Orb booster is a sound investment

Orb's ideal setup for a home theater uses a mix of speakers for front, rear and center channels, matched with a separate subwoofer, in a collection that starts at about $800.

Now Orb has expanded its product line to include lower-priced packages designed for a wider range of situations. The targets include computers, gaming consoles, digital audio players and secondary TVs, like the one you might have in a game room or bedroom.

The Orb Booster package starts with a mini amplifier and a pair of Mod 1 speakers for about $400. Upgrade options include Mod2 speakers (double Orbs), a subwoofer (Orb offers four models starting at $138) and a variety of speaker finishes, including one called Hammered Earth.

The booster amp is a no-frills black box that's slightly larger than a paperback book. There's an on-off switch, volume buttons and a small remote, but not much else, like tone or balance controls.

The amp's best feature is its ability to handle multiple audio sources. The backside has four input jacks, two for standard red-and-white audio cables and two for stereo pin plugs. If you want to connect a TV, a computer, an Xbox and an iPod, the Orb's got you covered.

And the sound? The little globes do their usual job of delivering higher frequencies with clarity and precision. That's welcome help for compressed MP3 music files and the dialogue on movie soundtracks. The subwoofer will go to work in the basement on movies and games that have rich bass lines.

I tried the booster with a variety of inputs, including a tablet computer, iPod and a mobile phone and heard significantly better sound than what I get from a sound dock or amplified computer speakers.

Source : usatoday