Creative GigaWorks S750 review: Creative GigaWorks S750
summary
From 5.1 to 6.1 to 7.1, the march toward more audio channels presses ever onward. At the forefront of this trend is Creative, both at the source, with its 7.1-channel-supporting Audigy 2 ZS sound cards (as well as the Audigy 2 NX external device), and on the output end, with its GigaWorks S750 7.1-channel speakers. At $499, the GigaWorks S750 set defines the high end of PC speakers in price, and its performance with PC games demonstrates why. Music-listening bliss was just a notch or two away from ideal, but home-theater enthusiasts who lean more toward DVD watching will be more than satisfied.
Creative’s flagship multimedia speaker system, the $499 GigaWorks S750 is targeted at hard-core video gamers and DVD aficionados. This 7.1-channel ensemble is Creative’s best-sounding speaker system to date, but there are a few snags. For the uninitiated (for whom we’d recommend our recent surround-sound buying guide), a 7. 1-channel speaker set differs from a 5.1 set by supporting two rear-channel speakers in addition to 5.1’s standard combination of three front speakers, two on the side, and one subwoofer. These added outputs mostly benefit gamers because 7.1 discrete channels can be rendered in PC games via Microsoft’s DirectSound and Creative’s EAX software processing. Less accurate up-mixing is required to yield 7.1-channels from DVDs or CDs, as a true 7.1 standard has not yet been adopted for home-entertainment media.
The seven sealed, wall-mountable satellites are two-way units, with a 3.5-inch polymer midrange driver and a 1-inch titanium tweeter. The single-ported, down-firing subwoofer houses an 8-inch driver that blasts bass from the bottom of the unit. The speaker cables attach to the GigaWorks S750’s satellites via wire spring clips, and they plug into the subwoofer-based amp with RCA-type connectors. Though a little more complicated to set up, standard speaker wires do allow more installation flexibility and might be appreciated by some.
The Creative GigaWorks S750’s power specification rivals that of some A/V receivers; and Creative appears to have documented its power output ratings genuinely. Multimedia speaker vendors have had a habit of reporting what’s known as peak wattage, which refers to the output at its highest level. This number is not sustainable over time, however, so a more accurate value is continuous wattage, also known as watts RMS («—=»» rel=»nofollow»>&siteid=7&edid=&lop=txt&destcat=ex_1&destUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwhatis%2Etechtarget%2Ecom%2Fdefinition%2F0%2C%2Csid9%5Fgci213722%2C00%2Ehtml»>root-mean-square). In this case, Creative reports RMS wattage only in its documentation, which states that the amp delivers 70 watts RMS to each of the satellites and 210 watts RMS to the subwoofer.
The wired control module sports top-mounted power, volume-down, volume-up, select, and upmix buttons. Upmix toggles between three modes: off, 5.1 to 7.1, and 6.1 to 7. 1. Headphone and auxiliary audio input jacks adorn the front of the module, accompanied by a USB-esque M-Port jack, which lets you digitally stream audio to the speakers directly from Creative’s Nomad Jukebox Zen NX MP3 player. Downsides of the control module include its status LEDs; we’d rather see a more informative text or numeric display. We’d also prefer a volume knob to the puny buttons. At least the included remote control effectively untethers you from the control module.
The Creative GigaWorks S750’s performance chops are strongest with video games. When we fired up Soldier of Fortune II, the sonic canvas effectively surrounded us. Enemies could be tracked coming in from all angles, including from the sides and the back. The GigaWorks S750’s sub delivered explosions with suitable impact, and the satellites did a good job of creating a convincing 3D soundfield. In general, the 7.1-speaker system created a more engrossing gaming experience than we’ve had with 5.1- and 6.1-speaker setups.
Gladiator’s «Hell Unleashed» scene proved that the GigaWorks S750 is no slouch in the home-theater department, either. As the battle raged, arrows flew across the soundstage from front to rear, convincingly popping and whizzing. The center speaker delivered dialogue clearly, striking a good balance between brightness and smoothness of the treble so that voices pop out at you sufficiently, but not to the extent that they will hurt your ears. Partially thanks to its two-way satellite speaker design, the GigaWorks S750 doesn’t suffer from the huge midrange hole that plagues some subwoofer/satellite systems. The GigaWorks S750’s subwoofer doesn’t sound as tight as the subwoofer employed by the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 speakers, but respectably enough, it’s about on a par with the Logitech Z-680’s sub. By expanding the ambient soundfield, the up-mixing feature helped us feel that we were in the middle of the action, but it didn’t yield significant benefits over listening to a Digital Theater Studios DTS-ES-encoded soundtrack through 6. 1 speakers.
