/ 72W bi-amped sound meets budget pricing.
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Creative Technology is upping the ante in the ultra-competitive category of desktop speakers with the release of their new Creative XF1 – Hi-Res audio speaker system that offers performance usually found only in products that cost twice or three times as much.
Marketing buzzwords are usually all you get when it comes to any product launch. But in the case of Creative XF1, there’s something that sets this product apart. The market is growing for compact desktop speaker systems and there’s currently a demand for more high-end products. And while other similar solutions like Kanto or AudioEngine come out at over $250, Creative XF1 is priced at $179.99 in the US ($159.99 in Europe) and includes features normally found in high-end models such as dual Hi-Res Audio certification and Bluetooth 6.0 protocol which is relatively rare in current audio equipment.
This is what sets Creative XF1 apart from other products in the same niche – it doesn’t pretend to be a regular 2.0 speaker set when it clearly is trying to change the perception of “good enough” sound coming from desktop speakers.(Creative XF1)
The core of the Creative XF1 consists of a 72W RMS bi-amplified design, which means that each speaker and its individual drivers, including a custom-designed FEA-optimized 3-inch woofer, is amplified with a separate channel rather than sharing the same amplification channel. According to Creative, this feature was developed through a special engineering approach called Finite Element Analysis simulation which reduces distortions and improves bass response and is especially useful for near-field desktop audio listening.
As far as connectivity goes, apart from the aforementioned Bluetooth 6.0 protocol with LDAC codec for high-quality wireless audio stream transmission, Creative XF1 has USB-C audio input and the traditional auxiliary cable input, working with both laptops, turntables and even phones. Subwoofer output allows expanding the configuration of the system to a 2.1 system in the future without having to replace the speakers themselves.
There are several things that distinguish Creative XF1 from the majority of desktop speakers, one of them being detachable cork stands. Instead of just providing some sort of aesthetic advantage, these stands tilt each speaker by 15 degrees toward the listener in order to dampen vibrations and desk resonance – a minor but important acoustic feature for those who know how to value sound and understand its nuances.
Physically, each unit is about 155 x 99.7 x 191mm with a weight of less than 3kg.
Creative XF1 comes with a Creative Nexus app (Windows, iOS and Android), featuring 10-band parametric equalizer and over 120 presets tailored specifically for different genres and games. There is also a special “Desktop Mode” switch which tailors the sound profile for the near-field listening specifically, rather than full-room playback – a feature that most competitor products lack.
According to Ernest Sim, CEO and Executive Chairman of Creative Technology, the idea behind the launch of Creative XF1 is related to the significance of a desktop in the lives of modern professionals and entertainment lovers, and the product itself was specially developed to provide more immersive and detailed sound experience.
Creative XF1 isn’t innovating in terms of desktop audio – but it is redefining what “premium” means in this category. Bi-amplification, dual Hi-Res certification and Bluetooth 6.0 protocol are the features normally gatekept behind a higher price bracket and Creative is offering them all for less than $180. Cork stands and Desktop Mode equalizer setting feature are showing a lot of attention paid to the way people use near-field speakers and not only to their performance.
The main challenge for Creative XF1 will be the long-term reliability and the performance of Nexus app outside the controlled environment of a demo – but according to specifications and early reviews, this is one of the most promising budget-to-midrange desktop speaker launches in recent time. If you were looking for Hi-Res desktop audio without the Hi-Res price tag – Creative XF1 should definitely get on your short list.
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