By Tikkler - December, 1 2000

Infobox

What? S4 MidiLand 3050M Product Page Who? MidiLand, Inc. Home Page How much? $69.95 (Street), $99.99 (MSRP)

Let's face it, everyone wants the most of the most for the least of the least--it's only human nature, as it seems. Unfortunately, most of us, I hope, know that that statement rarely holds true when it comes to the real world, and, at some times, even ends up being the opposite when one is not properly informed of their purchases. This is no different in the computer industry than, let's say, the car industry: a few hundred dollars will get you a 15 year old clunker while a pile of cash will get you a nice Mercedes with heated leather seats and the latest GPS system--the same concept holds true when dealing with the computer industry, although on a smaller basis. Sure, those free speaker systems that came with your computer system sure sound fine when it comes to their price, but when it comes to sound quality, they pretty much suck--much like the 15 year old clunker.

However, there are those rare occasions where one can get lucky and find that perfect deal; the product that we're reviewing here today, the S4 MidiLand 3050M (which will be mentioned as the 3050M from here forth for the sake of some typing strokes), seems to be aimed partially at that purpose. At $69.95 USD (Street; $99.99 MSRP), the 3050M isn't the cheapest set of speakers on the block, although it's already cheaper than most, but it sure packs a lot of punch when one looks at the spec sheets for the price.

Much like the S4 MidiLand 4060M speaker system that we reviewed earlier, the 3050M is a 2.1 channel speaker system that is based on the design of older siblings-this time, the S4 MidiLand 3050. Both the 3050 and the 3050M are essentially the same set of speakers: both with 2.5" satellite speakers, both with a large 6.5" subwoofer and both with 50w of total output power, but the 3050M is part of MidiLand's "relaunch" of their products, which also includes the S4 MidiLand 4060M and 7100M systems. The changes made to these newer versions of MidiLand's successful speaker systems? If you read my review of the 4060M, you'll know that the "M" versions boast a new metallic finish.

So, how do these speakers really perform when one looks at their sound quality and not what's on the surface (although, a very attractive on)? Let's not waste any time, shall we?

On to: Specifications