Creative GigaWorks T40 Series II 2.0 Speakers with BasXPort

My wife needed PC speakers that were clear so she could understand people in Zoom conference calls. She has some hearing loss and needs to accentuate certain frequencies. Her Win11 laptop speakers were anemic, as were her monitor speakers and several older pc speakers I had. She needed a set that was extremely frugal with her limited desktop real estate. She also needed at least a tone control. I could not believe how few pc speakers have tone controls these days. And navigating down multiple menu levels within the O/S to adjust tone is very inconvenient. Most speakers I found with a tone control were absolute pigs for the footprint they grabbed on the desktop. It was sticker shock when I found these speakers, but they ticked all the boxes, had good reviews, and I've been happy with Creative products in the past. These do a great job and she can understand everyone clearly. The two niggles I have with these speakers are: 1. After they power down (or sleep) after no audio for ten minutes, it takes several seconds for them to power back up after audio is detected. In my opinion, they should power up almost instantly. Due to the delay, she often misses the first few seconds of audio when she reviews a video or performs other tasks, and that frustrates her. The manual says you can just turn the off and on every time, but that requires quite a reach in her case and brings me to the next niggle. 2. To turn them off, on, adjust volume, and adjust tone controls, you must somehow grasp completely smooth knobs that are recessed so low into the front that there is hardly any of the knob to grasp. It is very uncomfortable to adjust the knobs. It's not a big deal because these are something you usually just set-and-forget. But, if you want to flip them off and on real quick to wake them up, you must deal with these almost ungraspable knobs. Overall, these are fantastic speakers. I am not deducting stars for these niggles. They have great fidelity, plenty of power, they are easy to set up, take up as little desktop space as possible, and they are good-looking. I would not hesitate to get them again.

This is an update to my prior review below from about 6 weeks ago... I thought my speakers were dead after 11 years. BUT, turns out it was totally operator error and I'm quite embarrassed. I seriously thought I had checked, double checked and then rechecked all connections to the speakers, computer, etc. and made sure everything was plugged in. I was ready to hit the the button to complete an order for a new set of these. But in my mind I couldn't believe and accept the fact they would have really completely stopped working. I decided to check one last time before putting them in the trash and sure enough, one of the connectors was not fully connected. First, I don't know how I didn't catch it the previous times I checked and second, the connectors are really secure so I don't know how this happened. Regardless, the speakers are working just as well as the day I bought them and they suit my needs perfectly!!! If you're on the fence I would bite the bullet and make the purchase. These are beyond amazing and a great price for the quality you are getting. I purchased these speakers in June if 2013 and overall was very happy with them. They were a bit larger than I would have liked but to me the sound was good and they are a nice looking speaker. I also liked the wired set up versus USB or wireless. I know many have complained about the auto shut off or standby feature but that wasn't really an issue for me. That is until a week ago when they simply never came back on. I think 11 years is a good run and honestly they still look brand new. While I'm giving these speakers 5 stars for everything I've just mentioned I'm not sure why but this go around I'm a bit reluctant to purchase these again. I'm looking at other options, maybe something smaller but most have a USB hookup. Also, I don't want to compromise on sound but don't want to spend a lot of money and I'm not sure I can find something better for this price. I'm anxious to get new speakers but don't want to make a rash decision.

Update: I recently upgraded my speakers as I wanted some more low end in my music. These speakers are decent for the price point but I was getting a little frustrated with the sound quality on them. Certainly not bad, but I will say I had these speakers for the shortest time of any set of speakers I have owned in the last 10 years. I am going to use them for an MP3 player setup downstairs so it isn't like they are getting thrown out or anything. These speakers are quite decent. They have some nice heft to them and the knobs have a very nice feel to them. They seem to be quite sturdy so I anticipate them lasting quite a while. I am pleasantly surprised by how sturdy they actually feel. The sound quality on them is quite good, I think I might still be burning them in as they only have about 7 or 8 hours of use on them so I expect it to even improve a bit more. For the price, these are some great speakers. I am not disappointed in my purchase the least bit. I really like being able to adjust the treble and bass on the speakers themselves, very nice feature that I have not had on a set of speakers in years. The headphone and aux jacks on the speakers are a nice touch too, these would actually make a nice setup for an mp3 player in my den, so there is a chance that a second set may be purchased in the near future. For my setup, I lay one speaker on it's side and it sits just under my monitor stand. That is not possible with these speakers. They are HUGE. They are a little more than a foot tall but only about 3 or 4 inches wide. Looking at the picture I did not think that they were going to be anything close to this size. I have one of them standing up next to a laptop that is open and on a docking station. The laptop has a 14 inch wide screen and the highest point of the speaker is slightly taller than that. That being said, the speakers aren't particularly wide or deep though so their foot print on my desk isn't anything crazy they are just tall. I am not using the stands for the speakers at this time but they seem to be as sturdy as the cabinets and they give you some hefty screws to attach them. The cord that connects the speakers together is a little bit on the short side. It does not appear that it can be easily changed either as the cord is not able to be removed from the left speaker. I am sure someone a bit more clever than myself could figure something out, but just straight out of the box it is lacking. It just bareley stretches around my two 24" widescreen monitors. The cord is not pulled completely tight but I probably only have 2 or 3 inches of slack so I would guess the connecting cord is only 3 feet long. I did not use the audio cable that came with the speakers as I already had one run to my computer. It looks like another standard 3 foot cable. Pros: Good sound quality for the price Sturdy Construction Bass and Treble adjustment knobs on the speaker Nice small power cable, it won't eat up more than port on a surge protector Cons: Surprisingly Tall Short cable connecting the speakers together

