Creative Labs GigaWorks T20 Series II 2.0 Multimedia Speaker System with BasXPort Technology

cutecob

New Head-Fier
Pros: smooth sound, compact size
Cons: not much bass
I got these to replace a pair of Klipsch Pro Media Ultra 2.0 which I gave to my 79 year old father in law. The Klipsch had better highs and a brighter overall sound which he could hear better. I like these because they have a nice smooth sound given the silk dome tweeter and for $100 I really can't complain. I suspect the M Audio series is better at their new lower price point but these are more compact.
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charvat8
charvat8
I agree, on the more bass part for sure! Had these for a little over a year now and they still sound the same as they did out of the box. Great for the price but I recomend adding a sub-woofer for full effect :)
Pros: Good size, nice design, good mids and highs, very good clarity
Cons: Bass not as extended as I'd hoped.
I purchased these after a lot of research.  The kids speakers (on a second PC) went belly-up, so I gave them my Logitech 2.1 set - and ordered the T20-S2 mainly for the smaller footprint (no sub), and also for the increased clarity.
 
BTW - the price above was NZD converted to USD at the time of purchase.  Audio in NZ is normally relatively expensive compared the the rest of the world.
 
Specifications
From the manufacturer - the technical
 
Speaker power: 14 Watts RMS per channel (2 channels)
Frequency response: 50Hz ~ 20kHz
Dimensions (WxLXH) 8.8cm x 14.3cm x 23.0cm
 
And the marketing blurb
High-end, two-piece speaker system engineered for the best music listening experience.
High-quality woofer drivers with woven glass-fibre cones provide warm mid-tones. Advanced tweeters with cloth domes deliver crystal-clear highs.
Creative BasXPort™ technology for strong bass.
Front-mounted controls for power, bass and treble.
Two inputs for use with different devices without swapping cables.
 
Packaging and Contents
t20-1.jpg
 
The T20's came nicely packed, with the following contents:
Two speakers
Stereo-to-stereo audio cable (2m) - to connect the speakers
Dual RCA-to-stereo adapter (TV adapter)
Power supply adapter
Quick Start leaflet & Warranty & Technical Support leaflet
 
Build Quality
The quality and finish on these (especially for their price) is nice.  They are both unobtrusive, and also quite sleek.  On my minimalist desktop, they look "classy".  They are reasonably solid and weighty.  The housing is black plastic, but the finishing is very good.  The front cover on the right hand side has a 3.5mm for a headphone out, and also a 3.5mm aux-in socket.  There are also 3 controls - on/off volume, bass and treble.  When the speakers are turned on, there is a soft blue glow (neon back-light) around the volume knob.
 
Both speakers have gauze dust covers fitted - but these can be removed to expose the mid range cones and smaller tweeters.  This actually looks quite nice if you like this style (see below) but I prefer to keep the dust covers on.
 
My one complaint would be that the cord with the powerpack/transformer could be a little short for some.  The cord overall is long enough - just the section from speakers to powerpack was a little short.  For those with a tall desk - it may not comfortably reach the floor.
 
t20-2.jpg
 
Sound Quality
To be honest, when I first heard these (especially coming from a 2.1 system) I was not that impressed - thinking I'd purchased a lemon.  There was very little bass - although the clarity (mid range and highs) was very good.  After reading all the marketing spiel about the bass port technology I was expecting more.
 
After a couple of weeks though - once I got used to the sound, I've found myself enjoying it - and they are pretty good for budget powered speakers.  The highs are very clear, and non-fatiguing.  The mids are smooth.  The bass is quite clean, and is balanced - it just doesn't extend very far.
 
**I'd like to add here - that my it was probably my expectation that was out of line.  Coming from a 2.1 system with a sub - these initially just sounded a little flat.**
 
All in all though for a desk-top system where you're going to be sitting a couple of feet away from them, these do the job well.  The bass and treble controls could be nice for some people fine tuning (easier to use than dedicated multiband EQ - although nowhere near the same finesse/control levels).  I don't use it personally - so far I've found the tonality suits me fine with everything in the neutral position.
 
