Creative Ziisound D3x review

A Bluetooth speaker that can be used on its own, or as part of a larger set

Creative Ziisound D3x
As a standalone sound bar, the Creative Ziisound D3x looks great

TechRadar Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Bluetooth works well

  • +

    Unique linking feature

  • +

    Good sound

Cons

  • -

    Expensive

  • -

    Works better as part of a set

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Creative's 'Zii' brand of wireless speakers have taken numerous shapes over the years. The Creative Ziisound D3x takes the appearance of a sound bar, or an iPod dock without the iPod.

Its rather subdued look – there are just three controls on the front (Connect, Link and volume) – hides a rather more complicated device. On its own it is a simple Bluetooth soundbar.

Connecting a device such as an iPhone is very easy. Pressing and holding the 'Connect' button made the Creative Ziisound D3x discoverable, then pairing it with an iPhone was a simple method of turning on Bluetooth and clicking on the Creative Ziisound D3x's name.

We didn't even need to enter a passcode, though some devices might ask you to enter in the default 0000 code.

Once connected the sound was good, and the diminutive bar was capable of decent volume. There was a decent bass prescience – not enough to shake the walls, but enough to give the music some depth.

Elsewhere, the music was slightly flat, and as you'd expect from a single speaker bar, the lack of stereo made for a slightly claustrophobic feel.

However, this is where the Creative Ziisound D3x's deceptively simple design comes into play. You see, the 'Link' button allows you to connect a further two Creative Ziisound D3x units, so you have a left, centre and a right speaker. You can also add a wireless sub-woofer to increase the sound quality.

So what we have here is an easily scalable wireless sound system that you can add to as you see fit.

However, at almost £120 a unit, getting three of them and a subwoofer is going to end up being very expensive, and you'd be better off buying a complete setup. It also means that if you just buy the one, you kind of feel like you've spent £120 on a third (or quarter) of a speaker setup.

There's no rechargeable battery either, which makes the single bar on its own less useful.

Verdict

Overall, this is a nicely designed, and well built, wireless speaker, but struggles to justify its price tag.

Matt Hanson
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he's reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.