Creative Labs MegaWorks 550 5.1 THX Computer Speakers (6-Speaker, Black)

Amazon Customer Reviews

(5 out of 5)

excellent all-round sound

First of all let me just say that I'm only writing this review because there is a serious lack of good reviews out there; especially user reviews who (mostly) do not have any idea what they are talking about. For those that read this who are serious about their sound, this is for you.

Being in Australia, my choice of speakers was limited and in the end I narrowed it down to the Logitech's Z-680 or the Cambridge Soundworks 550's. The Klipsch Promedia 5.1 looked like another nice pick but I'd heard about the problems with the volume dial on the control module and they were extremely hard to get in Australia. I'd also read about the problems with the Z-680 background noise which was a problem with the V1.0 control module but the V2.0 corrected this problem. All new Z-680's are now shipped with the V2.0 module and the warranty covers replacement of the V1.0 - so for those of you that possibly have the Z-680 with a lot of white noise across the volume range, go get it replaced!!!

I'm no fanatic about sound but I certainly do appreciate quality and listen to a lot of music (about 80% mp3's and 20% audio CD) and occasionally play some games (not usually requiring 5.1 decoding however). This is a very important thing to consider before you buy your speakers. Since most music is only stereo, (except new DVD-Audio) 5.1 speakers in proper 5.1 setup are really only used to full capacity when playing DVD movies or 1st person shoot-em-up games. The reason why I went 5.1 is simply because no 2 or 2.1 speaker system could produce enough power! Currently my rear channels are sitting next to my fronts!!

You have to remember there are 5 crucial things to achieving a good sound:
(1) The source: this is either the CD, .mp3 file, game audio file, etc. CD's are a good quality source - that is why you can only fit 80 mins max on an audio CD - because the amount of information packed into a single song is a hell of a lot. Mp3's are different, because the recording quality can vary dramatically. 128kbit/s is unfortunately very common. 192kbit/s is around the mark where it becomes hard to tell the difference between audio CD's and mp3's.
(2) The decoder: this is the sound card in your computer. Digital decoders are very good at signal processing of the source, just remember that this must eventually be converted to analogue for you to hear it. I have an Audigy 2 zs, which has a lot of very nice effects to tailor the way I like my sound.
(3) The amplifier: this is what provides the power to your speakers. It is what drives them. If your amplifier is underpowered then it will not be able to energise speaker coils quickly enough and the sound will distort. By the time the signal gets to the amplifier it is usually analogue, unless there is onboard digital decoding. The 550's are analogue; the Z-680's have onboard decoding.
(4) The speakers: speakers must have an analogue signal to drive them back and forth to produce the sound you hear. If your speakers are under powered, they will distort easily. If the speaker cones are low quality crap, that's how they will sound.
(5) The environment: which is the room you're in and where you speakers are placed. Sound reflects off walls and can act constructively or destructively when it interferes with other sound waves. Since you probably don't have much of a choice about the room you're in, I won't elaborate any further on this aspect.

Most of my music is mp3's at 128 kbit's which sounds crap on any 5.1 (6 channel) system because they are designed for stereo (2 channel) and extra signal processing is required to build the other 4 channels, degrading the sound quality. Since I mostly listen to music which is predominantly 128kbit mp3's, I needed something with good signal processing, which is why I bought the Audigy 2 with the speakers. The Z-680 has onboard decoding, (very cool) but I did not fully trust that I could get the desired sound production.

I never heard either of these speakers before I bought them (another reason for this review!) so I had a very hard time deciding, and I was very close to getting the logitech's, while I really believed the soundworks were the better speakers of the two - but I knew I had to get a good soundcard with them. The Audigy 2 makes 128kbit mps sound reasonable and above that sound excellent with the 500's. I have not tried any games yet but I am 100% confident of the 150W bass driver to produce very loud and very clear explosions because I listen to music with a lot of bass and it does a good job with that. They're not the most fantastic speakers I've ever heard but for $717 AUD (~$530 USD) including soundcard, freight and insurance they are perfectly adequate for my needs.

If you just buy the speakers and you want to play 128kbit mp3's like me, don't go expect the world because I can guarantee it will sound crap. Remember though these are strictly analogue speakers. They won't do you any good in a PS2 or Xbox. They're for a computer and nothing else. I would not recommend them for home theatre use unless you have a small room and a very tight budget.

