Cyber Acoustic CA-2890 speaker bar review: Surprisingly good for $50
If your needs match this speaker’s strengths, you won’t notice its weaknesses.
Pros
- Clip mount keeps it off your desk
- Clear, distortion-free audio
- Can get very loud
Cons
- No bass
- Weak stereo audio
Bottom Line
This speaker bar is outclassed by its rivals in pure performance, but its clever clip mounting system, clear audio reproduction, and lack of distortion at high volume keep it in contention. It can be an ideal option for anyone with a tight budget and an aversion to desk clutter.
-
Price
$ 50.13 (AUD)
Price when Reviewed
US$24.99 | A$50.13 at Amazon
The Cyber Acoustics CA-2890 skirts that edge of mediocrity. If this US$25 (A$50.13) speaker bar were instead a set of stereo speakers, its shortcomings would allow our current favorite, the similarly priced Creative Pebble, to steamroll over it. So what keeps it out of the reject pile? Primarily one standout feature—the ability to clip it to a monitor.
Anyone with a slim flat panel monitor (no more than about 0.75-in thick) can attach the Cyber Acoustics CA-2890 to the bottom of the panel. This model effectively reproduces an speaker bar accessory that Dell has long-produced for its series of monitors, but with a universal mount. The benefit is that you don't have to give up any desk space, making this Cyber Acoustics speaker ideal for tight spots or minimalist setups.
The Cyber Acoustics CA-2890 clipped to a monitor. Image: Cyber Acoustics
Of course, form factor alone wouldn't be enough to save a truly dismal speaker. The Cyber Acoustics CA-2890 also offers decent sound, especially given its small size (2.75 x 8.25 x 1.25 inches). Audio is clean and neutral, with fairly wide projection. High-frequency sounds (like the clash of cymbals) come through crisply too, without any harshness.
However, this speaker bar does largely ditch the reproduction of low-end frequencies, a possible deal killer for those with audiophile tastes. You won't find much in the way of bass here, which makes for audio that sounds a bit thin. That said, this tuning decision is also responsible for the CA-2890's pleasing lack of distortion, even at full volume.
Stereo output is also weak. You barely get a feel for the directions that sounds should come from. Take the opening clapping in Where Did Our Love Go by The Supremes—you can guess that it starts from the right and moves a bit left, but everything mostly sounds as if front and center.
On the whole, this speaker bar is fine for listening to movies, TV shows, and podcasts. But music can quickly become a little fatiguing if you're used to at least some tangible bass. Not everyone will mind this, particularly if the only expectation is to clearly hear what's being said or sung. In fact, for some people, this speaker bar will sound better than most other ultra-compact speakers. Cyber Acoustics makes the most of the CA-2890's two drivers and 2 watts of total output. You can encounter other speakers (like those built into monitors) with similar RMS specs, but these get loud and remain clear while doing so.
Speaking of going full blast—I ended up liking this speaker partially because you can push its volume. At max, you can fill a room and then some, without distortion or harsh highs. On my test PC (a Windows-based desktop computer I built myself), I generally kept it around 55 to 75 percent volume depending on time of day. If I didn't have an air filter running constantly in the background, I could have dropped that lower.
With all honesty, this bar can outdo a fair number of laptop speakers—both in sound quality and max volume. If you dock at home often, the CA-2890 can serve laptop users equally as well as desktop PC owners.
A view of the control buttons on the underside of the Cyber Acoustics CA-2890 speaker bar. Image: Cyber Acoustics
As for controls, Cyber Acoustics keeps them simple and easy to navigate by touch. You get physical buttons for Play/Pause, Mute, Volume Up, and Volume Down. There are also two indicator lights that show the status for power (green) and mute (red). The speaker bar connects to a PC via a single USB-A cable that's hard-wired into the unit, with full plug-and-play support in Windows, MacOS, and ChromeOS.
One last note—during testing, I noticed that this speaker bar was distorting website alert notification sounds, like those from Facebook, Google Hangouts, and Outlook. The tail end of the sound would finish in a garbled manner. Repositioning the speaker along the underside of the monitor fixed the issue.
Bottom line
When it comes to pure performance, this speaker bar is outclassed by its rivals—it's average for media consumption and audio calls, and tolerable for music listening. But its clever clip mounting system, clear audio reproduction, and lack of distortion at high volume still keep it in contention. It can be a perfect option for anyone with a tight budget and an aversion to desk clutter.
Brand Post
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Dell U3223QE review: A winning debut for an IPS Black monitor
- 2 HP Spectre x360 16 review: The right 2-in-1 at the wrong time
- 3 Acer K242HYL review: An affordable monitor for any occasion
- 4 GeForce Now review: You bring the games, Nvidia streams the hardware
- 5 Asus ProArt PA279CV monitor review: The go-to for content creators on a budget
Latest News Articles
- Microsoft’s universal ‘One Outlook’ client just leaked out
- Microsoft reveals a new Windows Game Bar built for controllers
- Microsoft tests a limited VPN for Microsoft Edge
- Audacity developer puts the ‘proper’ version on the Microsoft Store
- How to pin an extension to Chrome’s toolbar
Resources
Macworld
What's new, plus best mac-related tips
and tricks
Business Centre
The latest business news, reviews, features and whitepapers
Videos
Watch our video news and reviews from around the world
Guides
Comprehensive buying guides, features, and step-by-step articles
PCW Evaluation Team
Pedro Peixoto
Aruba Instant On AP11D
Set up is effortless.
Cate Bacon
Aruba Instant On AP11D
The strength of the Aruba Instant On AP11D is that the design and feature set support the modern, flexible, and mobile way of working.
Dr Prabigya Shiwakoti
Aruba Instant On AP11D
Aruba backs the AP11D up with a two-year warranty and 24/7 phone support.
Tom Pope
Dynabook Portégé X30L-G
Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable.
Tom Sellers
MSI P65
This smart laptop was enjoyable to use and great to work on – creating content was super simple.
Lolita Wang
MSI GT76
It really doesn’t get more “gaming laptop” than this.
Featured Content
- Which Lenovo Laptop Should I Buy?
- Every TV in Samsung's 2022 line-up: OLED, Neo QLED and more!
- Top 10 best Android and Apple phones for under $600
- Everything you need to know about Smart TVs
- What's the difference between an Intel Core i3, i5 and i7?
- Laser vs. inkjet printers: which is better?