Creative Labs Inspire 5200 5.1 Computer Speakers (6-Speaker, Black) Reviews

• Defective Design?

  
  By A2U2TQKCM1WGZ2 on 2003-01-01
  I received these speakers as a Christmas gift, and I must say that the overall sound quality is excellent. The subwoofer packs a big punch, and the five other speakers provide a sound that fantastically envelops the listener. In addition, the remote volume-control (not a wireless remote) is nice because you can sit back several feet from the computer and watch a DVD without having to return to the PC to change the volume, for example.
  
  However, I quickly began to notice that the speakers produced intermittent popping sounds, about every fifteen to sixty minutes. I thought that there might perhaps be a problem with my sound card, but the speakers continue to pop *even when the PC is turned off*. I returned the speakers, but because I liked the sound quality so much and because I hoped that my particular set was defective, I exchanged them for an identical set. The new set of speakers exhibited the same popping defect.
  
  After returning that set also, I purchased a slightly different model by Creative, the Creative Inspire 4.1 set, with which I have since been pleased. It has good sound quality, features a remote volume control, and has no audible defects. As for this 5200 model, if you think you can live with the popping sounds, then take your chances, but I would recommend that you save yourself some frustration and buy something else.
  
  

• Excellent for the price

  
  By A1LK97GE2J6DAO on 2002-12-07
  I just purchased these speakers last night and stayed up later than usual testing them out. I found that they are very easy to set up and you get a very nice full sound out of them. I'm not much of a audiofile so some of the finer points of speaker placement and stuff like that are beyond me. However for the price you really can't beat these speakers. My only complaint was that I noticed a slight "popping" or "cracking" noise. It wasn't something that happened all the time, but if the band on the CD I was testing it with would hit a certain note I could pick up that popping noise. I don't know if that has to do with my cheap sound card or if it's the speakers themselves. However, considering the price I paid for these I can live with it.
  
  

• Excellent value and performance...

  
  By AYUOQCCV2F8LU on 2003-11-19
  I've recently purchased a new computer, and it didn't come with speakers. Personally, I'm a big fan of all the quality audio technology out there, but I must admit that my experience with audio is relatively limited to home theatre in general. So, my computer came with on-board audio (AC'97, ALC650 software drivers). Most onboard audio to this date use software drivers rather than hardware to accomplish the audio task. The problem this presents is that most computers (notwithstanding the latest and greatest) are depleted of valuable resources when it must rely on internal software drivers, rather than an external hardware device to handle the audio; this is especially true of on-board sound cards that say they are capable of "5.1 surround sound". First off, 5.1 capability does not mean it can produce Dolby Digital or DTS sound. Any hardware you buy, must explicitly say that these features are included in the hardware. 5.1 capability simply means that your speakers can produce sound from all 5 speakers plus woofer. This does not mean that you will experience the distinct channel experience that most home theatre's will produce. Moreover, the channels will be uniform, in that they all perform the same role. The point here is that these Creative 5200 speakers are certainly capable of Dolby Digital or DTS, but to enable that feature you must have a hardware device that is capable of decoding this. While this is all nice, the initial point is that you must have a 5.1 capable sound card in order to get sound from all speakers. If not, get the 2.1 system instead, I understand Amazon has a nice rebate on those. Anyways, I've tested these speakers on my on-board audio (I'm too cheap to spend more on a true hardware sound card) and the results are astounding. First off, I set my computer volume to half, and the speaker volume to half (via the cabled remote), and the sound is simply off the wall. This will depend on your setup, my personal computer room is a small one, about 12x12. The speakers are capable of much more, but yet the sound is incredible at even the half setting. I mean this in comparison to home theatre setups, the computer setup is simply clearer and the highs are higher, and the bass is superb for anything other than a large room. Unless you plan on watching DVD movies on your PC, there really is no need for Dolby Digital. But if you are a music buff, these speakers are sure to impress, provided you have a 5.1 compatible card and strong computer. Plus, they're very cheap (they have the same design and specs as the much more expensively priced Cambridge Soundworks system), but I must warn that they take a while to setup (too much packaging and little documentation). Make an informed decision, and see what else you can find on these speakers.
  
