Customer Reviews

Creative Labs DeskTop Theater 5.1 DTT2500 Digital Computer Speaker System

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This speaker set is an amazing deal for the price. At $200, you get a true home theater system - including a center speaker, 4 satellites, and a subwoofer. The powered amplifier sits on your desk, has multiple knobs for volume, bass, etc, plus the crown jewel - Dobly Digital decoding. If you have a DVD drive in your computer, or a dedicated DVD player, or a Playstation 2, than you can watch movies in full surround sound, just like in the theaters. The sound will engulf you, moving from back to front and side to side and every other possible direction. DVDs these days take full advantage of this feature, and you won't be disappointed in it.

Also, if you use this with your computer, and have never had a speaker set with a subwoofer before, you are in for a treat. Games especially take on a whole new life, as guns and explosions will shake your desk. Many 3D First-person games (like Half-Life) have 3D positional sound (with these speakers support) so that you can hear monsters come up on you from behind. Music also sounds crisp and clear, and I am finding myself listen to CDs often while I am surfing.

A few things you should consider before buying: to use with your computer, these speakers require a sound card with 4-channel support. Also, you will need a DVD decoder card if you want to watch DVDs on your computer in Dolby Digital - this card pulls the Dolby Digtal signal off the disc and supplies it to the speakers amplifier. If you are not planning on watching DVDs with these speakers, don't buy them! You can get Creative's CSW1500, which are basically the same but without the dobly digtal decoder and thus cheaper, or Klipsch Promedia v2. 400 THX certified system, which are the best set of speakers you can buy for your computer, but do not offer Dolby Digital decoding, and are $50 more expensive. Lastly, these are computer speakers, and are made for an office or bedroom, not really large rooms. If you have a really big room with a large TV screen, this system might not be powerful enough for you.

This is the best PC speaker system I've used. There are better-sounding (and more expensive) PC speakers, not one full of features as this one. It allows you to set up a Dolby Digital movie system on your PC while also taking care of your other needs such as computer games. The package includes a Dolby Digital decoder that also serves as amplifier for all six speakers. It has an S/PDIF input for your Dolby Digital source, front and rear analog inputs (RCA plugs) for your four-channel sound card analog outputs, DIN input for your sound card's digital output, and a subwooder pre-out if you choose to use a third-party subwoofer. The subwoofer speaker it includes does sound a bit weak, since the power rating of the amplifer is laughably low compared to standalone receivers: 20W for center, 7W each for the 4 satellites, 22W for the subwoofer. But for a PC user, who sits close to the speakers, the low power is sufficent to give out amazing sound quality. The Dolby Digital sound from DVD movies is also terrific. Despite the subwoofer's weakness, the other 5 speakers give amazingly sharp, clear sounds. This is, I guess, a cheap alternative to an actual home theater system that would cost thousands. And its ability to adapt to both movie-watching and computer gaming is a great feature for some to have.

At this price, the DTT2500 is very difficult to beat, considering you get a Dolby Digital/Prologic decoder included with the package; a full-blown decoder (with more features, of course) would normally set you back ... by itself!

However, claims by the Creative website, most product descriptions of the DTT2500, and many consumer reviews (such as one below claiming PS2 compatibility) are *extremely* deceptive regarding its ability to work with set-top DVD players. The consumer rep whom I e-mailed regarding this issue misled me to this regard as well. The fact is, the receiver/decoder contains three sets of inputs: 1) an S/PDIF (also known as a composite audio input to many home theater enthusiasts, though their manual and website fail to note this); 2) a Digital DIN (only good for digital sound cards like the Soundblaster Live!); 3) and standard analog front and rear inputs (aka RCA).

To make a long explanation shorter, only the composite (S/PDIF) input is capable of full-blown Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding. Many DVD players have an composite output so you can wire it to this decoder; many also do NOT. Why? Because optical outputs (using fiber optic wire) seem to be the preferred method of transferring the Dolby Digital signal, though the two outputs seem to be comparable in quality. The Playstation2, though one reviewer claims it will work with this setup, uses *only* optical output; no composite included. It does have those universal RCA outputs; but they're analog, not digital, and give you only 2 channels of sound (instead of five). So forget about getting that fantastic movie theater sound using this decoder with the PS2 and other DVD players which have only optical output.

There is a composite-to-optical digital decoder which can be found on very esoteric audio equipment sites, but expect that to add an additional ... to your bill. Add the fact that you need an additional optical wire ..., and the possibility that some sound degradation might occur through this convoluted setup, and the DTT2500 suddenly looks a lot less attractive. Creative does market an almost identical product called the Playworks 2500, which has an optical input *and* an included optical wire (no DIN, though)--at a higher cost, of course.

So unless you only plan to use this set for your computer (as it was intended to be used), or you're positive that your DVD player has an audio composite out, be careful. Quite frankly, Creative deserves only three stars on account of their shoddy product information and description, but the unbeatable value of the entire set shoves an extra star of approval. Sound-quality wise, the DTT2500 is very good. Its overall power is more than acceptable for most, particularly in confined spaces, though audio purists would probably spend more on a separate powered subwoofer (for those who like their bass *abnormally* powerful and have equally abnormal neighbors that are either deaf, or like such pounding). In any case, DVDs were meant to be heard with this or any Dolby Digital 5.1 system-- it has to be experienced to be believed-- which makes the omission of the optical input all the more unfortunate.

