It takes a little tenacity to criticise these speakers since their fans tend to exhibit an explosively passionate support for them. As always I aim to give as balanced a view as possible here.
THE PRETTY
The first thing that strikes you about these speakers is undoubtedly their look. It's actually difficult to describe just how eye-catching they are. The "Creature" name is certainly apt for the curvaceous organic look that demands to be stroked. Finding a more stylish set at a similar price is nigh impossible and this had made them a firm favourite among Mac users. However arguably it suffers the same flaws as many products of that ilk - style over substance.
The control system uses knobs on the sub and very cool touch sensitive volume buttons on one speaker. Although something of a gimmick they are very responsive and feel great to use. Obviously this lacks the precision of a knob, but it is accurate enough nonetheless. The only downside is that the power button is hidden at the back of the sub, so powering it down can be frustrating if the sub is down low and not easily accessible.
With its polished finish these will look good no matter what they're sat next to and their eye-catching beauty guarantees they will be a topic of conversation for visitors.
THE GOOD
For small, cheap speakers they pack a surprising punch. They should provide a volume range to suit all tastes, and in an enclosed space even those most hardcore metallers will find it difficult to complain!
Setup is easy and will take only a few minutes without even looking at the instructions. Everything plugs in through the subwoofer as is standard, and rather than mere colour coding this intuitive system uses different shaped sockets for the left and right speakers so they cannot be accidentally connected wrongly. It seems so startlingly obvious that it's hard to believe it's not more common.
These are particularly useful for university students or those who are very mobile as all parts of the system are extremely lightweight and easily portable. Apart from the power brick that is. It's a serious monster, but then it's usually hidden away so it's hardly an issue.
THE BAD
However this all comes at a price. Even compared to earlier JBL models, the sound quality from these speakers is disappointing at best. The sub woofer can hold its own, perhaps a little too well competing with the satellites which it often overpowers. It is the tweeters that really let down the system. Too strong on the high end, they produce a strikingly tinny sound, while the system's entire midrange generally feels unbalanced.
Priced at around £50 these are budget speakers so no one expects sonic perfection but even the untrained ear is likely to find them flawed particularly because it fails to live up to JBL's previous reputation. It is clear that you are paying for the design alone as similarly priced alternatives from Logitech are able to produce a far superior sound albeit without the looks to match.
So I cannot help but feel the JBL Creature II is a somewhat shallow purchase that audiophiles will detest while Mac users are likely to love because it matches the machines beautifully. To the forgiving ear they are still respectable with a good build quality at a low price. But at the end of the day they are speakers, and if they fail in sound reproduction I find myself unable to recommend them.
In the end they're not good, they're not bad - they're just pretty.
Thanks for reading and rating!
PriyanPhoenix
www.meewella.com
16.11.2006 14:28
Great review there.