No matter who you ask, it's almost a universal truth that laptop speakers don't pack much of a punch. Some companies, namely HP, have attempted to tackle the problem, but so far none have overcome the tinny and underpowered audio output.
ASUS believes it may finally have cracked it, though, with the launch of the N-series notebooks. By teaming up with audio-experts Bang & Olufsen, the company has developed SonicMaster, which promises high-quality sound that bests the experience on any other laptop.
Rather than just a marketing buzzword, ASUS claims to have developed a professional audio certification programme. To qualify for the SonicMaster branding, laptops must feature large speaker chambers, powerful amplifiers and extensive software-processing to create a superlative audio experience.
The N-series is launching in two flavours today - the 15.6in N53 and 17.3in N73. Both are available with a dual-core 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 520M, 1GB GeForce GT325 GPU, 4GB DDR3 and a Blu-ray drive. The smaller model can also be configured with a 2.4GHz Core i3 370M and a formally unannounced 1GB GeForce 415M, though this may just be a rebranded version of the GT325.
The smaller model features a 1,366x768px resolution screen with a glossy finish, while N73 gets a boost to 1,600x900px.
This is some fairly serious hardware but thankfully ASUS has integrated NVIDIA's Optimus graphics-switching technology, which should help to extend the battery life when the GPU isn't needed.
Laptop speakers are almost reliably terrible, so it's refreshing to see ASUS trying to tackle the problem head-on. We'd have to test it out for ourselves before we can see if ASUS can really live up to its promises, though.
Both N-series laptops should be available soon from major retailers. The N53 is priced between £649.99 and £999, while the larger N73 will cost £1,099.
