The Concept E 100 Control has phenomenal sound quality and plenty of extra features, but unless you use your PC exclusively for movies it’s difficult to justify the high price.
Written By
Published on
13 February 2011
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Our rating
Reviewed price
£219
inc VAT
Teufel’s Concept E 100 Control looks more like a home cinema system than a set of PC speakers, with a massive subwoofer and a separate box, which provides all of your inputs and acts as the remote sensor. You can buy the plain Teufel Concept E 100 without this box for around £139, although it means you have to use the controls on the sub to adjust volume, bass and treble, and connect all of your inputs directly.
Each satellite connects to the subwoofer using standard speaker wire, supplied in one long ream that can be cut to the exact size needed for your setup. The satellites come with attachable foot stands, but they can also be wall mounted if you buy some compatible brackets.
Connecting the speakers to your PC is simple thanks to the control unit, which supports three simultaneous inputs (one 5.1 analogue and two stereo). Because all the inputs use phono connections, you’ll need to use the supplied 3.5mm adaptors to connect it to your PC’s soundcard. They can also be attached directly to an amplifier as part of a home cinema setup. As well as a headphone jack and microphone input, two sets of stereo phono connections act as auxiliary inputs.
The active source can be switched using the base unit’s front-facing controls or the useful wireless remote. The remote can also change the volume, but bass control is located on the subwoofer. This shouldn’t be a problem, as you’ll rarely need to adjust this control.
Despite their small size, the satellites were stunning to listen to when watching movies. The surround sound effect was very convincing, with no discernable gap in sound between each satellite. Speech was always clear, even in action-heavy sequences. Explosions and car chases were suitably powerful thanks to the room-shaking subwoofer, but none of the more subtle details were lost either.
Our test music also sounded fantastic, with all the detail preserved in our acoustic tracks even at low volume. Mid-range notes didn’t overpower the treble, which was crisp without distorting. Heavier rock music was handled incredibly well too, with no sign of distortion even with the subwoofer thumping out bass.
Although setting them up requires a lot more work than other PC speakers, if you mostly watch movies at your desk then it’s worth the effort. The mammoth-sized subwoofer provides enough bass for even the largest of rooms and the control unit simplifies connecting multiple devices. It costs almost as much as a home cinema set, but if you have the budget and the space for it the Concept E 100 is a stunning set of speakers
Specifications
Rating
****
Speaker configuration
5.1
RMS power output
200W
Power consumption standby
1W
Power consumption on
19W
Analogue inputs
2x dual phono, 6x phono (5.1)
Digital inputs
none
Dock connector
none
Headphone output
3.5mm
Satellite cable lengths
26m uncut
Cable type
replaceable (speaker wire)
Controls located
subwoofer
Digital processing
none
Tone controls
bass
Price
£219
Supplier
http://www.amazon.co.uk
Details
www.teufelaudio.com
Written By
Tom Morgan
Tom started writing about technology right after graduating from University, but has been a games and gadget fan for as long as he can remember. Beyond photography, music and home entertainment, he's also the first port of call for all reviews content on Expert Reviews.
