TR Forums

Hi,

should I get

Creative Inspire 4.1 m4500
http://asia.creative.com/products/produ ... stby=usage

or

Creative SBS 5.1 A500
http://asia.creative.com/products/produ ... stby=usage

I want to get serround sound in GAMES, I am on a budget but I can buy Creative SBS A500 5.1 if it's worth it.

I wonder if the center speaker would make a difference,without it they are the almost the same.

Thank you

Depends on the quality of the center. Some drivers can even emulate a center speaker from the fronts if necessary. Without knowing what sound card you have, I don't know if you have that capability. I use my PC for everything (music, movies, games), so having a high-quality center is very important for me.

4.1 just for games would probably be okay. Heck, I ran 4.1 for everything for years, just using a phantom. I'm there again now, because my new sound card (Asus Xonar) has revealed to me that my center speaker isn't that great, and I have to try some others until I find what suits my ears best. In your case, the center matches the fronts exactly, so you won't wind up with a tonal mismatch. If the price difference isn't huge, and you plan on keeping this for a long time, go with the 5.1- it'll be more future-proof. Better to have and not need, than need and not have.

Pick the 4.1 set. It allegedly has better SNR and probably better bass, as far as you can call a 40 Hz limit "good".
A center speaker won't make much of a difference to you, and the 5.1 set especially isn't worth it if it's more expensive.

Center speakers are best for balancing out the sound in home theatre arrangements especially when the speakers are all far apart.

And kvndoom, you're on the wrong path to redemption, you do NOT use center speakers for music. Ever. You just don't do that.

Why not go with Logitech X-540 or X-530 if you can find a good deal? They seem to be fine for music, but less punchy than competing products.

Meadows wrote:

Pick the 4.1 set. It allegedly has better SNR and probably better bass, as far as you can call a 40 Hz limit "good".
A center speaker won't make much of a difference to you, and the 5.1 set especially isn't worth it if it's more expensive.

Center speakers are best for balancing out the sound in home theatre arrangements especially when the speakers are all far apart.

And kvndoom, you're on the wrong path to redemption, you do NOT use center speakers for music. Ever. You just don't do that.

Too lazy to change my settings every time i switch to doing something else with the computer. Once I actually get a good center speaker (may take some time and money for that...) I'll do some objective listening and decide what I really like the most. My Audigy2 with kx drivers allowed me a lot more flexibility than I have now, and I had my setup tweaked to (my) perfection, as far as tonal balance and imaging. So even though the Xonar possesses vastly superior sound quality, I'm having to learn how to listen to stuff all over again.

Granted, Dolby Headphone mode is freaking incredible. The one time I do bother to change modes is when I put my cans on.