Speedlink Jugger 2.1 Speaker System Review

Peter Donnell / 11 years ago

Final Thoughts

Price

The Jugger 2.1 are available from most major online retailers and after a quick Google I found them to be in stock at CCL Computers for £46.72, Labda-tek for £50.52 and More Computers for 44.45. All prices include delivery although More Computers are currently doing free delivery on everything, making them the cheapest. This makes them great value for money and in terms of power and features, they’re about on par with rival products from brands like Logitech. I have found the Jugger 2.1 available at Amazon.com, but US prices are inflated to around $115 (around £70) and this is likely due to Speedlink being a European brand, so they’re not as good value for money in the US.

Overview

I really like these speakers, and while I admit they’re not exactly perfect in terms of design, they’re better than I expected given their overall retail price.

In terms of style they’re a little garish. Speedlink do make a white edition, but since they also feature the red mesh covers they just look even worse for it, but of course style is a subjective quality and you may think they look nice, but I know I would prefer them in an all black or all white finish.

The inputs on the Sub are placed on the side, and if you have your sub forward facing then you’re going to be left with a lot of cables and connections visible on the right hand side, which doesn’t look particularly presentable. This can be solved by rotating the unit 90 degrees, but dependant on placement in your room, this might not be an option as it may leave the driver pointed at a wall. I do however think it gives easy access to the power / standby controls, as well as the master volume and bass dial, but these would have been better placed either on the in-line controller, or on the front/top of the sub.

Clearly at this price range you don’t get a lot of carefully thought out product design, or for that matter do you get premium looking build quality. The small speakers are fairly lightweight and are made from cheaper plastics, but again at this price range this is nothing you wouldn’t find on something of similar price from a competing brand. If you want better design and build quality, expect to pay a premium for it.

The real test however is performance and that is where the Speedlink Jugger 2.1 speakers really shine. I love the detail that I got from the small speakers and they gave some surprisingly natural tones to vocal tracks and made music sound fantastic. The sub isn’t anything incredible, but non enthusiasts will be more than satisfied with the power and depth that it offers.

Pros

Powerful sound from both small speakers and the sub
Distortion free sound even at high volume
In-line controller
All connection cables included
Easy to set up
Headphone and microphone pass through
Low price

Cons

Inputs/outputs would be better placed on rear of sub
Red mesh design isn’t appealing

Neutral

Bass lacks low-end detail at high volume, but still packs plenty of punch
Some plastics feel cheap, but understandable given price tag

“While I may not be keen on the design, I do think the overall performance alone makes these a great product worthy of our Bang for Buck award. A great budget solution for those that need bigger sound without a bigger budget, ideal for movies, music, gaming or any other multimedia application.”