What To Do When 5.1 No Longer Cuts It

{mosgoogle}If you're a hardcore gamer then you need to get your butt down to a Creative Labs dealer and have a listen to the new Creative GigaWorks S750 7.1 speaker system. This is Creative's flagship multimedia speaker and it has a price to match. The S750 goes beyond mere 5.1 sound by adding two more rear channel speakers for 7.1 surround sound output. This ensemble of speakers and high tech gizmos has created the best sounding Creative speaker we have ever heard.

7.1-channel speaker system differs slightly from their 5.1 counterpart. A 7.1 system supports two rear-channel speakers in addition to the 5.1's standard setup of three front, two side and one subwoofer. The extra 2 outputs benefits gamers the most because 7.1 sound can be rendered in PC games with Microsoft's DirectSound and Creative's EAX sound processing. For DVD and CD playback, Creative offers what is known as up-mixing. This turns a 5.1 channel into 7.1 but it's not as accurate as true 7.1 sound. At this time a true 7.1 standard has not yet been adopted by the home entertainment industry.

This THX certified speaker system delivers an unbelievable gaming experience when combined with a 7.1 sound card such as the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS. The S750 also comes with a wide range of connectors including line-in, M-Port and headphone jack for connection to stereo devices and portable audio players such as the Creative MuVo NX MP3 player. The system also includes a handy wireless remote control that lets you adjust mute, power on/off, individual output levels and treble/bass settings to your own preference.

Where To Buy It

With a retail price of $499, the Creative Gigaworks S750 carries the same retail as the recently reviewed Logitech Z-5450 speakers. The only difference is the Logitech system sells for a lot less at the retail stores. A check of online pricing shows the Z-5450 selling from $289.99 to $349.95. The same check on the S750 show $399.95 to $430.00. Is the Gigaworks worth the extra bucks? Let's find out.

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7.1 Channels Of Surround Sound

{mosgoogle}The Creative GigaWorks S750 is a very LARGE speaker system. The box it came in was the size of a mini fridge, and weight about as much. TheS750 includes seven sealed, wall-mountable two-way satellites speakers. Each satellite features a 3.5-inch polymer midrange driver and a 1-inch titanium tweeter. The use of a titanium tweeter was quite a surprise as they're normally used in much more expensive high end speaker system.

The subwoofer used in Creative S750 features an 8-inch downward-firing woofer in a single-ported enclosure. Firing the subwoofer down on the floor generally increases the bass output because the floor is used as an extension of the woofer's cone. The speaker cables attach to the satellites via wire spring clips and plug into the amp with RCA connectors. The sub enclosure also houses the GigaWork's amp.

The GigaWorks amp puts out 700 watts - making the S750 the most powerful computer speaker system you can buy. The next closest system has 200 watts less power. The power is divided into 210 watts to the subwoofer and 70 watts to each of the satellite speakers. One thing for sure, you won't be lacking for power with this setup.

Wired Break Out Box & Remote

The wired control module attaches to the subwoofer amp via a DIN plug. The unit features top-mounted power, volume up/down, select, and the up-mix buttons that turns 5.1 and 6.1 into 7.1 sound. Up-mix give you a choice of three modes: off, 5.1 to 7.1 and 6.1 to 7.1. Headphone and auxiliary audio input jacks are at the the front of the module, along with the M-Port jack, which lets you directly plug in a Creative MuVo NX MP3 player for the ultimate MP3 listening experience. Lining the side of the break out book are a slew of LED status lights.

It's a good thing Creative included a wireless remote with the S750 because working with the wired break out box can be cumbersome. Pretty much anything you can do with the wired control module can be done with the wireless remote, with the exception of the mic/headphone/MP3 player inputs and status lights. The remote is powered by two included AA batteries and should last for 2 years under normal use.

The remote buttons are all the same size and, with the exception of the power button, the same color. They're a bit small for big hands but they have a nice feel to them. We did wish for bigger volume up and down buttons however.

Where To Buy It

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Setting Up & Testing

Setting up the Creative GigaWorks S750 take a lot longer than most speaker system because of the sheer amount of hardware involved. Extra time should be taken to make sure all the satellite speakers are wired up with the correct phasing and plugged into the correct amp input. For best result, the S750 should be used with a true 7.1 channel sound card like the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS.

{mosgoogle}You don't really need a 7.1 sound card to use the GigaWorks S750 because the wired break-out module can turn any stereo or surround signal into 7.1 sound using up-mixing technology. However, the sound will not be a good or as accurate as using a discrete 7.1 sound card. After trying the S750 with a normal 5.1 sound card and then with a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS we can definitely say spend the extra money for a true 7.1 sound card.

Putting You In The Game

There is no doubt about it, computer gaming is where the GigaWorks S750 shines like a star. We fired up Soldier of Fortune II and we were simply blown away! You want to talk about being right in the middle of the action? The S750 does just that!

We could track enemies coming in from all over us, including the sides and the back. The S750 210 Watt subwoofer delivered explosions with thundering results and the satellite speakers did a great job of creating an "in the middle of the action" soundfield. No other surround speaker system has ever engrossed us with such an impressive gaming performance. The extra 2 channels used by GigaWorks really helps to open up the virtual space around us - to the point where, if you close your eye, you really thought you were in the actual playing field.

Where To Buy It

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DVD And Music Playback

{mosgoogle}DVD playback performed almost as well as gaming but because home DVD currently doesn't have native 7.1 surround, the effects wasn't as amazing as when playing games that support 7.1 sound. We found up-mixing a 5.1 DVD to 7.1 to be a mix bag. Sometimes it helps to improve the ambient, but more often than not it offer no improvements over standard THX or DTS encoding.

Music playback is the S750's weak point. Comparing the music playback to the Logitech Z5500, the S750 was simply beaten hands down. The S750 woofer lacked the tight bass and deep extension the Z-5500's bigger 10-inch subwoofer can achieve. While firing the S750 subwoofer down did create more volume it also made for looser and boomier base response. The mids and highs lack the clear focus found in the Z-5500. This has more to do with the S750's subwoofer coloring the satellite speakers than anything. A bit of equalization was able to correct the problem but the the sonic quality never got to the same level as the Z-5500.

Conclusion

If gaming is your thing and you're looking for the ultimate speaker setup, the GigaWorks S750 is it. When combined with a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS sound card, the S750 provided a gaming performance unmatched by anything else. As a PC based home theater setup, the S750 gets the job done but there are other systems on the market that produce better results at a lower price. Music lowers will want to stay away from the S750 completely.

Where To Buy It