Speakers Reviews

After several days of research I finally purchased this set of speakers when they were on sale here .... What a [great buy]. From the reviews I've read, the only ones better than these are the Klipsh systems that cost hundreds more. They sound wonderful with my SB Live! card. The rear speaker stands were of no use in my room so I contacted Boston Acoustics about ordering a second set of small stands used for the front speakers. They sent them to me for FREE! The only thing that would make it perfect is a headphone jack somewhere.

After I have been waiting for 2 weeks finally I got this speaker. I heard that boston-acoustics is really good in making crisp clear speakers system.. well it does!!. This BA4800 is the best speaker that I've ever heard for it's price even it doesn't have a digital output but the sound is still crisp and clear at every range also the sub rocks, solid,tight and powerful enough to shake everything very easily but not that powerful as klipsch 2.1 but hey.. I'm talking about the quality of the sound... I can only say " I LOVE THIS SPEAKER"...thanks BOSTON.

This is by far the best surround sound muti-media speaker system you'll ever come across, I should know I have worked at sound seller, and best buy for years and have tried them all!
If your thinking about spending $300-$500 on Klipsh, or cyber labs save your money you can get this Boston BA4800 system for under $299 and have a much better system!

I have been trying to figure out how big & heavy these speakers are. I'm looking for a set that has a good and big sound (as these apparently do) but that can be semi-travel ready for a laptop or mp3 player. I can't go with travel speakers because they have horrible sound and can barely fill a room, so I need a full set with subwoofer, but don't want to end up with a set I can't carry myself.

There is no info on size/weight on the Creative site and I've searched just about everywhere else on the net with no luck.

If you are still listening to the pair of standard speakers that came with your pc, then you will be amazed by the sound that you can get by upgrading to this inexpensive set of speakers. For the size and cost, you get a lot of sound. The bass is incredible and the satellite speakers provide a full, clear sound. When you are sitting in front of your pc, the sound is amazing. The sound can also easily fill a typical room or two.

One nice feature is that there is a line in on the wired remote. This allows you to connect an external device to the speakers. For example, I have a "boom box" which I use to listen to the radio. It has a nice sound, but since getting these speakers, I have plugged the boom box head phone jack into the line in on the wired remote. You can do the same with any portable device like an IPod or Walkman. Also, since you control the volume via the wired remote, you don't have to place the satellite speakers right next to your monitor.

In response to nycecilia's request for size and weight specs: Sub is 12.2" high, 10.6" deep, and 7.1" wide. Satellite speakers are 8.3" high, 3.0" deep, and 1.8" wide. The wired remote is slightly less than mouse size. The total box weight is 18.2 lbs. I estimate the net system weight to be approximately 15-16 lbs. If you keep the shipping box, that might be the best way to transport the system. I still love them and recommend them very highly.

Bought some Diamond 8.2's a few months back. After listening to them with all different types of music and also playing them to friends and family the response was rather negative. These speakers
have a really boomy bass, at some points it was hard to distinguish other sounds over it. I tried turning it up and at points the vocal became disorted and shrill, it also sound very flat and 2 dimensional.When played at low, easy listening levels the musical details are lost by the silk dome tweeter and its overly tame driver.
I dont use these any more as i have bought myself some Bose but i would not recommend them to anyone except those on a very tight budget who are not so fussy about sound quality.

Well..Got these bad boys for Christmas (on sale for 199!). Wow- my jaws dropped when I opened the box- they are very cool looking. Even my girlfriend agreed these are the coolest speakers. My apartment looks so hifi now ;-) The sound is amazing!! Especially in DTS!! Music is outstanding! From Creed to JayZ to Massive Attack- just pure hifi quality. Be sure to biwire them and have sufficient power! I'm driving them through the outstanding Kenwood VR-410 reciever. Also- the 8 Series Center is excellent. Very impressed- excellent job Wharfedale! Very happy!!

