Trust Wave 2.1 review

Trust has a reputation for producing inexpensive products and the Wave 2.1 speaker set is no different. At only £35 it’s aimed at budget-conscious users, but has been reasonably well styled so it looks better than many other cheap sets. The subwoofer is a decent size and the main satellites feel reassuringly sturdy.

Like most budget speakers, the Wave 2.1 only has a single 3.5mm input for connecting to a PC. If you want to attach a device that uses a different cable, you’ll need an adaptor. Unfortunately the cable is captive, but at 1.5m long it should be enough for most setups. Oddly, the wired remote is connected half way along this cable, so you’ll end up with two wires trailing across your desk rather than one. The left and right speakers have 1.8m captive phono cables, which should be large enough for most desks.

Unusually, the Wave 2.1 has two volume controls - as well as a dial on the convenient wired remote, there’s a second on the back of the subwoofer. We used the wired remote simply because it was easier to reach, but some people will appreciate having the option. Power and bass controls are also on the subwoofer, which could be annoying if you frequently adjust tone settings.

Our acoustic test tracks sounded clear and crisp, although some subtle details were missing from quieter sections. High-end notes occasionally eclipsed the mid-range, particularly in vocal tracks. For more bass-heavy tracks we had to turn up the subwoofer’s bass dial to its maximum, as it sounded too weak at any other setting. Some tracks still sounded lacking in bass until we turned up the volume of the whole set to near anti-social levels. For watching video from a few feet away, there’s plenty of volume to fill a small to medium sized room.

The Wave 2.1 has all the features we would expect to see in a budget speaker set and surprised us with its above average sound quality. Audio isn’t without its weaknesses, particularly the overpowered high-end notes and slightly weak subwoofer, but our test tracks still sounded warm and the speakers have plenty of volume. The wired remote isn’t particularly well designed either, but for anyone on a budget it's a great choice.