Introduction

The very first product I took a look at from Hercules was the Game Theater XP sound card quite a few years ago. At the time this was the sound card to have and helped build a great reputation for the company. Some water has passed under the bridge since then and Hercules now has a brand new line-up of exciting products to show off.

One of these new products is a multi-purpose 2.1 speaker kit called the XPS 2.150. Finished in a very classy piano gloss black with orange speaker drivers, the XPS is out to make a strong aesthetic impression. Just below is a little extract of the company's PR statement about the new system.

"Based on the results of extensive consumer research, Hercules has created a system that reflects the evolving consumer tastes for design and finish as well as quality sound. Hercules developed the speakers to be competitively priced while at the same time delivering on style and audio quality. Components used to manufacture these speakers were hand-picked and of superior standard, in order to guarantee optimal sound reproduction and well-balanced bass, medium and treble sound emission - perfect for music and video games."

It's interesting to note the comment there about consumer research at the top. Perhaps Hercules are trying to create a feedback loop with their users to aid in product design, or new ideas; interesting none the less.

The XPS features compatibility with just about anything you might want to use, such as MP3 player, gaming console, TV, DVD or Blu-ray player. The system also features a headphone output and a line input on the side of the left speaker. Read on to see how they sound during testing.