Audio Reviews

The product description is a bit misleading. There are 3 spools of cable included with 30 ft. per spool - 2 spools of flat cable, 1 spool of oxygen-free. There is not an extra 50 ft. of flat cable.

Having said that, I think the kit is an excellent value vor the money. The 2 sets of video cables alone are worth the price of the kit. If you are doing a Home Theater installation, this is the way to go.

Considering that 1 set of Monster cables cost around $50, this package comes complete with 2 6ft Monster compatable cables, 2 long sets of rear speaker wire and a roll of regular speacker wire. Good value.

The cables are valued for money and does the job flawlessly, I hv another pair of monster cable and I cannot hear any different about the sound quality except see the price difference.

I bought this sound card to replace my Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 Platinum. I was looking for an external box, plus audio support for the newest games. I had thought the sound quality from my old card was good enough, so I was certainly unprepared for how much better this card sounds. With my speakers, there is almost no audible hiss anymore, and sounds are crisper and cleaner. Whatever shortcomings I encounter in my sound quality now, I am certain have more to do with my speakers than my sound card.

The external control box is quite handy, and very easy to set up. Plus, it looks much nicer than any of Creative Lab's previous breakout boxes. Almost all of the card's inputs and outputs are located on the box. Only analog outs and a game port actually go in the computer, plus connectors to the external box.

Creative Labs has done a good job of cleaing up their act with drivers, but they've still got a long way to go. The new drivers and software are definitely better designed and more stable than the previous ones for my Live!, but if you install any of the additional software, then they're just as intrusive, and require a good bit of tweaking and perhaps uninstalling. Fortunately, there's now a minimal drivers only installation option.

I've had this sound card for more than a month now. I play a lot of games, listen to a good bit of music, and watch DVDs fairly often. I regularly use the ports on the breakout box, so the extra money was well worth it. However, if you have no need for easy access to any of the inputs or outputs, the much cheaper standard Audigy 2 might be a better choice.

I have been into home recording for a decade now and started out with the earlier versions of Creative's flagships (AWE32/64/Gold/Live 5.1).

In my opinion, the Audigy 2 Plat eX is by far the best sounding, all encompassing home recording solution for amateurs and semi-professionals on the market right now.

Here is what you will NOT get from the competition for the price:
1. Sampler on card (Soundfonts) to create great sounding drums or other instruments (check out sonicimplants.com), download Vienna from Creative (not included)
2. Break out box to hook up external digital sound modules, guitar processors and vocalizers and even video cameras (it does not seem to heat up too much)
3. Stable drivers so far (after clean XP installation at least - check Creative forums for bugs first!), I am looking forward to the day the drivers support more simultaneous audio tracks and make extensive use of routabel onboard effects
4. Great sound - crisp, clear, loud, easy MP3 and CD creation of your compositions

I strongly recommend this for people who have researched the product and are into home recording at an affordable price.

Superb job, Creative!

This sound card is by far the best. I thought the other internal sound card was pretty ugly, but when I saw this one I knew I had to have it. I bought it primarily because my computer is black and I didn't want a nasty looking white thing in the front of my computer. Not only does it look good, but it sounds excellent, and it comes with a huge set of programs and selections to pick from, so if you have to money to spare or burn then I would really suggest getting this sound card.

This is a great product for people who have Sony Palm Pilots. I currently use it for my SJ 22 and it works well. My only complaint is with Amazon.com. They expected that it would take a maximum of two weeks (it was on back-order) to recieve the package then another five days to ship it. After the two weeks came and went, they sent me an e-mail saying that it would take another 1 1/2 to 2 weeks before they recieved it then four or five days before I actually recieved it. Making it a total of 1 month from the time I ordered it til the time I got it! I cancelled my order with them and purchased it through sonystyle.com (luckily I had a 25% off coupon so it was the same price as Amazon) and got it within 6 days.

This is a must have for any Clie handheld user. Except NR NX and SJ-33 ... It produces crystal clear sound and good bass without draining much energy either. And with the fact of the background music feature, this is a must have! [local website]

I bought this must have item for a T625C, I own a CLIE SL10 wich cannot use this item.

Well, I wanted to use the PEGA-SA10 on my CLIE so I put hands on it, after few days I get working the PEGA-SA10 on the SL10 with AudioPlayer 1.0.1, tested also avjmp3 (working perfectly but still alfa), tested AudioPlayer 2.2.x but I got troubles with the vumemeter and background music.

Wat I did basically is to install some libraries from the ROM of the T625C in my SL10.

If you like this item and you have a CLIE SL10 you can download the hack ...

With the hack you can run AudioPlayer but the adapter is needed in order to hear the music.

