Creative Labs Inspire 6600 6.1 Computer Speakers (7-Speaker, Black)

by Creative

Product Details

Product Manual [12.86mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 21.5 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00006SKLC
• Item model number: 6600
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 17, 2002

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Creative Inspire 6.1 6600 is the only 6.1 PC speaker system featuring a rear center speaker. By adding a rear center speaker to your desktop entertainment, you'll experience the same adrenaline rush provided by the front center channel, but now from directly behind you as well. With full 6.1 support from Sound Blaster Audigy 2, the Creative Inspire 6.1 6600 allows you to maximize your desktop entertainment with Dolby Digital Surround EX encoded DVD movies and enhanced EAX and Microsoft DirectSound 3-D effects in games. With a built-in CMSS up-mix switch, you can experience a dramatic 6.1 gaming soundfield with Sound Blaster 5.1 sound cards.

Product Description

Unprecedented 6.1 Positional Audio for Incredible EAX and DirectSound 3D Games

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Creative's best is maybe "average", December 28, 2002

By 

Alok Govil (CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creative Labs Inspire 6600 6.1 Computer Speakers (7-Speaker, Black) (Personal Computers)

Summary:

1. Good on distortion (THD)
2. BAD on NOISE
3. Good bass and treble
4. BAD frequency response at cross-over
5. Unnatural sound (because of 4 above)

Details:

Speakers with built-in amplifiers (also called self-powered amplifiers or just powered amplifiers) have a few important means of specifying performance -- distortion, signal-to-noise ratio, RMS power output.

This one has 120W power output which is a plus. Most computer speakers have less.

Distortion (which is different from noise) is the "chir" sound you hear with full sound volume. Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is distortion as percentage of actual music (signal). Now you know what 10% THD means -- as much 10% of sound is bad! Typically, full power is power cited for 10% THD (unless specified otherwise). With lower sound volume distortion reduces fast. Typically, if full power is enough, one does not use a system to it's full power -- that means distortion will be less than 10% (anything less than 0.5% is excellent). So these speakers are good on distortion unless you want to put them in a big hall and use them to their full power.

Noise performance ("hissssss" you hear specially with sound has a low volume) is BAD. I returned the speakers because of that. My speakers I got with my PC have less noise.

BASS is good. Bass is drum sound -- it is sound at low frequencies. Treble is good too -- it is sound at higher frequencies. Problem is that this is a good "gap" between the two. Sound at this gap is not reproduced properly. To be more precise, in order to fool people into believing that sound reproduction is good, these manufacturers over-boost bass and treble (and leave out middle band, the gap). That makes sound unnatural.

Next I have bought Bose Mediamate speakers. They have better noise performance (though not perfect). Those TWO speakers have better sound than SIX speaker set from Creative Labs. And that's too when Mediamate is Bose's cheapest and Inspire 6.1 is Creative Labs's costliest (for computer speakers)!

Also consider Polk Audio AMR130 speakers. They are the best I have found. Have best-in-class noise performance (90dB). Power specification is 40W RMS, more than enough for a room.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great speakers for its price, June 14, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creative Labs Inspire 6600 6.1 Computer Speakers (7-Speaker, Black) (Personal Computers)

I spent months looking for an adequate 5.1 speaker set to go with my system without having to break the bank!!
I looked at the Logitech Z640 (boy that stuff sells like cheap dirt), I also looked at the inspire 5200, altec lancing and Monsoon 505-H.

Well after listening to them all; the inspire 5200 caught my attention because of the quality of its sound reproduction and clean base.

The monsoon could be turned up all the way with out loosing it quality but it did not sound as good as the inspire though it had good base and looked cool (depending on your taste).

The Altec Lancing sounded great also; the Logitech had the worst sound quality (like cardboard paper was used to make its speakers). Its base was not bad though.

I finally settled on the 6600 because it was 6.1 even though I was not going to buy an audigy 2 card, I figured that I will finally be able to squeeze everything out of my SB live 5.1 digital. I am not using the center rear speaker.

The 5200 sounded great and since the 6600 is more modern, more powerful and cost approximately 20.00 more, I went with it.

These speakers sound great.
It is quite loud 1/2 way up.
Games like UT2003, Jedi Knight 2 and NOLF2 sound great with 5.1 enabled.
I have not tested them with a DVD movie yet but the base from my VCDs sound excellent.
The base is not going to rock your house, but the speaker set will definitely bother your neighbors if turned up 70% of the way.

...

If you don't want to break the bank and want to be sure you get the most resent technology from creative get these; you don't need the audigy 2 unless you are interested in 6.1 surround sound, 5.1 is what is supported the most today.

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't Buy These. WAIT!, April 29, 2003

By 

G (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creative Labs Inspire 6600 6.1 Computer Speakers (7-Speaker, Black) (Personal Computers)

These speakers may be alright to some people. They were the first 6.1 computer multimedia speakers on the market, but they were NOT the best. Klipsch, Logitech, and even Cambridge are all working on high-end speakers that support 6.1 digital sound. Why avoid these speakers? Because even for the price, they don't deliver a good enough quality range! The lows are VERY dull due to the low quality subwoofer and the highs are very squeaky due to the paper-cup-type cones for the speaker's drivers. Since there is not much 6.1 audio available to the general public right now, there isn't much value added to these speakers just because there are seven speakers instead of six. Truthfully, I wouldn't listen to Creative. If you bought these speakers beacuse Creative said they paired well with the Audigy 2, I suggest you return them. These speakers will not sound any better than any Logitech or Klipsch speaker system that you install into an Audigy 2. Take that HorsePlop creative tells you and throw it into a can. These speakers are not worth the value or the bundle with the amazing Audigy 2 sound card. If you REALLY want a 6.1 system that can play 6.1 digital sound for all your music, games, and DVDs, wait for a newer 6.1 model from a high-end provider such as Klipsch, Logitech, or Cambridge. These speakers are no more than a trick to get un-aware buyers to think that these speakers paired with an Audigy 2 will sound phenominal. Not true folks! Don't buy them!