speakers |

Manufacturer: Creative Labs

Release Date: 8/30/2013

MSRP: $129.99

Speakers are something I’m extremely picky about. I have only bought a couple of sets in my life, and I love every set I get. However, my current setup was a Logitech stereo system with a small subwoofer, and that was 6 years ago. It was pretty good and did the job for the longest time, but it was time to move on.

I’ve never bought anything from Creative Labs, so this is a first-time experience with their products. It was either these or the Razer Leviathan, but there was a $70 difference between the two. Sure, Razer has snazzy features like an LCD display and a giant subwoofer, but it didn’t sound that great for a $200 soundbar. I wanted something wireless, so my only other option in the store, which was sub-$200, was this set from Creative Labs. For $130, I was really hesitant, and they are just satellite speakers. Usually, you need a separate subwoofer for good audio, but when I took them home, I realized I was dead wrong.

Plugging them up wasn’t all that much of a pain, but don’t let “wireless” throw you off. No speakers are truly wireless, as you need a power source. The left speaker also needs to connect to the right, but this could have been avoided with each speaker connecting to each other through Bluetooth and then having their own separate power cables. So two power cables, or one power cable and an RCA connection? Pick one. There’s also an option to use a 3.5mm jack for your PC, which I chose. While the Bluetooth pairing works great and is quick and simple, the sound card audio manager doesn’t detect Bluetooth speakers, so I couldn’t use my sound equalizer. I had to go through a 3.5mm jack, which kind of defeats the purpose of having Bluetooth speakers. I understand it was mainly designed for phones, as it has an NFC function on the right speaker to wake it up.

Outside of this small annoyance, I realized the RCA cable connecting the speakers is rather short. I had to buy an RCA extension cable to run the speakers on either side of my desk. The power cable was longer, which was kind of weird because it was reversed on my old Logitech set.

Once you get them plugged in and on, the sound is fantastic. These are the best stereo speakers I have heard, as the sound is rich, clear, and vibrant, and there are a lot of basses. These bad boys have bass speakers built into each satellite to pack a serious punch. After playing music for 90 minutes and turning it off, I noticed my head was buzzing from the bass. Playing video games also sounds rich and booming and provides a quasi-theater experience.

Outside of the two small issues I had, I have to say this purchase was well worth it. I don’t buy speakers very often (maybe once every 5 years) if they continue to work, so I should be happy with this for a long time. They are a great price, and having Bluetooth and a headphone jack in the front adds to their value. I also love controlling the bass and treble right upfront, like in the good old days, and not to mention the speakers look sleek and beautiful. I think I’ll be looking into more Creative Labs products.

Manufacturer: Logitech

Release Date: 7/9/2010

MSRP: $99.99

Colors: Black

It has been a long time coming, but I finally got a surround sound system. I had never really heard of one before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. After opening the box and seeing about 20 cords, it felt pretty daunting. Thankfully, the Alienware X51 that I hooked them up to had 5.1 audio jacks, and the colors matched perfectly. There’s also only one power cable coming from the subwoofer, which is really nice. I thought I had to plug every speaker into the wall! Once you get everything set up cord-wise, you then have to position every speaker. There are five in total, so you’re going to need a lot of room. Plan ahead of time and decide where to put them. Some probably should be on a shelf above your monitors; the subwoofer can sit nicely next to your desk, while the center speaker should be in front of you. It’s the rear speakers that are tricky. They are supposed to be on either side of you, but most people don’t have that kind of setup. Thankfully, I had a bookshelf and table on either side of me, so the trickiest part is positioning these monsters.

Once you get them plugged into Windows, they should automatically set your sound to 5.1. Once I started playing music on Windows Media Player, I was blown away. It sounded like I was in a theater, and these speakers get really, really loud. During gameplay, I heard enemies coming from behind me (literally) and crashing off to the side like you are in a theater. The same goes for movies as well. Being surrounded by all these speakers, it feels like the sound is coming from all angles. The speakers have great clarity as well and don’t rattle or sound tinny like some cheaper models. For $100, this is a great deal.

My only issue is that there is buzz and hissing when no sound is coming out. This is pretty common for speakers, but you need a well-grounded home or an expensive surge protector to prevent this. I tried a few methods, such as plugging it into the wall by itself and turning the volume up high and the device volume down. At least the buzzing stopped once I started playing something through them. This will drive you nuts, though, and you will resort to turning them off if you aren’t listening to anything. On the other hand, there’s a headphone jack on the front speaker, so you don’t have to use your PC jack, and the power button is on there as well. No reaching behind the subwoofer to flip a switch.

With all that said, the Z506 are fantastic speakers for the price. They blow you out of your house and are of great quality. The only problem is the constant buzzing and hissing if you don’t have good grounding. It takes a little while to get set up and seems daunting at first (even for someone who’s knowledgeable about all this stuff). Once you get everything set up, it’s well worth it, and you won’t be disappointed one bit.