Portable speaker Creative D100: review and feedback

People like simple solutions. They hate cables and their confusion. That's why most are much more willing to invest in speakers that can provide music over the distance wirelessly. In this review, an attempt is made to find out whether it is worth buying a portable acoustic system Creative D100 that meets these requirements.

Music for all occasions

Singapore's Creative, known for its Sound Blaster sound cards, also produces good wireless headphones, so it's interesting to compare other devices from the same manufacturer that support the same Bluetooth interface. One such model is the beautiful portable speaker Creative D100, which, as marketers assure, is perfectly suitable for use at home and outdoors. The advantage of such equipment and the technologies used by it should be, first of all, the possibility of connecting an almost unlimited number of devices capable of audio reproduction. This can make the life of its owner much more enjoyable.

Specifications

The technical characteristics of the model are as follows:

• Frequency range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz;
• Signal to noise ratio: more than 80 dB;
• Weight: 1 kg;
• Dimensions (length x width x height): 336x115x115 mm;
• Wireless connection: Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR with A2DP profile (stereo) / AVRCP (remote control);
• Working distance: up to 10 m (in the open space, walls and other obstacles can affect the range of reception of the device).

Unpacking

The first impression of the packaging, in which a portable audio-speaker is delivered, can not be called sensationally excessive, but the box is made at a decent level. It does not represent anything out of the ordinary, but it is reliable both from the point of view of appearance and from the point of view of ensuring the safety of the contents. Inside it is the device itself, a power cord with two removable adapters, so that it can fit into any outlet, as well as a set of instructions from the Creative D100 and leaflets with the advertisement of the manufacturer. According to feedback from users, the only thing missing is AA batteries, which will be needed for the operation of the speakers in the "real world".

Creative D100: Design Review

If we talk about the evaluation of the appearance of the device itself, as well as the functionality that the manufacturer tried to endow a compact column, the first thing that catches your eye is its color. The Creative D100 case is available in black and white, and the tone of the front panel material hiding the speakers can be chosen according to their tastes from the proposed pink, blue, green and black versions. This decision indicates that the target audience for the model are children and users looking for an inexpensive portable wireless speaker system.

The design of the device itself, which looks at least interesting and elegant, attracts attention. The difference in the dimensions of the front and back of the body (13.25 "in front and 11.6" at the rear, which corresponds to 336 and 295 mm) in combination with the rounded sides really pleases the eye and is very pleasant, especially when viewed from the side. Cylindrical shapes are physically larger than the dimensions of the Logitech Z515, so the Creative columns weighing 998 g are very light. They can easily be carried around the house or taken with them to a picnic to have fun in nature. True, the protective case, as in the case of the Logitech Z515, the manufacturer does not offer. Nevertheless, the front panel also looks great. Most of it is covered with the material of the chosen color, under which a pair of speakers hides. These are 2 3-inch 2-watt sound emitters manufactured by Cambridge SoundWorks.

Management and connectivity

In the center of the panel is a pairing button with Bluetooth devices, as well as volume increase and decrease keys. They are not only functional, but also look aesthetically pleasing, without damaging the appearance of the model. On the back of the "Creative D100" column there is an on / off button, an AUX-IN input and a power input jack . From the bottom is the cover of the compartment, which allows to change the way of power supply of the device. It is possible to insert 4 AA-size batteries, and the speaker system can work outside the premises equipped with electrical outlets. In addition, the bottom panel has 4 rubber feet, preventing the slide of the column.

How it works?

Evaluation of sound quality is very subjective and difficult in the absence of special equipment. In this case, you can rely on the opinion of experts. According to the owners, the D100 is one of the best portable speakers, which performs everything that users demand from this kind of equipment. Most of all they like the way acoustics works when watching movies. The sound is very pleasant, voluminous and clear (as in games). However, the impression when listening to music is not so rosy. It seems that the audio speakers go overboard with low frequencies, which is confirmed in the headset of the same manufacturer Sound Blaster, and forces this feature to be attributed to the shortcomings of the model. Perhaps some will like it, but this difference in sound indicates the unbalance of the frequency ranges of the device. However, the bass-saturated compositions sound satisfactory, the high frequencies are clear and do not seem metallic and rattling, which is impressive for Bluetooth-acoustics.