The T20's also have plenty of volume headroom on my system - I can't go to any more than about 1/2 on the volume knob without it getting too loud.
 
Conclusion
I am happy with my purchase of these (although initially I did not enjoy them as much).  They have a great tonality, are aesthetically pleasing for my desktop - and almost tick all the boxes.  Considering that for my critical listening I'm using my cans anyway - the T20's do their job and are pleasant to listen to.  However, I'd be remiss in saying that If I had my chance again, I'd probably pay a little more and go with the T40.
 
t20-3.jpg
 
In short
- good for casual listening, movies and game playing on a desk-top system.
- definitely not portable
- balanced sound, but if you like more bass look for either a 2.1 system, or consider the T40's.


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abm0
abm0
"I'd like to add here - that my it was probably my expectation that was out of line.  Coming from a 2.1 system with a sub - these initially just sounded a little flat."

Hah, my experience exactly. :) My trusty old Genius 2.1 had started to hum and sometimes even whistle after 9 years of faithful service, I decided to "graduate" to full-range 2.0 speakers (because having a central sub had started to sound somehow-just-not-right to me, which is probably the case with every consumer-grade 2.1 that has ridiculously small satellites and requires the crossover frequency to be set too high) and I somehow let myself be taken in by all the online hype about the T20s, to the point where I thought they could do the job of a 20-Watt 2.1 system that had superb low extension for its size and price (no idea why Genius stopped making that model, BTW).

But when the reality of this thing's limitations hit me I immediately redirected my hopes toward much larger speakers and I ended up going for 5" monitors and giving the T20 away (though I can say I liked the T20's bass much more the last times I listened to it than I did the first few times; there may be some burn-in requirement for them to sound their best).
Brooko
Brooko
I ended up with JBL LSR 305s and couldn't be happier.  They start cutting off around 50Hz but they are so good in every other aspect I hardly notice the missing sub-bass.
abm0
abm0
I see the specs on those say you're only getting noticeable (-3dB) roll-off below 43 Hz - same as my Tannoy Reveal 502s which I managed to get (out of warranty) for a similar price to the JBLs. I agree that you don't really need to hear anything below 40-50 Hz to enjoy most music, but over time listening to these I've become more demanding and ideally one day I _will_ add two subs in the attempt to make a "near-perfect" system. :p

eriktheg

100+ Head-Fier
Mids are somewhat receded
left speaker is a little quieter but its okay..
The Bass is enough to shake the entire desk and shakes the floor a little too at about 60% volume (also the part where it starts distorting if you don't turn down the bass knob)
 
*edit`: I just figured out why the left is quieter than the right.. yet more precise. It is because the right has echo inside the speaker and needs more damping due to the different materials inside of it. The left needs just a little damping at the bottom, the right speaker needs damping around the electronic hardware chip and probably a little on the sides.
 
If I need to, I will fully review this product. Or just message me and I will tell you.
normal_smile%20.gif

 
Eamonster
Eamonster
I bought these speakers for €65 last year and I have to say the midrange
is too present. I think it's because the woofer is only 2 inches wide and
as a result they sound 'boxy'. They're great for watching DVDs and listening
to music to, but they would never be first choice speakers for me.
But for €65 what do you expect? All in all they're great value for money,
but if you wanted to shell out and get some better speakers I would
recommend the m audio AV 40s as they have a bigger and clearer sound.
But if you're on a budget these little speakers will do the job.
abm0
abm0
"Mids are somewhat receded"

Yep, this is what I found as well, with the bass and treble controls set to neutral. But if you reduce the bass to about 10 o'clock and the treble to 11 o'clock they get much better. Also, I think they require some burn-in for the bass to extend and tighten up.
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