At first we would like to thank Creative and Royal Computers for offering their T4 2.1 Wireless Speaker System for testing and reviewing.

 

About Creative Labs:

"Creative is the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for the personal computer (PC) and the Internet. Creative was founded in Singapore in 1981 with the vision that multimedia would revolutionize the way people interact with their PCs.

Famous for its Sound Blaster sound cards and for launching the multimedia revolution, Creative is now driving digital entertainment on the PC platform with products like its highly acclaimed ZEN line of digital audio players. The company's innovative hardware, proprietary technology, applications and services enable consumers to experience high-quality digital entertainment-anytime, anywhere.

Since launching the phenomenally successful Sound Blaster sound cards and setting the de facto standard for PC audio in 1989, Creative has been able to leverage on its leading-edge audio technology, huge user base and strong brand name to expand into the exciting lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment (PDE) market.

Today, Creative is widely recognized as a global leader for product innovation in the audio and PDE segments, offering consumers a complete, high quality digital entertainment experience through Creative's hardware, software applications and services. Finding the perfect balance between form and function, Creative strives for every product to be a sensory feast for the eyes and ears.

Creative is expanding the power of the personal computer with a wide range of interactive PDE products that comprises MP3 players, portable media centers, multimedia speakers and headphones, digital and web cameras, graphics solutions, revolutionary music keyboards and PC peripherals.

These products and solutions are marketed to consumers and system integrators through a worldwide distribution network that includes traditional marketing channels, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the Internet.

Creative's product innovations have won numerous international awards and accolades throughout the years. The more recent and notable awards include the Consumer Electronics Show "Best of CES" awards for four consecutive years for Prodikeys PC and music keyboard (2003), ZEN Portable Media Centre (2004), ZEN MicroPhoto MP3 player (2005) and ZEN Vision:M MP3 player (2006). The ZEN Micro MP3 player also won the Ziff Davis Media "Best of DigitalLife 2004" award.

Creative has also set new audio standards with the launch of its latest Xtreme Fidelity (X-Fi) audio platform. The cutting-edge technology has gained wide industry recognition and was selected by Popular Science as the "Best of What's New in Home Entertainment" in 2006 for bringing outstanding audio quality to MP3 music.

Creative has forged partnerships with some of the industry's top technology companies and developers worldwide, fortifying our strength and leadership in product innovation and research & development. Creative also made strategic investments in a number of US-based companies.

Moving forward, Creative's mission is to expand our leadership role in the lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment market, using groundbreaking technology and leading-edge designs for not just the technically savvy consumers, but for everyone who enjoys entertainment. With strong focus on our user-friendly interface, multiple features and cool industrial designs, the Creative brand is synonymous with lifestyle Personal Digital Entertainment.

In June 1994, Creative gained a public listing on the main board of the Singapore Exchange (SGX).

Creative's global corporate headquarters is located in Singapore, in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region. It has regional headquarters in the US (Milpitas, California), Europe (Dublin, Ireland) and Asia (Singapore)."

Product Features:

 

Quality wireless audio

 

The Creative T4 Wireless is equipped with aptX® and AAC high-definition codecs, giving you high-resolution wireless Bluetooth® audio that sounds as good as audio from a wired connection.

 

Awesome mids and highs

 

The audiophile-grade aluminium driver in each satellite delivers full midrange and ultra-clear highs, giving you clear, crisp audio.

 

Deep, tight bass

 

The powerful yet compact Creative SLAM™ (Symmetrically Loaded Acoustic Module) subwoofer is professionally engineered and tuned to perfection to bring you realistic heart-thumping bass for a completely engaging gaming or movie experience.

 

Freedom without compromise

 

Bluetooth wireless connectivity gives you the freedom and convenience to move around your room with your smart device as you're not tied down by any wires.1 And with aptX, you're assured of uncompromised audio quality.

 

Even more connectivity options

 

The Creative T4 Wireless comes with an optical input for digital signals, so you can directly send audio from sources such as your HD TV or sound cards without loss of resolution. It also has RCA analog inputs for connection to your video console or DVD player, as well as a 3.5mm input for connection to smart devices and portable media players.

 

Switch to private listening

 

For late-night gaming or movie-watching, there's no need to worry about waking up the household. The Creative T4 Wireless' Audio Control Pod is integrated with a dedicated headphone jack so that you can conveniently plug in your headphones when the need arises.

 

Press, tap and turn

 

Fortunately, these aren't dance steps but what you can do with the speakers' multi-functional Audio Control Pod!

 

Press the Source button to toggle instantly between the Aux-in and optical inputs. Tap your NFC-enabled device on it for easy one-touch pairing. And finally, turn the Audio Control Pod itself to make volume adjustments.

 

Get the bass you want

 

Increase or reduce the desired bass level by simply using the adjustment knob located on the subwoofer.

