Within the computer space, speaker technology has developed in leaps and bounds over recent years with companies like Creative, Logitech and formerly Videologic producing speakers that have gained respect, albeit grudgingly, from audio professionals. After all, having a sound card with the processing power of a nuclear station counts for nothing if the sound is being squeezed through a pair of little plastic boxes that cost less than a couple of beers. So do Creative’s Gigaworks ProGamer G500s push the audio envelope still further? As of writing the set isn’t yet available to buy in the UK, with the expected arrival date. They can be picked up in the states

As its name suggest, the set is a 5.1 speaker system designed primarily for the PC gamer and offers a claimed 620W of power- that’s a lot of wallop for a set this size. It’s a no-nonsense affair that only offers analogue input connections, the only nod towards gadgetry being the CMSS ‘upmix’ option. Fighting through the mass of plastic wrapped cables and speakers reveals five identical satellites (the centre just has the grill badge in a horizontal position and rubber feet) and a very solid sub and amplifier. Speaker grills are removable and are made of metal, rather than the soft fibre variety, which could be beneficial if you’re in an environment where small people are likely to poke their fingers into speaker cones.

After a successful launch in America, Creative now launches the GigaWorks ProGamer G500 speaker set in Europe. The set is touted to be the perfect partner for the new Soundblaster X-Fi series, to get the maximum out of the sound capabilities of this 51million transistor card. With it 310 Watts RMS blasting over the 5.1 combination, this is the right set for a serious gamer. It has a genuine THX certification and that means you can get the maximum out of your movies as well, not that we at 3DVelocity can find a detailed description of exactly what’s needed to get domestic THX certification. Creative allowed us the honour of being the lucky ones to run this European premier.

Creative’s lightweight black in-ear buds rival the sound reproduction of more expensive sets but need more fit options to truly compete. High and midrange sounds are reproduced well, and bass is solid. Creative includes several silicon earbuds, but we wish the package included foam and flanged silicon pads a la Shure’s E2c, although that set costs $30 more. This gripe aside, the price/performance ratio is pleasingly close to Zen.

With in-ear headphones all the rage now, it didn’t surprise us when audio-centric Creative Labs joined the fun with the launch of its own Zen Aurvana in-ear earphones. Already available in Asia a few weeks before their U.S. launch, the $99 “anti-iPod black” pair are extremely lightweight (0.46 ounces) and low profile, and they sound quite good–if they fit in your ears properly (Jasmine’s earholes are too small for the Aurvana).

For me, that’s not a problem. You get two pairs of three different-size silicon earbuds, the rubbery kind. Though I prefer foam tips, the medium size fit quite well, passively blocking ambient noise (by 90 percent, according to Creative) and delivering clean, balanced sound. Indeed, the high-end sounds come through crystal clear. The Aurvanas have a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz and a sensitivity of 115dB and 20dB at noise blocking. Bass is surprisingly solid (for this listener anyway), and overall performance is good, or as good as a pair of $110 Shure E2Cs, which are bulkier than the Aurvanas. While we prefer the sound of the Shure E3cs, the Aurvanas cost half as much.

If you want a livelier and better-balanced sound and don’t mind looking a bit Frankenstein-ish, go with the Ultimate Ears super.fi Studio 3. If you are looking for serious bass, check out the Sennheiser CX-300. Aside from that, the Zen Aurvana provides a very good overall listening experience, with very good sound and lots of quieting, and in a very compact earphone. The cable thump and wind noise make these earphones more suitable for trains and planes than for walking around, but if you can find them for less than list price, I recommend these for their compactness and quieting ability.

Whether you’re a laptop user who’s fed up with the basic audio being pumped out by your machine, or a desktop owner with a lackluster sound card installed, this USB-based external solution is aimed at you. Creative has simply designed it to enhance the sound quality of music, games, and movies. Oh, and there are a fair few recording functions in there too, which producers and muso types will like.Billed by Creative as a “premium audio system for music playback and recording”, the USB Sound Blaster Digital Music SX offers a range of input and output connections for connecting all kinds of external audio devices, and it can even act as a pre-amp when your PC isn’t turned on.

