Fixing the Crossover on Creative Insprire 7.1 T7900

bhvm

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Hello Folks,
I have this beautiful Set of 7.1 speakers that are mostly used to play Classical Indian Music Via Phone/Laptop/Pc Etc.

Creative t7900 - Google Search

Creative t7900 - Google Search

Creative Labs Inspire T7900 7.1 Surround Sound system review - HardwareGeeks.com A Community For the Sophisticated Geek or Geekette

Now there are 2 Serious Design Faults in This set that keeps it from delivering the maximum Impact.

1St- The Subwoofer Crossover is Way tooo High!@. I'll say its definately above 150hz as I can hear Jagjeet Singh Singing from it. This messes up the sounds, and gives Muddy,Boomy bass. As if the jagjeet singh is singing under water or something!

2Nd- Leakage- ALL the other channels (Eg Side, Rear, Front) somehow leak into the subwoofer and gives some boomy bass. So employing a Strong Crossover on the Sub/Center input is not working, as muddy bass still comes from other channels and leeches into the woofer.

What do you guys think about the problem? I opened the woofer, and its a 4 Ohm Driver made by Creative Cambridge Soundworks. I was thinking about putting an 80hz passive Crossover directly on this Driver- Nips the problem in the bud!
 
Deplyoing a passive crossover in the sub is not a bad idea if the order of the crossover is high (3rd-4th order) but why don't you try using the variable controls on the sub-amp plate itself? Are they not working?
 
putting the xo is very easy but do you know what is the frequency range your satellites are covering?if it starts from 150 and you put xo of 80 on sub,you will miss things between 80&150. This will be more of an issue if the xo has steep curve of 3rd or 4th order. It will be kind of trial and error but i would say use lower order xo and keep xo frequ depending on what the satellites cover.

Another simpler thing, place your sub exactly at the centre between your front but at a farther distance from listening position. Stuffing the bass port may help muddyness a bit. Try to tone down equalizers of 80 hz ,100hz and 120hz which usually is the boom frequency.
I would advice to do these easier things before playing with the electronics.

By the way, why are you using this 7.1 system rather than stereo to listen to indian vocals (or for that matter any of the stereo music) or are you using HD Audio or DVD Audio?

I think that the problem of leakage is because you are feeding 2 channel music and asking your system to split it to multiple channels which is unnatural for it. Feed it with 7.1 channel source and it will sound better.
 
Last edited:
Hello Folks,
I have this beautiful Set of 7.1 speakers that are mostly used to play Classical Indian Music Via Phone/Laptop/Pc Etc.

Creative t7900 - Google Search

Creative t7900 - Google Search

Creative Labs Inspire T7900 7.1 Surround Sound system review - HardwareGeeks.com A Community For the Sophisticated Geek or Geekette

Now there are 2 Serious Design Faults in This set that keeps it from delivering the maximum Impact.

1St- The Subwoofer Crossover is Way tooo High!@. I'll say its definately above 150hz as I can hear Jagjeet Singh Singing from it. This messes up the sounds, and gives Muddy,Boomy bass. As if the jagjeet singh is singing under water or something!

2Nd- Leakage- ALL the other channels (Eg Side, Rear, Front) somehow leak into the subwoofer and gives some boomy bass. So employing a Strong Crossover on the Sub/Center input is not working, as muddy bass still comes from other channels and leeches into the woofer.

What do you guys think about the problem? I opened the woofer, and its a 4 Ohm Driver made by Creative Cambridge Soundworks. I was thinking about putting an 80hz passive Crossover directly on this Driver- Nips the problem in the bud!

Questions here.
Are you using Creative Sound card?
The Supplied cables for the speakers are 4 pole ( for couple of jacks I think)
while other can be 3 pole. - so are you using this cable to the mother board?
Creative Worldwide Support

Possible solutions can be
1. If using the supplied cable to non-creative sockets, use 5.1 setup instead of 7.1 - this should solve your "leakage" . else pick up creative SC.
2. Check if using differnt Sofware can help ( we have lots of thread here you can search - cplay,foobar, ...)
3.If ASIO can help.
4.If BitMatached playback can help.

Point it - if all software options are futile , change the speakers:eek:hyeah: or else continue on Expirements
 
That brings up another question.
If you are feeding 7.1 channel split sound from your sound card then its not a problem with speaker system because in this mode,built in xo of the speaker system doesnt come into play. It just works as multi channel power amp.
If you are using Aux in of the speaker system, then the built in xo comes into play.

What are you using as source.
 
