Creative T12 - Small Size, Big Price

A few weeks back, we saw Creative’s Inspire S2 Bluetooth speakers and we felt that they were a little overpriced and the subwoofer that came along with it, was well, underpowered. Now we have the new T12 stereo wireless speakers from Creative. They lack a subwoofer, which was present in the Inspire S2 and though it’s not priced as high as the S2, will it be worth its price? Design and Build Quality The T12’s form factor, as we mentioned before is more suited for desktops and compact settings. Both the speakers are quite slim and will definitely look apt for small rooms. They have a black chrome finish, which gives it an attractive and classy look and feel. The silver volume knob and Bluetooth button in front of the right speaker go well with the black colour of these speakers. Looks attractive and classy The build quality of the T12 is very sturdy from all fronts. The knob moves quite smoothly, the Bluetooth button doesn’t feel cheap and the ports are also well built. While the power chord might feel a little too long, the wire that connects the right speaker to the left is just the right size. The cones of the T12 speakers are somewhat delicate, but they aren’t too bad looking. Since they’re exposed, there’s a risk of them getting damaged. There are four rubber pads at the base of each speaker which help them grip the surface. Features There’s a line-in port behind for tethering the T12 speakers to other media devices and Creative has been thoughtful by placing a headphone jack on the front, which is quite convenient to reach and use. Sleek design makes it apt for desktop PCs You can pair your laptop, mobile phones and PMPs to the speakers. Apple’s devices are not left out either and you can use the Creative BT-D5 Wireless transmitter to connect your iPod touch or iPhone to the T12 speakers. Also, desktop PCs can use the BT-D1 Bluetooth transmitter for connecting wirelessly, although they should have bundled this with the package. Performance The T12 was set through its paces and we played various genres of music which mostly included Rock, but we also played Rap, Hip Hop, Trance and some others, as well. We have to admit that these speakers were quite impressive for their size. There were a few issues here and there, but that didn’t really cloud the T12’s overall performance. No Bass Control present These speakers can get pretty loud if you crank up the volume to maximum. Of course, there is quite a bit of distortion with the volume maxed out, but in terms of loudness the T12 definitely packs quite a punch. The highs usually sound crisp, but in a few instances the shrillness is quite noticeable. While listening to Symptoms of the Universe, we could make out the shrills in an electric guitar sequence. The mids are just about right and don’t sound muddy at all. Now the T12 doesn’t have a subwoofer and we kind of expected the bass response to be pretty bad, but we found the bass to be just about decent for their size. You don’t hear or feel the booming sound that you get from large subwoofers, but the thump is noticeable. The T12 captures most of the details well enough and doesn’t really blend the music. Right from the crash to the slight bass, all of them can be heard. It was a little surprising to see that you can make out the soundstage of a track. This is something at which single speaker units fail. Of course it’s not too prominent, but nevertheless it’s quite impressive for a bunch of 2.0 speakers. On the whole, the performance was decent. Small and convenient, but a little expensive Verdict The T12 speakers are priced at Rs. 5,499 which is quite steep if you look at the average price range for desktop speakers. For that matter, even the D100 is priced lower than this and performs pretty well. The T12 has its own share of problems of shrill high tones and distortion at relatively lower volumes. If you’re looking for a pair of desktop speakers for casual listening and also occasionally streaming music from your phone or notebook, the T12 speakers are worth considering.