Creative A250 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System

I was looking around for the best of the cheaper variety of speakers as I already own a more expensive surround sound system, but I have multiple different displays (flatscreen TV, older RCA TV, flatscreen computer monitors, etc.) that I use for various systems. So far these are up to the job for sure as a cheaper alternative to getting yet another more expensive speaker system. I highly recommend these, but of course it will be dependent on what one prefers. Simple to hook up and use with either my PC or PS3.PROs:QUALITY - Pretty simple, but elegant construction, and very light-weight.SOUND - Very good for a cheap 2.1 system, for either movie watching or gaming. Sound volume is excellent, can get VERY loud. The quality will definitely dip down if you really crank it up, but they are already loud enough at low volume, so there is no need to crank it up.CONS:COMPATIBILITY - If you are using these with a PC (I build PC's as my hobby), BE AWARE the type of onboard audio that is on your motherboard will be a factor when getting these speakers to work properly. Depending on the connection or type of sound card on the motherboard, sound will only come out of the left speaker making you THINK the speakers are faulty. For instance, my motherboard is an ASUS P9X79 PRO LGA 2011 with an onboard RealtekALC898 for the backplate and I tried every which way I could think of to get it working.However, the onboard audio on most motherboards also have a connections for the FRONT plate of a computer case to switch between AC97 and HD audio. When hooking these speakers up to the front port, and switching to HD, they worked fine and sound came out of both speakers. I do not currently own a PCI Soundcard, so I can not say whether or not it would better with a high-quality sound card - but my hunch is that they should work fine either with a high quality onboard sound card or one that can be purchased separately and installed in a PCIx1 slot (either way, you pay premium price for quality sound on a PC).When using a PS3 with a multi-output connection (I.E. -> PS3 RCA Audio cables->RCA Y-Splitter Audio Adapter->3.5mm to 3.5mm<-Speakers), they work perfectly fine without any fiddling whatsoever. I have not tested similar multi-output connection with my other consoles though.To sum up, this con isn't technically a fault of the product itself - you just need to be aware with what it does work with. Thankfully they are cheap, so I have no problem testing it various hardware.

I'm pleasantly surprised by the quality of this item. For the price, I wasn't really hoping for much, but after reading previous reviews, I still had hope while waiting for it to arrive. The bottom line is, there is probably no other 2.1 system on the market right now that can beat this one for the price.Before ordering, I was worried about two things. First, I was worried that it would sound too 'bassy' because there isn't a volume knob on the sub woofer. I was glad to find the bass level of the sub woofer is surprisingly well synced with the volume of the two satellite speakers. When listening to music or watching movies, it sounds great. The bass reaction is really tight. It's very good. If you are listening to a talk radio station, sometimes the bass can seem to be just a bit much, but that's really only if the radio show host hits the mic with his hand or drops something. You really hear and feel the thump.When I first opened the box, I noticed the two satellite speakers didn't look like the ones pictured on the box. Instead of being short and a bit on the wide side, they are just a bit taller and have a slimmer overall look from the front. I was going to return it before I even bothered to hook it up, but I'm glad I didn't. Instead, I watch a few more videos on youtube of people unboxing this system, and upon doing so, I noticed they also received the same speakers as I did. The shape of these speakers looks a bit more like the speakers that come with the more expensive models like the T3300. I decided to hook it up and see if I would be let down or not. Needless to say from what you've already read on my behalf, I'm quite satisfied.One thing you need to know to get the full effect of this speaker system:Be sure to turn your computer's volume to 100% and use the knob on the side of the right satellite speaker to get the optimum performance out of them.One more hint:As with a lot of sub woofers, whether they are wired or wireless, you may hear a slight thumping noise or hiss coming from the sub woofer. If this happens to you, as it did to me, just move the sub woofer away from the wall and away from any digital alarm clocks or wireless phones. I had to move mine about five inches away from my wall, and the slight thumping noise went away. It was no big deal to me.I would recommend this system to anyone who wants quality sound without having to spend a lot of money. You won't be disappointed.

I have over time become very much an audiophile. But that doesn't mean I blow ALL of my cash on it. A pair of Senhieser headphones fullfill my needs for rich studio quality sound. However being an avid PC user to the point where I essentially watch TV using my tower and ultra wide monitor. The necessity for speakers became apparent. After finding reviews for a few speaker systems I settled on this. Petite build, rich bass, and decent quality. Distortion of or complete lack of mids and some treble is the trade off for a cheaper price.However a note on build quality is the RH audio/power port. I should've looked closer at the pins before trying to connect. As I cannot tell if the pin in question was already bent or had been bent by my endeavors. It is more important to bring up the fact that this port could have been designed much better. In the thickness or material of the pins, or in changing the port itself altogether to some that isn't so susceptible to damage. I was thankfully able to bend the pen back, and the input port was able to reshape the pin as I forced it back in. So do be careful with the RH port. Also I find the lack of protection for the speakers to be a worry. As the satellites easily fall over and the main directly faces the ground. Lack of a headphone jack is nearly a deal breaker for me and I SHOULD have looked closer so I knew this detail before hand. But I can work around that issue.So overall I give this four stars. The price and sound quality being the largest factor. For $30 or a little more I don't doubt you could blow this speaker system out of the park. But I don't intend to use it for anything but TV/Gaming if I'm on my couch or while a guest is with me.