Desktop speakers are important part of PC setup. Most of us are ready to spend required amount to buy a decent model that can provide theater type audio quality. Most widely we use a 2.1 Desktop speakers. These are pair of two speakers with a sub-woofer. Consuming some space and fixed 3.5 connectivity keeps it limited on usage. This type of models is enough to give little bit in audio technology and an average theater experience. But there are very few exclusive models that are designed with more amazing features and come with few additional connectivity options. This is costly models that are designed with an idea of turning your PC desk to a multimedia station. I am talking about Creative T50. Creative is a popular brand in the market when it comes to speaker. Nobody seems to be un-familiar with it. This time we got Creative T40 to test. It comes with wireless connectivity and awesome design. At some point we all need a speaker set that can offer us more than a regular 2.1 audio. Something that has a very high bass output.
Wireless connectivity and great design is extra treat on that. Creative T50 fulfills all of these. It is based on popular Creative Gigaworks T40 speaker. Such models fall under high end 2.0 speaker category. There is lot of things Creative T50 offers, compared to a regular 2.1 or 5.1 speaker set. We will be testing this in more detail today. Creative T50 costs around $199 (Rs.13000 approx). This one is the latest model with highly improved audio quality due to integrated ptX high definition audio codec. With great looks Creative T50 is a standalone model under a 2.0 series giving an amazing and un-matched audio quality.
Features:
- Silk dome tweeter and woven glass fiber cone drivers.
- BasXPort technology
- Bluetooth and NFC Connectivity
- Convenient Treble, Bass & Volume control
- Great Design
Specification:
- System Configuration – 2.0 system
- Dimensions Left Satellite: 316 x 91 x 186 mm (12.4 x 3.6 x 7.3 inches), Right Satellite: 316 x 91 x 196 mm (12.4 x 3.6 x 7.7 inches), Left Satellite Cord Length: approx 1.5m, Power Adaptor (Combined length): 3.3m, RCA to 3.5mm Adapter: 12.0 x 25.0 x 45.0 mm (0.47 x 0.98 x 1.77 inches)
- Weight Left Satellite: 1.5kg (3.3lbs), Right Satellite: 1.6kg (3.6lbs)
- Bluetooth Version – Bluetooth 3.0
- Bluetooth Profile – A2DP (Wireless Stereo Bluetooth)
- Supported Codecs – aptX, SBC
- Weight – approx 3kgb for both satellite speakers.
- 1-year limited hardware warranty
Package –
Design –
The speaker drivers are arranged in MTM format. This product is a high end audio quality at 2.0 level. The audio output that Creative T50 offers is even hard to find in 2.1 or 5.1 surround sound speakers. The bass and treble output is great here and can be managed separately. No need to rely on your media player equalizer. Creative T50 looks like a cool high end speaker model. It will be hard for anyone to ignore it. The body usually resembles portable satellite speakers. Creative has taken special care about the quality here. Let's take a more detail look on the body design.
Front –
There are two speakers connected to each other. At the front lies the driver arrangement. Creative T50 holds mid-range drivers. It is configured in midrange-tweeter-midrange format. This makes the front audio output amazing. At high bass it performs well and gives clear sound. As per the design, maximum audio is projected to the front side while the, woofer projects bass from the top. This somehow makes a unique way of getting surround sound effect. There is no audio quality loss from any angle. Drivers are covered with woven glass fiber and sits with silk dome tweeter. The sound projection is amazing.
The right satellite speaker has all the controls and ports. At the bottom there are three tiny silver knobs. This manages the Treble, Bass and Volume. Below that there are two buttons for power and Bluetooth paring. An additional 3.5 audio out jack is on the front to connect headphones. With this it also has a NFC support. In terms of connectivity Creative T50 fulfills majority of requirements. You can connect it easily with any pc, netbook, tablet, Smartphone, mp3 player, etc.
