Thor SP-400 mini speaker system

Here's the epitome of the small-and-cheap speaker system. The somewhat oddly named Thor Speaker SP-400 system is so small that you actually mount it in the computer - it screws into any vacant 5.25" drive bay! It's got its own built-in amplifier and a pair of 1" drivers, and it'll work in any PC with a sound card and a spare bay.

Setting up

Installing the SP-400 is simple enough. You screw it into any drive bay you like (screws are included), and you plug its passthrough power cable into any Molex connector from the power supply. The SP-400 runs from the 5V line, so it shouldn't overstress anybody's power supply - the 12V line is usually the one that runs closer to its limits.

Next, you screw an (included) blank expansion slot cover with a hole in it into any rear panel slot that's not in use, and feed the audio cable from the SP-100 through the hole, and around to the speaker output of your sound card. This is a little funny looking, but you try thinking of a better way to hook up internal speakers.

The SP-400 is made to take speaker level input from the sound card, and its volume control gives you enough flexibility that you won't need to fiddle too much with your sound card volume settings. There's also a headphone jack, and a little green power light.

Once the SP-400's in place, you can pivot the speakers left and right a little to aim the sound at where you're sitting. The pivot action is smooth, and indeed the whole unit feels nice and solid, considering the price.