Product Reviews

The DeskTop Theatre 2200 system shares its acoustic design with Creative's superb DTT2500 speakers. These provide excellent sound quality, plus the ability to produce surround sounds for DVD films and 3D games. While most competing systems only manage one or the other, the DTT2500's combination of multiple analogue inputs for games, plus a digital input and Dolby Digital decoder for DVD means they cater for every sonic PC pastime - stereo signals such as CD and MP3 can be handled by either input. At £160, they're also remarkable value.

The other product range that has influenced the design of the 2200s is Creative's latest Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 sound cards. These now have the ability to decode Dolby Digital signals internally

To achieve this, a couple of other features have also been omitted. Gone are the stands for the rear satellites, but these were fairly stumpy and the legs had a habit of falling off, so they're not really missed. The DSP processing to achieve surround effects from stereo signals has also disappeared, but again, this was hardly essential, especially as Creative's sound cards perform similar functions. The power rating has also diminished slightly, which means that ear-splitting volumes are no longer possible.

However, the key benefits are still intact - superb sound quality and full compatibility with all audio formats. If you have a sound card with Dolby Digital decoding - which, aside from the Live! Player 5.1 and Platinum 5.1, includes VideoLogic's SonicFury and Hercules' Game Theatre XP, the 2200s are the perfect companion for cost-conscious surround sound. If not, a double upgrade might be in order, as the DTT2200s and the SB Live! Player 5.1 together cost less than any decoder-equipped surround speakers.