Hope you enjoy.

I took a look and used the Sony STR-DA333ES and it is a very good products. But if you are looking for a Sony reciever you might also want to check of the Sony STR-DA555ES which has 120 watts opposed to 80 watts. Also another thing the 555 has is that is has the 2 way remote which is alot better in controlling everything. But if you don't need the extra watts and you don't care about the remote I highly recommand this product.

Purchased at my local audio/video retailer, this receiver puts on quite a show!! Whether you're a new-comer or an avid audio-phile, this receiver was built to impress. Once you are able to navigate through the controls of its unique infra-red remote, you'll enjoy all its sound fields and high output. Listening to a movie or music will make you wonder why you would have considered buying anything less!!

The STR-DA333ES is the entry model in the Sony ES Receivers line. The system offers 70x5 Watt power in 5.1 Surround mode, and 80x2 Watt power in Stereo mode. While not the most power available, the price is quite attractive when considering the level of quality and craftsmanship put into this device. With a 32-Bit Digital Signal Processor and a 24-Bit Digital-to-Analog converter, the system has all the requirements of a fine home entertainment system.

The 1999 model comes with a 2-Way Infrared remote which is capable of learning macros for complex Home Audio systems. There are 4 digital inputs for various pieces of equipments, such as a MiniDisc, DVD, DAT or DSS system. There are 27 Sound Fields capable of reproducing sound from some of the great music halls of the Country. The speaker setup and surround effects are easily configurable from the on-screen menu.

Overall, this system is more than adequate for a beginner or moderate Home Theater buff. With more capacity than your typical user will need, this system will provide you with many options and possibilities for your Home Theater.

Replaced my 100 Watt Kenwood Surround receiver with the Yamaha HTR-5540 receiver, and what a difference. The quality of the sound is incredible. This unit offers a optical input from my DVD player which really boosts power and quality. This unit has as much power as my 100 Watt Kenwood. I consider this an UPGRADE from the Kenwood. The sound options are numerous and the installation was a snap.

I have been useing this reciver for about 2 weeks now and i am plesantly suprized in its quality and ablity to push sound. I am an audio buff, everything has to be perfect. I run 2 sony mains both containing 2 10"subwoofers, a 4"main, and a tweet... they are 8ohm and run at 200watt max. The Yamaha is prefect for them! I have a total of 5 10"subs now and when i run movies like Twister I get such pounding bass that my father thinks lightning has struck the house! For my center and surround speakers I run boston acoustics, they are 100watt max all running 5"mains with tweeters. The ablity of the reciver to push sound to all 5 speakers with a loud volume is amazing. I ran a test CD after i finally got the thing tuned like i liked it and found absoultly no holes in the range, from 10 to 20,000 hertz you will hear a clean clear drive with no power loss. The pop and crackle from my old reciver is completely gone!

I wanted to replace my 2 year old Sony STR545 receiver for my home theater / stereo system and thought the price was good on the Yamaha 5540. I was stunned at how much of an improvement in sound quality and quantity the Yamaha made. The sound is so much fuller and substantial when playing both the dvds and cds. It's an extremely up to date receiver with Dolby Prologic II and Digital 6.1. I have both SACD and DVD-Audio so I wanted a receiver with the analog jacks which it does have. As others have said don't let the 75 watts listed concern you as the sound is much, much stronger and louder than my old 100 watt Sony ever was. I love this little baby!

I got this receiver with the yht-440 home theater in a box system. This receiver is excellent for the money (especially if you buy it as part of the yht system already mentioned). It has plenty of inputs and plus, the most important part, DOLBY EX AND DTS ES CAPABILITY (6.1 channels)! This means an extra surround channel that adds tremendous depth to listening to music, movies or any other input source. The display is clear and well set up, and the speaker inputs are ALL BANANA (something competitors, like Onkyo, lack in receivers of comparable prices, at least with "b" speakers, which are spring clips). Overall, this is an excellent receiver if you don't have a ton of equipment that requires digital inputs (which, if you do, you are probably looking at more expensive receivers to begin with). My only complaint, and it is definitley serious, is that this receiver lacks s video inputs, which has become a standard with most video equipment. Why yamaha has chosen to forgo such inputs is beyond me (though DVD players and video game consoles benefit from the comonent video inputs on the back of this receiver).

I recently bought the Yamaha HTR-5640 and couldnt be happier about my switch. I have owned a Bose Lifestyles 8 Series II for about 2 years prior to the Yamaha. It will now be in my bed room as a secondary system. The problem with my Bose is not sound producton, it just is'nt prepared for the present or the future. I currently have my Yamaha strapped with a 6.1 Yamaha speaker package and notice a lot of different ranges of sound I wasnt hearing with my Bose. This reciever comes with 3 component outputs and 2 digital and also has dvd audio inputs. For $299.00 thats a steal.

