I bought these to go with my new laptop as I couldn't stand listening to the rubbish sound the built-in speakers produced. Well, these speakers are a huge improvement! I have tried some other, cheaper models before buying these and I can say it is worth spending the extra money if you care about quality sound. The speakers produce a clear, crisp sound, however, they lean towards the bass end of the spectrum, so if you're listening to music where the bass is dominant then you could end up with a muggy sound. There are controls on the front where you can adjust the bass and treble, but these only have a limited affect. I use mine with an external sound card (also made by Creative) which allows me to fine tune the sound, so I am able to compensate for the bassiness. The volume reaches decent levels for speakers of this size, although the area over which they can project their sound is pretty limited, so don't expect to use them as a substitute for hi-fi speakers. The design of these speakers is very slick, the gloss balck finish really suits a modern study/office, and the angled front suits the overall contemporary design.