Customer Reviews
Quality Sound for 2 Speaker System 
2008-06-05
I ordered these Creative T40's ($125) and Boston Acoustic Horizon MM220 ($99) 2.0 speakers of similar size and cost.
I liked the fact that the Creatives had the bass and treble controls and no big brick transformer unit to power them. Each require separate power, however, the Creatives have a small footprint plug.
On the other hand the Creative speakers are about an 1 taller, wider and heavier. I felt they had a deeper sound form bass being it could be adjusted on a easy to reach front dial control.
One key thing to remember these are not 5.1 or 7.1 and you don't have a sub. This type of speaker is made for your computer desktop/laptop/ipod/gaming at a average level. I have a 7.1 channel system for my HD TV and stereo for when I need or want intensity. I feel these small buggers are really good for my purposes. I will use them when I travel, even though they are heavy. I will have quality sound for music and blue-ray on the laptop where ever I am.
I am only using these speakers for a Sony Vaio laptop. I tested each set with music and movies to determine my choice. I really liked the sound of the Bostons too and they were a little smaller and lighter which was nice but the huge brick of a power unit and the no control of bass/treble turned me to the Creatives T40's.
perhaps the best 2.0 now available... 2008-05-27
...that is, if you don't want an actual studio monitor by a company like M-Audio, which will take up a good bit more desktop real estate and can cost a good chunk more for their mid and high level models. For the size and the price however, these T40s are a very competent pair of speakers.
My good friend of mine got a pair of these for his new Dell laptop, and I've spent the past several days listening to them while housesitting for him. The 3 most common problems that most computer speakers have is overpowering, bloated bass; recessed or non-existent midrange; and screechy, exaggerated treble. These T40s have not totally remedied all 3, but have come closer than most 2.0 speaker systems I have heard. If you are not expecting to shake the walls with them and listen to relatively simple music (MP3s which are already a compromised music medium) on a casual basis, they are excellent. I listened to a range of stuff on them: Beethoven piano concertos, Norah Jones, Iggy Pop, The White Stripes, Bach symphonies, Miles Davis, Madeleine Peyroux ... all sounded quite acceptable! Still no comparison to a regular music system of course, but nothing to groan or grimace over.
And again, it goes without saying but needs to be said anyways in case there are some complete noobs surfing these reviews: these speakers completely wipe the floor with their Bose counterparts!
Creative's GigaWorks T40 2.0 Speakers - An Awesome Update to the T20s 
2008-05-21
My curiosity got the better of me with these and I had to try them out. With the Creative GigaWorks T40 Premium 2.0 Speaker System they are really forcing consumers into some tough decisions, and that's a good thing. The bottom line is that this update makes the T40s the best speakers in a 2.0 Bookshelf body type. Just like Creative's GigaWorks T20 2.0, these speakers are very efficient, getting clear and impressive sound out of a set that has moderate power ratings. They are also well designed and pleasing to the eye, with slightly taller bodies in the same sleek style of the T20s.
Pros
+ Expanded design adds clarity and range with an added mid-woofer pair
+ Nice looks in a sleek form factor
+ High quality ports and cables allow for nice connection options
+ Extra cable
+ Nice adapter for RCA inputs (TV, receiver, etc.)
+ Decent low-end range and base with fantastic mid-range and high end sound
+ Nice more sturdy housing with good controls
+ Great sound output for limited power consumption and in a small 2.0 footprint
Cons:
- Bass XPorts on top will collect dust
- Cost is higher than the smaller T20s or Klipsch Promedias
- Price puts this set closer to 2.1 sets and some low end 5.1 sets
The main improvement over the T20s is an added mid-range set, so that the configuration has midrange, tweeter, midrange in addition to the BasXport proprietary sub-woofer equivalent. The extra mid-woofer pair add an additional dimension of sound that improves clarity and richness. While the T20s were a toss up with the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0 PC Speaker System, the T40s are almost a slam dunk over them. The only thing that could be better here is the price, with this set hovering in the $120 to $130 range and the promedias and T20s regularly selling in the $70 to $90 price range.
The listed power output of the Creative Gigaworks T40s is pretty comparable to that of the T20s, which are listed at 28 watts and active speaker amplification. But that is only proof that power ratings are very misleading. Others will compare low end speakers against these and cite higher outputs, but are they citing RMS power? Probably not. Bottom line, these may not fill a big room but they can scare the heck out of you with the amount of power they fit in these very efficient speakers.
The cone drivers and tweeters are excellent, and the Bass Xport delivers nice thump. The bass is clearly not subwoofer equivalent, but very nice for a 2.0 set. The sound is rich and clear and can be adjusted via the front knobs. Separate bass and treble knobs allow control but should not be over-used. The standard settings provide perfect sound output for most applications with little to no distortion.
These speakers also look great. Each speaker is about 12 inches tall, versus the 9 inch height of the T20s. The width is almost unchanged, and easily allows you to fit them easily around any workstation.