  

• Simply, These Speakers Rock

  
  By A1SZHJ0QC1QV1B on 2003-12-10
  Hardware: Turtle Beach Santa Cruz

  Had I known how much richer my mp3's would sound, I would have bought these speakers long ago. As I write this review, my roomates are sleeping (or trying to), and it's all I can do to not jack the volume up. But now, even at low volume, the music resonates. Such depth. I may never be able to use headphones again.

  If you've got a 5.1 sound card, you can't beat these, especially for the price. If you don't have a 5.1 card, make sure to get the an excellent Turtle Beach card.

  Initially, I had the same center speaker issue as noted in 2 reviews listed here. I had to select the 'Virtual 5.1' setting in my audio control panel and the center speaker worked just fine. [Plug the center speaker jack into the Turtle Beach 'Versa' plug.]

  I couldn't be happier with this sound.
  
  

• Still one of the best

  
  By A1DY4CXSNXNUL9 on 2003-08-13
  Got this over a year ago. Teamed them up with a Turtle Beach Sound Card. I cannot play these puppies loud enough, and I have only dialed the volume up to about 40%.
  I am not sure about prior reviewers problems as most issues like this alleged popping are a result of an incompatible sound card with the speakers. However, not an issue with the very excellent Santa Cruz card. I just taped the remote volume to the far right of my keyboard tray, and I can easily adjust the volume with my pinky-HOW EASY IS THAT?!
  The bass can be heard two floors above me in my daughter's room -and this is when it is at a casual listening level!
  All in all, these are exactly as advertised great for music, games (especially with the santa cruz DSP) and visual media sound-if some people expected more than this then perhaps a Klipsch set at [$$$] should have been their choice. This is mnore than a great deal at any price under [$$$].
  Get these whenever they drop with a rebate (mine were [$$$] with a [$$$]sticker price last year. DVDs, Games, and MP3s sound marvelous, and I over the past year I have preferred this set-up to my formidable upstairs home theater with its 500+ watts and 51 inch HDTV.
  Piece of friendly IT advice which is usually not heeded: Make sure you have updated drivers for your sound card.
  happy tunes....
  
  
• Center Channel Buzzing
  By A2E74YKJXGZCJB on 2003-11-26
  Unfortunately, there is a grounding problem with these speakers. The center channel just produces static. I did some research and found this to be a common problem.

  When I emailed Creative tech support, their answer was to isolate the ground looping problem in my house. I'm sorry, but I shouldn't have to rewire my house to get some speakers to work.
  
  

• Tom's Reveiw on: Creative Labs Inspire 5200 5.1 speakers
  By A3RQ6VKNVQTSWZ on 2004-06-09
  I work for a reveiwing company and I do this for a living. I tested five of the 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround sound speaker sytems and would have to say, this was my best pick. Not only did it go lower, but it was clearer and "crisper" to me. In my opinion, for the poeple with a home office or just a home computer, unless in an apartment for obvious reasons, ID SAY GET IT! (If you want it)
  
  
• Great for the money
  By on 2004-07-02
  This is my fourth or fifth Creative Labs/Cambridge Soundworks speaker set, and they get better each time. This set isn't quite as good as the last one, a 2.1 (stereo with subwoofer) system that cost me $75 or so, but unless you turn it up really loud, it's comparable.

  What I like about it is the use of leads with attached plugs. Anything under the desk here is liable to accidental kicks, and the spring-loaded wire clips sometimes lose contact. Also the volume control is larger than earlier models (which makes it much easier to keep on the desk) and it holds a headphone socket. Even the satellite speaker stands grip the top of my monitor well.

  This system looks like an example of someone taking a step back and spending some time to intelligently improve the speakers. Even the plugs are color-coded with the sockets.
  
