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United States of America
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692 Review
60 Karma

Review on ๐Ÿ”Š Dell AX510 Entry Flat Panel Stereo Sound Bar with Genuine 1908FP Compatibility by John Young

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Compact speaker sounds great!

For several years I had a group of three Dell 1703FP monitors released around 2004. I currently have two of these connected to a Dell Optiplex GX620, another holdover from the mid-2000s running Bunsen Labs Linux (the successor to the lightweight Crunchbang project). This device is installed on the table in my bedroom. At first I used cheap putty-colored Labtec speakers for sound reproduction, but reassigned them to Mac minis, which I added to the mix. All I needed was an inexpensive speaker to deliver the "Business Audio" sound level (that's what Dell used to call their internal speaker). Searching for Revain led me to this Dell AX510 speaker setup. I didn't specifically mention "1703FP" in the product description, but this panel model is classified as an UltraSharp, and on the back of the unit I noticed a power connector and molded plastic clips that would actually allow a soundbar to be installed. speaker type. After carefully examining the photos, and then carefully examining the monitor, I decided that for $14 I could take a chance. When I received the speaker I was pleased to find that it matched my monitor perfectly (see image). The speaker snapped into place, as did the power cord. When I turn the unit on (using the knob on the right, which also acts as a volume control), the white LED in the center of the speaker behind the grille (see image) indicates the speaker has power. If I turn off the monitor itself, the speaker turns off too. The audio response was more than adequate for my needs, which were mostly limited to listening to a random YouTube video or the standard operating system-generated alert tones. I'm not an audiophile and people looking for powerful bass are advised to invest in a multi-speaker setup that includes a subwoofer. What I like best about the speaker is how it integrates seamlessly with the monitor and doesn't take up desk space (important if your desk is small). It also has two 3.5mm audio jacks on the left side so you can plug in headphones for private listening. That's a great price - my only regret is that I didn't buy this speaker many years ago!

Pros
  • Free for educational purposes
Cons
  • Annoying