selector so if you have two sources playing at once you will hear both of them.
This slight niggle aside I think they are well worth an audtion.
Messiah
Well-known member
Messiah said:Yes you could.
Or avoid playing two sources at once.
Doh. Yes, that would be cheaper. I was thinking more of being able to switch though, rather than confuse 2 sources at once.
Messiah
Well-known member
Here is a copy of my write up from a while ago:
So, after 'a bit' of drama I have my Epoz Aktimate Minis in Red. These have been bought for use in the bedroom with my 26" Samsung TV and recently relocated PS3. I wanted something to play the tunes from my iPhone and improve the sound when watching films and playing games.
I had decided very early on that I was only shortlisting active/powered speakers. There were a couple of reasons for this. Firstly 'traditional' hifi and all that goes with it has lost its appeal to me. My ADMs have shown me how much 'bang for your buck' can be gained by going down the active/powered route. Whilst that does not guarantee great performance from all actives/powered speakers I still believe they offer more for your money. Secondly space was an issue as they will be sat on a desk either side of the TV. As far as budget is concerned I set myself a limit of £400 but ideally wanted to spend less. I went back and forth between various price points having looked at speakers from the likes of Behringer, Fostex, Audioengine, Acoustic Energy (when briefly considering a sub/sat system) and of course Aktimate.
I finally plumped for the Aktimate Mini for a number of reasons:
- Integrated iPod dock
- RCA input for connection to the TV
- Looks - I think they look good and as the bedroom is being decorated with a red theme the choice of a red finish compliments this.
- Good reviews from many sources
- The Maxis are too big!
The speakers come double boxed and are wrapped in some cloth bags which is a nice touch for this price level. Speakers come with a power lead, speaker cable, banana plugs, a remote and a range of ipod adapters. One drawback with these adapters is that they have a raised back which means the flap does not close if they are used.
Build quality on the speakers is excellent. Everything is solid and feels and looks well made. The finish is very good and does not feel plasticky, but is a bit of a dust magnet. The only very, very minor but something I notice gripe I have is that the Aktimate logo stickers are not dead centre - told you it was very minor!
Connections - there is an integrated iPod dock under a flap on the top of the left speaker. The left speaker also houses all the other connections. There is a 3.5mm input and a standard RCA input. There is an RCA output for connection to a sub or second system along with a video output so that photos stored on the iPod can be displayed on a TV. There is also a USB connection so that you can charge your iPod as annoyingly it does not charge when docked. Basically you can either listen to your iPod or charge it. Not both. On the front of the left speaker is the volume button which is also the on/off button. There is also a 'display'. There is a constant blue light which indicates the power is 'on' and an orange light comes on when the speaker is in standby.
The remote covers basic ipod functions along with volume adjustment and mute. There is no input selector with these speakers. If you play from more than one source at once then it will all come through at once - something to bear in mind for any other prospective buyers.
So how do they sound? This was always going to be difficult to judge as I have been spoilt with the quality of the ADMs for the past couple of years now. I am also pretty lousy at adequately describing the sound quality of something, however I'll try. My initial impressions (and these are just initial impressions as more extensive listening is required before I can make a full judgement) are very positive.
Clarity and separation is pretty good and they seem to be quite even through the frequency range so there is not one dominant area. The bass is punchy and more substantial than I expected. However it is a little bloated but I think this is down to their location rather than a shortcoming with the speaker. They also kept these traits when pushed harder and they go quite loud. I tried them with various genres and they performed well across the board. They were never going to be as good as the ADMs and it is pretty unfair to compare it to something that costs over 4 times more and performs like something costing ten times more but they has been my only reference for a while now. In a way that fact that I have been used to the quality of the ADMs for sometime and I am still impressed with the Minis can only be a good thing.
Overall I think that are well worth the money. Build and sound quality is very impressive and the only niggles are the iPod adapters and no input selection. When I have the finances I will get another set for the dining room.
So, after 'a bit' of drama I have my Epoz Aktimate Minis in Red. These have been bought for use in the bedroom with my 26" Samsung TV and recently relocated PS3. I wanted something to play the tunes from my iPhone and improve the sound when watching films and playing games.
I had decided very early on that I was only shortlisting active/powered speakers. There were a couple of reasons for this. Firstly 'traditional' hifi and all that goes with it has lost its appeal to me. My ADMs have shown me how much 'bang for your buck' can be gained by going down the active/powered route. Whilst that does not guarantee great performance from all actives/powered speakers I still believe they offer more for your money. Secondly space was an issue as they will be sat on a desk either side of the TV. As far as budget is concerned I set myself a limit of £400 but ideally wanted to spend less. I went back and forth between various price points having looked at speakers from the likes of Behringer, Fostex, Audioengine, Acoustic Energy (when briefly considering a sub/sat system) and of course Aktimate.
I finally plumped for the Aktimate Mini for a number of reasons:
- Integrated iPod dock
- RCA input for connection to the TV
- Looks - I think they look good and as the bedroom is being decorated with a red theme the choice of a red finish compliments this.
- Good reviews from many sources
- The Maxis are too big!
The speakers come double boxed and are wrapped in some cloth bags which is a nice touch for this price level. Speakers come with a power lead, speaker cable, banana plugs, a remote and a range of ipod adapters. One drawback with these adapters is that they have a raised back which means the flap does not close if they are used.
Build quality on the speakers is excellent. Everything is solid and feels and looks well made. The finish is very good and does not feel plasticky, but is a bit of a dust magnet. The only very, very minor but something I notice gripe I have is that the Aktimate logo stickers are not dead centre - told you it was very minor!
Connections - there is an integrated iPod dock under a flap on the top of the left speaker. The left speaker also houses all the other connections. There is a 3.5mm input and a standard RCA input. There is an RCA output for connection to a sub or second system along with a video output so that photos stored on the iPod can be displayed on a TV. There is also a USB connection so that you can charge your iPod as annoyingly it does not charge when docked. Basically you can either listen to your iPod or charge it. Not both. On the front of the left speaker is the volume button which is also the on/off button. There is also a 'display'. There is a constant blue light which indicates the power is 'on' and an orange light comes on when the speaker is in standby.
The remote covers basic ipod functions along with volume adjustment and mute. There is no input selector with these speakers. If you play from more than one source at once then it will all come through at once - something to bear in mind for any other prospective buyers.
So how do they sound? This was always going to be difficult to judge as I have been spoilt with the quality of the ADMs for the past couple of years now. I am also pretty lousy at adequately describing the sound quality of something, however I'll try. My initial impressions (and these are just initial impressions as more extensive listening is required before I can make a full judgement) are very positive.
Clarity and separation is pretty good and they seem to be quite even through the frequency range so there is not one dominant area. The bass is punchy and more substantial than I expected. However it is a little bloated but I think this is down to their location rather than a shortcoming with the speaker. They also kept these traits when pushed harder and they go quite loud. I tried them with various genres and they performed well across the board. They were never going to be as good as the ADMs and it is pretty unfair to compare it to something that costs over 4 times more and performs like something costing ten times more but they has been my only reference for a while now. In a way that fact that I have been used to the quality of the ADMs for sometime and I am still impressed with the Minis can only be a good thing.
Overall I think that are well worth the money. Build and sound quality is very impressive and the only niggles are the iPod adapters and no input selection. When I have the finances I will get another set for the dining room.
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