That brings up another question.
If you are feeding 7.1 channel split sound from your sound card then its not a problem with speaker system because in this mode,built in xo of the speaker system doesnt come into play. It just works as multi channel power amp.
If you are using Aux in of the speaker system, then the built in xo comes into play.

What are you using as source.

Going by picture I have attached below, agree with Jaudere.

bhvm,
Tell us more about where the decoding is taking place. In your computer or inside the Creative System via the Aux connection? Are there any other inputs like Digital Coaxial or TOSLINK apart from the Aux? Also I could not understand where the speaker outputs are from this pic? Usually the subwoofer also houses the multichannel amp and the decoding part.

rear.jpg
 
The upper four are 7.1 channel inputs( 2 channles in per socket), the next one is Aux in (again single in for 2 channels). I think you have to use special cables for suppliyng sound this way)

Then there is the power inlet.

The lower 7 are 7 channel out: RCA connectors: for speakers.
No output for sub as amp and sub are in single box.


This is what I could make up from the picture.
 
The OP has clearly mentioned that he is using Phone/Laptop/pc for music. As phone and laptop don't have multichannel outputs he will be connecting the headphone out to the amp. In this case he won't get true surround sound. To OP - if you have a pc, then connect the 7.1 or 5.1 analog outputs at the back of the pc to the speaker system. Also set the speaker settings to 5.1/7.1 from the audio control panel.
 
The upper four are 7.1 channel inputs( 2 channles in per socket), the next one is Aux in (again single in for 2 channels). I think you have to use special cables for suppliyng sound this way)

Then there is the power inlet.

The lower 7 are 7 channel out: RCA connectors: for speakers.
No output for sub as amp and sub are in single box.


This is what I could make up from the picture.

Yep.That all are Correct.


bhvm
I've been using this since 2006, never felt the "Leakage" issue .
Also,
that I've tweaked the sub to go at about 40Hz (i think) - by "appropriate placement of the sub"
that I've connected this to x-fi soundCard(s) and that I can consistently manage to "tame" the sound using supplied Drivers/progms/anolog volumn(+bass) knob.
that I've always felt the mids were lacking/washed out in this speakers so I've supplemented with additional pair of stereo speakers

...
...
are you the same at AVs forum with the same queries? - any luck there?
 
Deplyoing a passive crossover in the sub is not a bad idea if the order of the crossover is high (3rd-4th order) but why don't you try using the variable controls on the sub-amp plate itself? Are they not working?

There is a bass knob on the control pod, but its the bass volume not the Crossover Frequency Control
 
Hello Gurus, Thanks for the awesome replies!
I could'nt figure out how to quote individually in Consolidated post, so I;ll go the simple way- Name by Name-

sandeep2082in,
This an Compact unit by the HIFI standards and does not feature the plate amp. its inbuilt in the Sub. There is a bass volume, but no Crossover Freq Setting.

baijuxavior,
7.1 Comes from the PC. I use AUX to listen songs from the Mobile (3.5mm)

jaudere,
You have some interesting stuff over there. I am using 7.1 deliberately beacuse my Hall is large and I like the sound coming from all directions. No, the source is not Blu-Ray, So i use 'Speaker Fill' feature of windows 7. As for the leakage, I can be understood for Speaker Fill, but why does the bass leak into the sub even when the Sub/Center plug is physically disconnected, and only rear/side is connected?

sbg,
I knew of the Flawed OEM cable, as the techtree reviewer mentioned it. I went for straight 4 Plugs= 4 Plugs just the moment I buyed that Speaker set.

jaudere,
The bass is boomy no matter in 7.1 Mode or Aux mode. Also the aux mode is so stupid that it just drives the front 2 speakers and the Sub. Its just like connecting the Green jack when leaving others disconnected. Creative should have provided hardware upmix for AUX. Also, there is no SPDIF or any digital input for speaker.

santhol2,
The speaker accepts only 3.5mm jacks and there are no digital inputs. I see its very dumb set and there is no decoding inside the set. It just plays whatever we give it, and with very boomy bass. The speaker inputs in the Pic are Green, orange, Black and Grey. White is for aux. The S-Video like looking connector is for Volume pod. Else there is DC 13.5V jack

sbg,
I'm very interested in learning what tweaks you've done. As I can see, the sub hardly extends below 50hz or even 60hz. and theres a big peak at 80~100 Hz (Boomy). I buyed these in 2008 I think.

For the AVS forum Post, yes. I first posted over here (my first Choice) but the post dissappeared and I wrote to admin asking whats wrong. After 2 days the post suddenly appeared.
 
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