Could these be the ultimate affordable desktop speakers of your dreams?
Creative's XF1 pairs Hi-Res audio with Lo-Res pricing
by Mike Lowe · T3
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Quick Summary
Small in scale but Hi-Res in output: Creative's latest desktop speakers are an affordable stereo pair, ideal for smaller personal spaces.
Available now, priced at £139 / $179, this duo needn't break the bank to deliver beefed-up audio – whether used with a personal PC and monitor, or as a dedicated audio station.
Happen to be looking for some desktop speakers – or even smaller-scale bookshelf speakers – but have been struggling to find anything on the reasonable side of affordable?
Well, look no further. Creative has just announced the XF1, a pair of desktop speakers that could complement a mini PC arrangement, personal workstation, or even be used as a dedicated sound system if you prefer.
Price is a key factor in the appeal, of course, with the £139 / $179 on-sale figure considerably lower than many of the larger and, inevitably, more expensive options on the market.
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Perhaps you have a monitor with no built-in speakers and are looking to upgrade your audio output. This stereo pair certainly looks preened for the job, coming in either black or white finishes.
Audio dips down to 55Hz for relatively deep bass delivery, but the XF1 are expandable too. You can add a subwoofer at a later stage, while 3.5mm AUX connections extend to adding a turntable or other such input – it's not all workstation-only stuff!
The XF1 are also Hi-Res Audio certified, meaning you'll be able to extract the utmost quality from your file types. Or there's Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity as part of the package, whatever the quality of source.
Each speaker measures 19cm high, 15.5cm long and 10cm deep, ensuring they're on the smaller scale – and ideal for positioning with ease. The two pair via an interconnect cable.
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Inside each are two 3-inch woofers and two 3/4-inch tweeters, which can extend right through to 40,000Hz at the top end. Only the right speaker has the physical control knob solution, though.
Good things come in small packages, as the saying goes, and this Creative XF1 pair look like a dreamy affordable desktop speaker arrangement.