Cyber Acoustics CA-2110USB USB Stereo Bookshelf Speakers

Speakers Don’t Get Much Easier or Affordable

An Alternative to Creative’s Pebble

Cyber Acoustics sent over their creatively named CA-2110USB stereo speakers, with a handy integral cable that supports both USB-A and USB-C.   They are plug and play audio for a Mac, PC or Chromebook, but with only USB connectivity you won’t be attaching these to your phone.  At an MSRP of $24.99 they are bang on target to take on other bookshelf speakers, like Creative’s Pebble.

The CA-2110USB are literally plug and play as they lack a power button, you can raise and lower the volume by tapping or holding the two buttons on top of the right speaker but that’s it.  There is no software needed nor offered, and so no way to mess up your audio settings.  They do have some heft thanks to the 50mm drivers and they have been designed with a base that aims the speakers slightly up, perfect for sticking on your desktop without cluttering it up.

Audio Softballs

Cyber Acoustics’ CA-2110USB speakers are almost exactly the same a softball, though we certainly don’t recommend using them for batting practice.  The small size makes them moderately portable, and minimizes the amount of real estate they take up on your desk when they’re plugged in, but it also limits their acoustic abilities.  The 50mm drivers inside the CA-2110USB are similar in capability to those found in headphones, albeit located a wee bit further away from your ears.  The flat base ensures they are easy to aim at your noggin but you can also hear them from a distance.

These speakers can get loud, impressively so for their size, and maintain the same tone for the vast majority of the span of their volume.  At maximum volume you do get some distortion but they are also loud enough you don’t want to be in the same room as them.  The volume buttons on the speakers directly control the volume level on your computer, they aren’t separated and so you won’t have to juggle two sliders to control your sound levels.

You Can’t Always Get What You Want … You Get What You Need

If you are coming from a 5.1 system then the CA-2110USB will feel a bit hollow.  These $25 speakers aren’t for an audiophile, they are for those who just need some audio to fill their space.  They are far better than the speakers built into a laptop or monitor and if you’re currently stuck with that then these are a perfect solution for you.  They are very bright, vocals and keyboards stand out brightly and while there is certainly bass it is less forward and won’t impress anyone who prefers Beats type equalization.  That’s not a bad thing if the type of music you like puts less emphasis on guitar and bass and more on electronic effects and singers.

They definitely lack the depth of speakers with separate tweeters and mid-range, but on the plus side they also alerted me to the fact my subwoofer was louder than it needed to be.  The CA-2110USB will be lovely for anyone who would like the option to take off their headphones and game or watch videos on their computer without investing a lot of money.  They are also perfect for anyone you know who is less than careful with their hardware, or just gifted at breaking things.  

Grab a pair if you are in an audio bind at the moment, if you want to have a pair of backup speakers just in case, or if you have a bag large enough to shove them in.  That way when the battery on the Bluetooth speaker dies the party doesn’t have to end.  You can just plug these into your laptop and have music until that battery gives up the ghost.