Edifier Exclaim e10 or Creative Gigaworks T40

[zip2k4]

I can get either of these for a steal right now and I do need a speaker just so I don't have to keep using my headphones especially when I

have my friends over lately.

 

Edifier Exclaim e10 is about 15% cheaper than Creative Gigaworks T40, I heard good things for T40 - but this is not about the best audio quality.

 

I have a decent headphone when I want quality, this is more to how best can I fill a small room with a good enough audio.

 

which one would be best to get?

 

I could also just get a crappy random brand speakers for way cheaper and hold on to my money, so what'd be the best thing to do?

 

Thanks in advance

[dylandylandylan]

I can get either of these for a steal right now and I do need a speaker just so I don't have to keep using my headphones especially when I

have my friends over lately.

 

Edifier Exclaim e10 is about 15% cheaper than Creative Gigaworks T40, I heard good things for T40 - but this is not about the best audio quality.

 

I have a decent headphone when I want quality, this is more to how best can I fill a small room with a good enough audio.

 

which one would be best to get?

 

I could also just get a crappy random brand speakers for way cheaper and hold on to my money, so what'd be the best thing to do?

 

Thanks in advance

 

I would personally just hold onto your money, but if I had the choice I'd go for the T40.

[Toxic Tom]

I'd get the T40s. I have some T12s which sound really nice for the money. I also have some T10s which are substantially worse (that tone knob gives me shivers just thinking about it). I can only imagine the T40s would sound like the T12s, in which case they are a great choice.

[zip2k4]

I would personally just hold onto your money, but if I had the choice I'd go for the T40.

I'd get the T40s. I have some T12s which sound really nice for the money. I also have some T10s which are substantially worse (that tone knob gives me shivers just thinking about it). I can only imagine the T40s would sound like the T12s, in which case they are a great choice.

 

hmmm I see... would T20 be a decent alternative? if I still want to get a speaker but still doesn't want to lower it to the lvl of random brand speakers?

 

I'm still considering after all, I do have the options to go either way, just because since I moved getting electronic parts in this part of the world is a lil tricky :\

[ShearMe]

hmmm I see... would T20 be a decent alternative? if I still want to get a speaker but still doesn't want to lower it to the lvl of random brand speakers?

 

I've heard reviews say the T40 is just a louder T20...

[zip2k4]

I've heard reviews say the T40 is just a louder T20...

 

yea... talking about a purchase made me wanna go and buy it out of impulse already and t20 seems to be a good alternative

[mr moose]

The edifer sound cheap to me, I went and listened to them along with a whole heap of logitech stuff, Essentially they all sounded like cheap plastic speakers from the 80's.  I haven't hear the T series but I also haven't heard anyone say anything bad about them.

[Toxic Tom]

hmmm I see... would T20 be a decent alternative? if I still want to get a speaker but still doesn't want to lower it to the lvl of random brand speakers?

 

I'm still considering after all, I do have the options to go either way, just because since I moved getting electronic parts in this part of the world is a lil tricky :\

 

Yeah the T20 looks good (almost exactly like the T12s which are great). FYI, having 2 drivers of the same size on a speaker *cough* T40 *cough* is doing nothing to help (if anything it will hinder as it could confuse the stereo spectrum and cause phasing issues).

[mr moose]

Yeah the T20 looks good (almost exactly like the T12s which are great). FYI, having 2 drivers of the same size on a speaker *cough* T40 *cough* is doing nothing to help (if anything it will hinder as it could confuse the stereo spectrum and cause phasing issues).

????    Not exactly: check this out.

[ShearMe]

[Toxic Tom]

????    Not exactly: check this out.

 

From wikipedia "Pure line array theory is based on pure geometry and the thought experiment of the "free field" where sound is free to propagate free of environmental factors such as room reflections or temperature refraction."

 

"Free field" =/= A room of your house

[mr moose]

From wikipedia "Pure line array theory is based on pure geometry and the thought experiment of the "free field" where sound is free to propagate free of environmental factors such as room reflections or temperature refraction."

 

"Free field" =/= A room of your house

Well in that case I guess you'd better send Dali, Kef, Bose, Warfdale, Louve, B+W, Dynaudio, JBL, Kenwood and Klipsch a letter explaining to them how they are wrong with their home hifi speaker designs. :rolleyes:

[Toxic Tom]

Well in that case I guess you'd better send Dali, Kef, Bose, Warfdale, Louve, B+W, Dynaudio, JBL, Kenwood and Klipsch a letter explaining to them how they are wrong with their home hifi speaker designs. :rolleyes:

 

Let me expand on my point slightly. Creative is budget consumer speaker manufacturer. They do not have the resources for R&D that the companies you listed there have. The reason some "Home HiFi" (and even some studio monitors) use multiple speakers of the same size in there design is to increase the size of the listening sweet spot OR to improve frequency response with the use of a crossover (which is debatable considering the similar size of the speakers in question). When sitting at a desk, the size of a speaker's sweet spot is not very important (correct speaker placement can solve this issue providing you don't move around too much). The way that the 2 speakers are positioned vertically on the T40s can only improve the size of the sweet spot vertically, meaning that if you move to the left or right often, it will have no benefit. The only benefit *may* be if you are constantly adjusting your chair up and down while staying in the same position. I heavily doubt that the design of the Creative T40s improve the sound in any way other than making it louder as the benefits of multiple speaker drivers of the same size only out way the disadvantages in very high end gear. Feel free to disagree.