Each satellite incorporates a silk dome tweeter and woven glass fiber cone drivers. This tries to keep the audio clean and clear. Further the speaker is powered by BasXPort Technology. It generates amazing bass output especially for those who enjoy music a lot. I am quite sure it is not possible to get this kind of bass quality on a regular 2.1 speaker. That is because of the regular size woofer that is not having any extra technology to boost up the sound. Creative T50 is a great speaker. It is stylish and a premium product.
Sides –
Creative T50 has a dome shape design. It is a big size speaker that needs a proper placement. If you need a good sound quality then you can place them separately with proper distance towards your face or towards the left or right side. When the speaker's are kept facing towards front, the sound impact is very high. If you think this is disturbing at loud volume, you can place them in opposite direction of left and right side. But take care that you do not block the speaker front with any object.
Back –
There are three ports on the backside of right speaker. The top one is for connecting speakers to a pc or any device that has as 3.5mm audio jack. Below that there is a port for connecting the left speaker and the last one is for power adapter.
Top –
NFC is placed on the top of right speaker. To connect, just turn on NFC and bring the device near to the top part and done. It will be instantly paired with Creative T50. Creative T50 has a great design and the build material is also premium. The body mostly consists of thick plastic. It is also heavy. Creative T50 needs a fixed place. Shifting it will be complicated. Due to analog connectivity you can connect the speaker to your home theater system, to your gaming monitor, TV, etc. And if you want you can also use the NFC and Bluetooth connection for using it with a tablet, Smartphone or any other devices.
Audio Performance –
Creative T50 generates amazing theater type of quality. And it is also loud enough to host a party at your home. It is not limited from any angle. The benefit of having such speakers is that you don't have to work hard on the connectivity part. Like a 5.1 surround sound setup that will be more complicated and not easy to move. Compared to that Creative T50 is a lot more portable and high end model. For music lovers, Creative T50 can be an ideal choice. It is also great for gaming purpose. At full bass, it gives you a deep bass quality with clear audio. Nothing is messed at full volume. That is the best part I like about Creative T50. It properly maintains the audio quality. Does not really matter from where you are playing the audio. It also comes with a power saving mode. It turns off on its own after a few seconds when you are not using it. But when you play any audio from your pc or mobile, it won't turn on automatically. This is sometime a bit annoying feature. Because in regular 2.1 or 5.1 speaker set it never turns off unless you manually turn the speakers. The power saver feature is smart, but it must turn on and start working. For example if you are watching a movie or listening to any audio, and there is some work, you left the desk for few minutes, the speaker will turn off. And to turn it on back you have to hit the power button. This is quite annoying if the speaker is placed far. Like near a home theater system or a widescreen TV. There is also no remote that can bring it on from the sleep mode.
I think it is bit crucial point in Creative T50 design to have a top speaker opening. For a regular 2.1 or 5.1 speaker this opening is either on the front or on the bottom side. But in Creative T50 it is on the top side. And this can be sometime risky. It is very important that you must take care while cleaning it. Any water drop or any object if enters from the top side can damage the speaker very easily. And it is also not recommended to cover it as it will affect the audio output. That is the place where you have to take care a bit. I think keeping a cloth covered when you are not using the speaker can protect the internal components. Otherwise it is a great product for entertainment.
Conclusion –
Creative T50 is a costly speaker who's estimate cost is around Rs.13000 approx. It can be higher. I had taken the cost on the basis of its international price which is around $199. There can be huge difference in the current local price when Creative starts officially selling this in India. Creative T50 is a great speaker. It comes with advance audio technology and easy connectivity options. The usage gets extended due to NFC. It syncs well with various mobile phone and tablets through Bluetooth. On the other hand the audio port is also available. Creative must add a cover in the package also. That would really help in keeping it aside when you are not using. Even after being a costly speaker, it is a value for money product. I am quite happy with the audio quality here.
Pros –
- Amazing Sound
- Premium Build Quality
- Great Design
Cons –
- Costly
- Uncovered Speaker hole on top