With its 24-bit 96kHz audio quality and signal-to-noise ratio of 110dB, you can expect crystal clear sound quality (as by now we’ve come to expect from Creative’s kit). Should you want to record sound, WAV, MP3 and WMA formats are supported - just connect your tape recorder, MD player and LPs to the box using the SX’s RCA Line-in or Optical-in connections). The SX also serves to add Creative Multi Speaker Surround (CMSS) 3D sound to whatever audio you’re outputting.Additionally, EAX Advanced HD capability provides a chunky bass sound, SVM helps match volume across your tracks, while EAX Effects help bring your music an acoustic feel. On the software side, a whole host of stuff is included; Creative’s ‘Entertainment Center’ for example is kind of a ‘XP Media Center Lite’.

For the most part, you’ll be gaming with your multi-GPU system with a similar quantity of CPU cores and a couple of gigs of RAM and your nice TFT screen. But with the sounds coming from the OEM speakers you stole from an old shop-bought machine, you’ll be giving your eyes the lion-share of the entertainment while your ears are subjected to tinny, two channel sound.With nearly every motherboard, no matter how inexpensive, coming with upwards of 5.1 surround output, there is no excuse for using just the green jack. Step in Creative’s Inspire T7900 kit, featuring a gamer friendly price-tag, 7 separate speakers and a large bass unit with upmixing. Let’s see whether it’s right for you.

Creative® Inspire™ T7900 speakers deliver unrivalled 7.1 surround sound immersion in games, movies and music. When used with Sound Blaster® 7.1 sound cards they support the latest and most advanced standards for surround audio available today. The front satellites incorporate tweeters and mid-range drivers for detailed mid-to-high tonality, and the reinforced wood subwoofer provides dynamic bass. The front centre speaker has extra amplification for improved dialogue and effects, while its horizontal design enables it to be positioned for optimum results as a home theatre system. Versatile connectivity via the subwoofer and wired remote enables use with multiple sound sources, and Creative’s CMSS up-mix technology supports 7.1 output from 5.1 or 6.1 sound cards.

With an abundance of image settings and software, the Creative Live Motion Webcam is aimed at a more sophisticated Webcam user. It features remote monitoring and motion detection for the security-minded and has the impressive ability to take panoramic photos. At $149, however, the Live Motion costs more than a basic Webcam, and it’s merely mediocre at its primary task of taking still photos and videos. If you need an inexpensive remote-monitoring system, the Live Motion is a practical solution. If you want a basic Webcam for shooting video and photos and using with IM clients, the less expensive Logitech QuickCam Fusion is a better option.Though it’s a fairly large Webcam, the Live Motion is surprisingly stable. Its versatile, clawlike stand can easily be perched on a desk, a CRT, or a flat-screen monitor, and the stand’s rubberized grips prevent slippage. The camera’s automatic pan and tilt offer a 200-degree horizontal and 105-degree vertical viewing area–an impressive range, considering that most Webcams, such as the Logitech QuickCam Fusion, offer only 90 degrees of vertical movement and must be adjusted manually.

Includes software for remote monitoring and managing photos and video; takes panoramic shots; good low-light performance; large viewable area.he Pan-n-Tilt features automatically follows their natural movements during conversations, so they don’t have to make constant manual adjustments to stay centred in the field of view. Users can select Smart Face Tracking so the WebCam Live! Motion follows the movements of one person, or they can use the system in standard mode to include a group of people and take advantage of the widest view available in a webcam. Ideal for broadband users, the Creative Live! Motion incorporates true high-speed USB 2.0 for crisp, high-resolution video at up to twice the video frame rates of USB 1.1 cameras. It also supports popular instant messaging services including MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger. The WebCam Live! Motion features a high-quality 640×480 CCD sensor for video at VGA 640×480 quality and software-enhanced still images of up to 1.3 megapixels. An ultra-smooth, exceptionally quiet precision motor enables the camera to track users without distracting motor noise. The WebCam Live! Motion looks great with any desktop or notebook monitor. Available in either pearl white or charcoal grey with a luminescent blue glowing ring on each side, the WebCam Live! Motion commands attention in any setting. The patent-pending Multi-Attach base easily and securely attaches the webcam to any flat panel, CRT monitor or notebook display.