I’ve long been singing from the rooftops the benefits that surround-sound can add to your gaming experience, especially if you enjoy a spot of the old – positional audio adding greatly to the immersion of such experiences. Low and behold, Creative Labs have come up with a new solution to tempt gamers to adopt gaming-sound nirvana. The Creative Inspire 4.1 4400 speaker system is a five piece assortment, boasting four satellite speakers and one beastly sub-woofer. Not to mention a tidy-little remote control, of course.

But what does the 4.1 system offer, that separates it from an ever-increasing crowd of rivals? The price. When it comes to value for money, this system is pretty hard to beat. Not only does it weigh in with some impressive sound quality (which I’ll come to later), solid manufacturing, and good software support – its cheap. Compared to its rivals, its practically given away, at around £60 including VAT. That kind of money will usually only afford you a decent three piece speaker system, so a miserly sixty pounds Stirling should be a sound investment for a vast improvement over two-speakers.

Firstly, on the quality front, the speakers are fully EAX compatible (of course, a decent sound-card is also required), which is the de facto standard used in all-manner of software, including games, at the moment. What’s more, the audio clarity and range suggests a system far more expensive than this little beauty actually is – the bass is deep and booming, without distortion, and the trebles are crisp and clear without hiss. It can all go terrifyingly loud too, to the extent where one would have to recommend never going beyond the half-way point as anything more would probably induce rock-slides in neighbouring towns.

The satellite speakers can each produce 6 watts RMS, whilst the sub-woofer enjoys 17 watts RMS, which whilst not gargantuan, can push out a surprisingly loud range, as well as being nice and sharp even when very loud. It isn't up to 5.1 audio standards, like many more expensive cutting-edge systems, though in comparisons the actual 'real-world' difference is negligible anyway.

If this wasn’t enough, the build quality of the system is surprisingly sturdy, as well as stylish – in discrete black. The satellite units even have wall brackets built into them, a well thought out addition, as these brackets can often set you back up to forty pounds for a pair alone!

Installation is like robbing sweets from an infant, involving the insertion of all cables via the sub-woofer, which is clear marked, and hey-presto you’re ready to go. There are a few words of caution for those wanting to get the most from this system; a good soundcard is required to make it all tick nicely. Something that supports four-channel sound required by this system should be available for about £50 at the moment. So shop around.

Other than this small system requirement, which would be recommended whatever speaker solution you opt for – the 4.1 4400 package is a jolly good deal at £60. Don’t be put off by the bargain-basement price, for this is a system built just as well as many of Creative’s more expensive offerings albeit slightly less powerful, and without the addition of a fifth (non-essential) satellite speaker.

A great buy at this price, now you’ve got no excuse for not ditching those tiny tin-cans currently astride your monitor.

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By Luke Guttridge