Update March 2026: Our ancient Sharp flat screen TV finally started to be lame, so we purchased a new Roku set. I was disappointed to learn that most TVs now connect to soundbars via Bluetooth. I'm not convinced Bluetooth is worthwhile, especially on stationary/non-portable equipment. For a while, I thought our TV had no headphone jack, which is the easiest way to connect the speakers. I was cleaning and happened to have a enough light to notice it was buried in a location near the ethernet cable connection. Today I had time to connect the GigaWorks T40 speakers that used to be connected to the old TV, which functioned for many years to make it so that we could actually follow the dialog on the programs we watched. This had become challenging with the new TV using the built-in speakers. What a big difference! We used to require the closed captions, but not anymore! These are great speakers for a PC, and also great for circumventing the idiotic way sound is mixed for new er movies and TV. The only real drawback is the trend of manufacturers obsessively using blue LEDs for everything. Not only annoying, but messes with night vision and circadian rhythms. In the one photo you may be able to tell I used a piece of translucent red plastic to cover the blue light around the volume knob. Original review:This is the second set of these speakers I've purchased. The first were connected to our TV to improve the sound quality. I've found that "theatre" speakers systems with more than 2 channels bury the dialogue, the entire reason we wanted better sound. Although these speakers are intended for a PC, they work perfect on any TV with an audio output. They are a bit large for a desktop, but the sound is quite good. The quality of construction is impressive. The appearance of the speakers is pleasant, without goofy shapes, lights or gimmicks. Bluetooth speakers usually have inconsistent connection quality. I only use them wired, and don't even know, or care, if these will connect via wireless.(edited for clarification)This second set of speakers were for my wife to use on ZOOM calls.

Pros: Great looks. Sounds is both clear and tremendously powerful for speakers of this size and price. Couldn't be easier to set-up. Versatile and well-equipped. No separate sub. Cons: Size isn't for everyone. No remote. Not having a separate subwoofer may be a dealbreaker for some. I recently moved into a studio apartment and I can't afford a massive sound system. Like many people I rely upon my laptop as pretty much my sole source of entertainment but was growing tired of using headphones and my valiant, but tiny Altec speakers on my HP laptop. Looking through Amazon.com, NewEgg.com, and Cnet.com was definitely an exercise in frustration. In fact, it took me two months of trolling through those sites and my local Best Buy before I gambled on these. I finally settled on the T40 because both the T20 and T40 have garnered solid reviews. Are they perfect? No, but neither are most reviewers. But generally no one had horror studies to tell (ahem, JBL, ahem) and the only complaints seemed anal-retentive. A sale price of 99.00 on Amazon.com was also perfect and the lack of a subwoofer was a plus. Finally, I've owned a few Creative products in the past...MP3 players, etc...remember soundblaster? And while they were often on the fringe of the mainstream, they have always been solid and never poorly made. I want to break this review into several parts based on how I went about choosing these speakers: 1. Looks: with a sophisticated design and piano-black exterior, these speakers are very fancy looking. On my black lacquer Ikea desk, they look outstanding. Of course, like a shiny black BMW, they do require weekly dusting but I find it to be worth it (buy a Swifter). You will get nice comments from your friends, trust me. That being said, these speakers are a full 12 inches high, so they may be bigger than what you're looking for. Each speaker is slightly canted upwards for optimal sound since they are essentially pointing towards your head. 2. Versatility and Ease of use. There is everything you need here. You have a TV aux in (with included RCA adapter), Aux in, Headphone jack and a standard audio cable for hooking up to your laptop. The power adapter is smaller than most laptop adapters and doesn't even get hot. Wires are needed obviously but are minimal and easy to tie up. There is a Bass/Treble/Volume button right on the front so adjustments couldn't be easier. Very clean and thoughtful set up. People complain about the blue light around the volume button but c'mon. I don't even notice it. People need to calm down. Incidentally, I prefer the dust covers on and overall, the speakers are very chic and modern. 3. Sound: You might notice I put this third. Well, that's because I didn't have high expectations from a two speaker setup. But let me tell you, these speaker will SPOIL you. Pinback sounds amazingly clear and concert-like. Nine inch Nails sounds awesomely angry and loud. Deadmau5, Daftpunk, and Kaskade sound club-ready. Yankees Games sound crisp. Top Gear sounds terrific. These speakers have ALL the bass you need without any of the headaches (rattling furniture, angry neighbors). The high and mid-range sound is quite frankly excellent for two single speakers without any separate tweeters, etc. These speakers are great all-rounders for both movies, music, and internet use. Are other speakers better? Sure, but I bet you'll pay more for them and have to accomodate an ugly subwoofer to boot. 4. Price: There are not many other worthwhile alternatives that offer this sort of quality at this price. The Altec/Logitech crowd designs range from comical and horrendous to just plain tacky. The JBL designs are cool but like a BMW, their reliability sucks. Bose is laughably overpriced. Really little to complain about here. So there you have it. Great looking. Excellent Design. Terrific Sound. Good value. What more do you need?

