Abit Dolby Digital speakers

Abit is normally associated with motherboards, but has recently moved into audio territory with its AU10 sound card and these 5.1 speakers, intended to compete with Creative's DTT2200 offering.

They look excellent. The wood of the subwoofer and dark grey metal casing on the satellites gives an air of class. Each satellite is far heavier than those we tend to see with PC speakers, and therefore feel less flimsy. This could tempt many to spend that extra £50 over Creative's DTT2200.

The intended connection is a G9 cable running from the sound card to the subwoofer, with five phono wires leading off to the five satellites.

This is an unwise choice, as few sound cards have G9 connectors. However, Abit's AU10 does, and presumably the idea is that you buy both as a set.

Three pairs of phono plugs are present on the woofer as a six-channel alternative, but irritatingly the appropriate mini-jack to phono cables are not included and will add extra cost to the purchase.

The subwoofer is just over three times the size of most. This is truly massive, and it produces a rich, warm sound, but it is incredibly overbearing, even at its lowest setting, drowning out much of the treble.

Another problem is that the sound waves take so long to reverberate around the woofer's huge interior that sound emanates ever so slightly later than from the other speakers.

The rear speakers are also slightly out of sync with the front ones, so the overall sound is confused.

All this makes the speakers redundant for music, as all frequencies need to be even and in sync with each other, though this can be less vital when it comes to film or gaming.

All in all, looks aside, this is a disappointing showing, purely due to the poor sound.

Contact
www.abit.com

See also:

Creative Inspire 5700

Top-of-the-range mass-market speaker system.  12 Mar 2002

Creative Inspire 5.1 5700

One of the best surround-sound set ups for your PC.  07 Mar 2002

Philips Acoustic Edge Soundcard

A newcomer to this market produces an excellent card for DVD and games.  13 Sep 2001

Avoiding the sound of silence

Got problems with your soundcard? Here's a list of some the most common problems with suggested fixes.  28 Aug 2001

Strike the right chord on the web

Got the soundcard and the teeshirt but need some groovy samples and lyrics? Our guide to resources for musicians on the internet can get you rocking.  21 Nov 2000

Evolution Music Creator Pro MK-261

Tinkle those ivories using your PC and this MIDI keyboard. Provided you already have a good soundcard, all you need to make sweet music is included in the bundle.  17 Jan 2000

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