...I've connected it to the TV, then PSX, N64 and finally my HPPavilion, and it rocks. Standard stereo output from videogames sounds wonderful in 5.1 channel surround. It delivered surprisingly powerful sound, considering its size and price. My wife has been singing MIDI/KARAOKE to her heart's content for days now, and it has performed admirably. If her belting doesn't bring the system to its knees, I don't know what else will.

Why spend thousands on a full size AV home theater setup when you can get this one?

Definitely a great value.

To clear up an important error from my previous review, the "composite" audio input referred to should actually be called a "coaxial" input! Unfortunately, the review could not be corrected once posted.

Some technical information for those interested: DVD players generally have a 1) Composite audio output using two RCA-type plugs for two-channel, stereo analog sound; 2) Digital audio via either a coaxial output (a single RCA-like plug) and/or a optical output (the port looks similar to a PS/2 mouse port). The composite audio typically is part of a three plug audio/visual wire recognized for its red and white (for the left and right sound channels) and yellow (for video output) ends, and is included with nearly all TVs and DVD players.

Dolby Digital 5.1, which features six-channel surround sound, is only possible through the coaxial or optical outputs. The two are generally similar in quality; however, although nearly all DVD players include at least one optical audio out, some players (most notably the Playstation2) fail to include a coaxial out. Usually, this isn't a problem, as most full-blown Dolby Digital recievers feature multiple optical inputs and one coaxial input. The DTT2500, however, has no optical inputs, limiting digital sound to a single coaxial input (and thus preventing compatibility with the PS2).

The DTT2500 also has two line-ins, one for front analog sound, and one for the rear. These are *not*, as mistakenly noted the previous review, for RCA-type plugs, but the stereo mini-plugs typically associated with portable audio like CD or mp3 players. This could be a problem if you're trying to plug in a device like a game console or VCR to the receiver with a standard audio/visual RCA-type wire. You need a RCA-to-miniplug wire, which is the type used to connect computer speakers to a sound card; however, this isn't included with the DTT2500. You could, of course, plug the device directly into the TV. It's worth noting, though, that the DTT2500 incorporates CMSS, which converts two-channel sound into a pleasant virtual 5.1 surround mode. In addition, it's unlikely that your TV speakers are anywhere near as good as the DTT2500's!

I love this system! First of all, the speakers are small and extremely easy to set up. You can put them prectically anywhere in your room, mount them on the walls easily or even stick them to your monitor. It all works because of their size. The adapter's design is a bit strange; the main volume control is the same size as the other controls, which are all very small. If they only made the main volume control bigger and easier to twiddle with, it would be perfect. Other than that, the functionts on the adapter all work great; Music mode spreads the music you hear to all five speakers, Movie mode saparated the sound so that the "central" sounds come only from the front speakers, FourPoint is best for playing games with 3D sound and listening to music with EAX effects, and Stereo. Than of course there is ProLogic surround and... Dolby Digital surround, which is of course the best feature in this system, for DVD's.

Now, we all know that the best thing about DVD's is the sound quality, since most DVD's are presented in Dolby Digital surround. This system is the best way to enjoy this special feature without spending all your money and having to rearrange your house for speaker placement; Just put three speakers on the front, two at your sides, and you're on your way. The subwoofer works just fine, too. Crank up the volume and feel those basses shake your chair. Hear sounds coming from behind you, music coming from all around you, and it all sounds as clear as can be.

As for games and music: what can I say, it's all perfect. I prefer listening to my music using the FourPoint feature, personally, but Music mode is great for songs. The speakers are flawless when listening to music, it all sounds pure and crysp, and the subwoofer really adds to any kind of music you hear. Movie mode is excellent for computer games of all kinds, I just loved hearing my old games through all five speakers. It really adds to the gaming atmosphere.

I LOVE this system, I enjoy it immensly. I recommend it to anyone who has a DVD-ROM and wants to make the most of it.

This is a great set of speakers. These are the only one Dolby Digital Speakers avalaible in Colombia. I'm amazed with it. Because Amazon don't ship this item outside U.S. I had to buy it for 300 dollars. Even at that price this speakers are awesome. For the people living inside the us, buy the 3500 instead. They are a bit better than 2500 (Connectivity with Playstation 2, remote control)

Just to clear things up, the "PLAYWORKS DTT2500" system is compatible with PS2 while this system, the "DESKTOP THEATER DTT2500".

I combined this speaker set up with the Creative MP3 SoundBlaster. I then began downloading song after song of every artist I could think of for the last 20 years. The cool part is it sounds better in MP3 than it did when I listened 10 years ago. The sound quality is actually better than a CD. I am anticipating the Creative Labs Jukebox so that I can take my library on the road. Very cool system and with a DVD it is the same as a movie theatre. I also used it to play games like Quake and Thief. The sound was intense.

This system will blow you away. Totally worth the money. Really cool!