# Creative GigaWorks S750 Subwoofer/speakers



## GeorgePCY (Nov 3, 2010)

Hello,

This is my first post and I am not sure where to post this. Please help me. I have owned the Creative GigaWorks S750 system for 5 years. With this type of system 7 speakers are connected to the subwoofer which in turn gives them amplification/power and that is what my PC is connected to too.

Recently my subwoofer has become faulty in the sense that the green power light is blinking on and off whenever I turn the woofer on from the power switch. I have emailed creative but they are not able to help me in any way due to out of warrenty. I believe this is a common problem and someone stated it is overheating. I have taken apart the subwoofer and I have discovered brown glue in places. Maybe that is where it has been exposed to a lot of heat. I have pictures but this website will not let me post links unless I have 5 posts.

I am not able to repair it because I am not an electrician and creative have put glue all over the connections and have used some kind of permanent board soldering joints. I really do not know what the different circuit boards are for. There is one that has two coils. Maybe that is the internal amp part. It has about 5 large capacitors. However there are another two boards which have one large capacitor and another two which I think control the input of the speakers.

What I want to do is buy some wires and solder them onto the 8ohm driver and then plug that into an amplifer as well as the other 7 tweeter speakers which in turn would be plugged into my PC. However my knowledge of electrical components is not good and I need help. Could anyone recommend an amplifer to power all of this. I am not sure about amount of required power and if I would blow up the tweeters. I know the quality of the speakers are not excellent but I do not want to throw them away and buy something a lot better, if that makes sense. Any suggestion would be nice, especially regarding the subwoofer soldering/cables and method of connecting everything together. One Creative board has three pair of red and black wires going to the driver for the woofer. Does anyone know why it needs 3 and not 2. Ideally I would like to take out all the electronics and use the same box which is designed for that driver to make a seperate woofer. 

Subwoofer = 210 Watts RMS
Speakers = 70 Watts RMS per channel (7 channels)
Frequency Response: 20Hz ~ 40kHz
SNR: 99dB

Thank you for your time.


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## jackfish (Dec 27, 2006)

It sounds like with your level of expertise and knowledge this modification and adaptation is likely to fail. Even if you used a 7 channel amp to drive the satellites you would still need an amp for the subwoofer. Then you have the complications of proper crossover configuration. Without knowing your speaker system's configuration and schematics, my suggestion would be to junk the subwoofer portion and get a new powered subwoofer and a 7-channel amp like an Emotiva UPA-7. Then upgrade your loudspeakers as you can.


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

Considering the cost of a new amp, the complexity of Mickey Mousing the connections as compared to a new computer 7.1 system I would say simply replace the whole kit. The Sub would make a good small endtable or pedestal for something. 2 pairs of the sats could be sold as stereo pairs.


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## GeorgePCY (Nov 3, 2010)

Hi, Thanks for your suggestions. I think you are correct jackfish I am not experienced enough to create the woofer and I don't even understand why the subwoofer needs a seperate amp. For example why can't an external amp give it enough power?
Do you know if I am able to sell the driver for anything or should I keep it for decoration? Could you also recommend a subwoofer that isn't too expensive. Not like Creative (unrepairable) components but not high end because my budget would just about fit that amp alone. If I ran the Emotiva UPA-7 24/7, what would its general lifespan be? I use this system mainly for the PC at the moment. I like the idea of purchasing a 7.1 amp for future upgrades such as bookshelf speakers, however I also do not have the experience to understand what I am buying exactly in sound quality. I prefer a warm sound and I also play a lot of folk music too however music is different to gaming sound I think but my preference would be music. So I could buy the amp and forget the sub if I cannot afford it at the moment. Or go for a cheaper amp if possible.


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## jackfish (Dec 27, 2006)

On a budget I'd look no further than the Emotiva Ultra Sub 10 right now for $290 delivered. Really on the cheap? The Dayton SUB-120 HT is a real overachiever for $155 delivered. The Emotiva UPA-7 is $599 delivered on sale for the holidays.


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## GeorgePCY (Nov 3, 2010)

I have visited the emotica website and aquired a quote for shipping of the amp and sub and am waiting for their reply. I hope it won't be very expensive otherwise I could try and find a brand I can purchase from the United Kingdom. I'll keep looking if i can see this brand in the UK. I heard Pioneer is quite good. Can you check this one. Pioneer VSX-920-K 7.1-Channel 3D Ready A/V Receiver. Or this Panasonic - SA-BX500


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## jackfish (Dec 27, 2006)

I'm sorry I didn't notice you were across the pond. What were you using before to send program material to your Creative 7.1 speaker system? Your PC? If you were using your PC before, then you might not need a full featured AV receiver and could get by with just amplification. If a 7.1 AV receiver will work for you, then I'm sure there are others on this forum who can give you advice on those you can consider according to availability to you. Tell us a little more about how you are using or will use your system and what else is in the chain.