For their price, the D100 speakers work surprisingly well. In terms of quality, they fully correspond to the Super Tooth Disco speaker system, providing high performance with fewer sound emitters, which is partially offset by an excellent gain system. The D100 has only 2 speakers, but the only difference that can be caught between this 80-dollar model and the Super Tooth Disco for $ 150 is even higher-quality sound at high frequencies in a more expensive system, which, however, is leveled by annoying HF screech and static .

Power Creative D100 is sufficient - the sound level is able to reach values that at close distances can even be dangerous, and the volume is just enough to completely fill the sound of a small office. Although Creative's portable speakers lack some things, such as an easy-to-carry case or case and built-in rechargeable battery, but they are half the cost to speak for themselves. The speaker sounds just as good as any other Bluetooth-column, which costs less than $ 100, although its cheaper trim and larger sizes are not indicative of it.

Wireless connection

Creative D100 connects to other devices via Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and supports A2DP and AVRCP profiles. This technology was named the best at CES 2010 and received an appropriate award from representatives of the Bluetooth SIG organization, which develops and licenses this wireless standard. The device is very easy to establish a connection, regardless of whether it is a smartphone, laptop, mp3 player, tablet or PC. It is enough to hold the power button for a few seconds to activate the detection mode and select the speakers in the corresponding music player. The whole procedure takes less than a minute both on Android phones and on the Apple iPhone. The Logitech Z515, however, also offers a wireless USB adapter that allows you to save the charge of your smartphone by connecting the speaker system to your PC.

Users who connected the speakers to different devices say that they have never experienced any confusion. Also pleased with the rather large reception range, which, depending on the pairing technique, can reach 10 m. In practice, the acoustic system is capable of operating and at twice the distance. The same good is the battery life of the model. According to the manufacturer, without power from the mains, the column can function for 25 hours. Even if in reality this time is not so long, it will be enough for a pleasant party in nature.

Some remarks

According to users, some aspects of the model work they cause comments. Discontent is caused by the fact that it is possible to adjust the volume of the D100 exclusively with the buttons for adjusting the sound level on the column itself, and not on the connected smartphone, tablet, MP3 player, laptop or PC. This is not a big problem, because the Creative speakers sound good regardless of the volume and type of audio they play.

Another, more serious observation is that the low cost of the model is associated with the prospect of premature failure. Although most owners of problems with portable speakers of the company Creative does not arise, there are cases of failure of some D100, which cease to work after a long period of daily use. Although the low price makes it less shocking, the owners recommend buying acoustics from sellers with a good customer warranty system and a reasonable return policy.

Advantages and disadvantages

According to user feedback, the portable audio system Creative D100 has a nice design and is painted in cute colors, provides an excellent wireless Bluetooth connection, has an audio input, provides excellent sounding of movies and games (as a PC column), and is capable of long-time offline work. At the same time, when listening to music, the imbalance of different frequency ranges is noticeable, and the batteries are not included in the kit.

Conclusion

Dynamics Creative D100 are not designed for sophisticated music lovers, as evidenced by the technical characteristics of the model, but it should be recognized that the portable speaker performs its tasks perfectly. Small size, interesting design and charming pastel shades definitely speak in favor of the device, which, thanks to this, it will not be difficult to find your place in an apartment or a family trip to the open air. D100 can even be installed on the trunk of the bike and enjoy music while driving. Portability is supported by an instantly installed Bluetooth wireless connection, the range of which even exceeds the manufacturer's expectations. In general, this is one of the best portable speakers that owners strongly recommend to purchase, especially since its price is also interesting and is $ 80.