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'../banner.php' ?> </h2> <h2 align="center">Soundmatters MAINstage Audio System (cont.)</h2> <p align="left"><strong>Usage and Testing:</strong></p> <p align="left"> The majority of the MAINstage's controls are only on the remote. Other than the manual On/Off switch at the back, the only function button on the main unit is the source selection button at the front center. This button, along with the source button on the remote, toggles through the four input sources. The corresponding LED source indicator will light up green.</p> <p align="left">If there are no audio signals going to the MAINstage for about a minute, the LED source indicator will flash indicating that the unit is in stand-by mode. It will power back up as soon as a signal becomes present.</p> <p>When the MAINstage is initially turned on, it is on surround mode. Pushing the surround button on the remote will toggle between stereo and surround mode. One thing I should mention, on both analog modes there is a moderate level of static noise. The two digital modes do not have this noise. </p> <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/soundmatters/18.jpg"><img src="atruereview/soundmatters/18th.jpg" width="250" height="164" border="0" alt="Soundmatters MAINstage"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> </p> <p>For testing, I hooked the MAINstage to my computer optically. There are two reasons why I used a digital connection. One, I can. Two, a digital connection allows me to get an optimum idea of the MAINstage's sound quality. A variety of music as well as movies and games were used to test. </p> <p>My initial impression from listening to the MAINstage was if I were blindfolded, I would not know the sound I was listening to came from such a small package. The MAINstage puts out great overall sound with surprisingly strong bass. The bass was punchy and responsive, while the highs and mids were clean and crisp. I am rather young and enjoy strong bass but for those who would like to reduce the bass, it can be lowered by the bass level control knob at the back of the unit. For those who would like more bass, an external amplified subwoofer can be attached to the MAINstage. When an external subwoofer is attached, the internal subwoofer turns off and the amplifier directs all the power to the two speakers allowing them to play louder. Speaking of volume levels, the MAINstage can play VERY loud (without external subwoofer); far louder than I am willing to push them. One problem I have with the MAINstage is that there is not volume level indicator.</p> <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/soundmatters/11.jpg"><img src="atruereview/soundmatters/11th.jpg" width="250" height="231" border="0" alt="Soundmatters MAINstage"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> </p> <p>The stereo mode sounds just like that of a stereo. The surround mode sounds like the background of the audio has been amplified, widening the image of the sound. For music listening, this effect is enjoyable for classical music but depending on the depth of the song; pop, hip hop, and rock music this effect can become annoying. For movies though, the surround mode is quite effective. Though the surround imaging is no comparison to physical surround speakers, the ambient sounds of my test movies (The Matrix Revolutions and Spider-Man ) sounds like they are not coming from the speakers.</p> <p>The MAINstage performs quite well for gaming. In stereo mode, it sounds like an excellent pair of speakers reproducing booming explosions and whizzing bullets. In surround mode, like watching movies, the background ambient noises sound wide and dispersed.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong></p> <p> Though I have only mentioned the MAINstage's use with a computer, it can be used with just about anything that has an audio output. The MAINstage is mainly targeted toward the home theater audience which is why it sounds better than most multimedia speakers. Being fully magnetically shielded, the MAINstage can be used around monitors without distorting the monitor. The remote control can be easily captured by a third party learning remote. </p> <p>Whether it is being used with a theatre system, a computer, or one of those increasing popular network streaming components like the <a href="atruereview/soundmatters/../play/index.php">iCube Play@TV</a> and Apple's new Airport Express, the MAINstage will bring big sound from a small package.</p> <p><strong>Pros:</strong></p> <ul> <li> Compact</li> <li> Superb sound quality</li> <li> Strong bass for its size</li> <li> Full array of connections</li> <li> External subwoofer capable</li> </ul> <p><strong>Cons:</strong></p> <ul> <li> Moderate level of noise for analog connections</li> <li> No volume level indicator</li> </ul> <p><strong>Ratings:</strong></p> <table border="0"> <tr> <td>Overall:</td> <td>Excellent</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100">Performance: </td> <td width="76">Excellent</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Setup: </td> <td>Excellent</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Packaging:</td> <td>Very Good</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Features:</td> <td>Excellent</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Price: </td> <td>Fair</td> </tr> </table> <p><b></b>(Ratings Possible Terrible, Very Bad, Bad, Fair, Good, Very Good, Excellent)</p> <table width="75%" border="1" align="center"> <tr bgcolor="#0066FF"> <td><div align="center"><strong><font color="#FFFFFF">More Information</font></strong></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><div align="center"><a href="http://www.atruereview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2281#2281">Discuss in our forums</a></div> <div align="center"></div> </td> </tr> </table> <p><a href="atruereview/soundmatters/mainstage.php"></a> <a href="soundmatters/mainstage.php">Previous (Description & Setup)</a></p> </div> </td> </tr> </table> </div> <div id="footer" class="clr"> <div class="rk-1"> <div class="rk-2"> <div id="the-footer">  </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </body> </html>