I have had this unit for two weeks now and have to say it is the finest home theater receiver I have ever owned! Unlike some, this is my third receiver in 12 years and have gone thru all of the growing pains in surround sound from 4.0 to 5.1 ready to 6.1 now.
Having purchased two Sony receivers previously, the first lasting 8 years and the most recent only 4, this is where I looked at first. Unfortunately, I see the same problems I found in my last unit are still present today(small, pathetic, cheaply made buttons on the front of the reciever that fail quickly, clip type speaker wire connectors, and the inability to fine tune every aspect of the sound, not to mention their claims of 100 watts per channel(this is input power folks, not output!)). So, where does one start to find a better replacement? Consumer Reports, Amazon, and e-pinions are great places to research this info.
I looked at some theater-in-a-box deals,which are tempting, but ultimatley have an achilles heel. Either the amp and sub are great and the speakers are trash or the speakers are great and the amp is trash and the sub is not powered. Anyway, you get the idea. Companies are out to make money, so they are not going to give you anything for "free". Best bet, build your own!Yeah, it will cost more, but you will get a quality system you will be more than happy with and your friends will be envious of. The place to start is with the "brain"-the reciever.
This one offers everything from hi-power per channel(75watts@8ohms,120watts@6ohms!), dedicated sub-out, screw down binding posts that assure complete connection of your speaker wires and keep them from ever touching(no shorting out!), an unbelievable DSP system combined with dts-es/dolby digital ex/pro-logic2, a built in graphic eq just for the center channel speaker(for perfect dialogue timbre), the ability to control the sound level of each speaker individually, a rotary selector(no cheap buttons) for picking your source, optical in for dvd player, a coaxial in for cd player, 6.1 surround, and more sound modes than you'll ever need(each one can be fine tuned to your tastes/sound environment). It also comes with a programmable remote that can control all of your other components with the codes already in the manual. It also sounds amazing! Music and movies sound imaging is the best I have ever heard at this price(and higher).
For those of you grumbling over no s-video inputs in the back, I say: so what? I plug my dvd s-video directly into my tv anyway. If i were to plug it into my amp, I would at least have to buy another s-video cable(Monster ain't cheap baby!) and possbily downgrade my signal thu the bridging process. Non-issue unless you have multiple dvd players and only 1 s-video on the back of your tv.
A word of warning: proper set-up requires the ability to read! Yes, as with all home theater systems, one must read the manual! Sure, hook up everything according to all the diagrams and then stop! Read the set-up section and don't stop til you reach the end of the manual. Now, go back and follow along with the directions as you set up all of your parameters into the amp. Trust me, this sounds basic, but people just don't do it! And it is imperative if you want your system to sound as good as it possibly can. Engineers did not spend time and effort designing a beautiful sound system based on your room dimensions to have you pick the inappropriate room size or speaker size into the system:ie: picking large room and large speakers when you have a meduium sized room based on the measurements in the manual and small satellite speakers. Remember to choose carefully when you are setting up and if you don't understand what to do, read it again or look in another more detailed section of the manual. I guarantee it will make a difference.
OK, off the soap box and onto the remote. The remote will control all of your other components once the proper codes are put in. Yes, its tricky and time consuming but in the long run worth it. Unfortunately, this is the systems only weakness. It requires you to press the amp button anytime you want to adjust parameters other than sound. Otherwise it follows with the source selected(tv,dvd,cd). This takes a little getting used to but no big deal. Another thing is, as with all systems i have had, the manual. Informational detail should be all in the same place, not spread out thru the book. Again, no big deal.
Overall, I am completely satisfied with this reciever! I have mine matched up with the yamaha nsp-436 6.1 speaker package and it sounds awesome!!!! Get yourself monster cables for all connections(speakers and all of your sources) as well as your sub out. You don't have to get the most expensive cables the middle price ones will work out great and use optical in for the best movie sound from your dvd player. This system will make you happy! Good listenening!

I am not a rich man (at least not any more!), but this was fully worth the hefty price tag. I am the envy of all my friends now that I have it. I did only give 4 stars as it did cost me my wife, house, car, and dog to get....but it's worth it...I think...

This APC 24IN CD Audio For Sound Blaster 16/Awe32 is the best CD Audio I have ever had. The three dimensionality of the audio is amazing!

However, it loses 1 star due to the included instructions in Sanskrit.

For $1,000,000, you just can't find a better 24IN CD Audio For Sound Blaster 16/Awe32.

