Computer Gaming World

Heavy Metal

by Loyd Case, Editor

 

The LFT-11 is a "multimedia speaker" system which means it's designed to connect to your computer system. But it certainly doesn't look like any system I've reviewed before. When the UPS guy pulled the box out of his truck and staggered up my front steps with the box containing this baby I knew I had something special on my hands.

The LFT-11's weightiness stems from a woofer cabinet that houses two 6.5 inch bass drivers which weight about 20 pounds by themselves. The satellites are quite unusual - wood framed flat panels that are mounted on stands and can swivel vertically. Plus, for good midrange and high frequencies there are linear field transducers instead of the more traditional cone-shaped drivers.

The result is breathtakingly accurate, crystal-clear audio - if you are sitting in the right place. Since the speakers are designed for computers all you need to do is place the flat panels so that one is on each side of your ear and pointing roughly at your head. If you wander away from your computer the sound is still quite good, but the stereo imaging disappears. The speakers in this setup are dipole radiators , which means that they are strongly directional. But you won't hesitate to play music on these speakers, as their sound quality is unparalleled. Of course, all this great sound comes at a price - a hefty $599.00 (sans amplifier). Oh, and there's one other side effect. If you have a crummy sound card, you'll really know it.

The LFT-11's don't have a built in amplifier, but for another $100, Eminent Technology will throw in a miniature Optimus receiver that delivers 15 watts per channel (RMS). You can also use any stereo receiver or amp that delivers enough power, and they'll handle up to 50 watts per channel. If you want the ultimate computer audio, check these out. CGW