Creative I-Trigue L3500

Replacing the existing I-Trigue 3300 speakers, the L3500s are Creative's latest take on an audio setup focused around PC chic rather than 50-speaker surround sound. The two snazzy-looking slimline desktop speakers are bolstered by a moderate-sized sub, and the whole kit is operated through a wired control box designed to sit on your desk.
The old L3300s' main speakers housed three tiny drive units with titanium cones. You were never going to get any decent mid-range sound out of such minute drivers, though, so Creative has fitted larger mid-range speakers into the new system. But to maintain the sleek looks, it has placed them in the side of the casing so that they fire outwards. The company makes bold claims about these so-called LFTs (lateral firing transducers) resulting in a wider soundstage. This may sound true in theory, but in reality they do no such thing. The subjective effect is the loss of any semblance of a mid-range stereo image that might have been produced. But while the new design is an obvious compromise, it's still better than having no mid-range units at all.
It's pretty difficult for designers to think up attractive new features to sell speakers other than tempting buyers with upgrades from 5.1 to 6.1, and now even 7.1, setups. But Creative has managed something pretty novel in the form of the M-Port, to be found behind a flap in the control box. This lets you bypass the PC and directly attach your MuVo NX (see p300) via its USB connector. It will only work with Creative's new USB players, though, and you can't use the M-Port as a standard USB port.
If you're only content with speakers packing enough power to sink battleships, the I-Trigues won't bowl you over: the subwoofer amplifier is rated at a moderate 30W RMS, and the desktop speakers just 9W apiece. The sub can hold its own, but the desktop units create unpleasant lower mid-range distortion at anything over moderate volume settings.
Design-wise, the new I-Trigues look great from a distance, but get up close and you'll find that the casing, while solid and pretty weighty, is made of plastic. This is a shame, since one of the things we liked most about the old models was the all-aluminium design. Something has gone terribly awry with the design of the control pod too. The thick figure-of-eight connecting cable is inflexible and the box itself is light, so you'll be lucky if you get the thing to sit flat on your desk - a minor but infuriating point if you're concerned about the look of your PC setup.
But you can't knock the L3500s for their look, despite the use of plastic. The overall sound is decent, although you can buy a pair of hi-fi speakers and a separate amp for the same money that would easily outperform them. However, the quality is more than acceptable for gaming and music at middling volume levels.

Author: David Fearon