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.