Creative Inspire 5.1 5700

Creative has been producing compact 5.1 systems for many years in conjunction with Cambridge Soundworks. The top-of-the-range Inspire 5700 is not only more powerful than its lowlier counterparts, but also features an integrated Dolby Digital/DTS decoder, eliminating the need for 5.1 decoder software and allowing direct connection to a consumer DVD player as well as a computer sound card.

As you'd expect for a £300 system, the six speakers have the power to make a lot of noise. The subwoofer, rated at 30w, is a Symmetrically Loaded Acoustic Module. What this means is a mystery, but it lives up to Creative's claim of fast, tight and punchy bass.

There is also a special centre speaker rated at 21w RMS (usually, the same speakers are used for all five satellite channels). As the centre speaker carries all the dialogue and a great deal of the action in DVD movies, the uprated quality pays dividends.

Full 5.1 audio can only be transmitted to the decoder unit via coaxial or optical S/PDIF, so you'll need a DVD software/sound card set up capable of this, such as Power DVD 3.0 and Soundblaster Audigy. Alternatively, you can simply connect the digital output from a consumer DVD player to the decoder. There are also analogue inputs, front and rear, for connection to any four-channel sound card.

The decoder can handle Dolby Prologic, Dolby Digital or DTS; we tested all with 100 per cent success and the DTS in particular sounded fantastic.

LEDs show which audio standard has been recognised. Algorithms will also produce a 5.1 up-mix from a stereo source to good effect.

The sound is punchy and up-front, both in movies and games, and the system is just about meaty enough to use for watching DVD movies on TV, although it excels as the ultimate surround-sound set up for your computer. At this price, there is no real competition save Videologic's Digitheatre DTS, which offers better performance, but at a higher cost.

Contact: Creative www.europe.creative.com

See also:

Cyber Acoustics CA-4400 E

Four satellites and a subwoofer for less than £40. Check it out.  04 Apr 2003

Creative Sound Blaster 4.1 Digital

Plenty of high-end sound features at a very good price.  15 Aug 2002

Cyber Acoustics CA-5150E

An inexpensive way to add 5.1 surround-sound to your PC.  08 Aug 2002

Logitech Z560 THX Speakers

The cinema experience comes to your desktop.  25 Jul 2002

Trust SoundWave 2000P 5.1

An inexpensive way to add surround sound speakers to your PC.  17 Jul 2002

Logitech Z560

Pump up the volume with this superb five-piece speaker system.  02 Jul 2002

Logitech Z560 surround sound speakers

With slick looks, cool styling and a sound to match, the Z560 is a fine speaker system.  07 Jun 2002

Abit Dolby Digital speakers

Does size matter to the six-channel SP-50s?  19 Oct 2001

Like this story? Spread the news by clicking below:

 del.icio.us     Digg this     reddit!