Creative XF1 review: although not truly perfect, these active desktop speakers get pretty close for not a lot of money

Creative XF1: Two-minute review For a cent short of $180 (or a penny short of £140) Creative will sell you its XF1 desktop stereo speaker system — and don’t imagine this money buys anything less than a fully featured and serious product.

<![CDATA[ <article> <h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-creative-xf1-two-minute-review"><span>Creative XF1: Two-minute review</span></h3><p>For a cent short of $180 (or a penny short of £140) Creative will sell you its XF1 desktop stereo speaker system — and don’t imagine this money buys anything less than a fully featured and serious product. It may look a little frivolous, especially when its cork ‘wedge’ stands are attached, but the XF1 is all business. And besides, those stands elevate the speakers to the point they’re firing at your ears rather than your torso.</p><p>An active and bi-amped arrangement that requires the speakers to be wired together and one of them to be connected to mains power, the Creative XF1 has a total of 72 watts of power on board — ample in the context of the most likely use cases. Bluetooth connectivity is on board, too with codec compatibility including the high-end LDAC option, and the USB-C input on the rear of the main speaker allows for genuinely hi-res content to be an option. There’s also an analog socket for additional input flexibility. </p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check="" ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="hGLgCMG3vE4aynnTHSyuf4" name="IMG_1990" alt="Three-quarter view of the left matte black speaker on an angled cork isolation wedge next to an open laptop." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hGLgCMG3vE4aynnTHSyuf4-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2560" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline" /></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Very acceptable specification is complemented by a more-than-adequate standard of build and finish, a couple of colour options (black or white, monochrome fans) and a control app that features a 10-band PEQ offering an enormous amount of end-user input into the eventual sound.</p><p>And that sound has plenty going for it. Good enough for our <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/best-stereo-speakers">best stereo speakers</a> guide? For this sort of money, absolutely. There’s not a huge amount of variation at the bottom end, it’s true, and not a whole lot of momentum either, but elsewhere the XF1 does good work. Detail retrieval is impressive, the simple scale of sound it’s capable of generating is almost startling, and there’s a real facility for midrange communication. Add in a fair amount of dynamic headroom, as well as a proper sensation of focus and separation even if you’re sitting very close to the speakers, and it should be apparent that a place on your shortlist is the very least the Creative XF1 deserves.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-creative-xf1-review-price-and-release-date"><span>Creative XF1 Review: Price and release date</span></h3><ul><li><strong>Launched June 24, 2026</strong></li><li><strong>Retails for $179 / £139 / AU$339</strong></li></ul><p>The Creative XF1 desktop stereo speaker system is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it will cost you £139. It goes for $179 in the United States, while in Australia it sells for AU$339.</p><p>Usually, we wax lyrical about competing products at the level, but to do that here I'd likely need to delve into cheaper Bluetooth solo speaker options, bought twice and put in stereo mode. Even <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/ruark-mr1-mkii-review-the-best-small-stereo-bluetooth-speakers">Ruark's Mk1 line</a> (now into its third iteration) bijou stereo speakers are more than twice the price. </p><p>Know this: this is not a lot of money for such a proposition. Very few companies will give you more for less, although <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/logitech-z407-bluetooth-computer-speakers-with-subwoofer">Logitech, with its Z407</a> is one notable example that can be yours for just a touch less than the Creative. </p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-creative-xf1-review-features"><span>Creative XF1 review: Features</span></h3><ul><li><strong>72 watts of Class D power</strong></li><li><strong>Active, bi-amped configuration</strong></li><li><strong>Digital and analogue inputs</strong></li></ul><p>Keep both the modest nature of the asking price and the equally modest physical dimensions of the XF1 uppermost in your mind and it's difficult not to be at least a little impressed by the way it’s specified.</p><p>There’s no facility to swap the orientation of the speakers — the one that takes care of connectivity and needs mains power is the right channel and that’s an end of it. Here’s where you plug in your sources using either USB-C (the XF1 can natively handle digital audio files of up to 24bit/96kHz resolution) or line-level analogue 3.5mm inputs on the rear of the speaker, and where you connect to the left channel using a supplied four-pin cable. </p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check="" ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="RwBQhxVCpkuy8PWrp3h975" name="IMG_1994" alt="Rear panel of the right speaker displaying connection ports, including USB-C, Aux In, Sub Out, speaker interconnect, power jack, and pairing button." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RwBQhxVCpkuy8PWrp3h975-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2560" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline" /></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>There’s also a pre-out for a subwoofer, an ‘energy saving’ switch that will power down an inactive XF1 if you set it to the ‘on’ position, and a button to initiate Bluetooth pairing. Wireless connectivity is on board the right speaker, too — the Creative uses Bluetooth 6.0, and is compatible with LDAC as well as the more common SBC and AAC codecs.