Digital Trends

mStation 2.1 Stereo Tower

November 19th, 2007 | by Jason Tomczak

Sound Tests

Trynna Find A Way by Nelly Furtado: This song has a great mix of deep bass, powerful mids and diamond-clear highs. With EQ settings modified to my liking, I tested this song on the mStation Tower. The result was a white-man dance rivaled by no other. I was immersed in the music, shaken out of an early morning funk, ready to tackle the world.

La Vie est Belle by MC Solaar: Deep bass ebbs and flows, providing a distinctly physical involvement in the music. Mids are gorgeous - guitar, synth and backup singers all find varying strengths, just like the original recording intended. Highs are nothing short of razor sharp. Even at low volume levels, this French rap classic sounds fantastique.

Big Time Sensuality by Bjork: The Tower gives stunning, piercing highs from electronic percussion instruments (an oxymoron, but accurate). Bjork's ever-changing voice fills the entire mid range. Synth covers the deep lows, which the mStation Tower delivers with zero distortion. This is a very fun song on the right speaker system!

Allegro Marcato by Vienna Mandolin & Guitar Ensemble: The mStation Tower handles classical music quite well. Even though compositions like the Allegro Mercato aren't strong on bass like Sir Mix-A-Lot is, the occasional low notes that do exist come through clean and clear. Mids and highs - the greatest concentration - are very distinct and can easily be. It could be the recording, but the mandolins didn't sound quite as life-like as I was expecting. (In contrast, a guitar recording by John Williams - The Harmonious Blacksmith - sounds so good on the Tower, it's as if Williams is performing in my office.)

Sound Stage

The mStation 2.1 Stereo Tower delivers very impressive sound in a 360-degree sphere. The placement and rotation of the Tower speakers allows the user to change the dynamics of the music being played. Mids and highs can be directionally aimed toward or away from acoustically resonant features in a room. The down-firing 5.25" subwoofer bounces its strong sounds off the metal plate base of the speaker system 1 foot below the woofer, sending waves of rich bass in both straight-downward and in near-45-degree angles outward from center. No matter where you stand in relation to the mStation Tower (whether directly in front, behind, at an obtuse angle or even, in my tests, on a ladder 6 feet above it) the sounds are equally clean.

Conclusion

The mStation 2.1 Stereo Tower is a ridiculously good-sounding iPod audio system. The bass is so strong, you're almost guaranteed to upset your neighbors - and while they're freaking out, you'll be enjoying the sweet sonic waves washing all over you. This is an unusually impressive product. Excellent for parties, rockin' dorms, spacious lofts and anywhere that has complementary acoustic design.

The mStation 2.1 Stereo Tower would make a great gift. The $249-$299 USD price may make some people hesitant, but it's worth every penny.


Pros:

• Amazing sound quality
• Room-shaking bass
• Techie-sexy design
• No power brick
• Easy to set up and use
• Control bass/treble with remote
• 30 Day Money Back Guarantee

Cons:

• Remote doesn't navigate iPod menus
• No default/reset button for bass/treble settings
• Heavy; not easily transported