Skip to main content ↑ ↓

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: Poor speaker sound from creative inspire 290 (Read 2417 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Poor speaker sound from creative inspire 290

I was tired of using my laptop speakers, which were horrible, so I bought a cheap pair of logitech speakers from newegg, which was a bad buying decision. I then decided to spend a bit more and got a creative isnpire 290 from my campus computer store which was about $30. The speakers are just as horrible as the cheap $5 logitech ones I had bought when you set treble all the way up. No matter what I do with the tone settings, either via the knob or via winamp's equalizer, the treble is always underpowered sounding and has a nasty hissing static to it. My question is, before I decide to chunk this pair of speakers too, I want to make sure the speakers themselves are realy the culprit and not any other outside factors. I've eliminated my laptop  or music files as a source.

N00b questions begin:

1. I have left the audio cables twist tied to keep everything organized. Will this cause bad quality sound? I've done it with other speakers without too much trouble.

2. The speakers are near a surge protector. Will that create any interference?

3. Did I get a defective speaker or are these speakers suppose to sound this horrible? I think $30 for a 2.0 setup should be decent, no? Or does creative just suck at speakers? I've heard good things about them though.

4. Can someone recommend me a good 2.0 setup that won't break the bank? Something that guarantees me good treble with no hiss with crisp, clear, full sound? Around $50 would probably be the most I will care to pay as I am not for power and I don't need huge speakers, just small ones for desktop use. The problem is that this is so subjective and even those crappy $5 logitech speakers are praised by some of their reviewers. Fact from fiction is difficult to differentiate.

Oh, and thanks in advance.

Poor speaker sound from creative inspire 290

Reply #1 –
Quote from: silverwolf0 on
1. I have left the audio cables twist tied to keep everything organized. Will this cause bad quality sound? I've done it with other speakers without too much trouble.
It might create a bit of stereo crosstalk (hearing the right channel on the left and vice versa) but not the symptoms you have described.
Quote from: silverwolf0 on
2. The speakers are near a surge protector. Will that create any interference?
If it's a cheap surge protector, then no. If it's an expensive ferro resonant one (you'll know because it weighs 5kg or more) then it will put a 50 or 100Hz buzz on your speakers (or 60 or 120Hz, depending on the frequency of your wall power).
Quote from: silverwolf0 on
3. Did I get a defective speaker or are these speakers suppose to sound this horrible? I think $30 for a 2.0 setup should be decent, no? Or does creative just suck at speakers? I've heard good things about them though.
Those creative sets are certainly not high end hifi equipment, but for the most part they sound decent enough. Both bass and treble reproduction lack a lot of accuracy, and the treble is well (-3dB) down at 14kHz, typically. It's possible that your previous set had very bright treble and these sound unnatural in comparison.
Quote from: silverwolf0 on
4. Can someone recommend me a good 2.0 setup that won't break the bank? Something that guarantees me good treble with no hiss with crisp, clear, full sound? Around $50 would probably be the most I will care to pay as I am not for power and I don't need huge speakers, just small ones for desktop use. The problem is that this is so subjective and even those crappy $5 logitech speakers are praised by some of their reviewers. Fact from fiction is difficult to differentiate.
At this price range I would go second-hand. You need to be very careful, but you can get either a decent 2.1 set, or some second hand monitors or hifi speakers. If you shop carefully, you'll likely get much more bang for your buck.

Another thing to try with cheap light speakers is to stick them to the table with loads of prestik (or blu-tak or whatever that chewing gum like adhesive is called where you live). Often the buzzing sound that you hear is the speaker cabinets vibrating against the table they are on. A little prestik will also give you better bass, because the cabinets won't move back as much when the cone moves forward.

Poor speaker sound from creative inspire 290

Reply #2 –
Wow cabbagerat, thanks for the reply. I was expecting something like "get some real speakers you moron" or something like that. I think I am just going crazy. My earbuds don't sound as good as they use to either. Has that hollow feeling.