Cambridge Audio Minx S215

Bottom Line

The 5.1-channel Cambridge Audio Minx S215 is a compact speaker system that's small enough to hide in a room but doesn't compromise sound quality. Although it can struggle with the lowest of frequencies, highs are crisp, dialogue is distinct and surround effects are placed with accuracy.

Performance

Small size, big sound quality. Compact speakers are known to sacrifice performance in order to disappear in a room easily, but the Cambridge Audio Minx S215 offers great sound quality despite its tiny speakers. Its tiny cube-shaped satellites -- they measure just a bit over 3 inches square -- use a flat panel balanced mode radiator (BMR) that produces clear, clean sound. BMR technology -- in lieu of that used in traditional cube speakers or two-way speakers -- produces sound in all directions, eliminating the need to find the "sweet spot" for listening. The 200-watt X200 subwoofer that comes with the system contains two passive radiators that help it to cast low notes across a wider room span and reduce moving-air "noise."

Reviewers praise the sound produced by the pint-sized speakers, but a few drawbacks are noted. Although the Minx S215 provides detailed, clean audio, and handles dialogue and vocals like a champ, it lacks scale and bombast when compared to larger home theater systems. The subwoofer handles bass well, but some experts notice it can struggle with the lowest of low frequencies. Dialogue and special effects come in clear and don't require much tweaking, according to Home Theater magazine. Experts only recommend the Minx S215 for small to average-sized rooms.

Design

Pint-sized speakers. The Cambridge Audio Minx S215 is designed to stay out of sight, but it doesn't hurt that its speakers, which are available in black or white, are aesthetically pleasing. The satellites weigh just over a pound each and are small enough to hide away in nooks across a small room.

Build Quality

Solid in all respects. Home Theater magazine is among the reviewers impressed with the workmanship behind the Cambridge Audio Minx S215 speakers; Mark Fleischmann calls them "tough little speakers," noting, among other things, their scratch-resistant thermopolymer enclosures. The system comes with basic wall-mounts, but table-top and floor stands, as well as pivoting wall-mounts are optional extras. The satellites include ports to accommodate banana plugs and bare speaker wires. The X200 subwoofer hosts stereo line inputs and outputs, a port for a wireless adapter, and basic volume, phase and crossover frequency controls.

Value

The sweet spot between size and sound. Among similarly priced compact speakers, the Cambridge Audio Minx S215 does the best job of being small enough to disappear in a room while preserving sound quality, experts say. Sound quality is excellent, but the laws of physics still apply. That means that these speakers aren't the best choice for larger rooms -- or for those that want to play movies or music at furniture-moving volumes.

For those who are less concerned with having the tiniest speakers, the Energy Take Classic 5.1 (*Est. $400) offers superb performance for half the price; but the Take Classic 5.1 won't disappear nearly as effectively in most listening rooms.