Get a FREE fully-working copy of Steganos Security Suite 7 (worth £49.99) when you sign up to the Practical PC Newsletter. Review: Creative Soundworks SW320 Speakers
Cheap but not Nasty Speakers
| Product | Soundworks SW320 speakers |
|---|---|
| Company | Creative Labs |
| Web | uk.europe.creative.com |
| Price | £40 |
| We like | Sound Quality, Looks, volume control |
| We don't like | Nothing |
| Rating | 9/10 |
| Requirements |
Not everyone wants or needs multi-speaker surround sound on their PC but it can be hard these days to find a basic stereo pair that is any good. Enter the Creative Soundworks SW320.
Hardware
The surprisingly heavy box reveals a pair of Creative's tiny satellite speakers which produce the mid and high range sounds and a small subwoofer to handle the bottom end. The wooden boxed sub is well made and has a tidy set of connectors at the rear. In many ways it looks better that their more upmarket boxes which can be a bonus if you don't want your home to look like NASA. The smaller speakers come complete with stands or you can just have them on the desktop as they are. Again, they are solid feeling with no obvious signs of cost cutting. The speakers are sensibly rated at 4.5 watts per channel and 12 watts for the sub which is far more truthful than some manufacturers. The frequency is quoted as 42hz to 20Khz.
Putting it together is a simple case of connecting the supplied audio cable between the PC's audio out socket (usually lime green) and the subwoofer (also lime green). The two satellite speakers then connect to the subwoofer. The cables are long enough at just over 6 feet each to allow a fair bit of control over where everything goes. Creative also supply a small volume control which can be left loose on your desk or can be kept in a small holder which comes complete with a sticky pad for attaching to your monitor (or wherever you wish to fix it).
Sound Quality
I was pleasantly surprised on rebooting the PC to be met with a robust 'Windows is ready' noise which sounded beefy yet clear. Next up I tried a few CDs and again was met with an excellent sounding result. The sub and satellites blend together extremely well and despite trying a wide variety of musical styles, they always sounded cohesive and it was easy to forget the sub was there and that the two tiny speakers weren't producing the sound all by themselves. I also tried radio and MP3 sources with similarly good results.
Next up was the gaming performance. Most hardcore gamers will of course have a full multi speaker set up but for the occasional game player, the SW320's will be more than sufficient. The bangs and rumbles were suitably exciting and detailed with no distortion in the bass department. Even though these are just stereo speakers, they still provided an immersive experience.
Usage
The wired volume control was very handy as a supplement to Windows own volume control and if you find the bass either lacking or overbearing there is a control at the back of the subwoofer to adjust the level relative to the smaller speakers. The two year warranty assures you of support should anything go wrong.
Conclusion
For just £40 (or as little as £32 if you shop around) these speakers are a steal. The sound is more than adequate for anything you're likely to throw at it and unless you're either a HiFi enthusiast or a hard core gamer, you'll have little to complain about if you buy a pair.
