Abit iDome and AirPace Music
Our Summary and Conclusion
Abit iDome DS500 Digital Speakers
The abit iDome DS500 Digital Speaker system is an excellent product. It boasts a very stylish high quality design and 100% MDF enclosure construction. The bass and treble controls are very handy and although the built-in EQ presets weren't particularly useful, they don't hurt either. While we liked the DS500's design, we wished it had a headphone jack, which is essential for multimedia speaker sets. We also would have liked to see both speakers light up instead of just one, but we thought the iDomes looked fine with the lighting disabled.
The real strengths of the DS500 are its sound quality and its digital capabilities. The DS500 sound great and the quality of the highs and mid-range certainly make up for the speaker set's $100+ cost. While the DS500 lacked deep bass, that is to be expected when dealing with 2.0 systems. We also really liked the DS500's ability to utilize digital audio sources. The ability to get equal sound quality from a "free" integrated solution compared to a premium discrete sound card is a huge plus and it also helps to make up for the DS500's cost. However, considering the emphasis on digital connectivity, we would have liked to see the DS500 sport a coaxial S/P DIF connection, in addition to the existing optical connection.
If you’re looking for a nice set of speakers to add to your sound system or a stand-alone stereo unit, the DS500 should definitely be on your audition list. These speakers offer a very detailed and clear sound that is sure to please any music enthusiast. However, we recommend you pair the DS500 with a decent subwoofer to supplement the bass, an area where it is decidedly lacking.
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Abit iDome SW510 Digital Wubwoofer
While the DS500 digital speakers excelled in our sound quality tests, the SW510 didn't do nearly as well. We think the SW510 is a rather mediocre subwoofer that suffers from loose and boomy bass that isn't as deep as we like. Its saving grace is the ability to accept digital connections, a trait it shares with the DS500. Unfortunately this advantage isn't enough to justify the $100+ cost of the SW510. If you're in need of a subwoofer to add to your system and you absolutely have to have digital connectivity, then the SW510 is one of the only games in town. However, if analog connectivity will do, then we recommend looking into a low-end home theater subwoofer instead. For the price, you might be able to find something a bit better than the SW510.
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Abit AirPace WAD-01B Wireless Audio System
The abit AirPace wireless audio system is a very interesting piece of kit. On one hand, it offers some very cool features that some people will find extremely useful. Its ability to stream music to just about any point within wireless range of your network is very cool and its secondary functionality as a 802.11b/g wireless access point is a welcome bonus. We also liked that the software and hardware worked flawlessly and exactly as it should right out of the box. On the other hand, most people won't have a use for the AirPace's somewhat unique abilities. To make matters worse, the AirPace is almost impossible to find. We weren't able to find any US retailers that carried them, although abit assures us that they are out there...somewhere. Abit also claims that some retailers bundled the AirPace unit with the iDomes, although we were unable to find any retailers that do. However, if you absolutely must have one, there are several European retailers selling it and if your willing to stomach the cost of shipping, one can be yours for about $80 Euros ($108 USD).
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