  

• Great sound for the price.
  By on 2003-02-24
  I've owned several computers since 1996 and never had anything other than the speakers that came with the machines.Then I bought the Inspire 5.1 and could'nt believe my ears when I hooked them up!It almost brought tears to my eyes when I listened to a Rolling Stones CD. The aircraft engines in my flight sims have an ominous rumble that was'nt there before, thanks to the sub-woofer. I have'nt noticed any popping noises, but that may be due to the fact my sound card is a Creative Labs Sound Blaster PCI 512.There is plenty of volume when sitting in the midst of the speakers.Almost deafening. But if I were to use my computer as a home stereo,I'd want something with a little more power. This product is definitely worth it's price.
  
  
• Great speaker but.....
  By A1GX49YW6YIS0O on 2003-04-21
  This is a great speaker if you have 5.1 stuff. If you don't, you won't get anything from the center speaker. Ignore the people who heard popping/cracking sound. Maybe it was because I had a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy sound card. Great speaker if you play games or watch DVD that have 5.1 audio. Otherwise, get a 4.1 speaker. With 47 RMS, this speaker have enough power for home use (even too much for me because my neighbor is knocking on my door everyday). In my opinion this speaker is not as good as the 5300 but it's good enough. Must buy if you don't have a 4.1/5.1 speaker.
  
  
• Popping Sound Solution
  By AE2V79ZIWLUVW on 2003-07-15
  I also had the problem of the popping sound, but I solved it by moving the main speaker to a different power supply. I could always notice the sound when i turned my fan on and off on the same power supply. Once I moved the speakers power supply, everything worked fine and the popping sound was GONE!
  
  
• Sound buy
  By A2FQ08CLTFE4WW on 2004-07-29
  These speakers sound great, the bass is kicking (literally) and very little distortion even at loud volumes. Connection is simple, the remote is convenient, nothing more to say, great speakers, great price.
  
  
• Defective by design
  By A4RA1176C5WB1 on 2007-03-24
  Make sure you're happy with the volume setting on the control, then never touch it again if possible. I've had issues with the volume fading to near silence if I have to turn down the volume with the hardware control. Tapping on the knob brings the volume back.
  
  After looking up solutions to this problem, it turns out that there is a floating ground issue with the volume control. This is a manufacturing flaw that has hit more than a few users.
  
  When they work, they're great. If you're struggling to get your sound back, not so much. If not for the volume issue, I'd keep 'em. Instead, I just bought a set of Logitech X-540 speakers.
  
  
• Static Central..........
  By on 2003-08-23
  Do not get these......If your on a budget get the the Inspire 4.1 speakers because the center speaker in the 5.1 set is terrible.
  
  
• Failed to impress me
  By AUKMYL0WIHTV2 on 2004-09-06
  I have always preferred Creative speaker over Altec Lansing, my friend has a Creative Inspire 4400 paired up with Sound Blaster Live! So decided to buy a Audigy 2 ZS and Creative Inspire 5200.... Obviously I expected the sound to be better than my friends but I was shocked when I found out that the sound completely lacked depth. the speakers have a good clean bass, more than enough for me but whats the use if the sound has no depth!! I recommend the cheaper 4400 and if you have cash go for 5300 or better gd680.
  
  
• Great for the price
  By A1KFUUXL31185H on 2005-01-01
  I'm not an audiophile, but I really like the sound that these speakers put out. The bass is very good and I love having control of the volume & bass settings at my fingertips.
  
  The only complaint I have (and it is a big one) is that the length of the cables for the rear speakres make them almost unusable without AV extenders or splicing in speaker cables. Unless you are planning on putting your rear speakers right in front of you on your desk, buy the neccessary cables needed to extend the length.
  
