After reviewing the Creative Inspire S2 wireless 2.1 speaker system in May this year, we’ve been recently offered the chance to review the new Creative ZiiSound D5 – also a speaker system with emphasis on bluetooth in mind. For those who remembered the Inspire S2, you will see in this review that the new ZiiSound D5 has little in the way of similarity, with the latter being more of an iPod / iPhone specific device. The new ZiiSound D5 is also a more pricier item compared to the former sitting within the £250 and upwards niche, in this review, we’ll take you through the D5’s design, features and most important of all, is it worth your money? Design Creative have done a fantastic job of giving the ZiiSound D5 a perfect start, straight from the packaging you can tell they want you to be a happy customer with your new purchase. Everything is compactly packaged, there is no waste of space, the ZiiSound D5 itself however may deceive many as being slim and lightweight, it is in fact heavier than it seems – weighing in at approximately 2.5 kg. The one piece ZiiSound D5 speaker system is and feels tough and well made, it is by no means rubbery and plasticky to touch in any of its components. We especially liked the touch sensitive panel used to control volume as well as initiate bluetooth connection, the ZiiSound team have designed this superbly well, making the panel seem ‘hidden’ to the first time user. Controls were less elegantly done round the back though, where the on / off switch, aux inlet and power cord plugs in. Nevertheless, we would say the ZiiSound D5 certainly has the stylish looks capable of competing with similar speaker systems within its price range. Features With Creative having released iPod dock / speaker systems in the past (such as the Creative Speaker Docking Station X30 and Creative Playdock i500), you can probably say that the key selling point for the ZiiSound D5 (apart from its design) is bluetooth connectivity plus iPod / iPhone docking. With bluetooth connectivity though, there are always issues, one of the most commonly encountered is battery life. Streaming audio via bluetooth from an iPod and especially from an iPhone will literally suck the life out of its already insufficient battery. With this not so good idea, we were pleased to see that Creative also desiged the D5 to be a charging dock. For iPods and earlier iPhones not capable of this function, Creative have included within the box a bluetooth adapter / dongle (as pictured). This also serves as the connector between your device and the ZiiSound D5 speaker system. Like the Inspire S2 , the ZiiSound D5 speaker system isn’t just for iPods and iPhone strictly speaking, because if you have any other A2DP supported mobile phone or device such as laptops, you would still be able to connect without the need for a dongle. However, this is where we noticed an issue. When the iPod or iPhone is docked, audio continues to be delivered to the speakers via bluetooth and not via the already docked 30-pin adapter. This to us seemed rather silly, because this would mean that there is no other solution in terms of preventing the so called bluetooth control lag (lag experienced when change volume and changing tracks), apart from plugging in the aux jack. We had no problems with the D5’s music quality at low to moderate volumes, it was largely a pleasant experience, it is though, not the type of speaker system you would want for combining deep bass and loud volume. The D5’s integrated bass port at its rear is simply not capable of this combination without distortion to its performance, this was difficult for us to forgive given its pricetag. Practicality and Usability Creative’s new ZiiSound D5 speaker system maybe slim and stylish, boasting two convenient connectivity options, but potential buyers should still remind themselves that it is not a portable speaker system. We liked the easy to use bluetooth connectivity, it was simple to setup, most would not require the use of instructions after the first time. For those reading this review and want to connect with the speakers to a PC via bluetooth, the pass code is 0000. We liked the fact that when you’re connected you can adjust volumes from both ends, ie from the speakers or from the device. We also adored the touch sensitive panel on the D5, though we would probably have liked to see two more keys for moving up and down through the playlist. Conclusion Frankly speaking, the Creative ZiiSound D5 is no JBL Harman Kardon, but its stylish looks will prove to be significant to many. Majority of iPod and iPhone bluetooth docking systems will have anticipated problems as we have briefly highlighted in this review and the ZiiSound D5 was no exception. If the lack of a high performance subwoofer matters to you, then we would recommend looking into alternatives such as the JBL Harman Kardon Go And Play Version 2 Speaker Dock (though not wireless) and the B&W Zeppelin Mini as the ZiiSound D5 would not be a wise bid. Otherwise if the ZiiSound D5’s pricetag suits your budget then you should feel confident that you’re investing your money into a set of stylish, quality speakers which boast versatile connectivity. Pros Slim, stylish design Solid build Clean and tidy, just a power cable Easy to use Bluetooth (up to 30 feet) and aux jack for audio connectivity Cons Priced relatively high end Dock functions as power source only not music connection Laggy bluetooth control Distorting audio quality with deep bass You can now find us on Twitter @GadgetLite and Facebook … Check out our new The Munkey mobile phone stand giveaway! Review: Creative ZiiSound D5 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker System
