These hot new speakers from Creative should be available for purchase towards the end of February and come with the THX seal of approval from LucasArts, guaranteeing quality cinematic audio. If you want the best sound solution for gaming, music or home theatre, there’s no substitute for the MegaWorks 550.

The speaker system’s subwoofer pumps out 150W rms (root mean squared) and the satellites offer 70W rms each. The 500W total output is achieved using Bash amplification technology, a type of digital amplifier that offers high efficiency in a compact form factor.

The signal to noise ratio is an impressive 99dB. On an Audigy 2 sound card the results are stunning: pure, distortion-free audio and thumping subsonic bass.

You will need a lot of desktop space to set up these speakers, and the 19m of cable produce a certain amount of mayhem.

The centre speaker has a monitor stand so it won’t fall off when you adjust your screen, and the wired remote control has a master volume as well as separate volumes for each speaker.

You can pick up 5.1-channel speakers for less these days but they won’t have the quality offered by Creative’s 550s. They are expensive and you’ll need a decent sound card to appreciate their capabilities, but they are without doubt the best. If you get them you’re in for an audio treat. Just don’t wake up the neighbours.

In brief: Creative MegaWorks THX 5.1 550

These 5.1 channel surround speakers have THX certification and, while pricey, represent some of the cream home theatre PC speakers available in Australia. The system’s five 70W rms satellites and a 150W rms subwoofer give a maximum power output of 500W.
Price: $899
Phone: (02) 9666 6100
URL: http://australia.creative.com