Customer Reviews

Creative Labs CSW100 PCWorks 3-Piece Computer Speakers

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After comparing sound quality in many computer speaker systems at an electronic retail store, I purchased the Cambridge Sound Works 100PC system. In the price range that I was considering, these speakers actually sounded as good as the more expensive Yamaha speakers and only slightly less powerful than the much more expensive Altec Lansing system. At home the CSW100PC performs even better than in the store where accustics leave much to be desired. Disappointed I am NOT in these little beauties.The Subwoofer provides ample power and limited distortion at all but the highest levels, and the matching of Subwoofer to sattelite speakers is flawless in my environment. I placed the subwoofer on a stand up off the floor to limit vibration and distortion. In my opinion, the CSW100PC can't be beat by anything in it's price range, and by most in a higher price range. **** It's a keeper.****

Pros: low price, decent sound, unobtrusive, easy to set up. Unlike some 3 or 5-piece systems, the PC Works bass unit is shielded, in case you ever need to put it close to your monitor.

Cons: though it seems a bit silly to complain that a $50 set of speakers offers less than perfect sound reproduction -- heck, I've spent far more than that on speaker wire -- the "subwoofer" in this set is not really a subwoofer at all. It's a woofer, and exhibits a rather uneven frequency response. Still, the sound is fine for games and most Internet music content.

As long as you aren't expecting them to sound like a good pair of living room speakers -- don't believe the hype on the box -- you probably won't be disappointed.

I'm no audiophile. Increasingly, my music is stored in the form of 160 kHz mp3's so I can take it with me or put it in very large playlists on my computer. That implies some small amount of loss of sound quality. I'm the kind of guy who's happy to live with that.

That having been said, these speakers are ideal for the purpose. After side-by-side comparing them at a store with several other more mainstream brands, I was impressed at the amount of what those audiophile glossies call 'presence', especially at the low volumes appropriate for apartment dwelling. Beat the Altec and Labtec speakers hollow - dunno why, particularly. A Bose system was a little better - and about 10 times the price.

The large 'subwoofer' only gets frequencies that your brain's spatial localization system (mediated by the lateral lemniscus -> superior olivary nucleus pathways, if there are any neuroscientists reading this) isn't equipped to deal with. So set it under your desk, put the little 2 inch cubes on your desk (or hang em from something with the included 2-sided tape, each weighs about an oz.) and get ready for great sound at a great price! I originally bought a set for my computer but went ahead and bought extra sets for every room in my home, including the bathroom, so I can have 24-hour music now if I want. The price is right to do that!

Like all sound systems, the value of this system depends on what you want to do. If you want a to enjoy music on a boat, trip, or on your computer without tinny and pathetic sound, then the PC Works sub+sat is perfect. it runs on relatively little power, and for that amount of power, pounds. its bass setting in the back lets you set it to whatever you want and forget about it. the volume control is easy to use, and let's you set your computer's volume to a default and forget it as well. the super long cords for the satellites allow for a lot of flexibility in placement. for sound itself, the little baby can really pound and sounds very clean. it can sound tinny at times, and is most definately not going to compete with a pair of Klipschs any time soon. however, for around thew same price, you WILL be hard pressed to find better. just don't expect miracles out of it and you will be most pleased. if you can, i would recommend going for the moreexpensive Sound Works Digital, also by CSW. it features a larger subwoofer and sats, and just sounds sharper and provides more boom in the bass. it is slightly more expensive, but you pay for what you get. in all, if you keep an open mind, and do not get too excited by the hype on the box, you will enjoy the CSW100s.

I have these speakers in my kitchen hooked up to an old Sony Walkman CD player (the one that weighs about a pound and has a remote control). It sounds fantastic. I listen to a range of music from Kate Bush to Mozart's Requiem to Squirrel Nut Zippers and they all sound amazingly good. I don;t think you're going to find anything in speakers anywhere near this price that will compare. Placement of the woofer is important, and don;t be afraid to LOWER the woofer output a bit, especially at louder volumes. As I have this in my kitchen it is used for background music, but I have played them loud enough to really fill the room. I have another set hooked to my computer and again, abit of tuning makes a world of difference.

I bought This Product from a retail store about two weeks ago, this very compact, high endurance subwoofer produces GREAT bass ( better than my altec lansing i paid over 100 dollars for ) and the satellite arrays are excellent. For The price, you cannot beat it.

I bought these for the price and really did get more than what I paid for. If you're shooting for looks, you won't get it. These speakers are ugly and i hate the external volume control...makes for too many wires running around if your like me and have ethernet cables and a bazillion extension cords already. As far as sound goes I thought they were far more than serviceable. If you really like to turn it up I would recommend something a little more powerful, but if you have them in a smaller room and such they'll do great. Great price, nice sound, ugly packaging, but a definite recommendation overall.

Great bang for the buck. The sound is clear enough for me to abandon my boom box cd player for my computer's cd player. This is the way to go.

For under $50.00, you get an awesome sounding system that'll beat most other speakers twice the price! After plugging them in, I couldn't believe the sound! The only problems I encountered were as you move around the room, the bass levels seem to fluctuate - the separate volume control is not ergonomically friendly - should be built into one of the satellites. Overall, for the price, they're a GREAT value!

I took a chance on these speakers after my aiwa boom box was stolen out of my friends car in the City a few weeks ago. These speakers hooked up to my disc man sound better than the boom box! I was estatic! They could handle all types of music I threw at them, from heavy metal to samba to classical to popular. The bass level is very sensitive and clear, doesnt distort the sound, and I got a really good volume out of the system. These are not just computer add-ons - these are great speakers at a really great price!