14. Results: Games And Movies First

It is quite easy to get a balanced frequency response on the X-620. But the response has a big hole between subwoofer and satellite which none of our attempts to arrange the speakers could prevent. This is probably because it is hard to get the subwoofer to raise the frequency and, especially, the little satellite speaker to restore lower frequencies. There is also a definite slump in the midrange between 800Hz and 2kHz. The upside is a wide range of response covering the sound spectrum. The bass goes way down low for a subwoofer of this size, though that is by no means the only factor, as we shall see in playback. The highest level is not that high, but not at all bad when you remember the power delivery and the small size of the speakers.

Top Sound Level: 104dB SPL

The X-620 gives very good cinema sound, well placed in space and atmospherically convincing. The volume that can be reached without distortion is quite enough for a confined space. There's no feeling of lack of bass; it reproduces explosions and rumblings very well. Of course, this is all relative: if you compare it to a more powerful system, you'll notice quite a difference - in dynamics, for instance - but the X-620 will be quite satisfactory for many audiophiles.

As for music, the limits due to reduced size are much more obvious. The midrange is not too present and short on definition: the hole in response, between 700Hz and 2kHz, is to blame here. There is also a shortage of upper bass due to another big hole in the frequency response. Regarding dynamic capacity, you can hear it saturate quite easily, but not before a level which makes listening uncomfortable. On the whole, it is not harsh and there is no notable color in the reproduction. The subwoofer, however, is fairly monotonous with a pitch lacking in detail. With some kinds of music, the bass becomes a sort of indistinct hum. This problem is typical in this kind of load when it is not confined to very low frequencies.

The X-620 is therefore a good system for games (it has an adaptor for the main consoles) and films, but not nearly so good for music.