I was a bit worried when I ordered the Wharfedale Diamond 8.2's based solely on written recommendations from here and from the web. Any concerns I had disappeared the first moment I heard them. They give clean musical sound with a transparency and realistic soundstage I didn't think possible from such an inexpensive speaker. The sound just 'pops' on these babies and you'll hear things that never made it to your ears before. I'm running them with ancient Carver equipment (TFM-25 amp, CT-17 Sonic Holography Preamp tuner) that has never sounded sweeter. The sound is clean and strong throughout the music range. These speakers handle high volume room filling sound cleanly and yet play great at low volume as well. An unbeatable sound/price ratio, I highly recommend the Wharefdale Diamond 8.2s.

Bought some Diamond 8.2's a few months back. After listening to them with all different types of music and also playing them to friends and family the response was rather negative. These speakers
have a really boomy bass, at some points it was hard to distinguish other sounds over it. I tried turning it up and at points the vocal became disorted and shrill, it also sound very flat and 2 dimensional.When played at low, easy listening levels the musical details are lost by the silk dome tweeter and its overly tame driver.
I dont use these any more as i have bought myself some Bose but i would not recommend them to anyone except those on a very tight budget who are not so fussy about sound quality.

Well..Got these bad boys for Christmas (on sale for 199!). Wow- my jaws dropped when I opened the box- they are very cool looking. Even my girlfriend agreed these are the coolest speakers. My apartment looks so hifi now ;-) The sound is amazing!! Especially in DTS!! Music is outstanding! From Creed to JayZ to Massive Attack- just pure hifi quality. Be sure to biwire them and have sufficient power! I'm driving them through the outstanding Kenwood VR-410 reciever. Also- the 8 Series Center is excellent. Very impressed- excellent job Wharfedale! Very happy!!

I was a bit worried when I ordered the Wharfedale Diamond 8.2's based solely on written recommendations from here and from the web. Any concerns I had disappeared the first moment I heard them. They give clean musical sound with a transparency and realistic soundstage I didn't think possible from such an inexpensive speaker. The sound just 'pops' on these babies and you'll hear things that never made it to your ears before. I'm running them with ancient Carver equipment (TFM-25 amp, CT-17 Sonic Holography Preamp tuner) that has never sounded sweeter. The sound is clean and strong throughout the music range. These speakers handle high volume room filling sound cleanly and yet play great at low volume as well. An unbeatable sound/price ratio, I highly recommend the Wharefdale Diamond 8.2s.

At this price, the DTT2500 is very difficult to beat, considering you get a Dolby Digital/Prologic decoder included with the package; a full-blown decoder (with more features, of course) would normally set you back ... by itself!

However, claims by the Creative website, most product descriptions of the DTT2500, and many consumer reviews (such as one below claiming PS2 compatibility) are *extremely* deceptive regarding its ability to work with set-top DVD players. The consumer rep whom I e-mailed regarding this issue misled me to this regard as well. The fact is, the receiver/decoder contains three sets of inputs: 1) an S/PDIF (also known as a composite audio input to many home theater enthusiasts, though their manual and website fail to note this); 2) a Digital DIN (only good for digital sound cards like the Soundblaster Live!); 3) and standard analog front and rear inputs (aka RCA).

To make a long explanation shorter, only the composite (S/PDIF) input is capable of full-blown Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding. Many DVD players have an composite output so you can wire it to this decoder; many also do NOT. Why? Because optical outputs (using fiber optic wire) seem to be the preferred method of transferring the Dolby Digital signal, though the two outputs seem to be comparable in quality. The Playstation2, though one reviewer claims it will work with this setup, uses *only* optical output; no composite included. It does have those universal RCA outputs; but they're analog, not digital, and give you only 2 channels of sound (instead of five). So forget about getting that fantastic movie theater sound using this decoder with the PS2 and other DVD players which have only optical output.

There is a composite-to-optical digital decoder which can be found on very esoteric audio equipment sites, but expect that to add an additional ... to your bill. Add the fact that you need an additional optical wire ..., and the possibility that some sound degradation might occur through this convoluted setup, and the DTT2500 suddenly looks a lot less attractive. Creative does market an almost identical product called the Playworks 2500, which has an optical input *and* an included optical wire (no DIN, though)--at a higher cost, of course.

