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When you think portable speakers, you think three things: iPod, unique form factor and white. This is because almost every portable speaker system on the market is designed to complement the iPod, with soft angles and a snow white finish. Saitek hopes to break that mold, offering up a black, portable 2.1 speaker system with sleek lines and some of the best sound you'll find in the $100 range.
The first thing you notice about the Saitek A-200 is the size; the unit is lightweight at a little less than a pound and compact at 9.25"x5.5"x1.4". The device is very portable, even coming with a triangular carrying case (though there is no pocket for the somewhat bulky AC cable, so you'll need to travel with the A-200 stocked with four AA batteries).
The design, though sleek and very appealing aesthetically, is a little awkward when put into practice. To turn the device on, you must press down on the center chamber; it will rise, and power on. To turn the device off, you must press down again—with a substantial amount of force—until the chamber rests back into place. That's a little more pressure than we like to apply to plastic, though after a week of using the system we noticed no problems with the mechanism. A longer 1/8" audio cable would have been nice, as the included three foot robbed us of some placement options.
All of our nitpicky concerns about the design and portability issues melted away as soon as we started to listen to our tunes. Unlike many of its competitors, the A-200's sound is excellent, no doubt on account of the built-in subwoofer. The personal sound system uses a two-way vented woofer enclosure (a.k.a. the chamber that raises when powered on) and Saitek's Expanded Air Volume System (EAVS); the idea being that the more air that pushes through the woofer, the richer the sound. We found the sound to be very even and balanced, and though there were a few moments where a high-hat stood out unnaturally, the vast majority of the sound playback was solid and rich. We had success with all genres of music—from jazz great Arturo Sandoval to bass-heavy Massive Attack—as well as with games and films. A solid buy for anyone interested in solid sound.
–AMY R. WOOD
A-200: 
Saitek | www.saitekaudio.com | 310-212-5412 | $100
Pros: Unique design, extremely portable, rich, even sound.
Cons: Short 1/8" cable included, black finish attracts dust, powering on/off awkward, large AC adapter.
Requires: Four AA batteries or AC power outlet, 1/8" jack
macHOME recommends: Buying a longer 1/8" cable
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