Customer Reviews

Creative Labs GigaWorks T20 2.0 Multimedia Speaker System with BasXPort Technology

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Creative's GigaWorks T20 2.0 speakers are efficient, well designed and powerful. While they are a toss up with the Klipsh Promedia 2.0 set, they have enough going for them to make a case. Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0 PC Speaker System- Black Ultimately, I would recommend test driving both. I like the Creative T20's overall performance and design.

Pros
+ Nice looks and high quality cables
+ Extra cable
+ Nice adapter for RCA inputs (TV, receiver, etc.)
+ Decent low-end range and base with above average mid-range
+ Nice more sturdy housing with good controls

Cons:
- Only average high-range sound
- Bass XPorts on top will collect dust
- Creative reputation is not stellar
- Cost is near the Klipsch Promedia set

Creative Gigaworks T20 have nice power with 28 watts and active speaker amplification. The cone drivers and tweeters are excellent, and the Bass Xport delivers nice thump. The bass is clearly not subwoofer equivalent, but nice for a 2.0 set. The sound is rich and clear and can be adjusted via the front knobs. Separate bass and treble knobs allow control if you know how to use them.

These speakers also simply look good. Each speaker is about 9" tall by 3" wide, allowing you to fit them easily around any workstation.

The bass ports on top require you to clean out the holes to avoid dust build-up. And Creative's reputation is also a concern, though I have had no problems myself with these. Still, Klipsch is not immune to reputation concerns either.

If you need real low-end depth, a subwoofer that comes in a 2.1 set is probably the minimum that will satisfy you. Likewise, if you are a gamer or an audio sound editor, you really should be looking at 5.1 sets.

For all other users looking for good quality in a smaller simpler set, this is worth a look. If you are a fan of Klipsh, compare these to the Promedias and make up your own mind. Enjoy.

I tried and returned a much cheaper pair of Altec Lansing speakers before trying the Creative Labs GigaWorks T20s. I wanted more bass and overall quality than the ALs had to offer, and I did not want a 3-piece speaker set up that included a subwoofer, because I wanted speakers that I could easily move from room to room and take on road trips.

I got an open box pair of CLs from Amazon's Warehouse Deals for a good price, especially as they appeared to have never been taken out of the original packaging or used. I love their sound, whether I'm in bed listening to BBC classical broadcasts over my laptop, listening to late 70's post punk and early 80's New Wave music on my MP3 player, or am watching a Netflix "instant watch" movie on my laptop or occasionally a DVD (I set up the CL speakers on a bedside table). They are easy to move from room to room, and music from my MP3 player sounds better on the CLs than it does when I run it through the Onkyo, Harman Kardon, and Sony receiver/amps I have set up in different rooms, none of which have dedicated MP3 inputs (plugging my MP3 player into a CD input doesn't give me as clear a sound as I get via the CLs).

The only negatives about the CLs are the bright light that many reviewers mention, though it is easy enough to cover it up with translucent or opaque material, and the tall, slim design of the speakers, which while no doubt important to the sound (given the design of the bass port), makes them easy to tip over (e.g., if I accidentally bump the table I set them up on in my bedroom, over they go).

The pluses easily outweigh these minor negatives: Separate bass and treble controls, very good bass for such small speakers, very clear treble and midrange (I appreciate the clear un-shrill highs given that my hearing range has deteriorated enough over the decades that I don't hear highs the way I used to), handsome design (I prefer how they look with the grills removed), simple to set up (I didn't need to consult the instructions), wires that are long enough to separate the speakers at a good distance from each other as well as at a good distance from a laptop (I do use an extension cord to extend the AC adaptor/cord), and very good sound for a computer speaker system that does not include a separate bass speaker or subwoofer.

As I write this the T20s are offered by Amazon for around $16 more than I paid for the open box pair I purchased, and I'm considering buying another pair to give as a Christmas gift to a friend, primarily for her to use with her MP3 player. Add a portable tuner and CD player, and you will have a nice, inexpensive mini-system.

I read every review I could find online for these speakers before deciding to buy them, and with the exception of a few reviews here at Amazon, all the reviews were positive and deservedly so. I'm very pleased with these speakers and am glad I bought them.

I'm very happy with the T20 speakers. I dumped my over rated Bose set with their un-natural, dominating bass. These have good, natural sounding bass and mids and highs to go with it. They're worth the money.

The Creative Labs GigaWorks T20 2.0 Speakers had pretty good reviews which had a great deal to do with my decision to purchase them. They are beautiful, sleek-looking speakers, however, the sound quality is a bit poor. No matter how I adjust the treble and the bass, the sound has no depth, and basically sounds "tinny". I did a lot of research before I purchased them, and most consumers gave this a good review--so I don't know if it was just my speakers or that others aren't as particular.

