Creative Inspire T6100 5.1 Speakers - Installation
(Page 3 of 4 )
There were no internal alterations required, as I was content to use the motherboard's integrated 8-channel Realtek audio, so my trusty screwdriver stayed in the toolbox.
I cleared all the clutter off my desk, and started with the three front speakers. I initially placed the center speaker in front of the monitor blasting up at me, but later I moved it up to the shelf above to point downwards. This gave the best quality as it then didn't drown out the side speakers too much.
Sadly, one of my rear satellite speakers (the one I had designated left, but that had nothing to do with it) was D.O.A. So I got onto Creative's support team and organized an RMA and I had a replacement shipped from Germany (their European HQ). There were some problems with the delivery (I went on holiday before it arrived and UPS wouldn't deliver it to a neighbor) but Creative were very helpful and shipped it out again. I was happy with their great service.
I put the rear speakers up on the shelf too to start with, but soon I found that here they didn't add much. I decided to move them down to desk level and have them right on the corners. This worried me a bit because they'd be easy to knock off, but here they gave the best "surround sound" I could manage. I would have liked to mount them onto stands behind me, but the room is used far too much and they'd be in the way more than anything.
The little desk stands for the satellites are reasonably stable, and although they aren't adjustable like the center speaker, they direct the speakers fairy well for a layout like mine.
At this point I'll also note that all the speakers (apart from the sub obviously) have a wall-mount hole on the back so if you're gearing out a whole room from scratch it shouldn't be too hard to fix the speakers to the walls and save a bit of desk clutter.
Usage
My main use for my computer's speakers is music. I listen to a lot of music (or at least I try to) when working, and it's also a good test of audio quality. Computer-generated sound effects in a game are all well and good, but it can't even begin to replicate the quality and depth of recorded music (even MP3s at 128 bps, which I know would make audiophiles cringe).
But before starting, I decided to do a little test. I set the computer to mute, and turned the volume dial on the speakers to the max. This caused the speakers to pick up a little bit of static, and produce a noticeable pulsating hum. This was however at the very loudest, and I think that to have music or a game that loud would be potentially hazardous to my health. If the system was wall-mounted in a large room the additional volume may be required, but still they get very very loud before reaching this static.
Next I decided to play some of my music. There are certain tracks that I know nearly by heart, beat for beat, through constant (ab)use of my MP3 player and
Icemat Siberia in-ear headset -- pretty well the entire Rage Against the Machine self-titled album is permanently engraved into my skull. This album has some fantastic bass lines in it, stupendous guitar solos from Tom Morello and biting lyrics with Zack's unique voice, so this is a great place to start.
The front three speakers are clear and work well with the quick-switching stereo mix of Rage tracks. The central speaker does tend to overshadow the two side speakers when the volume is down, but at higher levels they work well together. The rear speakers though (once I'd gotten the replacement) were quieter, not adding a lot, but generating a background level that made the tracks a bit
more immersive.
The subwoofer base is incredibly powerful. With the dial to the max, it definitely spoils the rest of the music, and even at half it thuds too much. I found that at about a fifth it's not noticeable, but any lower I miss it, and for me that's the best way to tell when it's right. On a side not, if you're a boy-racer "chav" (bit of British culture spilling in here for a moment) you'll love it.
Next I broke out the classic Hendrix. The high solos were electric and clear. The drum breaks were good, but I found the cymbal crashes lacking a little. As always Hendrix's combination of fast and low riffs sounded beautiful. I put on some Led Zep next to see how the cymbal crashes fared up, and it must have just been my Hendrix tracks as these sounded crystal.
I do play some games, although often several years after their initial release (I'm only just getting into Half-Life2 for instance). Sound does play a big part in gaming, providing both depth and realism, and also allowing for a story to develop around the characters. After all who wants to play a game where the graphics effects are stunning but with mono-tonal one liners and boxy explosions?
The 5.1 setup added a lot of in-game depth and allowed greater perception of where sounds (and thus targets/events) were coming from. Because I don't have an uber-sound card I wasn't able to enable hardware acceleration for advanced EAX-3D effects, however I was pleased with how well the standard integrated chipset managed and I didn't notice anything poor or dull in the games I tried out (which for the record were: Half-Life2, Hitman: Blood Money, and Halo).
The one single annoyance I have with the speakers was (ironically) a visual one:
It's not too bright, but when it's just on the side of your peripheral vision it can be distracting and I personally find this type of blue LED annoying. I have gotten used to it being there over the past few weeks, but when the room is dark it still annoys me.
Next: Conclusions >>
More PC Speakers Articles
More By Howard Cox
| Recommended by Dev Hardware |
|---|
|
