HumanCentric Speakers Review: Bold Uniqueness

POSITIVES

✓ Built in tweeters

Push highs up to 28 kHz

✓ Unique design

Modern, simple and (mostly) functional

✓ Great bass

Clean audio that covers highs, lows and mids

NEGATIVES

✘ No hard buttons

Capacitive touch controls are sensitive

✘ Preamp tubes don't automatically turn off

May burn out more quickly

Retail Price: $114.99

Buy on Amazon

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This review is directly influenced by you, our readers and viewers all over the internet. Many of you have made comments about the timeless Bose speakers that occupied my Windows desk. They were stored in a box in the garage for years until I moved and pulled them back out as they still did the job just fine. But after the constant jabs about a tech reviewer not actually using new tech, I finally decided to look for something a little different. That’s how I came to have these HumanCentric Desktop Speakers on my desk. There’s no way anyone can say these things look plain or ancient simply due to the one of a kind bulging exposed preamp design. Factor that in with a surprisingly filling sound for such a small casing and this is a fascinating set for just about any setup.

Versatile and Simplistic

The HumanCentric Desktop speakers are Bluetooth 5.0 speakers that can pair up with a laptop or any smart device while maintaining flexibility by also having a RIAA phono port for turntables and AUX input for traditional sources like a PC. There’s actually also NFC connectivity on these to add further versatility. You essentially can connect these to just about anything out there. 

Out of the box you receive a left and a right speaker set that is distinguishable in the rear. That’s also where the physical connection between the two speakers are located. Each speaker comes matched with a mini-riser that angles the HumanCentric speakers about 30 degrees upward. They don’t physically screw or connect into place; instead, simply resting on the soft touch rubber with embedded foot holes. An AUX cable is also provided. It’s a very minimalistic setup process that matches the overall appearance of the speakers. Sticking with a simplistic black colorway all across the design, these speakers actually remind me a little bit of the Mikme microphone I backed on Indiegogo years ago. 

A Different Look

The unique thing about the HumanCentric speakers is that they have built in tweeters that push highs up to 28kHz, according to the company. The preamp is integrated into the design through two exposed vacuum tubes. While these no doubt look unique, they’re hidden behind the oversized dome tweeters I believe HumanCentric calls HyperFocus. I won’t pretend to understand the full benefits of the science behind how these benefit mechanically, but I will say that at least from an aesthetic standpoint, the look of these desktop speakers rock. 

I’ll list out the full spec sheet and then dive into what the overall sound experience feels like at the end. 

Product Specs +

• Power
  • 30W RMS
• Signal to Noise Ratio
  • ≥80dB
• Frequency Response
  • 70Hz - 28kHz
• Bass Drivers
  • 2.25” drivers and 3” passive radiators
• Total Harmonic Distortion
  • <1% data-preserve-html-node="true"

Boom Boom Bass

The first thing your ears will gravitate to is how full the bass is emitting from the speakers. These things pop off the compact woofer for a dark dynamic sound. If you have them on the same surface your keyboard is on, be ready for some bounce as there is rumble recoil from the audio even with them set on top of the rubber risers. I have my system volume set at 50% on my PC and there is still a noticeable vibration. I bought this for $114.99 and for that price, I’m actually a bit overwhelmed at the sound quality they’re providing me as I came into this purchase with unassuming expectations. What I got instead was clean audio that covers not only the highs and lows, but the mids rather neatly. I wouldn’t say these HumanCentric speakers blow you away figuratively, but they will impress you when you isolate them from a bunch of other desktop speakers you can find on Amazon for around the same price. They not only sound good, but they’re simplistically eye-catching to match.

Some Inconveniences

Here is where the inconvenience of these speakers kick in. Because they’re so simple looking aesthetically, there aren't any hard buttons to control the volume or on and off. Instead, the right speaker has some capacitive touch controls on the top behind the tweeter where the volume plus and minus as well as the pairing cues are. They’re way too sensitive to touch and easily altered with different intentions in mind. I wouldn’t have minded actual buttons at the cost of aesthetic value. It’s so miniscule that physical buttons wouldn’t have ruined the look at all.  

Another potential worrying point due to the design of these speakers are the preamp tubes. They get a little warm, but the real potential problem is that they don’t automatically turn off when audio isn’t playing when wired in. The light turns off when powered off, but does not during standby. On Amazon, HumanCentric claims that the tube will last for 30,000 hours of playtime. There’s no way I’ll hit 30,000 hours anytime soon so we’ll just have to trust they’ve stressed tested this. Once again, I’m not an audiophile so I’m not too sure about the benefits of an exposed vacuum tube on a Bluetooth speaker, but I am aware that vacuum tubes traditionally require more voltage supply than transistors and thus are less incorporated nowadays. Vacuum tubes however have obtained a bit of a niche usage in modern times thanks to its wholesome unique sound compared to other forms of amplifiers.

Final Thoughts

What I can tell you is that I definitely don’t see products with an exposed vacuum tube like this too often. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard from one on something so portable and compact in size. It’s quite impressive that these HumanCentric speakers could fill my room with such a warm sound just by essentially plugging and playing. With multiple connection options, a unique one of a kind look and quality sound, I think these speakers deserve a spot on any desktop setup looking for a bold unique flavor.      

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