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The three-way speaker Microlab Solo 19 leads the popular Solo series from Microlab Electronics, one of the oldest manufacturers of multimedia speaker systems. The new flagship was presented to the general public along with two other models — Microlab Solo 11 and Microlab Solo 16, which we have already written about. Unlike them, the older model speakers are equipped with three, not two speakers — this is the manufacturer’s most powerful stereo system, oriented to large rooms and claiming to have the best sound. We had a chance to get acquainted with the novelty and learn about all its advantages and disadvantages.
⇡#Contents of delivery
Packaging of the Microlab Solo 19 speaker system
The huge cardboard box in which the novelty is delivered does not have carrying handles, which makes it difficult to move it even over short distances. This can only be done by two people. From external influences, the contents of the box are traditionally protected by internal foam inserts, and the speakers themselves are additionally packed in bags made of non-woven material, which subsequently serve to wipe the speakers from dust and polish the lacquered surfaces of their cases to a shine.
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Microlab Solo 19 speaker package |
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The delivery set of the Microlab Solo 19 is no different from that of the younger models. Along with the speakers in the box were found:
- remote control with CR2025 battery;
- interconnect high-quality shielded audio cable for connecting active and passive speakers;
- audio cable 2 × RCA-jack 3.5 mm;
- audio cable 2 × RCA-2 × RCA;
- optical S/PDIF cable;
- coaxial cable in a soft synthetic braid;
- a set of rubber feet for gluing on the bottom surfaces of cases;
- printed instruction manual.
The package includes a suitable cable for any method of connecting speakers. All cables are standard and can be replaced if desired with better ones. Interconnect cable does not need to be replaced — it has a shielding braid, and is covered with a synthetic mesh from the outside. The length of this cable is 4 meters, which is quite enough for almost any speaker setup.
⇡#Specifications
| Characteristic / Model | Microlab Solo 16 | Microlab Solo 19 | |
| Type of acoustics | 2.0 (stereo) two-lane |
2.0 (stereo) three-lane |
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| Speakers | HF: 1 inch (6 ohms); LF: 6.5 inches (4 ohms) |
HF: 1.5″ (4 ohms); MF: 4.0 inches (8 ohms); LF: 6.5 inches (4 ohms) |
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| Power, W (RMS) | 180 (2×40 + 2×50) | 200 (2×40 + 2×60) | |
| Frequency range, Hz | 40–20,000 | 20–20,000 | |
| Signal-to-noise, more, dB | 80 | ||
| Channel separation, more, dB | 45 | ||
| Sensitivity, mV | 1000 | ||
| Interfaces | Inputs | 1 pair × RCA stereo 1 × Coaxial 1 × Optical S/PDIF Bluetooth 4.2 |
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| Outputs | LFE (for subwoofer connection) 1 × USB (for charging smartphones) |
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| Additionally | Control Panel: — volume control, treble, bass; – switching between inputs. Remote control |
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| Dimensions, mm | 268×218×360 | 314×218×577 | |
| Weight, kg | 11.6 | 19.9 | |
| Warranty, months | 12 | ||
| Average retail price, rub. | 15 249 | 27 892 | |
Single speaker speaker set
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Tweeter |
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For comparison, the characteristics table above shows the data of the younger model, Microlab Solo 16. It can be seen that the new product differs from it in a set of emitters: the tweeter of the Microlab Solo 19 speakers is very similar to those used in the younger models, but with a diameter one and a half times larger — 1.5 inches. The tweeter has a dome type, made of silk. Its resistance is 4 ohms. Note that the tweeter has a magnetic shielding housing.
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midrange speaker |
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Woofer |
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Midrange and woofers have a similar design. Both of them are made of polymer material, have a rubber suspension and are equipped with large magnets. They are not shielded. The emitters differ in size and resistance: 4.0 inches and, respectively, 8 ohms for the midrange speaker and 6.5 inches and 4 ohms for the woofer.
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The internal structure of the active speaker: upper acoustic chamber |
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The internal structure of the active speaker: lower acoustic chamber |
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The speakers have two isolated acoustic chambers. At the top are high-frequency and mid-frequency emitters, as well as crossovers — filters designed to pass only certain frequencies. Apparently, crossovers in this case are required to prepare the frequency range of the midrange speakers.