So unless you only plan to use this set for your computer (as it was intended to be used), or you're positive that your DVD player has an audio composite out, be careful. Quite frankly, Creative deserves only three stars on account of their shoddy product information and description, but the unbeatable value of the entire set shoves an extra star of approval. Sound-quality wise, the DTT2500 is very good. Its overall power is more than acceptable for most, particularly in confined spaces, though audio purists would probably spend more on a separate powered subwoofer (for those who like their bass *abnormally* powerful and have equally abnormal neighbors that are either deaf, or like such pounding). In any case, DVDs were meant to be heard with this or any Dolby Digital 5.1 system-- it has to be experienced to be believed-- which makes the omission of the optical input all the more unfortunate.

Just to clear things up, the "PLAYWORKS DTT2500" system is compatible with PS2 while this system, the "DESKTOP THEATER DTT2500".

I love this system! First of all, the speakers are small and extremely easy to set up. You can put them prectically anywhere in your room, mount them on the walls easily or even stick them to your monitor. It all works because of their size. The adapter's design is a bit strange; the main volume control is the same size as the other controls, which are all very small. If they only made the main volume control bigger and easier to twiddle with, it would be perfect. Other than that, the functionts on the adapter all work great; Music mode spreads the music you hear to all five speakers, Movie mode saparated the sound so that the "central" sounds come only from the front speakers, FourPoint is best for playing games with 3D sound and listening to music with EAX effects, and Stereo. Than of course there is ProLogic surround and... Dolby Digital surround, which is of course the best feature in this system, for DVD's.

Now, we all know that the best thing about DVD's is the sound quality, since most DVD's are presented in Dolby Digital surround. This system is the best way to enjoy this special feature without spending all your money and having to rearrange your house for speaker placement; Just put three speakers on the front, two at your sides, and you're on your way. The subwoofer works just fine, too. Crank up the volume and feel those basses shake your chair. Hear sounds coming from behind you, music coming from all around you, and it all sounds as clear as can be.

As for games and music: what can I say, it's all perfect. I prefer listening to my music using the FourPoint feature, personally, but Music mode is great for songs. The speakers are flawless when listening to music, it all sounds pure and crysp, and the subwoofer really adds to any kind of music you hear. Movie mode is excellent for computer games of all kinds, I just loved hearing my old games through all five speakers. It really adds to the gaming atmosphere.

I LOVE this system, I enjoy it immensly. I recommend it to anyone who has a DVD-ROM and wants to make the most of it.

For all of you out there who is looking for a computer speaker system, and demands the same high quality of a home theater system, this is for you! I already have the 2 speaker set, which sounds amazing, so just think what the 5.1 surround sound will sound like. I've just recently checked it out and let me tell you, this speaker system operates like a dream! I even prefer it over the logitech speakers, becuase its clarity and blend was so much better than logitechs. It dosen't have quite as much bass, but is more than enough for your computer.the speakers blend very well, especially when listening to music. These are dream speakers! Get them!

I have been looking for a 5.1 surround sound system [reasonably priced] for quite some time. My search finally ended with the Monsoon MH-505 and Turtle Beach Santa Cruz system.

There is nothing in the pc environment that matches the musicality and clarity of this system. Just listening to this sytem will want to make you re-encode your entire MP3 collection so you can hear every little detail. DVD's come through loud and clear, and music is simply awe inspiring. I have not played games with this system, as I use it primarily for music and DVD. Be aware that this system does take some playing time for the speakers to be fully broken in.

Bassheads may find the bass a little lacking, but for most music and DVD's, the subwoofer puts out an adequate amount of sound. I'm very pleased.

These are the best speakers I've used and heard for any computer so far. I know there are some pricer systems out there that most likely out-perform this set, but if you get a chance to test this, DO IT. All the music is crisp and clear and the subwoofer is loud and heavy enough for any single room. I absolutely love these speakers and I love the pricetag I got them at.

I've been looking for a convenient way to play music from my Tungsten T without headphones and this is it. I've looked at other portable speakers, but there were too many wires to them. The sound quality is quite good, it won't fill a room; but for personal listening or a small gathering of friends it works great. It takes three AAA batteries which seem to last quite awhile, I haven't had to change the batteries yet(it's been about three weeks since I've had it-but I don't use it continuously). The only thing missing is something to boost the bass, then again it's not designed to replace a boombox. There is another version with only one speaker built in, but it holds half the CD's. I only gave 4 stars because of the bass, it's still great addition to my collection of CD player, PDA, and MP3 player. Now if they could only come up with one with a multi-player connector...

