I got this for playing around with Ubuntu 7.10 Linux on the PS3 and writing messages & browsing the web in the XMB. It works quite well actually. Very easy to pair with the PS3, and it stays synced. I even turned it on while in CoD4 to type some names for my custom classes, since they mysteriously disappeared again … found it after 1 or 2 seconds, very quick.

I’m much more willing to send and reply to messages in the XMB now. The built in mouse pad works well too. On the far right there is a scroll sensor, very easy to browse web pages now. You can actually use the mouse pad to navigate the XMB too. You can tap the mouse pad to click on links in web browsers, or even to select things in the XMB.

Now on the Linux side, I found some instructions for getting it synced and it worked, mouse pad and all. But I accidentally hit the reset button on the back which is very easy to do if you grab it just right. So it lost connection to Linux, I had to repair it. Since then I have put some tape over the reset button, lol. Problem solved

One thing that bugged me though. When booting into Linux you have to hit enter to start the booting process, but at that point it doesn’t see the bluetooth keyboard. So I have to hook up a usb keyboard just to hit enter! Then I can use the bluetooth keyboard to log in.. There may be a way to sync the bluetooth keyboard so I don’t have to usb keyboard just to hit enter once! Hitting enter doesn’t bug me. It’s that I need a usb keyboard just to do that.

Side note on Linux, PS3 firmware 2.10 broke the wireless in Linux Please Sony correct this or let us Linux users how to fix it.

It has some keys marked on the keyboard as x, circle, triangle and square. But it has no start or select button. I wish it had dedicated PlayStation buttons but not a huge deal. There are some media playback buttons at the top: reverse, play, forward, and BD/DVD Menu. But if I was watching a movie I’d rather use the actual PS3 remote control. But it’s nice it’s built into this keyboard.

Out of curiosity I tried this keyboard with my iMac and it works. You can also use a mouse in addition to this keyboard with the PS3 / Linux / or iMac. I don’t have UT3, so I can’t test if it works playing PS3 games.

Overall I really like it, matches the look of the PS3 well. Typing and using the mouse feel good. It’s lightweight, does feel a little cheap. Not to pricey ($61 from Amazon). If I had to rate it a 8.9 of 10.

You can view full size photos here

After Henning’s sceptical post about Logic3’s SoundStation 3 PS3 Speakers, Logic3 got in touch and asked us if we would be interested in testing them out for ourselves.

I volunteered as I have been looking to get new speakers to go with my PS3, since the speakers on my TV are so poor.

Firstly, I’d like to get the boring bit (for me anyway) out of the way; the specs:

# Powerful 20 Watts RMS total output
# 6 x Patented Wave9™ neodymium 1¼” (32mm) drivers
# 2 x Hi-X 4”(100mm) Sub-woofers in each speaker

That might mean something to you but it just goes straight over my head. The speakers are also pretty light and don’t weigh more than 1.5kg each.

Before I move on to the performance of the speakers, I have to say they look pretty damn cool next to my black HDTV.

They also match the PS3’s piano-black finish, mirror strip and curves, and as you can see from the pictures below, they fit in perfectly with my other AV equipment that take pride of place in my living room.

The left speaker has the equaliser switch where you can choose between Movie, Game and Music. Strangely, out of the 3 settings, I prefer Game for playing games, listening to music and watching movies. Everything sounds clearer. It also has a very cool looking blue light when you turn it on.

The remote is pretty small and you can control the bass, treble and volume, aswell as putting the speakers into standby mode. You can’t change the equaliser settings though, which is a bit of a disappointment.

Bass Kicks Ass

After taking all of 5 minutes to set up the speakers with my PS3 (remember to change the Audio settings on your PS3 to SCART/AV Multi, instead of HDMI) , I decided to start the test by listening to Robyn’s With Every Heart Beat:

Now, I’m no expert in the field of audio but I immediately noticed a big difference between the speakers built into my HDTV and the sound that came out of the SoundStation3 speakers.

Not really a surprise you may think but considering the £70 price tag, I wasn’t expecting much of a difference.

The bass was noticeably impressive, even more so when I listened to Amy Winehouse’s Tears Dry On Their Own

Next up I tried out a couple of Blu-ray discs starting with Planet Earth. David Attenborough’s voice was a lot clearer and more prominent without having to turn the volume up to excessive levels compared to my TV speakers. Casino Royale also benefited greatly from the speakers, especially in the Game setting.

The sound of explosions and gunfire was quite impressive, especially due to the impact that the bass made during the louder scenes.

The volume of the speakers is quite impressive. I didn’t need to turn them up past the half way mark during any of the tests. Compare this to my TV which is usually turned up to 10 out of a possible 100 for when I game and up to 30 when I watch DVD/Blu-rays. Any higher than 40 and the sound distorts.

For general watching the volume of the speakers didn’t need to be turned up to the halfway mark but anywhere past that was just too loud. As a point of reference, you really shouldn’t need to go past that level.

If you live in the middle of nowhere you may want to turn the volume up to it’s highest setting but it was more than loud enough at the halfway mark, even for DVDs and Blu-rays, which normally suffer a massive drop in volume compared to games and music.

Finally, I got to the best part of the test. Games! I tried out the superb Super Stardust: HD, first without custom soundtracks then with them enabled. I love the music in SS: HD anyway but the speakers really emphasised the bass throughout and the general sound effects came through clearly despite the music.

I then tried the atmospheric All Ghillied Up mission on Call of Duty 4. Superb. The sound of your sniper shots, Capt. MacMillan whispering in your ear guiding you through the Chernobyl wastelands, guards chattering, dogs barking etc, all sounded superb and really added to the level of immersion.

Playing games definitely brings out the best in the speakers which should come as no surprise as they were designed specifically for the PS3.

The atmosphere during the All Ghillied Up mission from Call of Duty 4 was superb:

VERDICT

If you can’t afford to pay for the full 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound experience or you simply don’t have the means to fit all 5 speakers in your room, then these Logic3 SoundStation3 PS3 Speakers will do an excellent job.

They don’t compare to the full surround system experience but they are a big step up from my HDTV speakers, which is made all the more impressive by their relatively cheap price.

They look great, they are easy to set up and their overall sound quality for listening to music, watching movies and playing games on your PS3 is great value for the price. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending or buying these for my PS3. They are definitely worth the asking price and gave great value for it.