Audio

JBL Creature II Multimedia Speakers

By Miguel Blanco ⋅ April 30, 2008 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

I went for a stroll, just the other day, through the aisles of a local computer wholesaler. I ended up in the computer speakers aisle. There were a ridiculous amount of choices available: big ones, small ones, cheap, expensive, every color imaginable, you get the idea. I was struck however by the lack of imagination in terms of design. Almost all speaker sets consist of bland little square boxes with a slightly larger subwoofer box. I even saw a set of speakers that features a 70’s style wood finish. In the days when consumers are willing to pay $500 and up for a slick flat panel monitor when there’s a perfectly good, and in some cases larger, RGB monitor on sale for $100 right next to it, manufacturers have got to get with program. Style is in!

One manufacturer that has definitely taken the hint is Harman Multimedia. Their new JBL Creature II builds on the success of their earlier Creature I model while keeping the same alien space-craft style chassis that made it so popular. The Creature II features two small satellite speakers and a subwoofer which also serves and the amplifier.

All the cables are color coded which makes setup a breeze even for the novice. In addition, the package includes clear, easy-to-read, instructions and diagrams. You don’t even have to know how to speak English. The powered subwoofer is the central hub where everything gets plugged in. After a 5-minute setup you’re ready to blast some tunes.

For such a small package, the Creature II offers big sound. You can really blast these things and they sound very full at any volume level. The subwoofer offers treble and bass controls and the right satellite speaker features touch sensitive volume controls. Touching both volume control buttons at the same time mutes the sound, a great feature for when the pizza guy arrives in the middle of a Doom 3 game.

If I haven’t said it enough, the Creature II looks great. The chrome accents look great against the computer gray finish. They look like they were made to match my Sony VAIO computer. They also come in white, which looks great with Macs. The satellites have green LED’s on their underside so they look almost as though they are hovering over desk and ready to blast off to another planet. Another great thing about the satellites is their center of gravity. They don’t get easily knocked over like other comparable designs.

The JBL Creature II is surprisingly affordable. You can pick up this system for about $70 at some retailers. Although there are cheaper speaker sets available, you simply cannot compare them with the quality of a Harmon Multimedia system. Price, sound and design make the JBL Creature II a sure bet.

Product Specifications Speaker System Section

Input Impedance: >5K
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >80dB
Frequency Response: 50 - 20kHz
Input Sensitivity: 400 mv rms for rated power output
Voltage Input: 120 VAC
Drivers: One Odyssey Plus transducer

Power Rating: 8 watts per satellite at 10% (THD+N)
Dimensions (H x W x D): 3″ x 3″ x 3″
Subwoofer Section

Drivers: One 4.00 inch Magnum transducer
Power Rating: 24 watts at 10% (THD+N)
Crossover Frequency: 180Hz
Dimensions: (H x W x D): 9″ x 9″ x 9″
MSRP U.S.: $99.95 system
Requirements

Pentium® 166MMX minimum (Pentium II 266 recommended) or equivalent AMD® processor
Windows® 95/98/ME/NT/2000 or XP
Minimum 32 MB of RAM
200 megabytes free hard drive space
USB port (capable of providing power to connected devices)

Conclusion

Out of this world sound, good looks & a reasonable price make the JBL Creature II a great choice for high quality computer speakers. Don’t let the small size fool you, these little guys pack a serious punch.

Pros:

Big sound in a small package
Very funky design
Mute function
Affordable price

Cons:

No headphone jacks on satellite

Quality: 9 out of 10
Features: 9.3 out of 10
Price: 10 out of 10

Overall: 9.3 out of 10