mac.iLounge

While it’s not uncommon for USB-powered stereo speakers to resemble Macs, a subwoofer is almost never part of the equation. But that’s exactly what you get with UltraLink’s UCubeTrio 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System ($350). Along with a pair of 3” square speakers, a 5” square USub subwoofer brings the bass. The silver aluminum and black lacquer materials perfectly match your MacBook or iMac.  Read More

Satechi’s range of computer accessories is pretty wide, ranging from power strips to USB hubs to remotes and more. The lineup also includes speakers, such as its newest product, Dual Sonic Speakers ($30). Coming in both black and silver, these speakers are designed to augment the sound from your MacBook or iMac, while not taking up too much space on your desk or hitting your wallet too hard. Read More

It’s not that there’s a lack of speakers that can connect to your Mac, but Orb Audio’s Mini-T Amplifier V2 ($69-$299) expands the range of options you have even further. With the tiny black box—it’s small enough to sit on the foot of your iMac—you can connect standard, non-powered speakers that you might have lying around the house. This newest edition features upgraded hardware and more outputs, as well as a brand-new housing. Read More

Edifier’s new E10 Exclaim ($100) speakers are pretty funky looking; it’s a trend we’ve come to expect from the company, and we’re cool with it. Decked out in black and silver, they fit in perfectly next to your iMac or Thunderbolt Display. If the set is anything like other speakers Edifier has put out recently, we expect that neat design to be augmented by truly nice sound. Read More

Although it bears more than a passing resemblance to XtremeMac’s Tango Bar, Edifier’s new Sound to Go Plus ($50) is a different kind of speaker. Instead of being designed to sit under your iMac’s screen, this much smaller sound bar can be tossed in a bag and plugged into your MacBook. With a rechargeable lithium battery inside, you’ll get ten hours of playtime off of each charge—more than enough for a day’s use outside. Updated x2 with hands-on pictures and impressions! Read More

Nixon’s The Block ($80) is all about convenience, and makes a nice audio solution for desktop or portable Mac users. Rather than requiring two cables—one for audio, the other for USB power—Nixon joins the two cords into one just a few inches from the plug’s end. If you’d rather not drain your MacBook’s battery, the lithium-ion cell inside the speakers can last for up to six hours of playback. But the signature feature here has to do with the speakers’ unique wedged shape.  Read More

If you loved JBL’s recent “weave” design theme but need more power than its inexpensive Jembe speakers, good news: Studio 130 ($299) is here. Incorporating the company’s signature weaved lines into a more traditional boxy wood chassis, each Studio 130 packs a 1” dome tweeter and 4” cone woofer—a driver combination with the crisp treble and deep, powerful bass JBL is known to deliver. Sold as a set of two speakers, this package offers great value for the dollar, though there’s also a catch. Read More

Although North Americans usually enjoy early availability for Western-developed products, Europeans get exclusives on cool stuff, too. One example: NacSound’s Geminos Speaker System (£629/~$995), a pair of globe-shaped Italian-designed speakers that are only available from European Apple Stores for the time being; if you can get your hands on them, you’ll find them to be drool-worthy complements to your Mac. Read More

Made to fit right underneath your iMac, Cinema Display, or Thunderbolt Display, XtremeMac’s just announced Tango Bar ($100), a good-looking way to pump some more sound into your home or office. While it can connect to any computer—or any other audio source, for that matter—the speaker is particularly well-suited for using that otherwise unoccupied space under Apple monitors, and is designed to match their aluminum bodies. Updated December 20, 2011: We’ve now had the opportunity to test the Tango Bar in person, and have added some new details below. Read More

If you’re looking for new desktop speakers that deliver big sound in a compact package, definitely consider JBL’s brand new Jembe ($60). This pair of bucket-shaped speakers are relatively small—they each measure only 4-3/16” x 4-3/16” x 5-5/16”—but are made to sound like larger speakers, a claim that we’re willing to trust coming from JBL. Jembe is the first of the company’s computer speakers to take on the Weave design that we’ve seen with products such as OnBeat, and the aesthetic definitely works in this more conservative implementation. Read More

Most our of iLounge’s editors are MacBook Air users, and we really love Apple’s smallest, lightest notebooks. But certain sacrifices have to be made for the small packages, and audio quality is one of them. We’ve shown off a software solution that raises the volume before, but here’s a new accessory that goes above and beyond what’s inside the computer: Twelve South’s new BassJump 2 ($70). This USB-powered woofer has been designed exclusively for the MacBook Pro and Air, making a world of difference. Read More

Not content with just giving you a surface to put your laptop on, La Boite Concept has unveiled its LD 130 (€1,480/~$2,054). The “LD” stands for laptop dock, and the “130” denotes the wattage of the speaker—yes, this desk has a built-in speaker system, and a powerful one, too. The desk itself is made out of high quality wood and leather, contributing to the sort of premium look and feel one would expect for the price. Read More

There are a lot of reasons for people to like computer speakers—they might be super compact, offer excellent audio quality, or just fit your constrained budget. But sometimes, you’ll be drawn to a set just because it looks really cool, as is the case with Scandyna’s Minipod ($639). Available in four different shades, this unique speaker looks sort of like a snowman Buddha in white, with a handsome matte black as our favorite in the bunch. Read More

French manufacturer Focal’s upcoming XS Book Music System ($400) is the follow-up to its impressive XS computer-ready speaker system from a few years ago. This time around, the company has ditched the subwoofer and iPod dock; what you have instead are two thesaurus-sized silver and black speakers that fit right in place alongside the current Mac lineup. They’re made from plastic and fabric, and match the iMac and Apple’s 27” LED Cinema Display / Thunderbolt Display designs really well. Updated August 11, 2011: We’ve added some additional impressions to our prior coverage below. Read More

We don’t know what it is about speakers. Manufacturers occasionally go crazy with their designs, and many people—us included—eat them up. Take Edifier’s Prisma E3350 2.1 Speakers ($130). They may look like futuristic obelisks or pyramids, but we’d be happy to have them next to a Mac. Oh, and they have pretty good specs, too. Read More