Speaker systems for the 5.1 setup have been around for a while now and there are plenty of choice in this market. The leader in the field has been creative for some time but other brands are making very decent surround systems now.

Creative Inspire 5.1 Digital 5500

An excellent start into the surround sound environment. The Inspire 5.1 Digital 5500 comes with a separate decoder to decode 5.1 audio tracks on non Dolby 5.1 sound cards and it comes with optical and coaxial connections to connect to other devices such as your home DVD player. The digital speakers have superseded the older analogue ones which used to be a little prone to interference. Digital speakers by nature are not subjected to any interference. The prices of the digital speakers have come down a lot and are now the choice for the mainstream consumer.

Specifications

6 Watts (RMS) centre channel

6 Watts (RMS) per surround satellite (x4)

Powerful 18 Watts (RMS) subwoofer

Frequency Response 45Hz-20kHz

Dolby Digital® and Dolby Pro Logic processing for awesome surround sound

Heavily reinforced wood subwoofer with 6-channel amplification for an enhanced audio experience

Line-in, digital coaxial and optical inputs for multiple connectivity to

DVD players and other devices

Wireless remote control with key functions for convenient control

New sleek decoder with elegant silver front panel to suit any environment

Creative Inspire 5.1 Digital 5700

A step up from the 5500 digital come the Creative Inspire 5.1 5700 digital speakers. The 5700 offer Dolby digital and DTS decoding via its separate decoder and is perfect for any PC DVD player or gaming console that can output 5.2 channel sound. Offering more power than the 5500 the inspire 5700 digital gives room shattering effects on its own and with the use of a creative EAX enable card you can really get the best out of this fabulous piece of kit. Plus it comes with a remote control for easy control over your sound from the comfort of your chair.

Specifications

7 Watts (RMS) per surround satellite (x 4)

Powerful 30 Watts (RMS) SLAM subwoofer

21 Watts (RMS) centre channel

Frequency Response 35Hz to 20kHz

SNR 76dB

Compatible with 24bit/96kHz devices

Maximum 6-channel digital performance with any Sound Blaster®

Audigy™ or Live!™ 5.1 series sound card

High connectivity – optical, coaxial, analogue stereo and digital DIN

CMSS™ up-mixes any 2-channel stereo to a 5.1 sonic sound field

Decoder/amplifier and wireless remote control gives complete functional management

Logitech Z-640

If your looking for a slightly cheaper option take a look at the Logitech Z-640. This system offers 5.1 surround sound without the extra decoder. If you wish to use the Z-640 on anything that decodes its own 5.1 sound tracks then these speakers can do the job. However you can still use this on the PS2 or Xbox with the red and white audio cables and still get great surround sound. The decoder is only needed to decode Dolby 5.1 channels. The main selling point of this set of speakers seems to be the subwoofer. Its a very powerful subwoofer for the price range its in. It has a dual chamber subwoofer which Logitech says has double the power of similar subwoofer’s

Specifications

Total output power: 71.2 Watts RMS

Subwoofer power output: 25.7 Watts RMS

Satellite speaker power output: 45.5 Watts RMS (4 x 7.3 watts RMS, 1 x 16.3)

System frequency response: 35Hz – 20kHz

Signal-to-noise ratio: >75 dB

Input impedance: > 5’000 ohms

Shielded satellites for use near video monitors