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## GeorgePCY (Nov 3, 2010)

Hi,
I am just using my PC directly. There are 4 jacks; green,grey,orange,black that go into the sound card and another 4 of the same that go into the subwoofer. It is the subwoofer that controls the individual speakers through its electronics. I guess this is how lower priced systems work. Maybe I don't need a reciever you are correct but I struggling to research 7.1 amps. With the emotica 7.1, where do you plug in the subwoofer. I have FLR, SLR, BLR, Centre, + woofer that is 8 items?


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## jackfish (Dec 27, 2006)

GeorgePCY said:


> Hi,
> I am just using my PC directly. There are 4 jacks; green,grey,orange,black that go into the sound card and another 4 of the same that go into the subwoofer. It is the subwoofer that controls the individual speakers through its electronics. I guess this is how lower priced systems work. Maybe I don't need a reciever you are correct but I struggling to research 7.1 amps. With the emotica 7.1, where do you plug in the subwoofer. I have FLR, SLR, BLR, Centre, + woofer that is 8 items?


Sound card color code: Color/Connector 
Lime Green/Line-Out, Front Speakers, Headphones 
Pink/Microphone 
Light Blue/Stereo Line In 
Orange/Subwoofer and Center out 
Black/Rear Surround Speakers for 5.1 and 7.1 systems 
Gray/Middle Surround Speakers for 7.1 systems 
Gold/Midi / Game port (Joystick) 

So green is for your front left and right speakers, grey is for your middle surround left and right speakers, orange is for your subwoofer and black is for your rear surround left and right speakers. Your center would have to be handled in a couple of ways depending on your soundcard configuration. Sometimes with the output of the orange jack the right channel goes to the subwoofer and the left channel to the center speaker. We would have to look at the specifications and configuration of your soundcard to determine that. The subwoofer would not be hooked up to the amp as it has its own amplifier and you would hook that up directly to the soundcard.


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## GeorgePCY (Nov 3, 2010)

Oh i see thanks. The current configuration of the soundcard includes is what you mentioned. An orange jack for subwoofer, that is together with the centre speaker i think. Now i understand. I just need some time to research what is a good amp for me in the UK if possible. My understanding is if I have an amp i would connect it into the Line out of the PC card. the Blue one? Would that give me 7.1 sound.


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## jackfish (Dec 27, 2006)

You would connect 3.5mm stereo male to two RCA female adapters to each of the green, grey, orange and black jacks. Then regular RCA stereo cables would be used to connect the green to front right and left, grey to the middle surround right and left, orange to the subwoofer (right) and center (left), and black to the rear surround right and left inputs of the power amplifier. The subwoofer connection does not go to the power amp, just the seven channels of front pair, center, middle pair and rear pair go to the power amp. The subwoofer has its own amp and the orange right is connected directly to the subwoofer. Then the respective speakers are connected with speaker wires to the appropriate speaker terminal outputs of the power amp.


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## GeorgePCY (Nov 3, 2010)

Okay I understand. Now that I have 5 posts I can post a link to show you what the creative gigaworks 7.1 looks like. including the sub driver.

http://img248.imageshack.us/g/pic1oa.jpg/


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## jackfish (Dec 27, 2006)

Let us know how you come out with Emotiva for shipping an Ultra Sub 10 and UPA-7 to you in London. That would provide you exceptional performance with what remains of your Creative system (ditch the buggy sub) and will accommodate your upgraded 7 loudspeakers when you are ready for that.


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## GeorgePCY (Nov 3, 2010)

This is emotica's reply:

Hello 

I am pleased to quote the following:

UPA-7	$599.00 
Freight	$151.60 FedEx Economy 
Total $750.60

Please note that the sub 10 is not compliant with 220-240V. 

Please let me know if you have any questions. 

Sarah Terry 
Office Manager 
Emotiva Audio Corporation
131 Southeast Parkway Court | Franklin, TN 37064
615-790-6754 | www.emotiva.com

I just asked for the quote the sub with the amp and they replied that its not compatible with 220-240V. Im confused lol and that shipping is quite expensive.


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## jackfish (Dec 27, 2006)

You can probably find a decent 220V powered subwoofer on your side of the pond and perhaps a seven channel amp as well. I don't know who the vendors are over there you might research those things with.


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## bundok (Aug 28, 2015)

Hi there,

I realize that I'm necroing an old thread, but I'm looking for anyone selling these S750 speakers and was wondering if you still have them (5 years later) and willing to sell them.

If so, what is your asking price (including shipping) to Norway? I'm mostly interested in just the sub-unit but willing to purchase the whole kit if you won't sell separately (provided the price is right).


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