RWTI Sicuro 670-XL (black) review: RWTI Sicuro 670-XL (black)

RWTI Sicuro 670-XL
Realworld Technology's $199 Sicuro 670-XL isn't your typical PC speaker system. Like other 5.1-channel speaker sets, it includes five satellite speakers and a subwoofer, but the similarities stop there. Shaped like jet airplane engines, the subwoofer and the speakers have a distinctly retro, 1950s space-age appearance. Lights embedded in the chromelike plastic grilles pulsate to your audio, reflecting off the drivers and producing a bizarre but strangely appealing effect that the company calls techno lighting. What's more, the 670-XL is available in four different colors: silver, black, blue, and green. Unfortunately, its whiz-bang styling and passable sound quality don't excuse the 670-XL's annoying design flaws and underpowered subwoofer.

Setting up the Sicuro 670-XL is straightforward. After unpacking the system, you position and connect the satellites to color-coded jacks located on the subwoofer. Each satellite speaker has a built-in stand and a keyhole bracket for wall-mounting. Unfortunately, the stands aren't adjustable, which means you can't angle the center speaker down toward your ears if you perch it on top of your monitor.

The 670-XL includes cables for connecting a computer sound card, a game console, or a device such as a home DVD player. To get discrete surround sound from the speakers system, you'll need a sound card or another device with 5.1-channel analog audio output (we used a PC with a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Pro card). The 670-XL does have an Enhance feature that will distribute, or upmix, the sound from any source with as few as two channels (such as an iPod) through all of the speakers.

The Enhance feature works well enough, but we found it odd that when you've connected an audio source with less than 5.1-channel output and you turn Enhance off, it also deactivates the subwoofer. If you want to listen to your stereo output through only the subwoofer and the front left and right speakers, you'll have to activate the Enhance feature, then individually lower the volume of the center and rear channels.

Unlike most comparably priced multimedia speaker sets, the Sicuro 670-XL includes a wireless remote control. Although not backlit, it does have a text display. Problem is, the infrared sensor sits on the base of the subwoofer (where the volume, power, and Enhance buttons also reside). Stash the subwoofer under your computer desk, and the remote doesn't work well. It would be far more convenient if Realworld Technology had integrated the IR sensor and the control buttons into one of the front satellite speakers.

Another quirk: If you adjust the volume with the remote while it's out of range from the subwoofer-based sensor, the remote's display will reflect the new volume setting, but the volume won't actually change. Worse, if the remote is confused, the next time the speakers pick up the IR signal, the volume automatically jumps to match the remote's volume setting, resulting in some nasty loud bursts.

Because the system doesn't have tons of amplifier power, you may typically keep the volume turned up approximately halfway. When you're not playing music or you're listening to quiet, cleanly recorded tracks, you'll probably notice some background hiss. The system is rated at 125 watts of total power: 15 watts to each of the satellites and 50 watts on tap to push the sub. In comparison, Logitech's Z-5300e ($199) has more than twice the wattage (280 watts), which makes a noticeable difference, especially in subwoofer performance. Each 670-XL satellite has a 2.75-inch driver; the subwoofer has a 5-inch woofer. And, thankfully, each of the speakers has an on/off switch for the techno-lighting effect; the lights always stay off when you're not playing any audio, otherwise they pulsate to the beat.

When we tested CD audio with Amy Correia's track "California," we were fairly impressed by the satellites' tonal quality. Treble frequencies struck a good balance between brightness and smoothness, and the midrange gave vocals some texture. On the other hand, Bass Factory 808's "Woofer Warm Up" really highlighted the subwoofer's anemia. Although the track has tons of bass that's deeply palpable through more robust subwoofers, the 670-XL's subwoofer presented a far less brawny presence. One bass note that repeated several times in the track consistently pushed the subwoofer over the brink, causing it to produce a chugging sound. Even with acoustic music, such as Buena Vista Social Club's "Chan Chan," the subwoofer sounded sloppy.

Realworld Technology markets the Sicuro 670-XL as a gaming speaker, and as it turns out, game audio is the system's strongest suit. When we played Half-Life 2, ambient environments, such as an abandoned warehouse, sounded vast and convincingly filled with hard, reverberant surfaces. The rear speakers helped us track enemies, automatic small arms fire had a suitably metallic rattle, and breaking glass sounded crisp.

The subwoofer's performance again failed to impress, though. In Half-Life 2, grenade and RPG explosions lacked the gut-kicking wallop provided by Creative's superior GigaWorks ProGamer G500 speakers. In the Jurassic Park DVD's "Tyrannosaurus Rex" scene, the giant dinosaur's footsteps made the subwoofer distort at louder volumes. Despite sounding slightly boxy, dialogue stood out well enough from the center speaker. The rear speakers did a fine job of creating an enveloping environment.