Cambridge SoundWorks DTT 3500 Digital 5.1 Surround Speaker System *UPDATED*

Before You Listen

First impressions can work for or against a product. With an amplified speaker system, a really amazing system would be unnoticeable until the first note is reproduced. In lesser systems, the first impression could actually come when power is first supplied and the speakers begin to reproduce the noise inherent in the amplifier. This noise doesn't go away once the music starts; instead it remains beneath the program and degrades the quality.

Looking to the specifications prior to a listening test should lend an idea of what to expect. For the initial impression of amplifier noise, S/N ratio specs will provide an idea of what sort of experience to expect. Cambridge SoundWorks has chosen to not make this information available to the public; possibly for saving space in publication (though the information is not available through contacting the company, either), or possibly to avoid quantifying what is revealed by listening tests.

Other specifications are ambiguous; power ratings at 10% THD are an unrealistic measurement of the system as no one would listen to a program with that much distortion, and a frequency response without indicating the tolerance really doesn't quantify anything other than that the speakers will manage to reproduce those frequencies regardless of what their relative levels are to each other. To learn more about how specifications reveal the nature of a sound system, and what to watch out for as companies pick and choose what to reveal, check out the Speaker Buyer's Guide.

The Sound

Before addressing the system's characteristics, it is important to explain an issue that resulted in the original review describing the system with excessive noise. The original review system was a preproduction model of the system; the production model has corrected the excessively noisy center channel originally reported. Unfortunately, Creative did not inform us that the original system was different from the production model even when we questioned the noisy center channel in the beginning of the review phase. Only after reader response through the discussion in the forums led us to contact Creative again, at which point they informed us that our unit was in fact different..

Switching out the decoder/amplifier unit on the system brought the noise level of the speaker system down to a more expected level. The center channel now sits quietly on top or below the monitor, instead of hissing directly at the user as in the preproduction unit. By solving this problem, it was possible to get a stronger idea of how the speakers sounded that users will be purchasing, should they choose this system. In saying that the noise problem has been fixed, it does not mean that all noise has been eliminated from the system. However, it has been reduced to an almost unnoticeable level, so long as the input is not producing any noise in the system. When the volume is maxed out, as in many speaker systems, there is some underlying hiss. This noise will be present at high listening levels, though the program level overpowers it at the higher listening levels, so it will only be noticeable in critical listening conditions. With the amplifier noise removed from the center channel, it was possible to learn more about how clean the inputs were. The quietest input is found using the digital DIN connection for the Dolby Digital / PCM Audio input. The coax and optical digital ins are the next quietest in this category. For the amplifier's Multi-Channel selection, the Digital DIN is on par with the coax connection in the digital section, and the analog connection is fairly quiet as well.

Moving on to playback functions with the system let us hear what the speakers could do. The speakers were tested with games, DVD playback, and music reproduction. Some frequency sweeps of the individual channels also lends some insight into what the system can do.

The system has a strong presence at the bottom of the frequency spectrum, which is centered around the subwoofer. With 40W dedicated to it in the amplifier, the ported box really provides strong reinforcement for the LFE channel in Dolby Digital. In addition to the dedicated LFE channel, the amplifier crosses over the low frequencies on all of the satellite speakers to the subwoofer. And for anyone who feels the included sub is insufficient, there is a line level connection off of the amplifier to feed an external powered subwoofer.

Both the front and rear satellites are the same type of speaker, and therefore have the same tonal qualities. They all exhibit their strongest tonal reproduction in the upper midrange and high frequency parts of the spectrum. Their lowest frequencies are reproduced by the sub, as the small drivers cannot effectively recreate the low frequency sound. The lower midrange frequencies are where the satellites begin to have problems. These frequencies get left behind somewhat as the smaller drivers excel at the higher octaves, and the sound is noticeably affected.

The center channel speaker, with a larger driver than the other satellites, performs slightly better in the lower midrange frequencies. It is slightly harsh as it emphasizes the highest frequencies, while the lowest frequencies are crossed over to the sub; this creates a slight dip in the mid frequencies that reduces the warmth of the sound. However, it the higher power center channel and larger driver (changes from Creative's earlier DTT2500 system) are a step in the right direction. They increase the value of this system for movie playback by providing for a strong center channel.

Overall, the system is characterized by a dip in overall response through the lower midrange frequencies that reduces the warmth of the overall sound. The small drivers used in all of the satellites necessitates this crossover that makes the response somewhat characteristic of small satellite/booming subwoofer systems. The emphasis on the higher frequencies that follows from the smaller drivers makes the sound extremely crisp, and at higher volumes, the highs can be too loud.