This thing rocks. It changed the way I think about life. The world is a much better place.. Everything is clearer now...

This isn't really a review of the product, but just as a warning, don't buy these headphones thinking they're for stereo equipment. These are metal detector headphones - I have no idea what the previous reviewer was talking about..

Consider this a fair warning for otherwise dubious equipment.

I AM SO GLAD I BOUGHT THESE HEAD PHONES.

QUALITY NO QUESTION

My husband and I got these headphones for his 9-year old son who lives in Ocala, Florida. He loves them. They aren't too heavy, and really allow him to listen carefully. When a 9-year old can concentrate on something for longer than five minutes, you know it's a good product! They took some getting used to, but after three weeks, he's doing very well, and doesn't even notice that he has them on.

Creative's SBS 350 2.1 speakers are sufficient. They're easy to set up and use, but lack frills that could make them more attractive.

Two little speakers and a subwoofer are included. The speakers produce a relatively rich sound, with a low noise floor. There's no hum or hiss when they should be silent. The sub is basic - fairly rich, but nothing to write home about.

My last set of Creative speakers was their 4.1 set by Cambridge Sound. That set had a power block with a cord, which I half expected to see here as well, but this time they went with a standard 'wall wart' transformer. It gets the job done, but I find it less convenient.

The speakers connect to the sub with a standard 8mm jack. Each speaker connects right at the jack with its own wire, rather than attaching to each other, so this may limit how far away you can put the sub. The volume knob is attached directly to the sub. The audio wire that connects to your computer is also attached to the volume knob. In the Cambridge Sound that I had, there was only one wire coming out of the control knob - having two makes it a bit harder to place.

The cords are relatively long, but could use another foot or so to really be convenient. Due to the layout of my computer room, I have my tower on one side of the desk and the subwoofer on the other side of the desk - the cords are long enough (barely) to allow me to put the volume knob next to my monitor.

The volume control has an on/off switch as well as a wheel to control the volume. This is nice in that it lets you shut off the speakers without losing your volume setting. Two sticky pads are provided to allow you to stick the volume control to the desk, monitor, or other surface.

All said, they get the job done. They sound good, and at the end of the day, all the ease of setup in the world wouldn't matter if they sounded bad. These speakers have yet to disappoint me.

Hello,
Let me say that this is one of the best purchases I have made in my life. When i got to the computer store to purchase the system in-store, i did not know that there would be so few left. I had to look in a corner in the far upper shelf needing a cart to get to to actually find a remaining system.
After I got the system, I was pleased that it was so nicely packaged and well protected in its case. I was not expecting the subwoofer to be so large.
When i opened the package and actually used the system, I found the sound was truly fascinating and incredible. In the next door, my friends cup of water shook similar to that of Jurassic park with the intermittent beats of some good bass.
This is truly heaven, thank you oh lord, and praise the heavens for this amazing piece of equipment.
I have a complaint - the subwoofers may just rock TOO much as my feet experienced slight agitation!

I got the Creative lab SBS 350 2.1 for my Toshiba 2600 portable dvd player hooked them up, and a nice rich balanced sound came out those tiny speakers! I got more then what I paid for....

These speakers are great for portable dvd player....

PS. SBS 350 kicks a_s, and the bass was strong enough to be felt!

At the price, you can't expect a TON, but I was still pretty disappointed in this system, compared to its competitors. As far as music went, the sound came across as very flat and 'empty'. Its very reliant on the subwoofer to make alot of noise, but its not good noise. No rich, vibrant tones could be had, even after playing around with EQ settings. It definitely makes noise though - this would be best applied for the budget gamer or regular user.. not particularly adapted for someone who uses their PC as a jukebox, however. The subwoofer is very strong for its size.

I was a little worried that I was throwing my money away on a set of speakers that I could not test before actually buying them. Since my laptop's cheesy speakers don't provide good sound quality, I figured that anything would be better. I looked at other brands and models, but since my budget limits what I can spend, I finally decided on making the purchase. All I can say is that I chose wisely. I definitely would not say that these are the best speakers on the market, but for those of us who are strapped for cash and are looking for something that provides excellent sound... I would have to say that you can't go wrong with these speakers.

These speakers are incredible. The satellite speakers look like Bose speakers and I feel like I own Bose speakers. The sound is fabulous; I feel like I'm in the movie theatre every time I watch a movie. I did own the last model of Creative 2.1 speakers ($50), but they got stolen. They were fabulous and I wanted them, but they were no longer being sold on bestbuy.com. I went to amazon and that model didn't ship with free shipping, so I went with these and these sound even better. Great speakers!!!!!!!