 

Now, a lot of speakers have multiple drivers of different sizes for a better frequency response. This is in no way relevant to our argument.

 

Yes I do know what I'm talking about when it comes to audio

[mr moose]

Let me expand on my point slightly. Creative is budget consumer speaker manufacturer. They do not have the resources for R&D that the companies you listed there have. The reason some "Home HiFi" (and even some studio monitors) use multiple speakers of the same size in there design is to increase the size of the listening sweet spot OR to improve frequency response with the use of a crossover (which is debatable considering the similar size of the speakers in question). When sitting at a desk, the size of a speaker's sweet spot is not very important (correct speaker placement can solve this issue providing you don't move around too much). The way that the 2 speakers are positioned vertically on the T40s can only improve the size of the sweet spot vertically, meaning that if you move to the left or right often, it will have no benefit. The only benefit *may* be if you are constantly adjusting your chair up and down while staying in the same position. I heavily doubt that the design of the Creative T40s improve the sound in any way other than making it louder as the benefits of multiple speaker drivers of the same size only out way the disadvantages in very high end gear. Feel free to disagree.

 

Now, a lot of speakers have multiple drivers of different sizes for a better frequency response. This is in no way relevant to our argument.

 

Yes I do know what I'm talking about when it comes to audio

 

For home hifi and desktop gear it is not about dispersion, but about SPL.  A line array will have a loss of 3dB for every doubling of distance from the speaker as opposed to a single driver that will loose 6dB over the same distance. 

They aren't so much interested in axis and off axis response as for a stationary listener that is all irrelevant. I.E: A vertical array of like drivers will have the same horizontal polar pattern as a single driver.

[Toxic Tom]

For home hifi and desktop gear it is not about dispersion, but about SPL.  A line array will have a loss of 3dB for every doubling of distance from the speaker as opposed to a single driver that will loose 6dB over the same distance. 

They aren't so much interested in axis and off axis response as for a stationary listener that is all irrelevant. I.E: A vertical array of like drivers will have the same horizontal polar pattern as a single driver.

How is slightly higher SPL beneficial to a static listener then? Just turn the volume up...

[mr moose]

How is slightly higher SPL beneficial to a static listener then? Just turn the volume up...

I thought you said:

 

Yes I do know what I'm talking about when it comes to audio

[Toxic Tom]

I thought you said:

Ok so please explain to me how a drop of only 3dB vs 6dB for every distance doubled benefits a static listener in any way.

I doubt these speakers would even behave anything like a line source.

[mr moose]

Ok so please explain to me how a drop of only 3dB vs 6dB for every distance doubled benefits a static listener in any way.

I doubt these speakers would even behave anything like a line source.

yeah they would, as soon as you put two identical speakers together regardless of size they behave like a line source.  The reason for the design is that two  drivers will provide better spl at the listening position  than one larger driver thus reducing the need for more amplification and reducing the power handling requirements of the drives. Which can be significant when producing millions of units.

[Toxic Tom]

yeah they would, as soon as you put two identical speakers together regardless of size they behave like a line source.  The reason for the design is that two  drivers will provide better spl at the listening position  than one larger driver thus reducing the need for more amplification and reducing the power handling requirements of the drives. Which can be significant when producing millions of units.

So you are saying it has no benefit to the listener but may decrease the manufacturing cost (due to lower power handling requirements of the drivers)? I can buy that. Anyway there isn't much point in arguing about this. The OP can buy what he wants.

[mr moose]

So you are saying it has no benefit to the listener but may decrease the manufacturing cost (due to lower power handling requirements of the drivers)? I can buy that. Anyway there isn't much point in arguing about this. The OP can buy what he wants.

I believe there is benefit, it comes by way of price/performance.  The end consumer just doesn't necessarily understand/recognise all of this because it essentially requires the equivalent of a college education. Speaker design is by no means simple, it is in fact extremely complicated, especially when you add business economics into the mix.

 

EDIT: fixed dodgy grammar...

[Toxic Tom]

I believe there is benefit, it comes by way of price/performance.  The end consumer just doesn't necessarily understand/recognise all of this because it essentially requires the equivalent of a college education. Speaker design is by no means mean simply, it is in fact extremely complicated, especially when you add business economics into the mix.