I purchased this about 4 months ago and the only downfall to it at all is that at higher volume there is a bit of clipping. The battery life is decent (about 8 hours on 3 AA Batteries). convenient layout. Typically I would load 12 CDs along with a CD player as opposed to 24 cds. In doing so my discs and player were kept safe from damage, however with more bass-heavy discs, there was a bit of skipping even though my player has skip protection. When all is said and done though, this is a really solid product. It is of good enough quality that about 10 of my friends followed suit and bought them as well.

This summer my wife bought some travel speakers at Radio Shack for about $10-12. Terrible quality. So in anticipation of a trip to NZ, I did some research looking for travel speakers for my portable CD and stumbled across reviews in UK and Europe for this TDK product. The reviews sounded fantastic. Luckily I found the product on Amazon. They arrived last night and certainly fill the bill for very decent quality travel speakers. In fact, I can fit my CD player and 24 CDs in the softcase. If you consider the price, etc. - this is an excellent buy.

I've been looking for a convenient way to play music from my Tungsten T without headphones and this is it. I've looked at other portable speakers, but there were too many wires to them. The sound quality is quite good, it won't fill a room; but for personal listening or a small gathering of friends it works great. It takes three AAA batteries which seem to last quite awhile, I haven't had to change the batteries yet(it's been about three weeks since I've had it-but I don't use it continuously). The only thing missing is something to boost the bass, then again it's not designed to replace a boombox. There is another version with only one speaker built in, but it holds half the CD's. I only gave 4 stars because of the bass, it's still great addition to my collection of CD player, PDA, and MP3 player. Now if they could only come up with one with a multi-player connector...

I purchased this about 4 months ago and the only downfall to it at all is that at higher volume there is a bit of clipping. The battery life is decent (about 8 hours on 3 AA Batteries). convenient layout. Typically I would load 12 CDs along with a CD player as opposed to 24 cds. In doing so my discs and player were kept safe from damage, however with more bass-heavy discs, there was a bit of skipping even though my player has skip protection. When all is said and done though, this is a really solid product. It is of good enough quality that about 10 of my friends followed suit and bought them as well.

This summer my wife bought some travel speakers at Radio Shack for about $10-12. Terrible quality. So in anticipation of a trip to NZ, I did some research looking for travel speakers for my portable CD and stumbled across reviews in UK and Europe for this TDK product. The reviews sounded fantastic. Luckily I found the product on Amazon. They arrived last night and certainly fill the bill for very decent quality travel speakers. In fact, I can fit my CD player and 24 CDs in the softcase. If you consider the price, etc. - this is an excellent buy.

My selection of the Onkyo HT-S760 was swayed by two factors. First, the generally good customer reviews and my recollection of Onkyo's reputation for quality component design. After a very easy setup session (the supplied speaker cables are not useful except for smalish rooms) I inserted a favorite, special effects filled, DVD expecting great things and then stunned disbelief!! I've heard better sound coming from my old "build your own crystal radio" set, especially poor at lower volume levels. Forget music CD's unless you're just looking for background noise while cooking dinner.

I had no real problems with the receiver's design or feature set other than the omission of at least one Digital (Optical) output, (they give you optical inputs only)

I was replacing a middling good audiophile (20 year veteran) quality system that had seen better days and figured the state of speaker design must have progressed leaps and bounds in that time but I've been sadly mistaken on this point. My recommendation is ratchet your expectation levels down a notch or two before installing this bad boy. Rank this with the $299 Home Theater units you can get at any local appliance store..

This is my first full home theater system and I've been very happy with it. The price isn't too outrageous for a system of this quality.

There are plenty of A/V inputs on the receiver, including 2 component video inputs for high definition sources (Digital Cable, DVD, X-Box, etc.) and three digital inputs (2 optical, one coaxial). Also, all of the video inputs have s-video connections which is a plus. Of course you can rarely have too many connections and I've already had to settle with what was given. My one complaint concerning connections is the lack of a digital output which is desirable for recording with CDs, DVDs, and minidisc.

