MusicRadar Verdict
OK if you just want to amp up your laptop.
Pros
- +
Decently loud without distorting.
Cons
- -
Not so good at lower driver levels; annoying wires.
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The iLuv iSP170 is a pair of 7cm black shiny cubes housing a tiny 1.8watt amp and a pair of similarly ant-pleasing speakers.
One speaker has a large, easily findable volume dial on the back and the second speaker plugs into this one with a simple mono RCA. While there is USB it's power only, so input comes from a 3.5mm jack.
Irritatingly both 3.5mm jack and USB inputs are via hard-wired attached leads that at 90cm will doubtless always prove not quite long enough. Meanwhile the persistently attached wires mean that any stylish sleekness evoked by their low-profile presence is rendered moot through the omnipresent string of spaghetti hanging out the back.
More worrying is the distortion at low driver levels, though give it a maxed out iPhone input and the tiny USB-powered amp stops choking. With plenty of input welly you get a boistrous sound that is 'too loud' long before it actually distorts.
Need your laptop to go louder? Go for it. Need a decent pair of speakers? For £15? Come on.
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