By "the listener" I meant the person sitting in front of the speakers at any given time rather than the person who bought them but yeah I see your point.

[ShearMe]

tldr - ShearMe was right, the T40 is just a louder T20

[zip2k4]

tldr - ShearMe was right, the T40 is just a louder T20

 

lol u should pop up in more threads i stalked in this forum, rarely ppl made me laugh anymore

[ShearMe]

lol u should pop up in more threads i stalked in this forum, rarely ppl made me laugh anymore

 

I make me laugh all the time, but usually no one else laughs along. _Assassin_ makes me laugh too, but for entirely different reasons.

[MaximumCat]

Yeah the T20 looks good (almost exactly like the T12s which are great). FYI, having 2 drivers of the same size on a speaker *cough* T40 *cough* is doing nothing to help (if anything it will hinder as it could confuse the stereo spectrum and cause phasing issues).

 

I work in pro audio. I also own a set of Creative Gigaworks T40s. The way the drivers (speakers) are arranged is known as a d'Appolito array (The two mid-woofers are arranged on either side of the tweeter, in a symmetrical design). This has the effect of making it seem as if the voice is coming from a single point, rather than two separate driver units. Believe it or not, whether you are close to the speakers (greater effect) or far away, this does make a positive difference in the sound quality. It is a good thing.

 

Another thing which is a benefit, though minimal in the case of the T40, is the fact that two identical mid-woofers, given twice the amplification power, will move twice as much air as a single mid-woofer. Reproducing lower frequencies is a matter of moving more air. Wavelengths get much longer, the lower you go. The reason we most often use large-diameter drivers to reproduce bass is, it's easier and cheaper that way.

 

Moving twice as much air will allow this speaker system to reproduce frequencies which are slightly lower than those the T20 is capable of, and they do sound a bit more authentic in that regard. That said, if you are looking for powerful bass... Do not buy small budget computer speakers which do not include a subwoofer. They simply cannot move enough air to reproduce anything below around 60hz with any discernible power.

 

If you like strong bass for your computer with good all-around sound quality in a relatively small package on a budget - I recommend the Klipsch Promedia 2.1. They are not what I would call amazing, but they sound very good for the price, and the left/right speakers are not too big.

(Side-note: with any budget speaker system for your computer, you are going to end up with consumer/low-grade quality components, relative to what we usually call "high-end" audio gear. That is an inescapable fact. The Gigaworks T40 has pretty decent sound quality for its price and design, but it still sounds like a small computer speaker. This is partly due to the fact that the drivers are not designed to play at high sound pressure levels [sPLs], the fact that the amplification has very little headroom and rms power with a mediocre signal to noise ratio [sNR], and the speaker cabinets are inexpensive plastic boxes.)

 

If you want a good-sounding, small, *non-budget* speaker system for your computer: Take a look at the PSB Alpha PS-1, and the PSB Subseries 100, or you could *significantly* step up the budget and power on the subwoofer, going for a Sunfire True Subwoofer Super Junior. This system will cost you, though. The PSB Alpha PS-1s retail for around $300 a pair. They have a sub-out on the right speaker. The PSB Subseries 100 will also run you $300-$350. The Sunfire True Subwoofer Super Junior is a beast, which might need to be literally strapped down to keep it from jumping around with all the power it has. It will literally play down to near 20hz (the bottom of the human hearing range) with absurd power for most rooms, in a 9" cube. That sub will set you back around $800.

 

There are many other options available. The initial point of my comment here still stands. The second mid-woofer on the Creative Gigaworks T40 is meaningful, and does increase the sound quality noticeably in a couple of ways. It's just not a good solution for someone who prefers more bass and doesn't care as much about sound *quality* in their budget system. In that regard, you are correct that adding a larger woofer instead of another mid-woofer is a better solution. Another viable solution would have been to use different drivers of the same size, with higher excursion (speakers which can move farther forward and back without distortion, thereby moving more air) and higher amplifier power. The (discontinued) THX-Certified Klipsch Promedia Ultra 2.0 did this, and was a surprisingly powerful system in a cabinet *smaller* than the T40, though without the d'Appolito array, and the volume knob was so cheap, it wore out quickly. (The Promedia 2.1 has also historically had this issue.)

 

So, there is a bit of info regarding why Creative likely chose to create the Gigaworks T40 in the way they did. I have to honestly say I was disappointed with how little air the two mid-woofers are capable of moving (problem likely due to poor amplifier power and/or limited driver excursion capability), and the fact that the cabinets flex too much at higher volumes - producing the all-too-common "boxy" sound which small plastic speakers are known for. I would have liked to see a speaker which had more solid bass performance with this design. It is certainly *possible*. Creative just did not feel it was necessary. For the price, I guess I cannot complain much.