SBS Vivid 70

Good Gear Guide

Creative's SBS Vivid 70 is a pair of small stereo speakers, designed primarily for PC and MP3 player use. Their small size and low RRP make them suitable for basic PC use or situations where portability is important, but a low volume output and relatively flat audio range make them relatively unsuitable for dedicated music or movie use.

Pros

  • Good value, small size increases portability

Cons

  • Very flat treble and bass, lack of definition and depth to music

Bottom Line

Creative's Vivid 70 is a good choice for users looking for an inexpensive pair of speakers for basic PC use. Music and movies aren't their strong suit, but they're usable for both in a pinch.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 39.95 (AUD)

Audio on the Vivid 70 speakers is reasonable considering their price, but definitely suffers some drawbacks. Both treble and bass are flat and at times weak. Bass has no punch at all, and is often overpowered by the mid-range. Treble suffers the same problem, with the higher frequencies being flat and lacking definition. The mid-range is relatively strong and well defined, although this does quickly become the dominant part of the Vivid 70's sound. The result of this is that most music we played on the speakers tended to lose its subtlety and complexity; it simply became lyrics and a basic melody.

Nevertheless, the audio remains relatively distortion-free. Due to their rather small size, the Vivid 70 speakers aren't capable of high volume levels, which helps to keep the audio relatively clear. The volume is definitely suitable for a user sitting at a PC, but the speakers ultimately lack the power to project any sort of presence into a room.

The Vivid 70 are probably best suited to basic PC use, although they're still quite capable of playing background music, and their respectable mid-range makes them a solid choice for Internet radio listeners who aren't as concerned with high fidelity musical reproduction. They'll even serve for watching movies in a pinch; however, users looking for a dedicated pair of speakers for such a purpose are advised to look for a pair with a subwoofer included.

The design is fairly simple, with a black plastic front covering a curved, white case. A single driver sits in the middle of each speaker, and a volume knob and headphone input are located on the side of the right speaker. Their small size and weight make them portable, although without battery support this is somewhat limited. Nevertheless they should serve as a decent pair of portable speakers for an MP3 player, provided there's always a power outlet handy.

Creative has done what it does best with the Vivid 70, created a respectably priced and reasonable quality set of speakers. The value for money is quite decent, although for users who enjoy listening to music on their PC, a higher quality set of speakers may be a better option.

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