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The latest speakers from Creative, the Inspire T7700, are a similar beast to the ZXR-750 from VideoLogic, a set of six satellites and one subwoofer. Creative has styled the T7700 differently from its previous ranges, like the 6.1-channel 6700 set, in favour of a design which in a photograph makes them look like huge old fashioned speakers with a mesh grill. I have to say that I prefer the older design, less gaudy and much cleaner.

The documentation included with the Inspire T7700 is quite easy and easy to follow. As with the VideoLogic speakers, a simple guide explains the interconnections between the satellites and the subwoofer/amplifier. Again, the T7700 uses patch cables to get the signal from your soundcard to the amplifier but Creative has made the job slightly easier buy moulding most of them together to make one jumbo cable. A much more elegant solution than VideoLogic that eases the maze of wires around your computer.

Another feature of the T7700 is the addition of the “Audio Control POD”, a slightly gimmicky overgrown volume control. This of course means that there are no controls on the back like the VideoLogic unit and thus further limits your sound control. Again, you’ll find more software controls with your sound card. To be fair it includes a headphone jack and line in sockets and most exclusively also the M-Port for audio playback with a compatible MP3 player. Sadly I had no such device to test it with but I personally can’t see a need for it. Presumably most of your MP3’s are stored on your PC, so why upload them to your MP3 player and then connect it to your speakers?

I listened to the Creative speakers only hours after the VideoLogic set and was hoping to be impressed by an even better set of 7.1 speakers. This was sadly not the case. Apart from the obvious fact that they were just not as loud, most music I played through them had a lacklustre tinny sound. For consistency I played the same Star Wars DVD on the T7700 and was not left with the same “wow” factor as before.

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