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Placement of the phase inverter |
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Low-frequency emitters are located in the lower acoustic chambers. The lower chambers are equipped with a phase inverter, the bell of which is brought out on the rear panel of each of the speakers.
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Motherboard and power supply |
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The motherboard is mounted on a metal chassis with external active speaker interfaces, to which the power supply is also attached. Just like other models of Solo acoustics of the latest generation, the digital path of the novelty is built on TAS5342L class D amplifiers from the American company Texas Instruments.
The set of connection interfaces is completely what we saw on Microlab Solo 11 and Microlab Solo 16. Wired connection to speakers is possible by connecting to RCA inputs or to digital interfaces: coaxial and optical S / PDIF. Wireless connection is provided by AIROHA AB1520 Bluetooth module. This is a Bluetooth 4.2 module from Taiwanese microelectronics manufacturer Airoha Technology. The module is distinguished by its work with A2DP, HFP, HSP profiles, as well as with EDR functions.
Despite the presence of three speakers in the Microlab Solo 19 speakers, one of which is designed to reproduce low frequencies, the manufacturer made sure that a subwoofer could be connected to this speaker system, turning it into a 2.1 standard system. To do this, the active speaker panel has an LFE audio output, to which a subwoofer with the appropriate specification can be connected. Well, for recharging a smartphone connected to the speakers via Bluetooth, the active speaker has a USB port (up to 1 A). But it is located just as inconveniently as in the younger models — at the back, and not on the front panel.
Appearance and design
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The appearance of the speaker system Microlab Solo 19 |
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Externally, the older model of the speakers in the Solo line is almost identical to the younger models. That’s just the height of the speakers and their weight in Microlab Solo 19 is much larger. Each column weighs almost ten kilograms, but it still relies on the same rubber feet glued to the bottom surface as the younger models. At the same time, it is also best to place the components of the new acoustics on pedestals or racks.
⇡#Appearance and design
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Removable panel design |
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The speaker cabinets are covered with a combination of lacquered and rough (under the skin) materials, and the front panel is covered with removable mesh panels with plastic frames. The latter are fastened with plastic ball locks. Operation of columns is possible both with grids and without them — at the user’s choice. In general, the excellent workmanship of the novelty and the glossy black design of the cases against the backdrop of large dimensions make these speakers very attractive. This is also facilitated by the fact that the lacquer surfaces are not prone to scratches and do not attract dust and fingerprints. The latter are easily erased with any soft cloth, leaving the appearance of the speakers exactly the same as it was when the package was opened.
Control unit on the active column
At the bottom of the front panel of the active speaker is a display that displays information about the volume level and the level of high and low frequencies, as well as the current sound source. Under the same translucent plastic window is a receiver for infrared signals coming from the remote control. Well, in the upper part of the side surface of the active speaker there is a control unit with volume, bass and treble controls, as well as an LED indicator informing the user about switching between sound sources. Switching is done by pressing the volume control, and information about the selected sound source when switching is displayed on the display of the active speaker. All three controllers are discrete-stroke rotary encoders with no restrictions on the angle of rotation.
Rear wall of passive (left) and active (right) speakers
All interfaces noted in the Microlab Solo 19 specification are located on a metal panel fixed on the back of the active speaker case. The interfaces are signed and even combined into groups, which eliminates the possibility of confusing anything with the connection. Note that the USB connector for charging a smartphone, like other models of Microlab Solo speakers, is located here, at the back, and not on the front or side panel, where it would be much more convenient to use it. Perhaps this is the only drawback that can be noted in terms of the convenience of connecting new items. The rest of the acoustics does not cause any complaints.
Remote controller DU
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The remote control supplied with the Microlab Solo 19 is exactly the same as we met when we got acquainted with the Microlab Solo 11 and Microlab Solo 16 models. It has a body long enough for comfortable gripping with the hand and a full set of control keys that duplicate the functions of the encoders on the control unit active column. These keys can be used to adjust the sound volume, mute the sound, and select the sound source. At the very top is the power button, and under the control unit are two dual keys for adjusting the high and low frequencies. The remote control is powered by a CR2025 lithium battery.
⇡#Impressions from work
Connecting the speakers will not cause any difficulties, a four-meter interconnect cable is enough for any location. Note that the cable connectors are securely fixed in the mating parts on the speakers. Additionally, they are also blocked by union nuts, which are tightened without the use of tools.
