Verdict: Wireless speakers with wires
Some people would argue that decent speakers are the most important factor when it comes to immersive gaming, and they would certainly have a strong case. Play Microsoft Flight Simulator with a subwoofer the size of a small child hooked up to your PC, and suddenly it's a whole new experience. When you're piloting a Boeing 777, a good subwoofer can make you believe you really have 90 tons of thrust at your fingertips, but cheap stereo speakers can make a transatlantic jet sound more like an annoyed wasp.
The GigaWorks ProGamer G550W speaker system has the same 130W subwoofer as Creative's other high-end system, the impressive GigaWorks G500, so it should offer enough meaty bass for anyone. In fact, in terms of basic specifications and looks, the G550W is identical to its elder sibling; the key difference between the two systems is that the rear speakers of the G550W are wireless.
This raises an interesting question because, according to Creative's dictionary, 'wireless' must mean 'has loads of wires', since each of the G550W's satellite speakers receive power and an audio signal from a wire. However, rather than having to trail black cables to your subwoofer, the two rear speakers are attached to a separate wireless receiver, so you won't have to route wires along the skirting board if you want to set them up in the living room. The receiver can be placed anywhere within 8m of the transmitter, which is also the main control unit.
Despite the wires, we found the process of setting up the wireless transmitter and receiver to be a doddle. The red light on the rear receiver box turns blue as soon as the front transmitter is activated, and the rear speakers were detected and worked immediately. However, we weren't so sure about the quality of the signal cables. The suspiciously thin copper wires frayed easily when they were pushed into each speaker's cable grips. The wireless receiver is also quite bulky, and would certainly benefit from being hidden behind a couch, and the dull grey plastic of the speakers is hardly beautiful.
The G550W only has analogue inputs, so you miss out on the superior quality that an optical or coaxial S/PDIF connection would provide. The most serious side-effect of this is that unlike the Logitech Z-5450, the G550W is incapable of decoding a Dolby Digital or DTS bitstream. Therefore, to enjoy true surround sound in films or games, your CPU or sound chip must decode the digital bitstream (providing your sound card or motherboard's sound chip also supports this feature).
Once fully set up, the G550W managed to drown out any complaints. The G550W provided floor-shaking levels of volume without any noticeable distortion. The action scenes in 'Pirates of The Caribbean' came alive with groaning timber and booming thunder, just as they should. And similarly, when the grenades exploded in F.E.A.R., or a jet roared overhead in Battlefield 2, the neighbours knew about it. Quite simply, movies and games were great fun. If we were to criticise movie playback, it would be that the channel separation was at times a little unsophisticated, with noises sometimes obviously coming from the speakers rather than an object within the film, which made the experience slightly less immersive than it could have been.
Our main gripe with the G550W is with music playback, with which the system is clearly out of its element. While the thumping subwoofer can mask any inadequacies during action movies or games, when the satellite speakers were called upon for a more delicate task, such as a Sigur Ros album, the mid-range proved to be weak. When compared side-by-side with the Logitech Z-5450 system, the sound from the G550W's satellites was either tinny or muffled, depending on the direction in which the treble control was turned. Vocals lacked warmth, and particularly high-pitched sounds were gratingly metallic, especially at high volumes. At low volumes, the Creative speakers simply sounded flat and uninteresting.
CONCLUSION
Compared with cheaper 5.1 systems, the G550W is awesome. It offers more than enough grunt to fill a living room with sound, and if you just play games, or exclusively watch action movies and listen to thrash metal, it certainly won't disappoint. The wireless rear speakers will also make your living room neater. The problem is, for more than £200, we think speakers should offer universal quality, and, with an abundance of
dull grey plastic, too many wires and uninspiring mid-range response, the G550W fails to fully justify its price tag.
