Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

JBL Creature?

W

wedgeseven

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 7, 2006
43
0
Portland
I'm in need for some speakers for my computer. I have a power Mac and I'm looking for speakers to match.

I like the altec lansing 6021's but a little stuck on price at the moment. I noticed that JBL offers a version of their CreatureII speakers in both Aluminum and Grey.

Was just wondering of anyone has seen these speakers and how well they match the Power Macs?

I assume the Altec's are better sounding but are they worth the extra $100 or so?

Thanks
 
I love my creature speakers. Now, I don't have too much to compare them to, but maybe you should go take one for a test run sometime...for the $70 or whatever mine were, they're awesome, and everyone loves the appearance and sound quality (cept one person, who thought the subwoofer was reminiscent of darth vader - i have the black ones)

also, I believe the creature speakers come in white, black, and a limited edition grey/silver.


my one peeve about the speakers is the volume control - the whole capacitance touch deal is very cool, but if I brush against it to reach for something else around it, the volume goes up. Waaaaaaaay up.

(although, if you have a power mac G5, i think the altecs would go better with the computer, heheh...and don't get me wrong, those altec lansing speakers are pretty awesome, just, i like the creatures because they look better and are less than half the price :) )
 
I own the JBL Creature II speakers in white, and yes the fact that they match new shiny new iMac is wonderful.

In terms of sound though they are "good". The maximum volume is pretty good, and the quality isn't too shabby at all, although at the highest volumes the satellites will jump around on the desk!

However, I feel like I have outgrown them. I want something that goes louder, and without the unavoidable distortion of the top-end volumes and I also want better sound quality.

It really depends how fussy you are. They are good speakers. In my opinion they're not great. If you're going to make your speakers last for a while then get something really good. If you think you'll replace them 12 months later then get something cheaper!
 
I just got some Creature IIs from Harman's refurbs on eBay. Paid only $35+shipping for them. I haven't really pushed them but I have to say I'm not overly impressed. They sound very tinny to me. I haven't played with the sub that much to fine tune them. I just wasn't as impressed as I thought I'd be after reading people rave about these speakers.

For under $50 they are very good but I wouldn't pay retail for them. Check out the Klipsch Pro Media and maybe the HK Soundsticks.
 
Thanks for the feedback, sound that for quality wise they aren't to spectacular but work.

Any thoughts one he aluminum or gray and how they match the power Mac and which one does better.

From the pics the aluminum looks too shiny, but they gray too light. Just wondering if anyone has seen them side by side, or with a power Mac or powerbook.
 
janey said:
my one peeve about the speakers is the volume control - the whole capacitance touch deal is very cool, but if I brush against it to reach for something else around it, the volume goes up. Waaaaaaaay up.
Click to expand...
They need that new "maximum volume" iPod feature.
 
I have 3 sets of creatures 2. They are not tinny at all, the poster who says this needs to turn down trebble and add bass, either that or the $45 set he got off ebay are ****ed.

Sound quality wise the JBL's are excellent and can be turned up VERY loud.

The creatures in white look nicer than the aluminum/gray ones with an imac, especially if you are using the white keyboard, apple mouse & an ipod. Everything matches and it's very stylish.

The white ones also have blue underlight, whereas all the other colors have green which isnt as nice.

Excellent value for money and great sound reproduction. Read some reviews (search google) from one review..

"Like their '50s sci-fi counterparts, the Creature II speakers took everything I could throw at them and kept coming back for more. Regardless of the source, the system gave me a sound that sparkled in the high end, and rumbled in the bass.

Make no mistake — the Creature IIs are multimedia speakers, for use with computers and small portable devices. They can deliver fuller-sounding audio to your immediate work area. All in all, I came to regard these strange white paraboloids not as desktop invaders, but part of my office's Creature comforts. '............

Recommended..


Edit: I see your using a powermac. On my dual G5 I use the gray ones and on my mac mini the aluminum. To be honest there isnt a great deal of difference between the two, basically ones glossy ones matte. Both would go with the setup, you wont regret buying either....
 
