Pump up the bass on these PC speakers
- Creative, Hardware, Speakers -
Music has always been an integral part of the Filipino culture.
From the days of the vinyl records to CDs to digital music players, Filipinos have always wanted to carry their own music with them around. Some would download songs and play them from their home theaters, some of which boast of high fidelity audio speakers (others actually think they can produce surround sound in a 5.1 channel speaker set up with only a dual channel stereo source).
At any rate, Filipinos do get around when it comes to sound production. Some are going after a complete surround sound set up while others go for a 2.1 speaker system that emulates surround sound. Most of these are played on PC speakers. A few brands are already available in the market including Logitech, Bose, Altec Lansing and Creative.
Singapore firm Creative recently introduced a few new products, notably PC speakers. It introduced three new models, all of which are part of the company’s high-end brand Gigaworks.
One of the new Gigaworks speakers is the 2.1 channel T3, which delivers a much pronounced bass speaker courtesy of a new subwoofer design called symmetrically loaded acoustic module (SLAM). Unlike most subwoofers that use only two drivers, the T3’s subwoofer uses three, producing deeper bass.
The T3’s two speaker drivers are also has a low standby power mode when no sound is coming out of them.
Two other Gigaworks models are the T20 and T40 series II, both of which are 2.0 speaker sets. Even without subwoofers the T20 and T40 are able to produce bass, which may not be as pronounce as it is in the T3 but nonetheless high fidelity.
Because they are small, the T20 and T40 are best used with small desktop computers and laptops. These can also be connected to an ordinary LCD TV to improve the TV’s audio quality.
Creative’s most basic speakers are its T3130 and T6160; 2.1 and 5.1 speakers, respectively.
While the company has been in the PC peripheral business in the Philippines for a while, its speakers are by far its largest business, amounting to about 50 percent of their revenues in the Philippines.
In an interview, Creative Labs Asia Sales Manager Paul Seow said the company is banking on the improving economy for higher sales, which also affects the buying patterns of consumers.
“As needs become greater, Filipinos would buy products that are reliable, efficient and also fit their lifestyle,” he said.
Seow also said the entire business for Creative in the Philippines is expected to about 20 percent to 30 percent, majority of which would come from speakers.
“Our growth in the Philippines for 2008 was flat, which is good since other regions had negative. This means we’re poised to grow our business in the Philippines in the coming year,” Seow said.
– Alexander Villafania