 

Infrared Remote

 

The IR Remote lets you take control of your speakers without you having to leave the couch! You can perform source selection (Bluetooth, Aux-in and optical), turn the speaker on or off, adjust the volume and even control music playback.

Product Specifications:

 

 

The T4 Wireless 2.1 Speaker System from Creative ships in a medium-sized cardboard box which is quite heavy and features a lot of details on the exterior regarding the product:

 

 

 

 

This model features the Creative SLAM technology and advertised audiophile-grade drivers for the middle and high frequencies:

 

 

 

We are dealing with an upgraded design of the previous GigaWorks T3 with added features; Creative advertises the Optical input along with full Bluetooth connectivity and NFC with various devices:

 

 

 

By swapping the box on another side, we will see that the manufacturer is not afraid to recommend this speaker set for movies, gaming but also music:

 

 

 

In a smaller portion we will get to see the package contents:

 

 

 

Nearby there is a list of technical specifications, written in several languages:

 

 

 

The product main features are further explained on the opposite side:

 

 

 

After opening the top cover, we will discover some photos of some other Creative products:

 

 

 

The inside of the box is split in two; the top layer holds the satellites along with the bundle and on the lower side we have the subwoofer:

 

 

 

The woofer is further wrapped in a plastic bag in order to avoid damages during transport:

 

 

 

It is built with the Creative SLAM (Symmetrically Loaded Acoustic Module) technology in mind; this means that we are dealing with a master driver and dual pressure drivers which are housed in a highly compact inert enclosure. The three-driver configuration is set to deliver the quick transient response of a small driver together with the high-output capability and deep bass extension of larger drivers. This technology was first introduced with the Creative Inspire 5.1 Digital 5700 and Creative GigaWorks T3:

 

 

 

Master Driver

 

 

 

Left Passive Radiator

 

 

 

Right Passive Radiator

 

 

 

On the bottom, the unit features two small circular rubber feet:

 

 

 

 

On the back side of the unit we’ve got the AC-IN port, RCA the left/right satellites but also for Audio-in, a Service USB port, the Optical output, one Control Pod connector and also a dial for setting the Bass intensity level:

 

 

 

 

Let’s also look inside the other cardboard box:

 

 

 

 

Despite the tiny-looking satellites, these feature a high-quality build and feel really solid:

 

 

 

 

The foot from each satellite is removable:

 

 

 

These feet are padded with rubber so they won’t slip on the surface:

 

 

 

The golden satellite connectors ensure a good contact:

 

 

 

The control pod has a smooth rubberized finish and can be operated with ease; it also comes with NFC support:

 

 

 

On the bottom side we have a headphone jack along with a Power button:

 

 

 

Further to the right we will find a Source button for jumping between Analog and Optical inputs (the LED light will also signal the current status):

 

 

 

The last button is the Bluetooth one (with LED) for pairing:

 

 

 

An Aux-In jack is also present here:

 

 

 

The bottom side of the pod has rubber padding:

 

 

 

The cable ends up with the connector which plugs into the port which is located on the subwoofer:

 

 

 

With the speaker set we also get a wireless remote with multimedia controls and the ability to switch between different inputs and switching on or off the unit:

 

 

 

The remote is powered by a single CR2025 battery:

 

 

 

Creative also supplies a RCA-to-3.5mm jack cable:

 

 

 

Here is a look in the back of the subwoofer unit ready for operation:

 

 

 

With the speaker system we also get the necessary documentation:

 

 

 

We have tested the T4 wirelessly (Bluetooth via Android smartphone), wired and on optical. As expected, the best sound quality was obtained while the system was connected at the Sound Blaster ZxR both wired but also on the optical interface. If potential buyers are still using a Realtek onboard solution, we would recommend making use of the optical interface so the quality of the audio material will be rendered by the internal sound card of the speakers themselves.

 

The multifunctional control pod is also quite useful and allows us to connect a headset when not willing to use the speakers (most probably during night time). It also supports NFC, Bluetooth connection with audio announcement when the pairing procedure can be done.

 

Thanks to the large subwoofer and the SLAM build, the low frequencies are pretty punchy and depending on the size of the room we will place the speakers in, we might sometimes lower the bass intensity a bit. Do not be fooled by the size of the satellites which might seem too little at first; these can deliver quite a bit of highs and do not distort at higher volume levels.

 

Not near the pod at the moment? No problem! Creative has also included a wireless remote which has all the necessary control buttons on it for easy access.

 

Some people would say that setting up the T4 implies a lot of wires; this may be partially true but we can easily route them behind the subwoofer and our desk most of the times in order to avoid cable clutter.

 

The Creative T4 Wireless 2.1 speaker system is not the cheapest one around, and can be found online for about 300 Euros.

 

Creative T4 2.1 Wireless Speaker System is Recommended For:

 

We would like to thank again to Creative and Royal Computers for making this review possible!