Music is the GigaWorks S750’s weakest performance point, but the set still performs better than average. To test the system’s clarity, we fired up Pachelbel’s Canon. The music did have a nice airy quality, but playing the same track through our Event 20/20 studio monitors revealed considerable additional sonic detail. While playing Outkast’s «Two Dope Boys in a Cadillac,» we were surprised to find that the GigaWorks S750 didn’t have enough volume on tap to get extremely loud. It’s certainly powerful enough for near and midfield listening, but don’t plan on using the system in a large home theater. The GigaWorks S750 did handle the track’s deep bass frequencies fairly well, though we’ve heard a punchier, more agile sound from high-quality, home-audio subwoofers, for instance.
If you’re a hard-core gamer, the Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro and GigaWorks S750 combo is the rig to get. It’s also a good system for PC-based DVD theaters, but conventional home-theater users will generally fare better with a home theater in a box, such as JVC’s TH-M65, which includes a DVD player.
summary
From 5.1 to 6.1 to 7.1, the march toward more audio channels presses ever onward. At the forefront of this trend is Creative, both at the source, with its 7.1-channel-supporting Audigy 2 ZS sound cards (as well as the Audigy 2 NX external device), and on the output end, with its GigaWorks S750 7.1-channel speakers. At $499, the GigaWorks S750 set defines the high end of PC speakers in price, and its performance with PC games demonstrates why. Music-listening bliss was just a notch or two away from ideal, but home-theater enthusiasts who lean more toward DVD watching will be more than satisfied.
Creative’s flagship multimedia speaker system, the $499 GigaWorks S750 is targeted at hard-core video gamers and DVD aficionados. This 7.1-channel ensemble is Creative’s best-sounding speaker system to date, but there are a few snags. For the uninitiated (for whom we’d recommend our recent surround-sound buying guide), a 7.1-channel speaker set differs from a 5.1 set by supporting two rear-channel speakers in addition to 5. 1’s standard combination of three front speakers, two on the side, and one subwoofer. These added outputs mostly benefit gamers because 7.1 discrete channels can be rendered in PC games via Microsoft’s DirectSound and Creative’s EAX software processing. Less accurate up-mixing is required to yield 7.1-channels from DVDs or CDs, as a true 7.1 standard has not yet been adopted for home-entertainment media.
The seven sealed, wall-mountable satellites are two-way units, with a 3.5-inch polymer midrange driver and a 1-inch titanium tweeter. The single-ported, down-firing subwoofer houses an 8-inch driver that blasts bass from the bottom of the unit. The speaker cables attach to the GigaWorks S750’s satellites via wire spring clips, and they plug into the subwoofer-based amp with RCA-type connectors. Though a little more complicated to set up, standard speaker wires do allow more installation flexibility and might be appreciated by some.
The Creative GigaWorks S750’s power specification rivals that of some A/V receivers; and Creative appears to have documented its power output ratings genuinely. Multimedia speaker vendors have had a habit of reporting what’s known as peak wattage, which refers to the output at its highest level. This number is not sustainable over time, however, so a more accurate value is continuous wattage, also known as watts RMS («—=»» rel=»nofollow»>&siteid=7&edid=&lop=txt&destcat=ex_1&destUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwhatis%2Etechtarget%2Ecom%2Fdefinition%2F0%2C%2Csid9%5Fgci213722%2C00%2Ehtml»>root-mean-square). In this case, Creative reports RMS wattage only in its documentation, which states that the amp delivers 70 watts RMS to each of the satellites and 210 watts RMS to the subwoofer.
The wired control module sports top-mounted power, volume-down, volume-up, select, and upmix buttons. Upmix toggles between three modes: off, 5.1 to 7.1, and 6.1 to 7.1. Headphone and auxiliary audio input jacks adorn the front of the module, accompanied by a USB-esque M-Port jack, which lets you digitally stream audio to the speakers directly from Creative’s Nomad Jukebox Zen NX MP3 player. Downsides of the control module include its status LEDs; we’d rather see a more informative text or numeric display. We’d also prefer a volume knob to the puny buttons. At least the included remote control effectively untethers you from the control module.
The Creative GigaWorks S750’s performance chops are strongest with video games. When we fired up Soldier of Fortune II, the sonic canvas effectively surrounded us. Enemies could be tracked coming in from all angles, including from the sides and the back. The GigaWorks S750’s sub delivered explosions with suitable impact, and the satellites did a good job of creating a convincing 3D soundfield. In general, the 7.1-speaker system created a more engrossing gaming experience than we’ve had with 5.1- and 6.1-speaker setups.
