Page 9

The Verdict...

There was a a very good and clear reason for Creative to hype me up a little to test the Gigaworks S750 7.1 speaker set. Even if it has been on the market for quite a while now they clearly believe in the product. And after testing it, and I know it sounds cliche, I have to admit they are right.

There are a couple of downsides though, the control unit slash pod looks dreadful for a high-end speaker set. Taste does differ, but that thing is not exactly momma's prettiest looking kid. A second problem can be all wiring in your room plus you need to actually be able to position 7 speakers. The speakers themselves of course are little beauties.

I never saw 7.1 surround sound for games a huge plus, but I have to come clean here. It does make a difference and not a small one. It's hard to describe as it's sound but trust me on this one. So 7.1 surround sound in combination with the high quality that these speakers offer places the kit in a somewhat more expensive segment, but it likely is the best surround sound speakers for PC consumers out there. Whether you really need 7.1 surround sound (with accompanied wiring) remains a difficult choice. I would opt for it, but I had the luxury to test this kit. For purely music I'd not recommend it. For DVD playback, hmm this kit would be very interesting. For gaming, an absolute must.

Compared to the Logitechs Z680, the S750 win when it comes to overall sounds quality as the subwoofer seems to be a notch better. Full and rich sound, a lot of bass response and most of all sound clarity is what it is about. The difference is small though and you always should remember that sound is a very subjective thing. Listen to them first before buying. The Logitech's however deliver a nice external decoder, which the S750 lacks. You can buy a set with the DDTS-100 decoder, but the price will go up another 100 bucks easily. Considering you have an Audigy 2 ZS or 4 Pro you really do not need an external decoder 'per se', but still Logitech offer a little more value with that.

Talking about the price, since it's on the market a while already the price did come down. Expect a sales price of 350-400 USD in e-tail. That's a lot of money for PC speakers, but once you connect them to your PC and start listening, you'll get a very big smile on your face. 7.1 sound might be a little overkill but it surely by itself is a gaming experience that convinced me and everyone here that listened to it for sure. If you do pickup these speakers then be sure your soundcard can handle them. I'm not trying to sell these puppies, but Creative's Audigy 2 ZS or Audigy 4 Pro really would go beautifully with this speaker set.

Oneliner: The S750 is targeted at hard-core video gamers and DVD devotee. This 7.1-channel ensemble is Creative's best-sounding speaker system to date. You'll be more than satisfied.

Creative Inspire T7700 7.1 SpeakersType: 7.1 channel surround speakers
Manufacturer: Creative Labs
MSRP: 350