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SWAN 10 impressions.

R

rennat

n00b
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
Messages
4
Hi, long time lurker and finally decided to make an account to do a review.

I recently purchased a set of Swan M10 speakers. I have put aprox 15 hours through them so far.


Sound:

Remarkably clear speakers for the price. I read all the M10 reviews, but despite almost universal acclaim I was still skeptical. These fully exceeded all of my expectations. The highs might be a little too present in some material but it still has a nice balance. The "mid woofer" sub is not a boomer by any means, but once you get some hours on it its tight and accurate and punchy. It blends really well into the system unlike 90% of 2.1 computer speakers. It has been sufficient for really any type of music, but isn't going to rattle the windows. Vocals and acoustic seem to play best on this set, but rock and metal was fine. Volume is sufficient for computer speakers. They're meant for enarfield but can fill a medium size room ok.

Build:

Sturdy build for the price. Satellites are a little light. Attractive, nice finish on the faces. The volume light is nice looking but could be annoying if you're sensitive to light. My volume knob came with scratches on it and is extremely rough feeling when turning. Hopefully this goes away in time. I have an urge to try and pull it off and clean it out but am not sure if it will break it.

The biggest downside to this unit is a constant hum in the right speaker. It seems to be quiet when you first turn it on but gradually gets louder through the day. I've tested this unit isolated on a circuit with a line conditioner and not plugged into anything so I know it is not my environment. AI offered an exchange however I don't want to wait a week+ without speakers and the buzzing really isn't that noticeable unless there's no ambient noise. I have heard this is a somewhat common issue so keep that in mind.


My setup:

I positioned the "sub" in the middle. Unlike the other setups I have seen, I am not using the monitor stand in addition to the sub making it awkward in height. I rigged up a little stand and attached it to a mounting hole on the back of the monitor that allows it to sit flush on the frame. Its about an inch or so higher than my normal stand, but totally livable. Having the sub on the desk, and in the middle, really lets it play to it's potential. I also have the sats up on some stands and slightly tilted which really opens them up. I found them pretty sensitive to height and they definitely sound better more towards ear level.

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Conclusion:

The Swan M10 sounds great. If I didn't know any better, I would think they cost twice that. Quality control could definitely be tighter but it is still an absolute steal at $125, and certainly that price has to come with drawbacks. Would buy again, and recommend to anyone, in a heartbeat. I will give more impression after another 15 hours.
 
They are excellent speakers. If I was in the market for some , I would grab a set without a second thought.
 
Rennat,

I must say you gave a very sound review. I do not have nearly the hours listening to them as you do. I received them in the mail an hour 1/2 ago and just set them up. I wish my desk was bigger, or my monitor taller to put my sub with the speakers. It still works though. I'll keep to your review.

Sound:

So far these are amazingly crisp speakers. High's are good as well as the mid's. The sub was surprising by how quite it is. With speakers your always expecting some hard bass, but this is not the case for the smaller sub. However, with that being said it does add to the sound quality and is actually got a little bite to it. It definitely will not overpower you and if that is what you want I would suggest looking elsewhere.

Build:

Same as Rennat I did find a few small blemishes in the speakers. I to had a few very minor scratches on my volume knob. Other then that I did not notice anything else. They are light as mentioned, but very sturdy imo. I do not feel as if I am going to break them like the cheap plastic ones I am use to. I do no have any hum that Rennat mentions.

Setup:

Like I mentioned, the sub in the middle or on top of the table would be ideal. In my case it is not feasible until I buy a new desk. I think with the sub on head level these will sound even better to me.

Conclusion:

$129 is a steal for these speakers. I love, did I mention I love the look and style of these speakers. I wish the m50's had this same style. I was expecting more bass, but by no means disappointed and I am amazed how well they balanced these speakers. The satellites themselves put out plenty of decent bass deep mids. I am running these on an Asus DG Xonar at the moment. I need to start looking into a new sound car, amp, or DAC unit. I am not great on audio so I am a little lost when it comes to picking out that sort of things.

Recommended by Hotthree +1.

