Yamaha revs up hi-fi PC speaker

Yamaha Corp. has launched its new Powered Multimedia Speaker System for PCs, promising high-fidelity sound and easy USB connectivity.

The YST-MS55D will debut in electronics and computer retailers throughout Japan on July 1. In the U.S., Yamaha will sell the system for $179, along with a non-USB version called the MS50. In Europe, the product will go on sale this fall.

The YST-MS55D is a three-piece system comprised of two satellite speakers - one each for the left and right channels - and a small subwoofer which incorporates Yamaha's Advanced-YST technology for realistic bass reproduction. Yamaha also uses spruce pulp in the speaker cone drivers, or diaphragms, because of the pinewood's excellent resonance characteristics.

The product is designed to be powerful enough to deliver a natural, vibrant sound and yet small enough to nestle neatly in the limited space around a PC monitor.

Yamaha offers additional information on its website at http://www.yamaha.jp.co .