Creative Technology MegaWorks® THX® 550 5 Speakers

I had been searching for the very best speaker set available
for my new Sony Digital Studio. I have an Audigy 2 sound card in the computer, and had narrowed my choices when I first heard about the 550. This system was first released in Singapore, and then there were "hints" that it was coming to America, but no one seemed able to say just when.

In December, it did get launched in America, and I ended up with a very good deal through Amazon.com.

Since the Audigy cards are also made by Creative, this matching did make a lot of sense. To be fair, some of the reviewers who compared the predecessor system (510D) to the other leading contender, the Klipsh, chose the latter, but it was clearly a very tight race, and the average price of the Creative system was about $100 less. What that told me was that I would probably never miss any "extra" quality, since I would not normally be doing a head-to-head test. Thus, this seemed like a better choice.

Since these speakers are analogue, if you wish to do Dolby Digital decoding, it needs to be done by the sound card itself. My computer originally came with the Audigy 1 card OEM from Sony. Audigy 1 is certainly a good sound card, with specs only slightly lower than Audigy II. What I did not know, and Sony does not tell you is that they have elected not to pay the small licensing fee to Dolby Labs, to allow them to feature Dolby Digital Decoding ... an option documented in the Audigy manuals. It took a lengthy call to Creative Labs to determine that. (To be fair, they said that Dell is also shipping Audigy without this option, for the same reason.) I was rather annoyed, and even more upset when Sony would not even admit what they did, nor did they offer me any adjustment.

I ended up going out and spending another $130 to replace the Audigy card with a retail Audigy II. (Actually, I could have gotten an Audigy I retail card for less... but not enough of a savings to justify the decrease in sound quality. ... in my opinion.) Bottom line - neither Sony nor Creative could provide me with a software upgrade to pick up Dolby Digital on the card I had... no matter what I might pay.

With rebates and special deals, I ended up paying less than $200 for the speakers, and they are definitely worth it. I also have a Nomad Jukebox III, so I use my setup to both listen to music, and for all of my computer gaming and DVD playing. The speakers do a very nice job for all applications. Part of the reason why they are versatile is the software that comes with the sound card .. it allows for a very broad collection of equalization settings - such as for games ... to simulate a given type of room ... or to listen to a particular style of music. Truthfully, this system is not good enough to replace my living room home theater, but for one person, sitting at the desk, it is superb.

Setup involves getting out all the speakers.. and wiring in the 5 small speakers in to the subwoofer... which contains the amplifier, and all of the "downmixing" electronics. You then hook up a volume control unit, and connect the subwoofer to the front, rear, and center/subwoofer channels of your sound card. All required wires are supplied, along with small speaker stands, basic mounting hardware, identification stickers, etc. It is not difficult to figure out, and my understanding is that the volume control is among the biggest improvements over the 510D version. For wall mounting, I suggest the use of Vogel brackets, in place of the supplied screws and hardware. That will enable you to "aim" the rear speakers better, to achieve a more precise placement.

If you do not have a 5.1-capable sound card, or have no strong desire for highend PC sound, then you would be wise to buy a more basic PC speaker set ... but if you are looking for the best, you should definitely audition the 550 THX and put it on your short list of choices.