Logitech z2300 speakers sound a hell of a lot better than creatures, and they look good with a powermac. They are shiny gray and black. You can get them online for a hundred bucks probably. I think they even sound better than most Altec Lansing systems I've heard. Check Cnet's reviews of Logitech z2300s and you might be convinced. They rule.
 
creatures pretty much suck, for the $$$ they are decent. i regret buying them and will most likely stick with them for a while longer...dont get them
 
albertfreestyle said:
creatures pretty much suck, for the $$$ they are decent. i regret buying them and will most likely stick with them for a while longer...dont get them
Click to expand...
they're not fabulous, but they're pretty good at that price. but hey, if money isn't concerned, why not go all out and spend a ton of money on a ridiculous setup? I mean, I have a klipsch promedia 5.1 setup, it sounds GORGEOUS, but it was also way more expensive than the creatures. Yeah, let's compare them anyway... :rolleyes: :rolleyes: (actually, iirc they were like $3-400 i think)

I think the creatures rock for 90% of what I do - I rarely have an occasion to listen to things at loud volumes and such - no point in waking up neighbors with loud music at 3am while browsing forums and coding...also no point in watching movies or playing games with the volume all the way up. I don't think they sound tinny either.

Second annoyance with the volume control: you can't tell if it's loud or soft by the little sound it makes as the volume is adjusted. Now, if they changed that, it would be great...many a time i've cringed when i'd forget to turn down the volume as low as i want it to go

and agreed, the logitech z2300s are not bad at all, but they look very bland to me, as do most speakers, so..
 
The Creatures sound great and are highly recommended. http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/ipod/review/jbl-creature-ii-21-speakers-ipod/

I have two pairs and think they are great speakers for under $100.

Three minor grips. Both the on-off button and treble-bass controls are on the subwoofer. If you plan on putting the subwoofer on the floor the controls are tough to get to. Also no remote control.

You can't go wrong buying these for $70.
 
I wish I had digital speakers with 5:1 surround and all that but I got a gift of the Creature Speakers (analogue) and, for cheapers speakers, they're pretty darned good. My GF liked what they put out sound-wise so much she bought them as well (the white ones to match her iMac).

Great? No. Audiophile quality? No. Perfect for the casual user, sometimes gamer, sometimes iTunes user who wants decent bass, distortion only at the high end and a sound that can fill a room or two in a house/or apartment? Absolutely. I've had no problems with them, they sound great, you can definitely get the neighbors pounding on the walls for you to turn them down if you like. I've had a lot of friends by similarly priced speakers and all of them say they prefer mine over theirs, to the point one went out and bought the Creature Speakers and ditched his old ones. For their price, they're probably the best out there.
 
Doctor Q said:
They need that new "maximum volume" iPod feature.
Click to expand...

I agree. Anything with volume that can be changed almost instantly to a loud volume needs to have a way to set a maximum volume. I've been listening to my ipod more than once or twice without hold on and had the volume blasted at me just for picking it up.
 
I have the Creatures (in white - £59 from John Lewis) and am very happy with them. For me they are the right balance between sound, style and price. Clearly they are not the best you can get but for me they are 'good enough'
 
Chalk me up as another fan of the Creature's. I have a set in white and they are plenty loud enough for my kitchen when I plug my iPod into them. Funny thing is though I have the green downlights and not blue as someone else mentioned.

For the price you can't go wrong.
 
For the record, I have had creatures for years (2?) since my birthday and they have been wonderful. Look great, I can play them really loud and still never a problem with one going out or sounding 'fuzzy'. some people complain about the sound up/down touch sensitive buttons going out and it has never been a problem for me. The jbl sub looks like an alien but works well and like I said, I've never had a problem with any of them...my $0.02
 
Ive got creatures and they do a brilliant job. If the music has a very high bitrate they sound amazing....... Highly reccommended but i feel tempted to buy an ipod hi-fi and plug my imac into that.:D Steve would be proud..
 
calebjohnston said:
I agree. Anything with volume that can be changed almost instantly to a loud volume needs to have a way to set a maximum volume. I've been listening to my ipod more than once or twice without hold on and had the volume blasted at me just for picking it up.
Click to expand...
well, it's not almost instant, it takes about 2 seconds of pressing on the volume thing for the volume to go from sort of quiet to uncomfortably loud.
 
I've had them for about six months and I feel that they are an excellent pair of speakers. You can't beat the price
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back