Gladiator’s «Hell Unleashed» scene proved that the GigaWorks S750 is no slouch in the home-theater department, either. As the battle raged, arrows flew across the soundstage from front to rear, convincingly popping and whizzing. The center speaker delivered dialogue clearly, striking a good balance between brightness and smoothness of the treble so that voices pop out at you sufficiently, but not to the extent that they will hurt your ears. Partially thanks to its two-way satellite speaker design, the GigaWorks S750 doesn’t suffer from the huge midrange hole that plagues some subwoofer/satellite systems. The GigaWorks S750’s subwoofer doesn’t sound as tight as the subwoofer employed by the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 speakers, but respectably enough, it’s about on a par with the Logitech Z-680’s sub. By expanding the ambient soundfield, the up-mixing feature helped us feel that we were in the middle of the action, but it didn’t yield significant benefits over listening to a Digital Theater Studios DTS-ES-encoded soundtrack through 6.1 speakers.
Music is the GigaWorks S750’s weakest performance point, but the set still performs better than average. To test the system’s clarity, we fired up Pachelbel’s Canon. The music did have a nice airy quality, but playing the same track through our Event 20/20 studio monitors revealed considerable additional sonic detail. While playing Outkast’s «Two Dope Boys in a Cadillac,» we were surprised to find that the GigaWorks S750 didn’t have enough volume on tap to get extremely loud. It’s certainly powerful enough for near and midfield listening, but don’t plan on using the system in a large home theater. The GigaWorks S750 did handle the track’s deep bass frequencies fairly well, though we’ve heard a punchier, more agile sound from high-quality, home-audio subwoofers, for instance.
If you’re a hard-core gamer, the Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro and GigaWorks S750 combo is the rig to get. It’s also a good system for PC-based DVD theaters, but conventional home-theater users will generally fare better with a home theater in a box, such as JVC’s TH-M65, which includes a DVD player.
Creative GigaWorks S750 Review — IGN
By M. Wiley
Updated: Oct 24, 2011 10:03 pm
Posted: Dec 17, 2003 12:48 am
I previewed these monsters as soon as we moved into our new digs in the upscale section of the already upscale town of Brisbane, CA. At the time had an Audigy 1 installed on my baby Dell and hadn’t used the advanced 6.1/7.1 performance. Nontheless, as soon as I fired them up I knew they’d be earning good marks. For many people Creative’s MegaWorks were the speakers to get for high-end 5.1 sound. I’ve always been sold on the Klipsch sub, but the MegaWorks were no joke. Thanks to the additional speakers and the reworked configuration, the GigaWorks have the same impact on the market that the MegaWorks did a couple years ago.
One of the cool things (at least for Creative) about the GigaWorks S750 system is that it has no competition. Klipsch and Logitech are still both on 5.1 for their high-end systems and there’s no one else to speak of. (At one point Altec would have been included, but they’ve been sleeping.) If you want solid 6.1/7.1, the GigaWorks are the only way to go. At least Creative isn’t being lazy with its corner on the market. In fact, it seems as if the designers used everything they had for this excellent system.
The GigaWorks replace the MegaWorks as Creative’s flagship speakers. They are available in two flavors: 5.1 (S700) and 7.1 (S750). The prices are $399.99 and $499.99, respectively. The systems are the same except for the number of satellites and amps. The S750 is more powerful because it has to power two extra speakers. Because of the similarities, this review is applicable to both models. Value is not linear, but you can decide for yourself whether the extra two channels are worth the extra two bills.
There’s no hiding the fact that the GigaWorks S750s are squarely aimed at an extremely narrow slice of the high-end PC crowd. Obviously, the price will simply be too much for most users to stomach. The company understands this, and understands that the market for an upgrade of this magnitude is relatively small, but is committed to delivering cutting edge solutions. I know that sounds kind of corny, but it’s true. It takes nuts (and deep pockets) to release a high-end 7.1 system when you know it won’t be a top seller. However, Creative’s willingness to take this risk is admirable. And hell, no one else is doing it.
For the preview I had only used the system with an old Audigy, the first model. Afterward, I moved the heavy-ass system to my apartment, where I ran it with an Audigy 2 ZS. This was necessary to enjoy the 6.1/7.1 without a complete upmix on the part of the system. The upmix option is useful if you have an older card, but an appropriate card yields a superior sound.
