2.1 Hi-Fi Audio Bigs Up

Creative Inspire T3000: On Paper And To The Ear

There were no real surprises as regards the maximum possible sound. The T3000 is at the level you'd expect given its power and design: roughly the same as its competitors having similar characteristics. In absolute terms, it's average, as you'd expect from a model in this price range.

Maximum level: 106 dB SPL

Response showed acceptable balance after the level of the subwoofer was reduced. The midrange is favored slightly, but the regularity of the response is very good. The subwoofer clearly focuses on the 60-Hz - 125-Hz band, which is quite understandable in a model of this type. Don't ask it to put out sub-bass it's not capable of.

The response covers the audio spectrum well and with satisfactory regularity. The midrange is slightly out in front, but not excessively.

A very classic result for a small subwoofer that can be expected to do better in the useful area of this register.

For music, the T3000 does a credible job, provided you lower the level of the bass, which is much too high at the middle position of its adjustment range. The sound quality is very good, without obvious coloration. As for the bass, it all depends on what type of bass you're talking about. The T3000 doesn't extend very low, and if your bass is located far down the spectrum, the result will be heavy distortion. But for most music this is not the case, and the level and quality are both very acceptable, even though there is a certain monotony in the reproduction. The effects in games and in films also suffer from this shortcoming. In general, the T3000 can't deliver high volume levels without distortion. Here again, the model is good enough for individual listening, but you shouldn't ask it to do more. One of the strong points of this model is the diversity of possible connections and the very practical remote control. That can make the difference in your decision if you'll make use of it.