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Today we are looking at one of Microlab's high grade speaker systems- The Solo 8c. These speakers promise to deliver powerful, clear sound quality with an appearance to suit placement on a desk or as a part of a home entertainment set up.
We've reviewed cheaper offerings from Microlab in the past, including the Solo 6c speakers, the FC360 2.1 speakers and the more recent T1 wireless headset. We have been generally positive so far but now we get a chance to see what Microlab can provide in a higher price bracket.
Features:
- High Definition speaker system
- Wooden cabinets for accurate sound reproduction
- Reference Monitor quality standards
- Each speaker is equipped with 1 tweeter and two woofers
- TOSLINK optical and coaxial audio input
Technical Specifications:
Amplifier:
- Output power, RMS- 120 Watt RMS
- Power Distribution- 60 Watt x2
- Harmonic distortion- < 0.3% 1W 1kHz
- Frequency Response- 50Hz to 20kHz
- Signal/Noise ratio- > 80 dB
- Separation- > 60 dB
Speaker:
- Tweeter driver type- 1″
- Tweeter impedance- 4 Ohm
- Midrange driver type- 4″
- Midrange impedance- 4 Ohm
- Woofer driver type- 6.5″
- Woofer impedance- 4 Ohm
Interfaces:
- Output- Binding posts
- Input- 2RCA's x2, AUX, PC, TOSLINK Optical and Coaxial.
- Wireless- Infrared (for remote)
The Microlab Solo 8c speakers arrived in a huge brown box. Not the most glamorous packaging in the world however it gets the job done.
Once you open the box you will find the two speakers covered up, sandwiched between two foam place holders.
Once the speakers are out you will find some thick, high quality leads and connectors for multiple devices, some instructions and a little remote:
The speakers come with the front covers already attached but you will have to remove them before setting up in order to take out the two plastic shields protecting the Tweeter. The covers require a bit of force to remove but are well made and feel sturdy in the hand.
There are a few connections on the back of the speakers: two for pairing up the right speaker to the left and then four to be used for pairing them up to a PC, media player or TV.
The Solo 8c's are a big pair of speakers so if you were thinking of using them with your PC, you might want to make sure that your desk is big enough to have them in the optimal listening position. In a living room – next to a TV, this is less of a concern.
The Microlab Solo 8c speakers have been designed for quality audio reproduction, so music and films should be where these speakers really shine. As always however we will test some games too. The Solo 8c do allow you to adjust the EQ slightly with dials for bass and treble – but for the sake of these tests everything was left at factory default settings.
For the first song in my listening test I chose a guitar driven song- Underclass Hero by Sum41. The song starts off with a punchy drum fill which is then accompanied by two guitar tracks panned to the left and right speakers.
The Solo 8c speakers delivered great panning performance. Once the rest of the band kicked in I was very impressed by the bass impact, volume and clarity. My current Creative Inspire T10 PC speakers sounded very weak in comparison, especially in regards to sound staging.
Next up on my playlist was Hook by Blues Traveller. This song has a lot going on – there's a harmonica, vocal harmonies, guitars and a lot of bass lines.
The clean guitars and harmonica were accurately reproduced across the mid range and high frequencies while the bass was perfectly balanced and prominent, allowing me to hear every note without effort. The speakers are so clear that you can even hear the tone of the plectrum striking against the guitar strings.
We like to show variety in our audio reviews as different genres can sound better on some speakers than others. For those of you that like breakdowns, sub drops and mosh pits, we included Edge of Reality by The Dead Rabbitts in our testing.
Harsh vocals often sound rather muddy when using a lot of different headphones or speaker systems but the Solo 8c's perform admirably. Layered vocals are clearly distinguished and aren't drowned out by the sheer amount of bass frequencies in the mix.
Nothing has been left out, you really do get the full effect of the song. The mid tones from the guitars are clear and sub drops are no problem at all – there was no clipping or distortion either, making the Solo 8c's great for all ranges of music.
As you can probably tell, the Solo 8c's really shine when it comes to music- and films aren't any different. These speakers can easily deliver a dramatic cinematic sound experience in your living room, as long as you don't mind the lack of surround.
I watched Man of Steel on blu-ray. The Solo 8c speakers put me right in the middle of the action and each punch sounded like it was coming right at me and explosions thundered through the speakers. Of course there isn't the placement you get with a dedicated surround configuration, but the Solo 8c speakers clearly can pack a punch.
It goes without saying that if you are really serious about gaming and absolutely need to know which direction the enemy is coming from at all times then surround sound will suit you better. If you happen to use virtual surround software then you won't have a problem, footsteps were clear and I could easily tell where sounds were coming from in Titanfall and Counter Strike Source.
The Solo 8c have been developed to go very loud … rated at 120 watts. The volume control ranges from 0-60 and I found that in a large living room anything over 40 would be ideal for a ‘high volume' house party. Between 50 and 60, volume distortion was very low but it was simply too loud to be comfortable in my test environment.
The Solo 8C speakers are simply fantastic – delivering high levels of volume, with plenty of clean, bass impact.
Microlab deserve credit for the design – and the audio quality is sure to appeal to demanding enthusiast gamers. I have spent the last two weeks with the Solo 8c and I don't think I could ever go back to my £40 budget speakers. The Solo 8C are a fantastic addition for a high definition television set – enhancing the experience of PC and console games, as well as movies.
If you feel happy with a set of budget speakers or even the basic drivers built into a LED television then you haven't spent enough time with some proper speakers. Microlab's tag line is “Just Listen” – which is fitting as the Solo 8c have made me appreciate that spending a little more on quality speakers can make all the difference.
The Solo 8c speakers look good and sound great but there are a couple of minor issues. The main power lead connected to the right speaker is a little too short for my liking, which could limit how you have them set up.
Secondly, the remote needs to be pointing directly at the receiver in order to work. This is a little annoying as it needs a clear, direct line of sight from remote to receiver. I even found that if it was pointed at the receiver from slightly above, it would sometimes not work. Microlab need to go back to the drawing board and improve the remote signal strength and sensitivity.
Ultimately, these speakers are fantastic, and priced modestly at £150. If you are shopping for a pair of speakers for a living room or a PC then you really should shortlist these. The Solo 8c might be a bit too big and heavy for some desks but if you have the space and the money, then they are a MUST have purchase.
You can buy the Microlab Solo 8c speakers at Amazon for £148.69
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Pros:
- Exceptional sound quality.
- Stylish dark wood cabinets.
- high quality and thick cables included.
- No distortion or clipping even at high volumes.
- Loud enough to power a party.
Cons:
- Remote isn't the best.
- Power lead could be longer.
KitGuru Says: An incredible pair of speakers that would be right at home by your PC or home entertainment set up.
