Details
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Configuration: 2.1
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Price: $59
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Power Output: 16w
2.1 speakers don't come cheap, but for
under $60 you can get these Creative Inspire A320s, which are, at least,
charitably priced.
The system includes a pair of four watt
speakers and an eight watt subwoofer. Unlike 2.0 systems, there's no provision
here for portability: the speakers are large, and the subwoofer needs plenty of
space to itself. The 3.5mm audio jack input means it's instantly and simply
compatible with any kind of system, be it pocket, portable or desktop, but
there's no mistaking that it's designed to stay in one place.
Creative
Inspire A320
Again, Creative's long association with
quality sound means you get a set of speakers that sounds great and, in this
case, much better than the low price suggests. As a budget model, the subwoofer
is slightly weedier than its appearance might suggest, though, but just because
it isn't strong enough to rattle windows, that doesn't mean it's too weak to
enjoy. You still get good bass - certainly superior to any 2.0 system. Indeed,
if there is a problem it's around the mid-range, which is slightly muted
compared to the bass and treble.
The system is also designed to be
space-conscious. The subwoofer has a small footprint, the power supply is
internal, and the speakers are angled in such a way as to conserve space while
giving maximum output that travels upwards (towards the ears, instead of the
chest).
There are some features that you might
argue are missing, but which are arguably a consequence of cost-saving. The
lack of a headphone socket is particularly notable, and while it could be
reasoned that the type of desktop systems its aimed out will have their own
headphone port on a front panel, that's far from a certainty. If you're a
persistent headphone user, you're forced to either buy a splitter or find
yourself repeatedly crawling on your hands and knees to replace the jack.
Neither situation is ideal.
It's a solid 2.1 system, with a pleasingly
low price, but poor mid-range performance and ther lack of headphone socket is
enough to make us cautious. Once the initial enjoyment of the sound wears off,
the impracticalities might quickly sour your opinion.
Reasonably cheap, but imperfect and
lacking some essential qualities
Logitech Z313
Details
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Configuration: 2.1
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Price: $56
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Power Output: 25w
Logitech's Z313 is another entry-level 2.1
system - even cheaper than the Inspire A320. And, as with Logitech's other
budget offerings, you won't be disappointed by its performance.
As you'd expect, it's hardly loaded with
features and extras, but for its position in the market it's got the mixture
spot on. It's more powerful than the Inspire A320, even though it has many of
the same design finishes: a subwoofer with a small footprint, upward-angled
satellite speakers, and a line-in port for the speaker cables. Setup is simple,
because there are no extra inputs or unused ports. Hardly impressive but not
unexpected at this price.
The matte surface covering the speakers
means you can adjust them without worrying about fingerprints, something that
might not seem like a problem until you try the glossy, slightly more expensive
examples in Logitech's range, which could drive a neat-freak mad given the ease
that they pick up smudges and prints. It's the little things.
Logitech
Z313
The satellites have a main driver with a
bass port located beneath, meaning you get good quality mid-range sound and
bass even without the subwoofer enabled. Switch it on, and the quality of the
bass becomes even more pronounced. Thankfully, there is a headphone port, which
you might have taken for granted before reading about the Inspire A320.
However, that's not to say the design is
without its quirks. One admittedly big mistake is that the speakers and
subwoofer are connected by integrated power cables. That means there's no way
to easily dismantle the system for reorganization or transportation, and worse
yet, if you accidentally shear through one of those cables, you're looking at a
world of difficulty repairing it. Oddly, even though there are no controls on
the satellite speakers, you do get a wired remote with volume and power
controls (so you don't have to stoop for the subwoofer) but that does increase
the likelihood of tangles.
Despite an odd design, the Logitech Z313
system is actually better than its closest competitors. Aside from the
inconvenience of fixed cables, the lack of on-satellite controls is the only
element that should give prospective buyers pause. It's unashamedly simple, but
between a low price and strong output, it's worth considering.
Good, but not the great system that
Logitech produced at the lowest end of the market
Creative Gigaworks T20 Series II
Details
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Configuration: 2.0
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Price: $96
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Power Output: 28w
In many areas of computing, the $80 barrier
represents the moment where you crest from budget hardware to mid-range and so
it is here. The Creative Gigaworks T20 Series II speakers cost six times as
much as the cheapest stereo systems, so it's no surprise that you get a lot more
for your money.
Certainly, the design has taken a step up.
They're streamlined and sleek, with a clean glossy finish and detachable fabric
panels covering the drivers (or not, as in our picture). Setup is a simple
matter of plugging in the right cables, but since they're all detachable you'll
not find yourself in a tangle if you ever want to move or reconfigure the
speakers - something that cheaper examples cut corners on.
The controls all sit on the right speaker,
with a soothing blue power indicator and a combined volume/power switch.
Further dials allow you to tweak the bass and treble output, and you also get
both headphone out and auxiliary in sockets to let you attach additional
devices. If you're looking for a stereo setup, you couldn't ask for it to be
better designed or more fully featured.
Of course, that would mean nothing if the
sound quality didn't deliver, and luckily it does. The speakers aren't huge,
but they are loud. Creative's BasXPort feature means each one essentially has
its own built-in miniature subwoofer, and that gives it some pleasantly deep
bass sounds, but the upper range is just as well-serviced, by separate
high-frequency drivers that do a good job.
It's hard to say that they're six
times better than the cheapest stereo setups are
The system isn't beyond criticism, though,
with an external power pack that makes it potentially cumbersome to deal with,
and a shorter-than-average power cable which could cause problems. You'll
probably have to keep the transformer on a desktop (or otherwise supported) if
your sockets aren't close by.
Creative
Gigaworks T20 Series II
They are also expensive. Yes, they're good
quality, and definitely powerful, but unless you're planning to fill a room
using nothing but stereo speakers, it's hard to say that they're six times
better than the cheapest stereo setups are. It's just about forgivable, due to
the good design and output quality, but at this price one imagines anyone that
bothered about sound will want a more complete system. Still, if you have
something against separate subwoofers, this should please you.
Great, but it's hard to imagine a 2.0
system attracting the attention of audiophiles who would notice the quality