We tested the sound quality with the following sound sources: Creative SB Live! and an external audio interface M-Audio Synchroscience Torq Connectiv with wired connection options, as well as a Xiaomi Mi 4 Pro smartphone with wired and wireless Bluetooth connection options. Music compositions of various genres were played with different levels of file compression (several formats), as well as in Lossless formats without loss of compression quality (FLAC was mainly used). When testing, the speakers were located at a height of just over a meter from the floor, in the corners of a room of about twenty square meters.
Turning on the speakers is not accompanied by extraneous noises or clicks. That’s just the sound appears in the speakers with some delay of three to four seconds, the delay is also present when switching the input signal source. Adjusting the sound volume, as well as the level of low and high frequencies, are made in a wide enough range to set up comfortable listening. The volume level changes very smoothly: the range is divided into sixty divisions. The ranges for changing the levels of low and high frequencies are much smaller, but it will not be difficult to adjust the speakers to your taste and for a particular musical genre. Note that there are no disruptions, distortions or vibrations of the sound even when playing musical compositions at the maximum volume level. The latter is quite enough for a small assembly hall, and more than enough for a room of 20-40 square meters. Connecting the speakers via Bluetooth went without a hitch. Acoustics was quickly identified in the list of devices available for connection in the corresponding section of the smartphone settings, after which it took about five seconds to pair.
We already noted when getting acquainted with the Microlab Solo 16 speaker system that the sound of these speakers turned out to be completely different than that of the Microlab Solo 11. This model had a brighter sound, with an excellent dynamic picture, while the Microlab Solo 11 model sounded more stately and restrained. In terms of sound, the flagship acoustics Microlab Solo 19 turned out to be closer to the Microlab Solo 16 model (after all, they have the same low-frequency speakers, and the tweeters are similar), but the mid-frequency range of the flagship is much richer. We were able to compare the sound of the same compositions on the Microlab Solo 16 and Microlab Solo 19 speakers. With a high quality of the source material, you will definitely hear the difference in sound, and it will always be in favor of the older model.
The rest of the Microlab Solo 19 has the same merits as the Microlab Solo 16 model — bright sound, realistic spatial scene and impeccable dynamics. In general, the sound can be described as natural, without bass coloring, although lovers of low frequencies will also not be dissatisfied. They provide a fairly wide range of bass adjustment, but it seemed to us that it was better not to touch the bass and treble controls set to the middle position at all. The average values of these parameters are suitable in this case for listening to music of any genre. However, there are no complaints about the operation of the adjustments, so if desired, they can also be used in the settings.
As usual, we listened to more than a hundred songs of various genres, almost half of which are Hi-Res Audio in FLAC format. The impressions from listening were only the most pleasant. And hard rock, and jazz, and electronic music of different styles, and vocals, and classics sound rich and detailed in the speakers of Microlab Solo 19. Note that for this it is very important to correctly position the speakers relative to each other and relative to the listener.
As in the case of the Microlab Solo 16 model, when connecting speakers to a smartphone, the sound quality changes slightly. With both wired and wireless connections, in this case, part of the mid-frequency range disappears, and some sounds lose their brightness. This is obviously due to the sound path of the smartphone itself, which cannot compete with the capabilities of these speakers. But for listening to music in a company, when this type of connection is mainly involved, a slight decrease in playback quality does not play a big role.
⇡#findings
The Microlab Solo 19 stereo system truly deserves the title of the flagship of the Solo series among Microlab Electronics acoustics. Among its advantages it is worth noting:
- flawless appearance;
- high quality electronic component base;
- the presence of an LFE port for connecting a subwoofer;
- the presence of a Bluetooth interface;
- very high sound level for its price range;
- lack of background noise and clicks when turned on.
Clear sound with a very high degree of detail and a dynamic spatial scene make this model recommended for all lovers of high-quality sound with a budget limited to $400. It is very difficult to buy good three-way acoustics for this money, and in this case, the user additionally gets the opportunity to connect a subwoofer to it in the future. The Microlab Solo 19 has virtually no significant drawbacks, except that the USB port for recharging a smartphone is not very conveniently located. In terms of «price — quality» model Microlab Solo 19 confidently occupies a leading position in the class of three-way stereo systems costing up to $500.
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