Creative Labs Inspire 5.1 Digital 5700 DTS Speaker System
Average Customer Rating
(5.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First
(4 out of 5)Creative Labs Inspire 5.1 Digital 5700 DTS Speaker System
I have a Toshiba 32" DD Pro-logic TV and I wanted to upgrade to 5.1 Dolby Digital, but didn't want to pay a lot of money to do so. I didn't want to shell out £400-500, just to have 5.1 So when I saw Creative's system with 5.1 & DTS I thought I'd give them a go at a competitive price.
I bought this system for living room use only, and didn't know if they would be as good as if I was using them on a PC. I started to set them up and came across the problem of speaker cable lengths, as discussed in another review. My living room is approximately 2.5 x 2.5 metres, so it isn't that big. But you will need extra phono cable lengths (at least for the rears) and female adapters as the speakers are pre-cast and do not have clip wires. (with the exception of the sub-woofer) I then started to try and hang the speakers on existing mounts, and found the hanging section of the speakers are inset quite deep, so extended fixings maybe needed here too.
The other problem I thought I would have was the rear speakers are right behind my ears as the settee is against the wall where the speakers are fixed. But there is a rear surround knob, which can be increased and decreased. So that problem evaporated rapidly.
Eventually I got everything clipped in place and connected my DVD Pioneer 525 to it, via a digital cable. (Supplied) and switched on the digital out, and DTS. The existing scart cable I left in the TV for picture only. I took a few discs off the shelf and was pleasantly surprised at the results. If you have a choice of 5.1 and DTS you pick it on the disc, it gives you the little DTS intro and off it plays. Even though these speakers don't have the wattage of expensive systems, they are ideal for small living rooms. There was very little distortion, but on some frequencies and if the unit is too high, volume wise, there are some raspy noises. But these are very rare. I also picked up on "drop outs" but I put this down to dust or scratch on the discs. Overall I was impressed. No more straining to hear voices over loud music!
As for games consoles, I have a PS2 and Game Cube. I Connected the Game Cube via the diagram supplied, but cannot achive true surround so far. I have had to connect via an analogue setup, which consists of two phonos to one jack plus duel female connectors. (THESES ARE NOT SUPPLIED) The jack inserts into the Front input on the back of the amp. (Rogue Sq II uses Pro-logic II, which gives surround.) I only managed Dolby Pro-logic, via analogue connections. Sound is thrown into each speaker, but at the rear the balance remains the same in both on the game audio test. A connection from the Cube via the special digital output to a digital din or coaxial may sort this as these are the extra inputs on the amp. I have not found a cable to suit, so far. The PS2 connects in a similar way, but I suggest using the optical cable for best results.
If you are in a similar situation to me, and want speakers on a budget, and something, you don't want to really upgrade later on, these are worth their weight in gold. The sound is impressive, and gives a new dimension to my DVD watching. Even the games sound good as analogue and if I find the correct connections I may enjoy surround on these at some point. (Depending on game) I have not been able to connect the TV to this amp. But there are many cables for other multiple connections. Good work Creative!
(5 out of 5)Wow!! What a product!!
After reading many reviews on all types of surround speaker packages and being a little apprehensive of what to buy, i must say i am 100% absoluetly DELIGHTED with this product!
For games etc the sound BLOWS you away but wait till you hook up your dvd player to this, YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE YOUR EARS!! Awesome!!!!!!! If you are still unsure, trust me this is the experience your ears have been waiting for!! 100%
(5 out of 5)This is what ears were made for!!!!
I recently decided to purchase myself a new set of speakers and came to the decision of having a 5.1 system. I did not know which set to go for seen as there are so many on the market these days. And I know you can buy a £400 pound pair of 5.1 speakers and a £150 pound set can be just as good. After a lot of thinking and decsion making I decided to go for the Creative 5700. Let me tell you these speakers are amazing!! They are easy to set up and you soon get the hang of all the tweaks and sounds they come with and the sub is "LOUD"! You can also link them up to your DVD player,PC,VCR and Games consoles. When you watch DVD movies you feel like you are in the film!! A must buy for a first time 5.1 buyer!
(4 out of 5)The Perfect Compliment to my Sound Blaster Audigy Sound Card
Having owned a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy for quite some time now, I felt the need to exploit its full potential... the Creative Inspire 5700 Speaker System did just that!
Now I'm enjoying the luxuries of EAX in my favourite games, and now I listen to my DVD's in crystal clarity with the superior sound of DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1
Obviously not going to compete against a high-end dedicated home-cinema sound system but for the multimedia PC this is the ideal speaker system.
Very impressive sound in terms of quality, clarity, decoding and volume
(5 out of 5)Creative Labs Inspire 5.1
Having bought an Xbox games console a few weeks ago, I decided to pick up a surround sound system to get the most out of it. After much research I settled on the Creative Labs Inspire model and I'm very happy with the choice. It adds a whole new element to games and DVD playback in my medium sized living room. Everything has a very nice build quality, there are all the options you could want (inc DTS, optical/electrical digital inputs), and the sound is crisp and precise. 'What Hi Fi' magazine gave it their 'product of the month' award recently, and they're pretty picky. My only criticism is that there isn't quite enough cable for the rear speakers, but I dare say you can easily buy extensions. There's also plenty of power (the sub-woofer is big!) - I haven't had the volume anywhere near half-way so far. Overall, it's perfect if you can't afford or can't be bothered to buy separate speakers / amp / digital decoder as this rolls them all into one very easy to use package.