Am I expecting too much from Gigaworks T40

[LadFromWales]

Just bought myself a set of Creative Gigaworks T40's for my desk, so that I can have sound coming from in front of me...I have been using my CA 640R and B&W601's which are situated behind me around the TV.

Only had them a day, am relatively happy with the highs, but the lows sound muddy and hollow. I know with the kevlar drivers they'd require some breaking in, but I can't imagine any amount of breaking in will get rid of the muddy sounding lows. Some of the padding used in bigger speakers might help though!
I bought this set over a 2.1 as I am not looking for ground breaking bass, just some half decent speakers to use for music playback when using the main setup is inappropriate/inconvenient.

Should I take them back and look into something else? I don't want to spend a fortune, though these were £97! Maybe a T-Amp and some smallish bookshelf speakers?

Any advice appreciated from either the pro-T40 or pro-something else camps!

 

[jmc007]

should have listened to them first. **** of a statement I know, but everyone must be thinking it, even yourself.
Nah, I would take them back and be more careful next time you buy speakers, knowing you are so finnicky about your sound.
Now you need someone who really knows something about speakers to help you. *Or just repeat what I said earlier.

 

[LadFromWales]

I did listen to them first, but every set of pc speakers I tested sounded like rubbish, as any set of small speakers would within a large popular useless PC yellow purple and red store.
Tried Logitech Z4's, overbearing bass and awful sounding tinny satellites. Tried the new JBL spots and the old creatures, Harmon Kardon soundsticks. The JBL's sounded best of them all in the poor conditions, driven by a PDA with a quiet output.

I know these aren't going to compare to a decent pair of fullsize speakers and a powerful amp, but given the price in comparison to other similar PC speakers, I expected them to sound at least half decent.

I was lucky with my B&W speakers, I bought them blind as there was no way I could possibly hear them before purchase, and am well happy with them. Perhaps there are better sounding (to me) speakers for similar money available, but if I don't know that it can't hurt me!

Going to take these back when I can get to the superstore, later or tomorrow, and will go back to using my setup behind me for now. But what to get instead Small bookshelf speakers would be ok, but it's the amp thats the issue, even a CA A5 is 43cm wide which is too big for the desk!

 

[Uriel]

The B&W DM601s are a stunning set of speakers. I used to have a set. Yes you're really asking too much for an affordable set of PC speakers to match them.

Unfortunately, I don't think you'll do much better than the T40s for the money.

 

[-Ad-]

, just some half decent speakers to use for music playback when using the main setup is inappropriate/inconvenient.

Honestly, coming from some 601 and a CA amp, I don't see the logic. A cheapy pair of pc speakers will be no match for your separates.

Send them back then try a cheapy amp and speakers, but then again you already have that. Maybe some nice headphones will do, as headphones offer much better SQ for music compared to speakers/amp when you factor in the price difference.

 

[LadFromWales]

Uriel: What do you have now? You say you had a set of DM601's...
I am not expecting a set of pc speakers to match them. The mids and highs are fine, it's just the lows sound muddy, probably due to the empty speaker casing, no accoustic foam inside. Foam inside would probably help a little. Air also comes through the headphone and aux sockets, creating noise. Plugged them with blu-tak!

-Ad-: I already have a cheapy amp and speakers? I had no speakers on my desk before I bought these...
I have a set of Audio Technika A900 headphones, fantastic closed cans, well raved about on head-fi at the time of purchase, imported from Japan! Perhaps a good headphone amp for those would be good, as the headphone output from my 640R leaves a lot to be desired

It really doesn't help that I have a bit of a cold at the moment, it always floods my ears and I lose the ability to hear bass sounds as much, everything sounds muffled!