  
• Great budget speakers
  By AFPGV3IQ9K691 on 2005-01-08
  I bought a Turtle Beach Riviera just for these speakers, I had been using a 30 Watt(That's PEAK power people, not RMS) 4.1 setup for a long time, I was shocked and tingling all over when I heard these. The bass is louder than I'd like, but that can be tuned easily, so no negative there. The sound is just so nice and clear, one thing to make sure of is that whatever you're using has 5.1 support, I've found an assortment of Media Players do *not* have 5.1 support. Among them is the famed and loved Winamp, I had to go to WMP 10 in order to hear my speakers full power.
  
  Ignore anyone who whines about software for these speakers, they don't have any, and they're just being fan boy jerks. The satellites themselves are very nice and sturdy, a departure from most, the Subwoofer is nice and the air it shoots is certainly new.
  
  The wired remote was much longer than I had thought it would be, and allows for easy instant control, it comes with a headphone jack, I wish all speakers had this kind of control feature.
  I'm not sure what people are using these speakers for, but the cables are mighty long, so I guess if you're not using them as PC speakers, but more so Theater type speakers, you'll want longer cords.
  
  The middle speaker isn't as loud as I'd like it to be, but it's there, and it's louder than two of my previous speakers put together. My only true hard complaint is that it the bass overwhelmes the rest of the sound, and the sound itself isn't as loud without the booming bass.
  
  Recommended buy though, either these or their Logitech counterpart, which costs 10 dollars more on Tiger Direct.
  
  
• REAL DOLBY DIGITAL CINEMA EXPERIENCE!!!
  By A17E5INGRW8F44 on 2006-04-19
  hello,
  this speaker is just amazing i got this with creative soundblaster live! 24-bit card,this speaker kicked sound more than i expected, bass is so powerfull i can hear it all the way from kitchen.absolutely theater like experience.just neglect all bad thoughts about this product.cmss feature in sbs 24-bit lets u listen music in 5.1 mode!.even dts sounds good!. just get it now!!.
  
  
• Hard to beat
  By A1C8GC9JWFTGSN on 2004-06-26
  I've owned these speakers for 18 months now and have them set up in my home office. I drive them with a SB Audigy card and from the day I set them up, they have produced nothing but sweet sound. The bass is clean and not overpowering. The wired remote not only has volume and bass adjustments, but also a headphone jack that when used, cuts off the audio to the speakers allowing me to work late and not disturb the family.

  I have never heard any "popping" noises (other than a small pop when I power down my PC.) I have the AC plugged into the surge protector side of a UPS. I don't know if that makes a difference or not, as I've never tried it any other way.

  The only drawback I found was if you want to wire the rear speakers to the back of a standard bedroom, you'll have to buy a set of RCA M-F extension cables, as the existing cables are too short. If you shop around, you can pick them up for a few bucks. I just wish I knew that before, so I could have had them on hand when I first installed these.

  There are many junk surround speakers being sold today, but these are not one of them. For the price, it's very hard to beat the quality.
  
  

• Great sound quality for the price!
  By AF3BG4YVSZ2QB on 2004-10-02
  Don't listen to these other people who heard popping and/or static from their 5.1 5200 system, they must not have had a clue when they set theirs up. I just set up my Creative Inspire 5.1 5200 and it's a great sound system! It's very easy to set up as every connection is color coded. You do have to have a 5.1 compatible sound card in your computer to use this system. The bass is more powerful than I thought it would be, given the subwoofer is only 17 watts RMS. If you're a gamer moving from 2.0 speaker system (standard stereo) to this 5.1 system, the difference is incredible! If you're on a budget (like me), you can't beat the sound quality for this price! Crystal clear highs, strong mids and good punchy bass makes this a recommended system!
  
  

• Monster PC700 Computer PowerCenter¿ with Surge Protection
• Cyber Acoustics Mic-48 Desktop Uni-Directional Microphone
• Cyber Acoustics 3.5MM Plug ACM-90 Stereo Headset with Volume Control (Black)
• Inland Thundersound 5.1 Channel PCI Sound Card
• Wharfedale MovieStar 60 Speaker Stands, Pair (Speakers Not Included)