The bass ports on top require you to clean out the holes to avoid dust build-up. If you need real low-end depth, a subwoofer that comes in a 2.1 set is probably the minimum that will satisfy you. Likewise, if you are a gamer or an audio sound fiend, you really should be looking at 5.1 sets.
Conclusion
For users looking for good quality in a small form factor, this set is a worthy upgrade to the T20s. This is a set of speakers that really need to be heard to be appreciated. Unfortunately, not too many retail outlets have them for a preview. I haven't seen them anywhere yet, so you may just have to trust in Amazon's return policy. Seriously though, you should really test these out.
Beyond the sound quality, price comparisons with other units should be considered. For many people, the additional range and clarity of this set will be well worth the additional cost.
Enjoy!
Very good speakers, but not enough power 2008-05-16
Yes, these speakers are really good, but the power didn't meet my requirements. Plus, for $20 more, you can get M-Audio's AV 40 which I did. AV 40 are much louder, therefore, provides better audio clarity over these. If you are looking for portable speakers, then you shouldn't be looking at this product. You should look at T20 or equivalent speakers.
If you want clarity buy these speakers 2008-04-16
Ordered these on Friday and rec'd them on Tue. I live in the midwest so I was pleased that they came that quickly with the free shipping.
If you want clarity and tone control then these are for you. I threw in my staple clarity test CD: Anderson Bruford Wakeman & Howe and played Quartet. These speakers sounded amazing and the horns on the song are always a good test and these exceeded my expectations. They sound 100% better than the logitech Z2300s which in my opinion are a bass box with some cardboard for speakers. The logieez are crap and I wouldn't take them for free. So if you're an audiophile and aren't too concerned about massive bass then buy these. Forget the 5.1/7.1 systems. You're gonna get 5 really crappy speakers that are gonna sound like crap in matrix mode anyway. Buy these and you won't be dissappointed. Forget the bright light- take a paint pen and dot the light a few times and you're good to go. The on/off switch isn't perfect either but worth the effort for clarity. Bass isn't perfect but you can always add a sub later. 4 stars b/c of the lack of super bass. With an SVS trash can in my family room it's hard for me to like any bass on earth besides the sound authority = SVS!
Creative GigaWorks T40 Speakers 2008-07-23
Great 2.0 speaker system. Impressive sound quality. Only con is it doesn't have a very strong bass, but that is to be expected with 2.0 speakers. A very good buy.
i agree with the other reviewer- good upgrade from the T-20 2008-07-21
i've owned the Creative Labs T-20 speaker for about a year now and i love it! then i read about the T-40 coming out and wasnt really interested since i am more than happy with my year old T-20's, but since the price was so good with the mail in rebate, i thought why not. so i purchased the T-40's about a month ago and it's finally getting broken in and sounding better every day. i can definately hear the mids and highs alot clearer and it sounds great! the only downside (for me) is that the lay out of the T-40 is different from the T-20 in that there's only one audio jack input on the back of the T-40 and the power switch is also on the back of the speaker, wheras the T-20 uses the volume button to turn on/off power and the aux port is on the front of he speaker which makes it much easier for me to hook up my mp3 player and theres also another audio in jack in the back that i use to connect the speaker to my computer so i can either play directly from my mp3 player or audio from my computer without having to constantly switch cables eevrytime i want to listen to one or the other as oppossed to the T-40 where there's only one audio in jack located on the back of the speaker along wit the power switch. but dont get me wrong, i still love the T-40, but i think it would have gotten 5 stars if they kept te speaker lay out the same as the T-20.
sum:
T-20- headphone and aux in port in front of speaker along with volume knob doubling as power on/off and another audio in jack in the back.
T-40- headphone jack in front of speaker
back of speaker: audio in jack, power switch, and docking station port, which is used to connect a prong like cable to hook up a dock for ipod? im not sure.
well, i hope this will help you in deciding the right speaker for you. but both sound great, both have a clean modern look and both are priced very resonably.
ps: you need to break in the speakers for a few weeks until they start sounding really good. and make sure you have the right cables pluged in the right way, etc.. ive read some complaints where people say it sounded like a tin can, well, some cables if plugged (and or cheapy ones) in the wrong way will still work, but sound like... well....a tin can!
Great sounding desktop speaker 2008-07-15
Wow, Am I glad I bought these speakers. I selected the "T-40's" because of what the other reviewer's said - and they were right. The sound quality borders on "audiofile" - very pleasing. One reviewer mentioned they don't go very loud. If you're trying to fill a living room or den you're going to have to spend more money. But if you're sitting right in front of you're screen they go loud enough. They're also fine in a small room like a bedroom. Great desktop speaker!!!
Good speakers worthy of all the praise 2008-06-28
I got this for my wife so she can listen to movies from her computer. The build quality is very impressive for this price point. There's reasonable weight which adds to the perception of quality. The design is very sleek and elegant. I just wish the LED is not so bright. Don't use it in the bedroom unless you want a blue night light. Sound quality is very good. Clear highs and realistic mids. Surprising amount of bass given such a small size. I'm happy with the purchase.
Great speakers 2008-06-16
I have used these speakers for about a month now and am very pleased with them. I might buy another set for the office.
