If you've recently upgraded your computer with the Audigy 2 sound card and want to make the most of its capabilities (both for game playing and also for DVD playback) then the addition of the Creative Inspire 6.1 6700 speakers is a marriage made in heaven.

This is the only card that is geared to 6.1 systems and there are several additions to the 5.1 series that make this sound system seriously worth investigating. In addition to the substantial subwoofer which gives you 22W of power, there are 6 satellites (5 of them at 8W each) including a new rear centre speaker which now allows you the luxury of Dolby Digital Surround Ex playback.

The subwoofer's made of reinforced wood with dual flared port tubes for better bass response and the satellites come with simple stands (taller stands for the rear satellites are extra). The front centre speaker has also been beefed up to 20W for clearer vocals and the remote control allows you to vary both the volume and bass level and provides you with a useful headphone socket so you don't annoy the neighbours in the middle of the night.

Connecting the system was simplicity itself as a triple jack joins the subwoofer to the sound card and the inputs for the satellites are clearly marked. One note of warning, though; if you're trying to install the Audigy 2 into a Dell Dimension 8200, you'll almost certainly need to download a BIOS patch from the Dell support site as a motherboard conflict causes the PC to hang and issue a high-pitched tone that will drive you insane.

If you want to upmix to 6.1 surround using a 5.1 sound card, the Inspire 6.1 6700 has a handy button that will let you do just that (thanks to the Creative Multi-Speaker System), inventing a virtual centre rear channel by mixing the rear left and right channels. Having said that, it was rare to find that rear centre speaker springing to life in either games or DVDs and it seems more of a future option.

The overall sound, though, is impressive as long as you're not right at the top end of the volume, where distortion becomes an issue. Keep the bass level just over halfway and the volume at two-thirds and you'll be more than comfortable. Watching something like X-Men on DVD or playing Unreal 2 is a truly awesome experience and if you're a newcomer to PC surround sound this is very good value for £100.

The Creative Inspire 6.1 6700 system is a clear improvement over the Inspire 5300 series. If you already have a decent 5.1 sound card and surround sound you might not want to spend the extra to upgrade, but if you've just purchased an Audigy 2 then it's an ideal match and should give you some future-proofing too.