Home > Consumer Reviews > CreativeLabs 3PC CREATIVE250D SATELITE ( 51000000AA276 )

I came upon these speakers to replace a pair of Bose Companion 3s. The set I had was faulty and the store I got them from was out of stock, so I had to return them. Before I could buy them again, Bose raised the price $50! So, I decided I needed to find an alternative. This is for my home office which is around 12 x 11.

After looking at some of the major PC speaker makers - Altec Lansing, Logitech, Creative, Klipsch....
-I liked the new Altec FX6021 (on paper). But, it wasn't shielded and cost close to the Bose.
-Logitech has the Z-2200s, but the 250Ds had more power for the same price.
-Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 - they seemed comparable and at a similar price, but they were much bigger and I have a space problem.
I've always like Cambridge/Creative (although I've never owned any of their speakers before). I have friends that own them and they feel that the speakers are very high quality for a reasonable price.

I've always eyed the Megaworks 210Ds, but they are as expensive as the Bose are now. When I saw the 250Ds at 40% less and according to the specs pretty much the same as the 210Ds, I had to take a harder look. I wasn't able to hear them (which usually is a requirement for me), but after some research, I convinced myself to do it. I looked on the web alot (but there isn't a whole lot on the 250Ds - but tons on the 210Ds). They seemed similar enough for me to use the 210D reviews as reference. My expectation was that the 250Ds were a new generation and should be better (don't know if that's true). I'm ecstatic that I bought these speakers.

Pros
-They sound incredible. I use them for PC, Music, and DVDs. And, I must say for DVDs (I watched XXX and Bug's Life), it was the best 2 speaker sound I've heard. Everything was clear and crisp. The action sequences felt all around me as if I had surround sound. Bug's Life is one DVD that I always use to test sound and it too was spectacular.
-For music, I played No Doubt's Hey Baby and it was clear, crisp and had a lot of punch. I also played some piano solos that sounded pretty incredible. Clear, crisp.
-Even television sounds better.
-I don't do any gaming, so sorry no opinion here.
-Set up is simple.
-The remote is very intuitive. Has a mute, volume (for sub, treble, master), Standby Power, and a headphone jack.
-Classic styling for the speakers with a little modern touch. The lack of a cool look may not appeal to alot of folks.
-Stands for the Speakers and the remote.
-It can fill the room easily.
-They are THX Certified.
-The bass is tight and pounding. The default out of the box isn't even at full bass.
-I tried the coax hook up to a DVD and that works pretty well and sounds good.
-3 inputs - 2-Analog, 1-Digital
-I like the flexibility in hooking things up. I believe that (I didn't try them all)...
...analog A and analog B = mix the signals.
...analog A and digital = digital overrides.
...analog B and digital = mixes the signals.
...all three = mixes analog B and digital

Cons
-The speakers are a little big, but it's worth it.
-No User Guide (only because I needed a little help with the digital input)

Thoughts
-Don't run the line in with too high a gain. Let the speakers amplify the signal. Otherwise, you may get some distortion. In my set up, I have a number of devices that add to the signal, so I really had to turn it down.
-When hooking up to the digital input use PCM (and not BitStream, it took me a little while to figure that out).

I do run my system through a number of other devices...Klipsch ProMedia DD-5.1 and a SoundXpander. I do recommend the SoundXpander. It seems a little cheezy, but it does add sound quality for surround sound sources (careful with the gain on the line out. You may use the headphone or aux port which has volume control). I got it at SafetyZone.com for cheap. The Klipsch is more or less an expensive switcher box, but does add an equalizer and downmixes surround sound well.

I really liked my Bose Companions, but I like these much better. Very rarely do I have no real drawbacks to something I buy. These are great speakers at a great price. I really feel like I got alot for my money. And, I'm happy with every aspect of the speakers.

I needed to upgrade my dingy old Altec Lansing's, bought in 1999. I researched several speakers sets. All I needed was a simple 2.1 or 3 speaker set up since I dont use my PC for watching DVDs and thus didnt require a 5.1 spendy setup. My budget was 150$. I didn't need to waste 250$ on the (greatly overpriced) Bose companion 3 or the top of the line Logitech Z680. I looked hard at the Klipsch Promedia 2.1(150$) and the very affordable Logitech Z-2200(105$)- great value. I almost pulled the trigger in favor of the Z-2200 until I read more about the Megaworks 250D on creative's website, then I was sold! It is more expensive(155/140$ after rebate), but also offers more power & features and I felt better quality. Here's the specs: generous 300w RMS, THX, 3.5" sats(75w RMS/ea.) & 8" (down fire) wood sub for the bass(150w RMS), 99db SNR, and 25-20kHz range. Now you're playing w/ power!
Amazon offered me the best price and free shipping! Thanks Amazon. Highly Recommended.

I purchased these speakers and installed them this week. To my shock once plugged in, the two satellite speakers produce a audible hissing noise when the unit is turned on. I disconnected the speakers from my sound card and computer but the hissing noise remained. This told me the source of the noise was coming from inside the unit itself. Even with the speaker volume turned down its lowest setting the hiss is still audible at my normal speaker placement of a yard+ away. I moved the speakers away from my monitor and any other possible source of interference but the noise remained.

The music playback with the speakers is excellent. The sound is rich but not over powered by the subwoofer. But again you can still hear the hissing noise with soft music play back.

All in all I am very disappointed with this product.

I WAS quite happy with the quality and sound displayed by this 2.1 system ... that is, until I realized the damage they were doing to my computer. The unit is apparently not well grounded as the mini-jack cable carries VOLTAGE. Thats right, live voltage. I had the misfortune of resting my forearm over the mini-jack connector one day and experienced a sharp pain. Sure enough, I had been shocked by my speaker system. I can't imagine the damage that could have been done had I continued to plug the set into my laptop. And wouldn't you know it ... this comes to my attention 1 month outside my warranty period. Figures.

I gave these as a holiday gift and they sound superb in their new home. Even when they are cranked-up all the way they still are stunning with no crackle or hiss. I have the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 and for a 2.1 system these are comparable.