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Nice reviews. I've had my eye on this setup and this will be my next purchase when I upgrade my speakers. Thanks
 
Update. I switched from crappy onboard audio to an external dac(in a guitar interface of all things) and these speakers just came alive even more. I am so impressed by these...
 
I just got these speakers about 2 weeks ago, I've got probably about 60 hours of listening on them. Honestly I can't describe how impressed I am with the sound of these speakers. The sound stage is so clear on these, I can literally close my eyes and visualize the location of all the instruments in the song. I have heard a wide range of computer speakers, but I have never heard anything close to these. I am still looking into a good DAC to hook them up to, but they are more than worth their money even when running them with onboard audio.

The hum: yes it exists. I actually didn't notice it for about a week, and it wasn't until I had left the speakers on for a couple of days (with the computer off) that I noticed it. On my system it seems to be the left output on the back of the sub, because if I swap the speaker input leads, the hum always stays on the left side. I would describe the hum as almost identical to the hum of a transformer on the side of the street. It's fairly low frequency and almost impossible to hear if there is so much as a computer fan running in the room. I have noticed it begins to go away when you turn the speakers off, instead of leave them on 24/7. As rennat says, it's certainly not a product of my environment as it occurs on utility power as well as my APC Smart-UPS (not step approx. sine wave).
 
CamaroZ28 said:
I just got these speakers about 2 weeks ago, I've got probably about 60 hours of listening on them. Honestly I can't describe how impressed I am with the sound of these speakers. The sound stage is so clear on these, I can literally close my eyes and visualize the location of all the instruments in the song. I have heard a wide range of computer speakers, but I have never heard anything close to these. I am still looking into a good DAC to hook them up to, but they are more than worth their money even when running them with onboard audio.

The hum: yes it exists. I actually didn't notice it for about a week, and it wasn't until I had left the speakers on for a couple of days (with the computer off) that I noticed it. On my system it seems to be the left output on the back of the sub, because if I swap the speaker input leads, the hum always stays on the left side. I would describe the hum as almost identical to the hum of a transformer on the side of the street. It's fairly low frequency and almost impossible to hear if there is so much as a computer fan running in the room. I have noticed it begins to go away when you turn the speakers off, instead of leave them on 24/7. As rennat says, it's certainly not a product of my environment as it occurs on utility power as well as my APC Smart-UPS (not step approx. sine wave).
Click to expand...

Audioengine D1 is an excellent DAC that also comes with a quality headphone amp. Only $169 on Amazon as well , offers very low jitter 94/24-bit USB playback and RCA jacks of course and Optical input (it can do 192/24-bit via Optical).
 
CamaroZ28 said:
The hum: yes it exists. I actually didn't notice it for about a week, and it wasn't until I had left the speakers on for a couple of days (with the computer off) that I noticed it. On my system it seems to be the left output on the back of the sub, because if I swap the speaker input leads, the hum always stays on the left side. I would describe the hum as almost identical to the hum of a transformer on the side of the street. It's fairly low frequency and almost impossible to hear if there is so much as a computer fan running in the room. I have noticed it begins to go away when you turn the speakers off, instead of leave them on 24/7. As rennat says, it's certainly not a product of my environment as it occurs on utility power as well as my APC Smart-UPS (not step approx. sine wave).
Click to expand...

Good luck with that speaker set, i had one once, it died in less than a month. Failure started with one speaker dropping out.
 
awesome, i planned on picking some of these up next month. having you guys post pics of both color choices is nice too. i was going to go for black but those white ones just look so good... think i'll go with them instead.
 
Quick question - If I am using a Xonar DG sound card, so is there any point in getting a DAC?

I run my speakers and headphones out of the sound card, but I go through the front panel for the headphones (yes FP is plugged into my sound card).
 
Hotthree said:
Quick question - If I am using a Xonar DG sound card, so is there any point in getting a DAC?

I run my speakers and headphones out of the sound card, but I go through the front panel for the headphones (yes FP is plugged into my sound card).
Click to expand...

No, research what a DAC does and the functions of your sound card.
Your sound card already does the DAC function.
 
