Why do they even bother to put speakers in laptops? The sounds they produce are incredibly tinny, and are lost in any room bigger than a home toilet. However, to set up a surround sound system in your
company’s meeting room can be both bureaucratically difficult (ie. expensive) and physically challenging (ie. no one in the office has the skills).

A poor alternative is to buy a pair of speakers and subwoofer from the local electronics shop, however, these create their own problems, as they often get abducted by the more aggressive internal departments (ie. Sales or Marketing) and essentially lost forever,
or worse, require a wheelbarrow to move around. Enter portable laptop speakers. The advent of the MP3 player sprouted a myriad of portable sounds systems, and while they were initially designed to tap the iPod craze, a few electronics companies have realised that laptop manufacturers have dropped the ball, aurally speaking, and so have designed mini sound systems to compensate for those tinny speakers. Finally there is a audio solution for both trainers and HR departments alike, and to help you all out,
Network HR has done a review on three portable sound systems that are available in China.
In this review, we look at the Edifier M11, the K2000, and the Subor
Micro Hi-Fi.
Edifier M11
Portable speakers must be just that – portable. Surprisingly of the three speakers that we reviewed, it was only the Edifer M11 that came with a carry bag. For the other models, I can only suggest transportation in a sock; preferably clean.

The MP220 also includes smart design. Firstly, the hard clear plastic cover that protects the two 3 cm diameter speakers when stored, clips to the backside of the devise to become its stand. Furthermore, the stand ensures that the whole system is raised at a slight angle,increasing its sound range.

Like the other two systems reviewed, this mini-system comes with a USB cable, which runs the power, as well as a headphone cable, to connect to the headphone jack of your laptop. Both cables are high quality and look like they will last a few years. I say that, because one of the other mini-systems in this road test doesn’t fare so well when it comes to it’s cables.

So, most importantly, how does it sound?

The Edifer M11 comes second in sound quality, compared to the other two. Unfortunately, it lacks the bass sounds, however, this doesn’t stop if from being loud. It can definitely fill up a 30 square metre room, which would accommodate your typical board room meeting. If all you wanted was background noise, then it would be ideal for a room as large as 60 square metres, and could probably manage as much as 100 square metres (at a stretch).

“…the Apple ‘white and curved’ trend making it ideal for both the boardroom and the coffee table…”
And last of all, the Edifier M11 looks good. It has followed the Apple ‘white and curved’ trend making it ideal for both the boardroom and coffee table at home. It’s also small (although not the smallest of the three) making it truly portable. All in all, the Edifier M11 is a great portable mini-system.

K2000
The K2000 has an identity problem. The model I bought from Shanghai’s ‘Buy Now Hui’ (美楼前) was called ‘Art Resource’ by ‘LongSong’, but when I carried out some additional internet research
on this model I found that the rest of the world calls it the ‘PowerTraveller’. Strange, but true.
“The K2000 has an identity problem” Either way, the K2000 has the best bass of the three models reviewed, however, that doesn’t mean it will knock your paintings off the wall. It only means that its sounds are fuller and less tinny, compared to the other two models. Unfortunately, the other features of the K2000 let it down.

Firstly, the wiring that comes with this mini-system looks like cheap spaghetti wiring found in Beijing Hutongs. Within three days of using the K2000 the wiring had knotted itself together, and to be honest, I couldn’t be bother unwinding it. This was mainly because the K2000 is not a pretty mini-system. The team at ‘Art Resource’ or ‘LongSong’, or where ever this mini-system was made, forgot that white is the new black. The K2000 is silver. As a result, it reminds me of a 1985 Sony Wakman, without the benefit of the brand. And finally, while it was never my intention to critique the packaging of the mini-systems in question I can’t help but highlight the incredibly bad English plastered all over the K2000’s box. Ultimately thisoversight detracts from the product inside, making it appear ‘cheapand nasty’. Ironically the K2000 was the most expensive of the three
models.

Subor Micro Hi-Fi System
Subor is an OEM, or Orginal Equipment Manufacturer. That means it will be rebranded under any number of electronic brands and shipped around the world to the closest electronics store near you. For this reason, don’t expect to see the words ‘Subor’ on your version, unless you live in Shanghai. Regardless of its questionable origin, the little Subor is an impressive mini-system, especially as it is priced at only 100 RMB.

“Don’t expect to to see the words ‘Subor’ on your version, unless you live in
Shanghai”
The other great feature is that it is designed to be robust. On arrival, the Subor Micro might resemble a small box, but within seconds, it can be unfolded, like a Transformer, quadrupling its length and spinning its speakers to the front. This means it is unlikely to be damaged during transport. Unfortunately the designers didn’t think of including space within its body to store the USB and sound input cables. Nor did they include a carry bag. As a result, the Subor Micro
is good, but not great.

And the winner is…
It’s amazing how quickly technology has advanced, and more importantly, how quickly the prices have dropped on technology. Remember, we have compared sounds systems that are all under 200 RMB. For many HR departments, that means you may not even need approval from your finance department.
Bonus!
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the three mini-systems that we reviewed:
*Remember that these systems are mini systems, and can fit in a handbag. They will not replace a surround sound system, so we didn’t consider ‘volume’ to be too important.

The Editor’s choice?
The Edifer M11 wins, hands down. It looks good, is slim, and so it’s easy to slip into your laptop bag, and most importantly it comes with its own carry bag, ensuring longevity and no missing cables on arrival.
Of course, within months of reading this article, the M11 could be superseded by yet a smaller and better
sounding system. But that’s just life. For now, you’ll see the ClarkMorgan trainers armed with this minisystem.
Note: All Tests of the mini-systems was done playing the Shanghai band Crystal Butterfly (水晶蝶).