Others say...

"Should you buy.... Depends on what you're looking for?"
Alright let me break these speakers down for you. If you enjoy listening to music and gaming occasionally, you cannot beat this deal. Don't let these speakers fool you. They pack a punch! I have the big brother 5500 series from Logitech and when comparing them pound for pound, they sound almost as good. (Emphasis on the pound for pound)

These are inexpensive speakers that when combining them with a Creative SB card, will do your ears justice. Ratings are going to be a little bias. This is a good buy for a starter surround sound system. I still listen to mine and enjoy every minute of the time.

Hope this helps!

S.Stevens SLC, UT

"Perfect speakers for a very affordable price"
i've had these speakers for 3 years now. i love them.

if you are looking for a product that is bang for your buck. this is it.

"Great Purchase"
I began searching for a sound system that would benefit my wants and needs. As a consumer, I wanted a system that would turn my listening upside down. This system does just that.. I love the sound these speakers produce, it's amazing!


"It's not Bose... but all in all it's a solid product."
The demo for the X-540 at the store was awesome enough for me to give it a try. Compared to the $30 2.0 speaker set, the various 2.1 speakers, that weird strip thing containing 3 speakers, and the X-540, the X-540 sounded the strongest. There was one more expensive set to the right. Sound quality seemed equal.

There were also 3 Bose sets to the left, but as they had their own music piped through, I summarily discounted them. Didn't seem fair to include, somehow...

So why give the X-540 a try? The wired remote: It's got the power button, volume adjustment, bass adjustment (a BIG plus), and "matrix" effect button that allows 2 speaker sources (CDs) to be pumped on all speakers... Convenience is an understatement. Never mind they sounded good at the store!

So I whipped out Satan's plastic pal, paid the $100, and lugged it home.

Set up was easy and all the cables were provided. Always helpful, that...

My sound card is a Creative Labs Fatal1ty Gamer.

For reference point, I am replacing a three year old Logitech x-620 speaker set.

To summarize the X-540:

Good points:
* The remote. I like having every conceivable control at my finger tips and not on a computer screen or attached to the subwoofer on the floor.
* Sound from CDs or 5.1 enabled games is fantastic. The two speakers per module gets some of the credit here.
* Turning down the bass on the remote doesn't hamper bass tones as badly as the x-620; or, rather, most of the tones can be heard without the wretched reverb shaking up the house like a blender.
* The "Matrix" effect is quite acceptable. Thumbs up from me. It pipes the left/right sounds from the front to the rear systems, using a slight delay effect and others to make it sound "real" and encompassing. Hard to describe, but while it simply can't take an existing stereo soundtrack and make it 5 separate channels (no sound system can), the trickery used to mimic the effect is very good indeed.
* I had no problems with cable length for the rear speakers (6' away with plenty of slack cable remaining). But YMMV; not all computer desks are the same.

The not-so-good points:
* With 'matrix' enabled, the bass setting needs to be increased slightly; decreased when disabled.

The awful points:
* For the price offered, why is the subwoofer unprotected? Their preceding models have even a basic grille for the subwoofer. The subwoofer is aimed directly toward the floor, but if you're renting, those neighbors are not going to be keen on listening to the heavy thumping!

Definitely recommended. 8/10

Keep in mind, I am not using these speakers above 50% (and at this level they sound very clear and crisp, even on older, digitally remastered CDs). I like the ability to hear and I've got neighbors who like quiet too. :) At the store, I did crank the puppies up to 80% and heard none of the issues some other commentators have mentioned. That's when I noticed people talking louder and thinking of me when I think of other people who crank the volume up to 100% to listen to speaker quality.

So, that's my story.

"Great speakers for a great price"
I have had these speakers for well over a year now and I have loved them since day one. The quality of the product you're getting for the price is a steal.

The subwoofer is pretty powerful and the sound is great. It comes with a monster cable that is AV to audio, with a small black piece that attaches to the audio part that allows you to use all five speakers at once (the speakers are broken up through three different cords with 3.5mm jacks on the end, so the little box has three jacks on it).

If you get a red/white cable with a headphone jack on the end ($20 at the apple store) you can plug the red white cable into the little box and play your ipod (or other mp3 player, or computer) on all three speakers at once, too. It won't be true surround sound because you're getting the same input to each speaker, but it's still awesome. I love being able to fill my room with music.

I have no complaints with these speakers. I am 100% satisfied with them!