As I mentioned in the preview, GigaWorks satellites employ a two-way design. The MegaWorks satellites delivered sound through a single driver that handled both midrange and treble. Logitech uses the same configuration for its flagship Z-680 system and it can work well. That said, the new satellites sound really outstanding. By now I have watched several movies, played several games, and listened to a ton of music. The satellites have performed well with all material. The addition of tweeters is immediately appreciable. The top of the treble is much cleaner and brighter than the MegaWorks satellites. The treble is also brighter than that from the Klipsch Ultra satellites. In a small, hard-surfaced environment, you might even have to attenuate the high end. (I have this problem with my B&Ws, which are too hot for my small, wood-floored space.) High frequency details come through clean and strong — not sizzly, but strong. The upside of this is that well-recorded material sounds great; the downside is that your library of 128kbps MP3s is going to sound like garbage. The messy high end will become obvious and you will wonder why you didn’t listen to everyone who told you to bump it up to at least 192kbps.
The midrange drivers do an equally good job with material. The response is balanced and wide open. Thanks to a wide, detailed sound stage, the satellites create an inviting environment with even stereo material. I never use anything but the fronts with straight stereo material, especially when I am testing speakers. It’s easy to create a lot of noise with more speakers, but it makes for a tricky experience. Off-axis sound from the drivers is very good, which means that you needn’t sit in a tight sweet spot to hear everything.
The new sub is a monster. The gargantuan ProMedia Ultra sub still dwarfs it, but it is still quite large. The design is the same as the MegaWorks sub, with sound coming from one downward-firing driver and a port on the side. The sub has a massive aural presence. It cannot match the Klipsch Ultra sub for detail and subtlety. The speed and low end extension are both very impressive; PC theater buffs will love the way it sounds. Demanding music fans will want to sample the Klipsch Ultras before investing, but there’s no way the GigaWorks will disappoint. (When you get to this level of performance it is really a matter of taste.)
Controls are split between a wired module and a wireless remote, both new. The remote is convenient, especially if you have the speakers installed in a PC theater system, but as a whole a find the controls a bit sluggish. Firstly, there is no volume knob. A knob might be old school, but it is good as control gets. The biggest advantage is the ability to quickly turn down the sound. With the GigaWorks you must use the volume buttons, which change the levels slowly. This was one of the weak points of the system. I got used to it, but when I returned to the Klipsch module I realized how superior a plain knob is.
The design of the module is pretty straightforward. Along the top are five buttons: power, volume up, volume down, select, and upmix. The select button toggles among master volume, center, side, rear, sub, and treble. A corresponding LED lights up on the front panel and then you adjust the level with the volume buttons. The upmix button allows the system to mix from either 5.1 or 6.1 to 7.1. I am guessing that it sends the surround signals and center signal to the rears in the first situation and simply splits the center rear signal in the latter. You have the same control options with the remote.
On the front of the control module there are three jacks: M-Port, line-in, and headphone out. M-Port is basically a USB audio port that allows you to plug an M-Port-equipped Creative portable directly to the system.
One thing the S750 really has going for it is power. At 700 watts RMS (70 per satellite and 210 for the sub) the system is the most powerful you can buy. I can say with confidence that it will fill any room with sound. I didn’t get to push it at extremely high levels, but after I move it home I can go nuts. At any rate, don’t worry about this system not being powerful enough. It is really loud and clean throughout its range.
Conclusion
This is a tricky one. I mean, it’s an outstanding system, but recommending a 7.1 rig is hard. Source material is just too rare for now. If you’re looking to future proof your PC sound system and can afford the price, then go for it. However, unless you can’t stand having a non-cutting edge system, you can save a good chunk of change and go for the 5. 1 version, or the Klipsch Ultras for that matter.
The GigaWorks sound excellent in every area. The sub might not lead the high-end category, but it is still impressive as hell. The control system could be better, but even that is not enough to hold back the GigaWorks. If you plan on investing in a high-end rig, then you need to check these before dropping money.
Highly recommended.
Creative GigaWorks S750 specifications, video review, reviews
Main characteristics
*
type | 7.1 |
Signal/noise 30007 | |
The number of frontal columns | 2 |
total capacity
*
RMS | 700W |
Power
*
Central Canal | 70 W |
RIGHTS | 70 W |
SABVUFER 9000 6 BT | |
Central rear 9000 70 VT 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 |
Frequency
*
Minimum | 20 Hz |
Maximum | 40,000 Hz |
Decoders
*
Dolby Pro Logic II | NO |
Dolby Digital | No |
DTS | NO |
NO 9000 |
Front speakers/satellites | plastic |
Subwoofer | plastic |
Interfaces
*
Nadimniki connector | is |
Support for memory cards SD | no |
Linery input (stereo) | is |
USB Type A (for flash drive) | not |
Features
*
Wall mount | No |
Built -in tuner | not |
power from USB | NO |
Remote control | |
Power supply from the network | is 9000 |