These speakers are by no means large. For such expensive speakers, they are quite small. When it comes to sound, the more expensive the speakers are, the larger they tend to get and the better they sound. For $245 dollars, or whatever sale price Amazon chooses to set them at, they had better put out supreme quality. The major complain I see with these speakers is that there isn't deep enough bass at their price. If you are going to get these speakers, you are going to want them for their simplicity and size. They don't take up half of your desk, and they don't have a massive woofer shoving out obscenely low bass. If you feel the need to make your neighbor's house vibrate when you turn your speakers up, these won't do the trick. They can not and will not hit the lows of a woofer, but I wouldn't listen to my music with that much bass even if I had the choice, so it doesn't effect me. Assembly is quick and painless. There are a total of 3 cords; one to plug into the computer, one that connects the speakers, and a power cable. The cords are all nice and long, allowing you to place the speakers just about anywhere you wish around your computer. For these cords to not become a jumbled mess, I suggest that you keep any excess cord tied together, only using what you absolutely need to make everything reach everything else. Besides plugging everything in, the only other bit of setup is screwing the base of the speakers into the speakers themselves with a screwdriver, easy stuff. The speakers are simple to use, which I like. There is a headphone jack and an auxiliary input on the front, which allows you to plug in things like gaming headsets, iPods, and MP3 players. There are 3 knobs on the front as well for sound adjustment. There is the standard volume knob, then there is the bass and treble knobs, I tend to keep them both at about a 2 o'clock angle. At this price, you are not going to get the absolute best speakers out there if you look purely at sound quality. If you want that, buy the massive $250 dollar speakers complete with a 12x12 woofer. If you want speakers that give excellent sound quality while portable and space-friendly, these speakers are for you. Pros: -Excellent sound quality -Don't take up that much room -Easy to assemble -Portable Cons: -Not the absolute best for their price -Bass can't go to massive lows

Updated review after almost 2 years: These are the worst speakers I have ever purchased. They sound terrible, the power saving mode is infuriating. They are huge and take up twice as much room as the old versions while sounding five times worse. I can't believe they are this bad when they old versions were so good. Stay away from Creative Old review: I bought these to replace my old Creative speakers that died from a lightning strike. This newer model has an extra cone on each speaker for about the same price, so that was a no-brainer upgrade. which would be the case except there is another new "feature" on these speakers that is about to make me crush them with a mallet and abandon the Creative brand forever: there's some sort of energy saving mode built in that automatically turns the speakers off until they sense that audio is trying to be played. When audio is sensed, the speakers will turn on, ABOUT TEN SECONDS LATER. Why would I ever want speakers that don't play when I want them to? They're plugged into the wall, there's no need to save battery or some minuscule amount of power draw by cutting the speakers off every few minutes. I HATE this "feature" and I wish I had discovered it while I could still get my money back. If this is how Creative is making their electronics now, then I will be staying away in the future.

