Recently for no apparent reason the sound on my laptop went a bit dodgy. I couldn't have my music at higher than around 50 % without the sound having a horrible raspy tinge as if I was wearing out the speakers too much. I decided rather than take my laptop somewhere to see if this could be fixed I would buy some speakers instead as this would probably work out cheaper. After some searching I had decided on a set in Argos but when I got there they had sold out. I wanted some speakers that day because I was getting so unbelievably frustrated with the poor sound on my laptop, and when I listen to music I like to listen to it loud. On my way back home I went into a Maplin store which I had never been in before but saw this speaker set on the shelf and decided that they were worth a try.


===Price and availability ===

As I said I bought these from Maplin (or is that Maplins? I'm not sure) for the price of £14.99 which I found reasonable and no more expensive than other similar ones I had seen. I have also seen them for around the same price on Amazon.


===Some brief specifications===

I am unsure if my speakers are a slightly newer version of the ones in this category although the product has the exact name so my specs may vary slightly from those given. When I was looking for speakers I was looking for some with a decent wattage as I believe this relates to the sound quality. There is very little information given on the box but here is what there is:

* 18 watt peak
* 9 watt RMS
* Headphone connection
* Usb powered


=== Whats in the box and set up ===

I have to say I am incredibly unimpressed with the box that this comes in. I have almost no idea with anything regarding technology and the information given on it is minimal to say the very least. It literally gives the specifications as given above, the contents, and system requirements. I would have liked to have had a little more information about the wattage or even how exactly this plugs into the usb port because I had a rather ugly image of speakers having a little usb stick on the end that would sit right next to the laptop (luckily I was wrong).

The box contains just 2 things - the speakers all wired up and a user guide (although my box contains 2 for no apparent reason). I picked up the used guide first thinking it would be a good idea to read through, but were there any words? No. There is simply a diagram displaying how to connect these to your computer/laptop but being a bit rubbish with technology I would have appreciated some written instructions to go along with this. I suppose in a way it is easier to provide a diagram so that it is easy for people to understand regardless of language but I really think I would have benefited from some text.

Having said this it turned out to be pretty easy to connect to my laptop. After I had unwrapped the speakers and unravelled the cable I placed them either side of my laptop which was incredibly easy as the wire between them is a fantastic length and probably could stretch a lot further. I then plugged the wire leading from them into my usb port and the other cable into the slot for headphones. When I did this I realised that I had no sound and actually had to turn them on as well - told you I was rubbish with technology.


=== The look ===

My speakers vary slightly from the picture above although they are exactly the same design. I personally think that they are rather stylish. They are slim line so do not take up much space or have a horrible bulky look to them which I love. They are a glossy black with the actual speaker parts being silver. This fits in rather nicely next to my laptop which is also black and silver. I don't think that these speakers would really look out of place anywhere which is fantastic as I was worrying a little that I would end up with giant speakers that were a bit of an eyesore.


=== Most importantly - the sound! ===

I love these speakers! As soon as I plugged them in I noticed that not only had the sound clarity improved but I suddenly had a new kind of sound. I am not too sure how to describe it, it had gone from an almost tinny sound to one with much more fullness and depth which reminds me a little of surround sound. Using these with my laptop means I can listen to my awful music incredibly loudly although I have to admit I don't think I ever have speakers on full as it is just too loud. I find that sometimes I can still have a bit of a raspy sound going on but this is easy to fix by jiggling between the sound level on the speakers and the sound level on my laptop. I did on occasion try to turn the speakers off while still plugged in but turns out even that will stop the sound while they are plugged in, but I don't think I ever want to unplug them again! Listening to music on my laptop is now far more enjoyable because of these wonderful speakers.


=== Other things to mention ===

* There is a slot for headphones on the speakers although I haven't used it and quite frankly don't see the point of it - why would you plug headphones into speakers??
* Although I think that the user guide is a bit pathetic it does give you the website to refer to, more specifically to the FAQ section. I think this is great as this almost makes up for the lack of information given elsewhere.
* For the bargain price of £14.99 not only do you get fab speakers you also get a 2 year warranty - even better value.


=== Would I recommend? ===

I think I would go as far as to say I am totally ecstatic with my purchase! Nothing annoys me more than quiet raspy music and these speakers have completely solved that problem. I had never heard of the brand 'trust' before so did not really know what to expect but I am very pleased. Not only do these speakers do exactly what I had hoped they have done it while looking stylish and also fitting in rather nicely with the colour scheme of my laptop. I would highly recommend these speakers for anybody wanting a little sound clarity or a little more volume!

Thanks for reading.