Creative T3030 review

Creative has a new set of speakers eager to please your eyes, ears and wallet. The T3030 is a 2.1 set, which means it consists of two stereo speakers and a subwoofer that deals with all the demanding bass frequencies.

The subwoofer is an unattractive black lump about the size of a small shoe box, but as this can be hidden away out of sight, its unremarkable looks really aren't an issue. More thought has gone into the design of the speakers, which ideally should be placed either side of your monitor if they're to sound their best. They're an acquired taste, though. Their bizarre design makes them look about as modern as a prop from the original series of Star Trek.

In their favour, a wired remote control lets you set the volume and subwoofer level without ferreting around underneath your desk. It also has an auxiliary input for quickly plugging in another sound source.

The speakers may not have good looks in their favour, but they made a fair old stab at doing what they should do best - making noise. We tested them with all kinds of music and everything sounded clear. Unlike some cheap speaker sets, the T3030's stereo speakers possess a dedicated tweeter for better reproduction of high frequencies. This lent them a pleasing, airy sound at first, but prolonged listening revealed a harshness to the slightly exaggerated upper frequencies which soon became tiresome.

The small subwoofer made a good stab at thrumming its way through bass lines and orchestral swells, but tracks with deep, complex bass were far too much for it. Really deep bass and rumble just disappeared or caused the speaker cabinet to creak for mercy. The speakers did reach decent volumes, but pushing them much above comfortable listening levels left the subwoofer struggling.

Creative's T3030 speakers aren't awful but despite a sensible price tag, they just aren't great value for money. Our Best Buy 2.1 speakers, Logitech's X-230 cost a few quid less, look vastly sexier and sound wonderful.

Author: Sasha Muller