The Inspire S2 is a wireless speaker system that allows you to stream music from any Bluetooth-enabled device, including PCs, laptops and iPods thanks to the bundled USB adapter. This, combined with the compact design, makes it the perfect speaker system  to use in the study where space might be tight.

The Inspire S2 Wireless is an evolution of the original Inspire S2 system, which lacks the wireless Bluetooth functionality and costs around £30 less. Is it worth a look for cable-free tunes?

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The S2 uses an unusual but effective design. The package comprises two dinky speakers with a rubbery white finish and cloth grilles, plus a compact powered subwoofer. Both speakers connect to the back of the subwoofer using supplied cables, but the volume/power keys, headphones jack and audio input are housed on the right speaker. That way you can hide the sub under a desk but still have control over your music. The sub also sports a bass level dial on the back.

Creative Inspire S2 Wireless – Features

To use the Inspire S2 with an iPod or iPhone, you’ll need to use the BT-D5 Bluetooth transmitter, this is currently bundled with the dock for a total cost £120 (it's £100 without), or £40 on its own. This uses the apt-X audio codec, which is designed to deliver superior audio quality to the regular Bluetooth system.

The Inspire S2 Wireless musters a seemingly measly 7W per channel, but they’re underpinned by 19W from the ‘Direct Throw’ sub. It supports A2DP and AVRCP Bluetooth profiles and has a range of up to 10 metres.

Creative Inspire S2 Wireless – Performance

Pairing with both the BT-D5 and the supplied PC Bluetooth transmitter is painless and the connection is rock solid. Even better, the sound quality is superb. The first thing you’ll notice is how surprisingly powerful these small speakers are. Pump up the volume and you get a rich, room-filling sound that works wonders with hi-octane dance tracks, and no distortion to speak of. But it’s not all about power – these speakers also pick out high-frequency detail brilliantly and replicate vocals with astonishing clarity and purity.

Overall the Inspire S2 Wireless is a great set of speakers. It offers a surprisingly large sound from remarkably small speakers. It’s stylish too, and the small footprint of the speakers, combined with the ability to tuck the sub out of sight, makes it a neat, space-saving solution. The built-in Bluetooth is a tasty addition to the feature list and works very well, the need to fork out extra for the iPod adapter might not appeal to everyone, but we can't quibble with an extra £20. Otherwise this is inspirational stuff indeed.

The Creative Inspire S2 Wireless is available now from Creative

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SPECIFICATIONS
POWER: 7 Watts per channel, 19 Watt sub
DISPLAY: n/a
CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 2.1, headphones, audio in
BATTERY: n/a
SPEAKER DIMENSIONS/WEIGHT: 74x73x103mm/320g
SUB DIMENSIONS/WEIGHT: 232x180x200mm/1kg

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