Having to go with a 2.1 speaker system doesn’t mean poor sound quality though; Antec has a nice new 2.1 system. The speakers are called the soundscience rockus 3D | 2.1 and it uses DSP tech inside to simulate surround sound. DSP tech can do a decent job of making it seem that sound is coming from behind you in some instances.

The Antec speakers have plenty of power with 150W total. Each of the satellites get 25W of power and the sub gets 100W alone for deep bass. The enclosures are aluminum for no rattles. The speakers also have a single optical audio in to connect with game consoles and more. Frequency response is 10Hz to 20Khz and the speakers are available right now for $249.99 for the set.

The Asspeaker is a 2.1 speaker system shaped like… your butt. Well maybe not your butt, but somebody’s butt. The speaker features a subwoofer with what could only be described as a “strategically-placed” tuned bass port (between the cheeks). And if one butt isn’t enough for you, the two wireless satellites can be stored together to form a smaller pair of buttocks.

To turn on the Asspeaker, you tap the right cheek, and to adjust the volume, you rub the left one. Did I happen to mention that everything is wrong about this concept?

The asspeaker is the brainchild of designers Javad Yazdani, Mohsen Tafazzoly, and Younes Daneshvar. While the design is still just a concept, Javad, Mohsen and Younes should get their asses on a plane to Vegas next week where both the Consumer Electronics Show and a porn convention are going on at the same time.

Surely, somebody has got to give them a business deal there.

[via Behance]

Created by Q Acoustics, the Q-TV2 straps onto the back of your flat-panel television, providing true 2.1 stereo sound that should beat out anything that’s built into your TV. Just snap the QT-V onto the back of your set, plug it into your TV’s optical, RCA or headphone jack, and you’re all set. The whole thing measures in at just 38mm (appx 1.5-inches) deep.

If you’re sick of your  TV’s thin, tinny speakers, the Q-TV2 should blow you away. Left and right channel sound is provided by a four wide-dispersion balanced-mode radiator speakers, powered with a 25w per channel amp. For big bass boom, there’s a slim vibration-free subwoofer that hides behind your display, powered by a 50W amp (the sub uses 4 individual to fit into such a thin package). Both the left and right satellites offer swivel mounts so you can adjust the angle of the speakers too.

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While the base model of the Q-TV2 is designed for TVs that are sitting on a stand, they do offer optional wall mounts (both stationary and cantilevered) for an added charge. Since the Q-TV2 is made in the UK, you’ll probably need a power adapter if you want to use it in other countries, and at this point it’s only available for TVs between 30 and 42-inches diagonal. So if you have a bigger screen than that, you’re out of luck. The system is available now from Amazon UK for £299.99 (appx. $497 USD).

The GenevaSound Home Theater is a high output home theater sound system, built completely into a single piece of furniture. The system cranks out tons of volume thanks to a 7 channel, 700-watt digital amplifier and 7 speakers, including a booming 12-inch subwoofer. It’s available in a hand-lacquered black finish and also a glossy white version for those of you who manage to come up with one of those elusive white LCD or Plasma TVs.

Simply place your flat-panel TV on top of the cabinet and connect your video and audio sources. There’s plenty of room inside the cabinet for your satellite or cable receiver, video game console and disc players. And like Geneva’s previous sound systems, there’s a convenient iPod/iPhone dock built into the top of the cabinet. There’s also a slot loading CD player and an FM radio along if you care to kick it in old school.

While the GenevaSound is only a 2.1 system, it does offer acoustically-enhanced surround sound using something Geneva calls their EmbracingSound digital sound processor.

Priced at $3,999 (USD), including White Glove delivery and setup, the system isn’t for those on a tight budget, but if you’re looking for a serious piece of media furniture for your living room, you should definitely check it out.

The Fohenz Aqua FA-350 2.1-channel sound system features the requisite blue LED accent lights and comes in either white or black glossy finishes. The satellites and subwoofer look sort of like Apollo spaceship landing capsules to me (or giant Hershey’s Kisses when I’m feeling hungry.)

I’m baffled by the specs on these speakers, offering “RMS” wattage around 1.2 watts per channel (2.5 for the subwoofer), but “PMPO” wattage rating of a whopping 1200 watts. I’m gonna take a wild guess that the higher number is grossly exaggerated, and that they’ll sound about the same as any other cheap computer speakers. Still, they do look pretty cool.

They’re available from Korea’s dcx design shop for 21,000 KRW (just about 22 bucks), so at that price I wouldn’t expect much from these other than looks.

The Rosetta speakers come in a 2.1 configuration, with two satellite towers and a downward-firing amplified subwoofer. They feature a striking modern case design with sleek curves and cool red LED illumination throughout. Like many other 2.1 systems these days, they feature some sort of virtual surround technology (in this case IHSS: Independent Harmonic Surround Sound), but in my experience, most of these just add a general sense of depth to the soundstage, but nothing resembling true surround sound (Yamaha’s innovative YSP series excepted.)

Keep in mind that the Rosetta speakers are best designed for use with computer or video gaming setups, since they’re not all that big. The twin speaker towers measure about 3″(w) x 11″(h) x 3.5″(d) each, while the subwoofer measures about 10″(w) x 8″(h) x 11″ (d). Amplification isn’t anything to write home about either, with the satellite towers running at 9-watts per channel, and the subwoofer delivering just 32-watts of power.

The complete Rosetta 2.1 speaker system retails for just 85,000 Korean Won (about $90 USD) and is available from The Earlyadopter’s World.

The X-Fi Sound System i600 is a complete 2.1 stereo system, with dual 2-way satellite speakers and a powered subwoofer. The speakers are each amplified at 35 Watts per channel, while the subwoofer offers 130 Watts of power for some serious bass. The system features a slick piano black finish, and has a decidedly high-end look about it. It features Creative’s X-Fi audio processing technology, which provides virtual surround and playback quality enhancement which is said to dramatically enhance the detail and vibrancy of compressed music.

The i600 system ships with a full-size wireless IR remote which can operate the iPod and stereo controls, and can charge your iPod while docked. The X-Fi i600 will be available this May for $599.

Now his clean, minimal designs will be showing up in a new desktop speaker system. Art’s new Sonicum speaker system is a 2.1 system featuring two satellite speakers and a powered subwoofer. Power specs aren’t overly impressive at 5w per channel for the satellites and 15w for the subwoofer, but the speaker’s flat NXT drivers are known for quality sound reproduction at relatively low power levels. The complete system will be released in April 2007 for appx. $152 USD, but a pre-order special is being offered for appx. $126 USD.