CreativeLabs 51MF1610AA002 GigaWorks T20 Series II 2.0 Multimedia Speaker System with BasXPort Technology

It seems to me that a set of desktop speakers is naturally going to be a compromise at one level or another (performance vs. price). Given that, desktop speakers come in wide variations including the inexpensive small typical two speaker or a 2.0 set like these. To expensive speakers systems of various costs and sizes. Some of which are Hi FI full range speakers costing as much as some home stereo speakers. I wanted a reasonably priced set of speakers that would do a good job (fully expecting limitations) reproducing music, and have been happy with this set. My demands were that I wanted something that I could listen to casually without being too critical, but that would be at least fairly accurate reproducing music and audio. My goal was to find at least some transparency, along with dynamics and clarity that was not going to be in the hundreds of dollars and so far these speakers are a doing a decent job. I might upgrade these in the future, but I feel for the price, size and form factor these are an excellent buy.Transparency, meaning an open Natural sound (not canned or tinny) or affected by coloration of a speaker. This attribute is up the list of the qualities I appreciate in a speaker, and these inexpensive speakers do a very good job.Clarity, is also something I appreciate and look for in any speaker. I want to be ale to hear the sound of guitar pick on a string, or nuance in a subtle lyric, and again these do a reasonable job for the price and size.Highs or treble in my opinion allows me to hear things like a brush on a cymbal, or crisp articulation, and again here these speakers do a good job considering what they are.Bass is something that people sometimes find lacking with these speakers. Personally I think that the bass these speakers deliver (given their size and price) is pretty impressive. You can feel the vibration in the air during a bass solo, and the resonance of a cello is easily discernable. But saying that, if you're looking for a speaker to really thump this might not be not the right speaker for you, and something with a dedicated sub might be a better fit.I'll simply say that compared to the other desktop speakers I have at my immediate possession the T20's have a broader dynamic range, better transparency and are easier to listen to than others I currently own. Some of the other speakers in my home include a set of JBL Creature III's. A set of Creative T3300's (both 2.1 systems). A set of Creative T12's, and a few other sets that are taking up space in boxes, including set's by Logitech, Monsoon, iHome and a few others.I was going to list the characteristics of all of the speakers by how good I thought they sounded, but that seems too subjective. And considering that comments by some reviewers who remarked on the "lack of Bass" they found in these speakers is what inspired me to voice my opinion in the first place. Ultimately it seems to me that comments like that are subjective, argumentative and out of place. So I'll just say that for general purposes these speakers are a great buy, and able to produce a wide range of music at a volumes high enough to irritate others in the same house.Over all, they will not vibrate the widows or rattle the drawers. But if you're looking for an inexpensive speaker to listen to casually and want at least some of the characteristics I mentioned above, this is a pretty solid bet. In addition for those who are debating to upgrade from the T12's. It's my opinion the sound difference is easily worth the additional $30.00 or so.One last things I want to mention here is the use of an EQ, or audio enhancing software. The impression I get reading some of the reviews, is that some people might not be aware of the differences an EQ can make or the difference in sound cards. Even on my Droid I use an app that allows me to customize music to my liking. And there are free downloadable EQ's from various sources on the internet for just about any OS out there. If you're not using at least the EQ supplied by the makers of the OS your using, and feel these speakers are lacking. Please try either that version, a version supplied by the maker of your sound card, or one of the many free downloads available. BTW Dolby has a great downloadable EQ.

I wanted some decent but not too expensive speakers, so I set out to find some decent speakers under $100. I bought and tested 3 different sets.* Creative T12 Speakers* Creative T20 Series II Speakers* Bose Companion 2 Series II SpeakersAfter purchasing the listed 3 speakers sets, I had to play them with the various types of music I listen to, Rap/HipHop, R&B, Classical, Jazz, and Country. Here is my short review based off my experience with each item.1: Creative T12 SpeakersPRODUCT: Very small packaging, nice design, easy to setup. Small speakers in size. Decent construction and great overall build quality. Speakers include one driver. Front of the right speaker is a volume knob, 3.5mm headphone jack, 3.5mm aux jack and a green power light. Rear of the right speaker is a second 3.5mm aux jack, port to the left speaker and port for power. The extra 3.5mm Aux jacks come in very hand for connecting to multiple devices such as MP3 Players, Gaming Headsets, Laptops, Cell Phones, etc.SOUND: I thought they were decent until I compared them side by side with the Creative T20's which blew these out of the water in every way possible. I notice at medium to high volume levels the T12's tend to distort audio significantly, mainly due to the "bass flex" technology trying to push too hard for its little self. At low to moderate volumes they aren't that bad, but for anyone that is an audiophile, loves sound but doesn't consider themselves an audiophile, I would completely avoid these. The T12's don't get too loud, loud enough to fill a small living room but they will likely start to distort. I would ONLY recommend these speakers to people looking for a very cheap solution to simply amplify sound on their desktop or laptop.2. Creative T20 Series II SpeakersPRODUCT: Small packaging, better build and design construction compared to the T12's. Speakers include one driver and one tweeter. Front of the right speaker is a volume knob, bass knob, treble knob, 3.5mm headphone jack, 3.5mm aux jack and a blue power light surrounding the Power Knob. Rear of the right speaker is a second 3.5mm aux jack, port to the left speaker and port for power. These speakers a much bigger than the T12's. The extra 3.5mm Aux jacks come in very hand for connecting to multiple devices such as MP3 Players, Gaming Headsets, Laptops, Cell Phones, etc.SOUND: For $80, these sound very nice, I was actually extremely surprised how clear, crisp and loud they were compared to both the Creative T12's and the Bose Companion 2 Series II Speakers. They have a bass port at the top of each speaker. After listening these for a few hours side by side with the T12's, the T20's blow the T12's out of the water in every aspect. The T20's compared to the Bose Companion 2 Series II Speakers are better, especially in the mids and lows. They don't blow the Bose Companion 2 Series II Speakers out of the water, but they definitely have a much better sound for all the genres of music I listen to. I would recommend the T20's over the Bose Companion 2 Series II Speakers for the same price. I do however think the Bose speakers have a more sleek, clean design. I would recommend the T20's over the Bose Companion 2 Series II Speakers easily for the same price. I did notice however with the BASS anywhere past the mid point, the speakers start to distort pretty bad. I preferred to leave the treble on max and bass between the 30-50% range.3. Bose Companion 2 Series II SpeakersPRODUCT: Small packaging, not too small, not too big of speakers, perfect in size for a small desk or kitchen. Very clean, sleek design compared to the Creative T20 Series II Speakers. Right speaker in the front has a volume knob and a 3.5mm headphone jack. In the rear of the right speaker, power input, 4 RCA (red & white) inputs and input for the left speaker.SOUND: Very clean, nice sound overall. They lack some crispness in the mid and lows. They have a very nice sound for the size of the speakers, nothing amazing, nothing horrible. They are definitely worth the $60-$80 range. You are paying some extra money for the "Bose" name, more so than a quality product. In every aspect however, the Creative T20 Series II Speakers beat the Bose. For the same money I would recommend the Creative T20 Series II Speakers over the Bose, but keep in the mind the Bose still sound very nice for the size and price. If you're stuck on getting the Bose and aren't looking for an "god like" speaker you wont' be disappointed, but I would definitely recommend the Creative T20 Series II Speakers over them.