Pioneer XW-NAS5 iPod Audio System - Brutish & Powerful

Test Setup

Test Setup

If you are familiar with our audio reviews, we usually test speakers across four categories, but since the Pioneer XW-NAS5 is positioned as speakers designed specifically for iPods/iPhones, we’ll be restricting our tests to CD audio and MP3 testing, with the CD tracks ripped to a lossless format and then synced to our iPhone test mule. 

Basically, we want to look out for the XW-NAS5’s musical sensibilities. Hence, we’ll be playing a variety of different tracks to see how the speakers would perform across different genres such as acoustic, jazz, orchestral and trance.

Of course, different people have different musical and sonic tastes. Some are bassheads while others are treble freaks, so your preferences with speakers may vary.

The complete list of testing material is as follows:

CD Audio Testing:

Pod Race Scene from The Phantom Menace
Tyrannosaurus Rex Sound Effects from Jurassic Park
Theme from Jurassic Park
Apollo 13 Lift-off Sound Effects
Theme from Cutthroat Island
Fanfare for Louis, performed by the Dallas Wind Symphony

MP3 Audio Testing:

Hotel California - Eagles
Sail on Soothsayer - Buckethead
Melt My Heart to Stone - Adele
Elements of Life - Tiesto