Yeah, a soundcard's a DAC, an internal one. However, you might want to plug your headphones into the back of the card... A lot of cases have poorly shielded front panel ports, and I think the back jacks are better amped anyway (at 'least on the STX, not sure the DG). Heck, even using an extension cord from the back of the card to your desk (so that you can easily plug either the speakers or headphones unto it) might be better than using the front panel jacks, that's what I've been doing w/my X-Fi forever.
 
the337 said:
I'm not sure which one I like more. The black ones or the white.
Click to expand...

The white ones definitely stand out more. I went black to stay with the theme of my case/monitor. It was definitely a hard choice.

Plus everyone has the white ones, so I wanted to be different. The blacks haven't been out as long I believe.
 
I envy your setup, it's pretty! :) I wish I do something like that for my A5's
 
I just leave mine all the way up and use the volume on my computer, because my headphones and speakers volume level is so different.

The sub is surprisingly powerful, but I'm not sure how well it would work on the floor though. Like someone has said its meant for the desk.
 
How important is the subwoofer placement? I can't have it in the middle, then I'd have to place it behind my monitor. Blocking it doesn't really feel optimal, but what do I know. I could have it to the right/left of me though. And should the woofer be at ear level too?

Also, would it be possible to buy a 2x RCA male-male to replace the 1x3.5mm male - 2xRCA male which connects the woofer to the computer? I also want to have my headphones connected to my sound card, so it'd be good if I could use the 2x RCA outputs on my sound card for the speakers instead of the single 6.3mm with an adapter(ASUS Xonar Essence STX).
I currently have an Y-split, and although it works fine since the impedance difference is huge, I'd rather be able to change between headphones & speaker in the control panel/software.
 
The M10 sub isn't really a sub. More like a midwoofer. Try placing it behind the monitor. If it sounds okay, keep it that way.
 
What has better bass M10 or Av40s? I can't decide between them. I'm thinking AV40s will have louder bass but not as refined as the M10s.
 
bamse said:
How important is the subwoofer placement? I can't have it in the middle, then I'd have to place it behind my monitor. Blocking it doesn't really feel optimal, but what do I know. I could have it to the right/left of me though. And should the woofer be at ear level too?

Also, would it be possible to buy a 2x RCA male-male to replace the 1x3.5mm male - 2xRCA male which connects the woofer to the computer? I also want to have my headphones connected to my sound card, so it'd be good if I could use the 2x RCA outputs on my sound card for the speakers instead of the single 6.3mm with an adapter(ASUS Xonar Essence STX).
I currently have an Y-split, and although it works fine since the impedance difference is huge, I'd rather be able to change between headphones & speaker in the control panel/software.
Click to expand...

You can definitely replace that cable without issue, go for it.
 
Thanks for the comments. I'm gonna move the woofer later and try different places, and get another cable and lastly get everything to ear level, as long as it's practical and comfortable. Either way, I'm impressed by them. Should be noted these are pretty much my first speakers, but for the price, they're just amazing.
 
I'm worried about the M10 radio interference or buzz/hum problem. But I do like the Swan more than AV40s which have the overheating problem. Sigh... not sure what to go with. Dont want to spend more than 150 for speakers
 
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lee0539 said:
I'm worried about the M10 radio interference or buzz/hum problem. But I do like the Swan more than AV40s which have the overheating problem. Sigh... not sure what to go with. Dont want to spend more than 150 for speakers
Click to expand...

If you have time to look for used gear, buy a receiver and some used speakers.
 
Mine do not buzz. I think it is a very small problem. If they did I would return them in a heartbeat. They have been very good speakers so far.

As for the bass, it is ok. Nothing like a dedicated full 10-12inch sub would sound, but it does have some thump to it with the right adjustments/volume.
 
well i have logitech S220s right now... i used to have promedia 2.1s and the bass was too strong since most of the time i'm living with someone across the room so i always had it pretty low. The S220s is a little on the weak side but not too bad for 25 dollar speakers. I'm just hoping M10s should be a good middle ground.
 
There's other options out there for under $150 besides the M1" or the AV40... Not a lot of them mind you (Samson has some cheap decent powered monitors in that range), but if you go used or hunt out a deal on some passive speakers + a small amp you give yourself more alternatives.
 
