Introduction
 |
| Midiland's S4 7100 Boxshot |
A few months ago we took a look at the MidiLand S4 4060 3 piece speakers, the first set of the new S4 family of speakers from a company that has a reputation as one of the finer multimedia speaker manufacturers. The S4 was to continue a tradition set by the famous S2 premium line, while competing against a generation of lower priced speakers. The S4 7100 continues the S4 line as its 5.1 surround sound solution, a solution that is closely tied to the S4 4060 set because both sets are based around the exact same satellites. As such, MidiLand manages to bring home a surround sound system that is only a relatively small increase in price from the S4 4060 set.
 |
| Midiland's S4 7100 Product Shot |
The S4 7100 speaker set is a true 5.1 speaker set, but it doesnt allow out of the box Dolby Digital. Instead, it is a Dolby Digital, and Dolby Pro Logic ready system, just like the
MidiLand MLi-490 speakers we reviewed earlier, and it requires some sort of external decoder to feed it the separate 5.1 channels that AC-3/DD requires, or the 4 channels that DPL requires. Unlike the budget priced MLi-490s, however, the S4 7100s come with 5 separate satellites. Each of the 5 satellites are identical and feature 2.5 full-range drivers. 2.5 drivers seem to be the norm now, remember that the
Boston Acoustics BA4800 also use 2.5 drivers, and we loved those speakers, so it was logical that the two should be comparable. Our experience with the S4 4060, however, was that the satellites werent as clear as some of the other solutions out there, but the S4 7100 also features a different, and optimized amp, so we werent about to prejudge.
At a glance, the S4 7100 system is very handsome. Ive said it before, while reviewing the S4 4060s, but Ill repeat them here again: the satellites are a sight to behold. These are some of the most stylish and functional satellites you will find. Made from MidiLands Platallic material, the satellites are a beautiful shade of white, and sport nice dark grey covers.
 |
| Midiland's S4 7100's Power Supply |
Each of the satellites are designed such that they can be wall mounted using MidiLands own
MK-01 speaker mounts, sold separately (there is a limited time offer from MidiLand, where new owners of a 7100 set can get a free pair of MK-01s). The satellites are also designed with different angled tilts so that when used on desks, they can be angled at 15 or 25 degrees upwards, depending on your positioning and preference. The subwoofer is nicely designed and compact, and it appears to be exactly like the S4 4060 subwoofer at first glance, but a quick look at the back reveals a staggering array of connections. Its size has little to do with the power it packs though, because the subwoofer houses the 100W amp that powers the satellites and its 6.5 long throw woofer. Each satellite is a powered by a healthy 10W, which leaves 50W for the subwoofer. To power this whole setup, MidiLand ships a power supply that defies all description. This external power supply is not a brick like what comes with every other system we have seen, but is instead a massive power horse that weighs more than most multimedia subwoofers!! (just check out the screenshots)
 |
| Power Supply Compared to Monsoon MH-500 Subwoofer |
Installation wise, the S4 7100 comes with a huge bundle of wires, connections, and adapters. Without going into details,
 |
| 7100's Subwoofer |
the set comes with enough cabling to cover the 3 possible connection types: Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic, and regular stereo or 4 speaker connections. Several things are worth mentioning in terms of upgrading and expansion. The subwoofer has 6 RCA input connections that allow it to receive true 5.1 channel input from an external decoder, such as your home receiver, or MidiLands own ADS-2000. Its outputs take the form of snap clips for bare wires. The significance of this is that you can opt to replace the satellites with your own satellites, if you so desired, though I doubt you would, because the satellites are tonally matched and designed to be used as a set still it IS an option.
Making yet another appearance in the series is the control module that comes with all of MidiLands high end speakers. This control module differs from the modules that came with the S2 series, and even from the S4 4060,
 |
| The 7100's Control Module |
in that it has a surround specific rear-forward fader, and it also sports a power button. This is the first time Ive seen a MidiLand speaker set with the power switch on the remote module, and I was glad at this convenient improvement. Mute, volume, bass, and treble controls are always standard on these modules, but the S4 7100s module was lacking the headphones jack that we praised on the S4 4060s module. If you arent familiar with these control modules, they serve as a central control center for the MidiLands S2 and S4 family of speakers. The neat thing about these modules is that MidiLand always gives you the required wires to install them straight into a drive bay, so that all your controls are integrated into your tower or desktop computer. I can bet that will impress a few friends.
forums
send article 
hardware newsletter 
article comments (2)
Digg this!
del.icio.us