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Two satellites and a subwoofer make up the kit in the Creative Inspire M2600, a speaker system that won’t break the bank by any stretch of the imagination and is a good solution for people who want basic sound with a subwoofer included.
What can you get for forty bucks? A couple of DVD’s? An older game for your computer? How about a pair of speakers?
Two satellites and a subwoofer make up the kit in the Creative Inspire M2600, a speaker system that won’t break the bank by any stretch of the imagination and is a good solution for people who want basic sound with a subwoofer included.
The two speakers sport a simple and unobtrusive rectangular design and push out around 6 watts per channel while the subwoofer pumps out 17 watts. You might notice that that’s a fair amount of power more that the subwoofer is doing in the low ranges and that starts to become evident as the bass can end up pushed far beyond what good sound actually can sound like.
But we played with the M2600’s for a couple of hours connecting them to one of Creative’s X-Fi cards and we found that while the sound quality isn’t the best, it’s not bad for you pay for. The bass at times can be incredibly overwhelming and while the subwoofers dial goes up to what is around 8 to 10 notches, we suggest not pushing it past 1 or 2 if you actually want to maintain some balance and hear your music.
If you’re into rock, pop, or some of the lighter shades of electronica or jazz out there, the speaker system will probably suit your tastes, popping in the right places and providing just the right sort of sound you’ll be after for a low price. Definition exists in sounds like a bow crossing over a string but if you’re the sort of person that wants to hear collected sounds like a chorus, heavy rock guitars, or maybe just the mind-blowing bass that good hip-hop and techno can offer, the M2600’s aren’t the best choice.
While the M2600’s have an RRP of $79.95, we’ve found that you can find the Creative Inspire M2600’s at a street price of between $36 and $49. For eighty bucks, you could do a lot better but at around forty, the sound is good enough for most people to be satisfied that they’re buying a brand that’s been producing decent sound and know what they’re doing.
Should you buy it?: If you can find it for around $36 and $45, it’s worth it. You’d be hard pressed finding a decent 2.1 system in that price range so if you want quality, be prepared to spend a fair chunk more.
Product: Creative Inspire M2600
Vendor: Creative
RRP: $79.95
Website: Creative Inspire M2600
Reviewed by Leigh D. Stark