I've been very pleased with the output of the speakers included. I'm not exactly and audiophile but I can tell low quality from high and these are high quality speakers for a system at this price. I agree with some of the other reviewers that the speaker cables could be a higher quality and a bit longer though. Also the rear speakers are bigger than many other home theater systems but you'll have to decide if that's a problem based on the size of your room

The receiver's abilities are superb. Dolby Digital and DTS support plus DSP modes for stereo sources is great. Movies sound awesome and music is great as well.

Finally, setup is easy thanks to color coded cables. The remote control works great even with other components (TVs, VCRs, DVD, etc.).

I have been into home theater since the days of HI-FI stereo, Beta VCR's. I graduated to Dolby Surround, and then Pro Logic. And at one point I probably had $3000 invested into my system. Then I got married and had kids, and traded the big stereo for a mini- system. I have also had the experience of working for a large local electronics retailer part time for the last few years when I needed a little extra cash.

So when I decided to upgrade my home theater system, I started reading. I wanted the most bang for the buck, and from everything I read, I felt that this system was the way to go. But we never carried it at the store where I worked. And do you know why? They felt that the product was way too good for only $500, and would limit their ability to sell, separate component systems, at much higher prices.

They never had a problem carrying and selling other HTIB's, because none of them could compare to a nice component system. Some sound ok for movies, but most fall short in the music department. So if you wanted a system good for movies and music, you bought separates.

Well, I went over to the local Circuit City, and bought one of these without even listening to it in the store. I also bought the Onkyo 6 disk DVD player (DV-CP701). Then I hopped over to the Shack and bought some 16ga. mega cable(way better value than monster cable), and a nice sub cable and digital coax cable, and headed for home.

Now, I don't know how Onkyo did it, but you could not assemble a component system for double or even triple the cost of this one, that sounds this good! I put in the pod race from Phantom Menace, and I was grinning from ear to ear the whole way through. I was amazed! After cranking up a few more of my favorite movie sound scenes, I threw in some Luther Vandros for my wife. I put the receiver in DTS Neo:6 music mode, and I felt like Luther was standing in my living room.

Now I'm not trying to say there is not better stuff out there, because there is. But if you want the best for the money there is no comparison. You just have to remember to take the time for proper setup, and I promise, you will be amazed. And to any of you negative reviewers out there who say the sound is not up to par, I don't know where you are coming from?

I thought these speakers were a good price for their sound quality when I purchased them, and they were just as good at home for gaming, music, etc. The only problem came into play when they just completely stopped working after about 6 months. Since I didn't use them all that rigorously or often, it seems that I got what I paid for.

These speakers sound AWESOME. I crank them up loud and play them on my PowerMac using iTunes w/o distortion or any adverse effect. With an adjustment to the bass setting on the sub to your taste your all set! Also, I find that using an equalizer in an MP3 player as a preamp to boost volume levels works very well with these speakers.

I had a pair of Monsoon speakers before and they had lots of crackling and interference so I threw them out. They always had a 'humm' and poped when I turned on my computer etc. I paid [a lot] for them and they were JUNK. I spent considerably less on the Logitech system and am absolutely thrilled with them!

I have been very satisfied with the Logitech speakers. They give good frequency respose throughout the entire range and have a good natural sound. They would be a complement to any system: PC or Mac. I have listened to many speakers at the store and liked the neutral, balanced sound that the Logitech system offered the best. It is a good clean sound. I also play lots of games and fly flight sims and they perform very well for those tasks as well. They are an all around great speaker system.

When I set out to buy a new set of speakers for my system I was adamant about spending [a certain amount] on a set of computer speakers. Good news! You don't have to--and you can get great sound at the same time. You won't find any better speakers for the price. Guaranteed.

This product WAS USELESS WITHIN 6 MONTHS. SAVE YOUR MONEY. LOGITECH HAS TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND NO FAITH IN ITS PRODUCTS. I WON'T MAKE THIS MISTAKE AGAIN.

CHEAP COMPANY WON'T EVEN GIVE YOU A 1800 NUMBER FOR SUPPORT. YOU GOTTA CALL LONG DISTANCE!!!