I believe its a 5" or a 6". And you need to keep it on your desk if possible for the best sound. I keep it on a short table beside my desk and it works ok until I get a larger one.

There is a way to turn off the led. But you void warranty etc. doing it. But I hear the back is easy to disassemble and put back on.
 
Hotthree said:
I believe its a 5" or a 6". And you need to keep it on your desk if possible for the best sound. I keep it on a short table beside my desk and it works ok until I get a larger one.

There is a way to turn off the led. But you void warranty etc. doing it. But I hear the back is easy to disassemble and put back on.
Click to expand...

Put a piece of black electrical tape over it.
 
Would like to know how these compare to the Corsair SP2500. Placement of the "midwoofer" bothers me a little; bass not so much, just the placement of the speaker.

As well, is it possible to place the midwoofer to the far left/right of the speaker satellites?
 
Should be kept at ear level, but i don't think it needs to be in the exact middle. I think its fine if u have it to the left or right side and put the speaker right next to it. If you push it all the way away or have it under your desk i think that is when you will lose the midwoofer's effect.

I'm really contemplating getting the D1080 IV. Not many reviews on the new mark IVs
 
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lowteckh said:
Would like to know how these compare to the Corsair SP2500. Placement of the "midwoofer" bothers me a little; bass not so much, just the placement of the speaker.

As well, is it possible to place the midwoofer to the far left/right of the speaker satellites?
Click to expand...

From what I have seen and read. The bass you get from the sp2500's will be louder (from the sub at least). Expect it to be more muddy sounding and less clear. The swans sound will be more genuine, and realistic. If you want the big bass go for the sp2500's.

Pro's to the swans over corsair-
Better Sound
Cheaper
No huge sub on the floor
Better looking (much better than the plastic looking corsair)

Con's
lose the big house shaking bass (You will be surprised by the swans if you have a dedicated sound card and can change the bass in the interface) I was worried until I actually got these in. People make much more of a big deal than the sound really is. And even then those people must like there whole body shaking if thats the case.

Must place the sub on desk for best sound. (I keep mine on a little coffee table to the right and it does fine, but I can notice some of the effectiveness i lose from it)
 
I received a set of these speakers about 3/4 weeks ago and after a day or so the right speaker began to emit a hum, which progressively got louder over an hour or so until eventually i couldn't listen to the the music anymore. Over the next couple of days I would get about 15 mins of use before the hum would begin again, again increasing in volume over time. Totally useless set of speakers in my opinion. Changed speakers around and again the speaker that was plugged into the right output had the dreadful hum. I guess this means there is something faulty with the right output.

Got in contact with Audio Insider and I had to return them to an address in Sarasota Florida. According to Fed-Ex they arrived Friday afternoon but so far (Monday) I have had no word about when they would be sending me a new set.

I had to pay for the return postage too which is a pain in the butt so the next set I receive better work or I will be sorely put out. Have had a couple of instances recently where I have ordered online only to receive faulty items and I have had to pay the return postage. I have a feeling that this will be the last time I order something electrical online ever again.
Audio Insider did not give me the option of a refund!

Mine were unusable and I am not a fussy listener.
Very disappointed with speakers and refund policy.
 
Makes me worried now. I bought the speakers from them as well. I thought it was risk free for 30 days. That really sucks that they don't honor their warranty policy.
 
Update:
Audio Insider repaired and returned the speakers with a new amplifier. Hum is gone and they sound better than before. Volume knob is pretty tight now though. Gives an odd scraping sensation when I turn it. But overall happy with the new sound even though i could have done without the whole process and the added expense of returning a week old set of speakers for a repair!
 
statusassigned said:
Update:
Audio Insider repaired and returned the speakers with a new amplifier. Hum is gone and they sound better than before. Volume knob is pretty tight now though. Gives an odd scraping sensation when I turn it. But overall happy with the new sound even though i could have done without the whole process and the added expense of returning a week old set of speakers for a repair!
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You had to pay????
Out of the box issue that was not fixed free, nice. I would still avoid these, quality issues still seem to plague this product.
 
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