So in summary, I can say without reservation that the Cambridge Soundworks 550's are excellent computer speakers coupled to the Audigy 2 sound card. I can absolutely guarantee you won't be disappointed. They are very loud with good quality sound and very good value for money. The only bad thing I have to say about them is there is no cordless remote - try the Soundworks Gigaworks S700, which just came out about the day my 550's arrived (damnit!).

(3 out of 5)

Musical performance poor

Although this system might seem great for heavy gamers, its musical performance is poor and lacks behind compared to home theater systems. If you are a trained ear and listen to classical music now and then you're able to notice the lack of accurate sound in the midrange frequencies. Since many pc users will be playing music cd's or mp3s on their systems just as well as games or DVD's, the standard should be put for both use. The subwoofer of the 550 Megaworks is predominantly present when playing audio cd's and cannot be tuned to an acceptable level by either the 550's remote control or audio card sound controls (I own an Audigy 2 ZS from Creative). Although 2-way satellite speakers enclosed with the Gigaworks S750 or Klipsch Promedia 5.1 Ultra might do a better job, I seriously doubt whether you can ever get the same performance like you have on the average home theater set from Sony or any other manufacturer. Cables delivered with the 550 have unshielded copper and can easily transfer noise. So actually, you have to re-wire the 550 from the start with better quality cables. All in all, very disappointing in view of the price you have to pay for 5.1 or 7.1 speakers such as these.

(4 out of 5)

Good Quality, High Price

These speakers are probably the best that have come out under the Creative label in a long time. The sound is both clear and precise and the THX certification should tell anyone that there is enough power in these to fill nearly any room.

However, the price of these speakers is very high for a 4.1 system, especially one that does not offer included onboard decoding for Dolby II and DTS. It would be worthwhile to look at Logitech's New z680 system or something from Klipsch if you're willing to spend this much. Logitech even throws in a few hardware decoders and a wireless remote! besides the fact that it's a 5.1 system with much more power. Creative also has had problems in the past with customer service and shipping heavy speakers back to the manufacturer is not cheap. Klipsch and Logitech have much better track records in the service dept.

(4 out of 5)

Not your average computer speakers...

Several people, including myself have mentioned how these speakers are too boomy for rock/metal music, and even styles which utilize bass like dance. Well, I decided to write to Creative about this, since I had just dumped a ton of money into some speakers I wasn't very happy with. Luckily, this has a happy ending.

I realized my Audigy 2's crossover ("Bass Redirect") was doing absolutely nothing when activated and adjusted, and Creative support reminded me to download the latest drivers. Immediately upon installing the drivers I noticed a huge difference in quality. I played with the crossover, which seems to work oddly but effectively none the less, and now the sub is MUCH clearer and punchier. I'm very happy with the audiophile-quality sound I have going, thanks to these speakers, Audigy 2's new drivers, and Windows Media Player 9.

One gripe left:
The speakers hiss even when muted and/or unplugged from any sound source. Not terribly loud, but noticeable sometimes.

(5 out of 5)

Great speaker. Warm sound punchy bass

Indeed, this is one of the best multimedia speaker available in the market. The mid is crystal clear and warm; bass packed with a punch! It provide a wonderful soundstage if DVD audio is played. This is simply an amazing speaker to own whether you are a music lover, gamer or movie fanatic.

If you pair it with the latest Creative Audigy 2 ZS, you may be amazed since when game has sounded so fr***king realistic. All the in game effects and atmosphere are presented fantastically, that I actually get nervous, scared, or jumpy during the game play. Simply impressive.

If you love movie, test it out by poping in Saving Private Ryan and watch the first Omaha combat scene. You will be amazed how the powerful bass reacted so accurately and quickly. All the machine gun bullet flying over your head. Of course, your neighbour might have a very different opinion.

Just make sure you don't max it out on the first day because this baby need to BURN IN! Treat it right by playing some soft music at about 30-40% power, 4-5 hours a day. At the end of the first week, your baby should be ready. You can burn it in for two weeks if you want to play safe. I almost burnt out my amp on the first day by maxing it to 90%. If you hear some hissing from the speaker at high vol, you might be using an old sound card. Try buying a good quality sound card with SNR>100db may solve your problem. It solved mine.

This baby is great, worth every penny.