Cheap Computer Speakers

Summary: Good quality sound in a solid, compact package.

Disclaimer: Every user has a different setup and different expectations. Take their comments with a grain of salt and note that what they experience with the speakers do not apply to everyone.

Official Overview and Specifications

Professional Reviews (click links for more information)

Average User Reviews (click links for more information)

Good

"Overall, the Inspire T10s are quite a decent set of speakers, considering their price. Their strong mid-range and treble performance makes them quite suitable for a variety of tasks, including music and movies…"

"The speakers coped with all the music challenges we set it. Yes, the lack of a dedicated subwoofer means that some very intensive bass tracks can suffer, but from metal to house to opera we found that the experience was one to be savoured, with the tweeters delivering the higher details that often get obscured. "

"… my career is in producing and adjusting audio. I’ve worked in L.A. radio for over 20 years. These are the best $50 I’ve spent on my computer. Looking for a great-looking, nice-sounding, affordable set of computer speakers? Like clean, clear, natural-sounding music – especially acoustic? I recommend these speakers wholeheartedly."

"They look and feel just fantastic, like they’re much more expensive than they are. They’re *heavy* for such small speakers, and the nice black piano finish is classy. They reek quality in touch and feel. "

"They have more bass than should be possible from two small speakers. Bass is not just strong, but it’s clean. Most of the affordable subwoofer/speaker systems tend to sound boomy or muddy."

Bad

"… the weak point for the T10s is bass reproduction. The addition of a BasXPort^TM port on top of the speakers does give them the ability to handle deeper notes without the need for a subwoofer. Unfortunately, however, the bass still manages to sound relatively weak, and lacks a defining presence in the music. At times we noticed that it almost became separated from the mid-range, which made music sound disjointed."

"They are perfectly nice to listen to but if you value clarity in your music, you’ll have to opt for a more expensive set. "

"A good set of speakers for an office or someone who needs decent speakers with a small footprint. For anyone else it is probably best to look elsewhere."

"Yes, the lack of a dedicated subwoofer means that some very intensive bass tracks can suffer, but from metal to house to opera we found that the experience was one to be savoured, with the tweeters delivering the higher details that often get obscured. "

"(when watching movies) Volume and bass are surprisingly strong and drive louder sections along nicely but intimate scenes can be a struggle to keep up with as conversation gets lost in the swelling romantic music."

Personal Opinion

Now, it’s important to note that the Creative Inspire T10 is NOT related to the Creative Gigaworks (T20 and T40) series, despite the "T" in its name. The latter series is admittedly better, but costs more although the T20 is close enough to the $100 mark such that it will be reviewed at a later date.

One of the main selling points for these speakers is the BasXPort^TM technology, as noted by the holes on top of the speakers. These are supposed to acoustically simulate the deep bass of a subwoofer but without the need for a space-consuming third piece. That doesn’t mean it’s an accurate replacement for a real 2.1 system however, which may lead to disappointment if you’re expecting so. What it does is enhance the lower midrange, and it does a mighty fine job of that. While the lower frequencies are never quite reached, the bass reproduced in these speakers are superior to most 2.0 speakers. The trebles and mids are plenty strong and clear too, so they’re not lacking at all. These speakers are solidly built too, as noted by a user review above, and the individual parts, along with the overall designs, feel professional and well-made.

That said, as mentioned previously if you’re expected the same bassy presence of a proper subwoofer you won’t find it here. This is certainly a high performing 2.0 system, but you can’t really compare the bass of a 2-speaker setup to a 2.1. This does deliver a good low end punch for a 2.0 though, so if you don’t have the space for a subwoofer these are great.

Buy Now (click vendor to purchase)

Vendor	Price
Amazon.com	$52.86
mwave.com	$49.55
TheNerds.net	NA
TigerDirect	NA
OnSale	NA
B&H Photo Video	$44.95
Buy.com	$44.44
eBay	See Below