I bought these speakers back in 2020, when they were ~$100 (oof). These speakers are still going strong and incredible for my needs. The sound quality is great and it has adjustable bass and treble. It is boomy - which I like but the sound is still very clear. I have an NYC unit thus can't have real subwoofers. These speakers provide ample loudness and even solid vibrations without it being a nuisance to neighbors. I highly recommend this for most people in tight spaces/apartments, especially if you want some surround sound without an actual bass. It also does get loud if you want but very adjustible. It was a fantastic value for the money when I bought it and its still going.

Dual base . Amazing sound clarity for this little speaker. Even though price is little high it’s worth every paise.. better than 2.1 speakers as it has dual base and we can hear mid tones clearly

A little background: I have gone through a lot of speakers over the years for various reasons (upgrades, speakers stop working, damaged drivers). Once I got my first 2.1 set I knew I always wanted a sub-woofer in all my speaker sets. But as I upgraded into larger speakers over the years, my taste in music changed to those tunes that employed heavy bass and beats. Now that I listen to these speakers, I sort of realize why. Most 2.1 PC speakers are enjoyable for many types of music, movies and games (explosions). But, if you want to enjoy an immersive audio experience, you need to turn the volume up. At which point the bass becomes overpowering and disturbing to (neighbours or other people living in the house). REASON for 2.0: The fact that I enjoy loud music and the general lack of space in my room pushed me into looking for quality 2.0 speakers. I had heard a Bose audio dock and couple of other (premium) smallish speakers without subs throw a descent amount of bass. So I figured why not? After a little research, I picked these up. Research: [...] BUILD: Awesome. PROS : They are heavy for just satellites. So there seems to be a good amp(s) and quality drivers in there. The controls are just perfect (although a little smooth to grip properly). Bass, Treble and volume - Brilliant classic controls. The speakers themselves don't take a lot of space on the table. There is a snug-fitting grill on the front that is easily removable. Those orangish-yellow cones look even better in real. There is a power adapter with a reasonable length cable on it. The cable connecting the two speakers are long enough for two wide screen monitors. Overall build feels a thousand bucks. :) CONS (Not really): These are quite tall (you may read that mentioned often). Its not tall in a bad way, just oddly tall :P AUDIO: immersive and full-bodied PROS: The speakers have a very flat response and most music sounds quite natural. I wouldn't really consider them studio monitors but they come close. The mid's and treble's are especially detailed. I'm just amazed at the clarity the speakers provide. I was able to enjoy songs I hadn't heard in a long time and could hear nuances and instruments in the background. You know you have good speakers when you enjoy music like that. At 32 Watts the speakers aren't exceptionally loud. However, they are loud enough to fill a room and more than loud enough if you are sitting in front of them. Even at the max volume, there is surprisingly minimal distortion. The specs mention a frequency response starting at 50HZ. Not so sure about that, but it can deliver good audible bass (100Hz) with a little tweaking. Using the sound-card's EQ settings, I increase the bass at around 100HZ mark by a few decibels. The bass/treble controls on the speakers have a broader range and aren't as specific as a proper equalizer. However, they still do a great job and I use them on the fly when required. Also to note the, volume/bass/treble controls apply to headphones connected to the speakers as well (which is rare and awesome) CONS : If you have used 2.1's before, you will definitely find the earth shaking bass missing. There is no sub! If you want to shake the floor, get something else. SUMMARY: I bought them at $109 on sale and I feel like that was a steal ! I have had 200 Watt 2.1 systems which I enjoyed for other reasons (parties). This speaker however, I have been enjoying it personally ! If you are looking for 2.0 systems, i think they are good buy no matter what.

Bocinas de un tamaño considerable, pero debido a sus 2 driver por bocinas se pueden lograr una sonido fuerte y sin mucha distorción. Los bajos se perciben mas profundo gracias al diseño de las mismas bocinas sin embargo los medios se llegan a perder un poco, sin embargo esto no supone un problema para disfrutar de la musica o sonido a un muy buen nivel de volumen, ademas debido a su control de bajos y tremble se puede regular para tener un sonido nitido la mayoria de las veces Su nivel de volumen bastante aceptable, lo destacable es su desempeño con un DAC son capaces de soportar salidas altas y amplificadas aunque de esta manera se puede acentuar el problema en los medios, la potencia y claridad que ofrecen son muy buenas sorprendetemente los bajos no distorcionan mucho con el sonido amplificado por el DAC

Halten was sie versprechen, guter Klang, gute Technik. Und sehen noch gut aus.

excellent speakers, really good quality