Bought those a while ago from Amazon for my office. I guess I'm used to a high quality system in the living room, so I was a bit put off when I first heard them :-) Basically it's kind of a muddy mess. But then again - those are computer speakers for my office not an audiophile setup, so, after adjusting my expectations - here's what I think:

Pros:
- Reasonably detailed (for computer speakers)
- Loud (Not sure if that's a pro, but for my - relatively small office - those are very loud - I can do parties there now)

Cons:
- No off switch
- Don't get me started on the blue neon light, I'm constantly fighting urges to take it out with a shotgun
- The bass
And this is my main issue with those speakers - is blown out of any proportions. And it's not even a good punchy bass - it's just a mess of a low-mid frequency noise really. Even when turned all the way down with the Bass knob it is still way overpronounced. So, I took a bunch of toilet paper and stuffed it into the peer ports on top of the speakers. That helped.

Bottom line:
- If you want something for a dorm room - those are OK, although I bet you can find something with a punchier bass.
- If you want to listen to jazz/blues/anything highs-mids rich really - skip this one.
- If you need those for listening to windows startup sounds, Voip, youtube and online training sessions - OK, but be prepared to stuff the peers full of paper and turn the bass all the way down.

Great sound!!!
I had a 2.1 system before, but this Creative T20 has a much better sound. Especially because the bass is stereo too (comparing to 2.1 systems which bass is out mono).
Talking about bass, I don't understand what people expected from bass. These speakers DO have bass!!! A lot!!! I think people sometimes mass bass with wall-shaking. Bass is for the ear, not for the wall (actually wall-shaking distort the original sound).

I perceived that the sound tends (specially when closer to the speakers) tends to get better with time.. at the first day sounded halo, but it has improved after 3 days.

Mode than adequate bass, middles, and highs. All sound great! Solid construction too. I have it for 1 month now and I love it!

Just remember to cover the bass Xport when not using to avoid dust..

Even though I have never completely trusted Creative all that much as a brand, the truth is I've never had a product of theirs that didnt function, or died on me. In the case of these speakers, they are the highest quality creative product I think I've seen yet. The manufacturing is precise, materials are strong, and the result is accurate and powerful sound. The convenience of front-mounted controls is nice since I was used to getting down on the floor to adjust my subwoofer (those 3-piece units are totally inconvenient, which is why I got these speakers). I really like the volume, treble, bass, headphone output, and aux input right on the front of the speakers! Setup is a breeze, and the sound is better than you will expect. The power brick is large and will take up 2 plugs on your power strip (though smaller than many power bricks for 3-piece units!). The bass ports on top of the speakers seem to be well designed and port the sound very precisely. The bass response is quite loud and good (though not very lifelike since they are small drivers), making these a good 3-piece replacement. The overall fit and finish is surprisingly good!

Pricey but worth it!

I love these speakers. I've had them for a few months now. They sound fantastic. The bass response is good for the size, and I can avoid having the extra cables and bulk of a separate subwoofer. The small footprint keeps them out of the way, and I love that I can plug in both my desktop computer and either my laptop or iPhone at the same time using the aux input on the front. The headphone jack on the front is also really convenient. This is an all around great product at a really good price.

I bought this set for my computer a few years ago, and have liked
them so well that I just ordered two more sets for my televisions.
Discovered that they jack easily into the 'headset' portal,
and superbly amplify the less than ideal basic television sound.
Well built, with treble and bass adjustment, these speakers offer
large quality for little cost, and small footprint. So easy to
set up that your grandparents could do it, also!! Three cheers
to Creative Labs!!!

Although I like the sound produced by my good old Cambridge Soundworks PCWorks computer speakers, I was tired of all the wires. Wires to connect the two small speakers and the subwoofer and the power supply and the volume control - and no matter how I tried to keep them tied and neat and sorted, they would inevitably get tangled up.

When I recently got an iMac I wanted to minimize the number of wires and cords living on and around my desk. On that score, I'm delighted to have the Bluetooth keyboard and mouse - that means two less cords involved in the setup.

But I wanted a little more oomph (obviously, I'm not an expert audiophile) from the audio and video on my iMac, than provided by the built in iMac speakers. I got these Creative speakers at the Apple store today and they are just what I wanted. They can't rock the house like the three-piece speaker set with subwoofer can, but they have a good rich sound with plenty of bass and plenty of volume for desktop speakers. They aren't wireless of course, but the cables appear to be good quality and are the minimum necessary. I like the controls on the front and also the jacks for plugging in an auxiliary device and headphones.

As other reviewers have noted, the bass ports on the top are going to be dust catchers but I'll deal with it.