</p><p>That four-pin cable carries all audio data from right to left, and all power requirements too. Creative has specified a block of Class D amplification for each of the drivers in the XF1 — each 19mm soft-dome tweeter gets 10 watts of power, and each 76mm mid/bass driver (designed using what Creative describes as ‘finite element analysis’ for minimal distortion) gets 26 watts to play with. </p><p>An all-in total of 72 watts should really prove ample in a system that’s almost certain to be no kind of meaningful distance from your ears when it’s in position — especially when you factor in the back-firing bass reflex port towards the top of the rear of each cabinet. Creative suggests frequency response from this arrangement is 55Hz - 40kHz.</p><ul><li><strong>Features score: 5 / 5</strong></li></ul><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-creative-xf1-review-sound-quality"><span>Creative XF1 review: Sound quality</span></h3><ul><li><strong>Manages to sound spacious yet focused at the same time</strong></li><li><strong>Good with detail retrieval</strong></li><li><strong>Slightly plodding character to the low end</strong></li></ul><p>If you’re using the XF1 on a desktop, the chances are you won’t need to explore the outer reaches of its abilities where volume is concerned. If you’re sitting a greater distance from them, though, never worry that these little cabinets will sound lost. They’re louder than they look.</p><p>And no matter the volume level at which you’re listening, the Creative system sounds bigger than it looks, too. A 24bit/44.1kHz FLAC file of Lorde’s <em>Shapeshifter</em> sounds open and spacious, with plenty of air around the elements of the recording — but at the same time the speakers manage to focus the performance quite convincingly too. There’s a commonality to the way it presents the recording, a togetherness that’s by no means a given in systems like this, especially not systems that cost as relatively little as this. The idea of a soundstage is made more than just a notion.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check="" ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="doQPVJmYrD2WEdked5z575" name="ios-portrait-dual-mockup-blue-high" alt="Two smartphone mockups displaying the companion audio app, showing a parametric EQ curve editor on the left and an audio preset list on the right." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/doQPVJmYrD2WEdked5z575-1920-80.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2560" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline" /></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Creative)</span></figcaption></figure><p>With the qualified exception of the bottom of the frequency range, the XF1 does good work in identifying details in a recording and giving them the sort of context and weighting they require. It’s particularly adept in the midrange, where the smallest variations in tone or timbre or texture are picked up on — it serves to make voices sound characterful and individualistic. The tonal balance is never truly neutral no matter how you might finesse the PEQ settings, but the suggestion of heat does at least serve to mitigate the tweeter’s tendency to hit the highest frequencies with rather too much enthusiasm.</p><p>There’s a reasonable amount of dynamic headroom available, so if your music (or your movie, or your game) ticks off a big up- or downshift in volume or intensity, the XF1 doesn’t panic. It maintains its composure and its tonal balance, its frequency response doesn’t alter, and it does a reasonable job of putting meaningful distance between the most and least attacking sounds.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check="" ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="xTrKH6oBCMAADKHh8DHkp4" name="IMG_1991" alt="Close-up side profile of the speaker resting on a tilted cork acoustic wedge on a wooden desktop." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xTrKH6oBCMAADKHh8DHkp4-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2560" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline" /></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>At the bottom of the frequency range the Creative is a little less assured and a little less successful. It hits admirably hard, but bass isn’t as well controlled as the rest of the frequency information, and can plod a little as a result — this has an unwelcome knock-on effect where rhythmic expression is concerned. And the low end is all rather one-note - there’s little of the variation or the fine detail available here that’s apparent elsewhere.</p><p>Switch to Bluetooth stream of Girl and Girl’s <em>Call a Doctor</em> and, broadly speaking, the XF1 maintains its attitude and fundamental character. Derail levels drop away just a fraction, and there’s a little less positivity where stereo focus and separation are concerned, but taken as a whole the Creative is a perfectly viable system where wireless music is concerned.</p><ul><li><strong>Sound quality score: 4 / 5</strong></li></ul><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-creative-xf1-review-design"><span>Creative XF1 review: Design</span></h3><ul><li><strong>191 x 100 x 155mm (HxWxD)</strong></li><li><strong>Cork stands included</strong></li><li><strong>Curved MDF cabinets</strong></li></ul><p>Desktop space is usually at a premium, of course, so the XF1’s 191 x 100 x 155mm (HxWxD) dimensions are usefully compact. And given that most desktops are lower than the ears of the person who’s sitting at it, the appearance of a couple of detachable cork stands that raise each speaker at an angle of 15° is very welcome indeed.</p><p>The speakers themselves are made almost entirely from MDF, and from the curves along each horizontal edge to the slightly soft-touch matte finish, they look a little more expensive than they actually are — and this is true no matter if you've chosen the white finish or the black of my sample. The standard of build and finish wouldn’t disgrace a system costing two or three times this amount. </p><ul><li><strong>Design score: 5 / 5</strong></li></ul><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-creative-xf1-review-usability-and-setup"><span>Creative XF1 review: Usability and setup</span></h3><ul><li><strong>One physical control plus an LED tell-take</strong></li><li><strong>Creative Nexus app </strong></li><li><strong>‘Wireless’ means a minimum of two wires</strong></li></ul><p>As far as setting up the XF1 is concerned, there’s really not much to it. As with most ‘wireless’ speaker systems, some wires are necessary — in this instance, there’s a wire from the right speaker to the left carrying all power and data, and another from the right speaker to a mains power supply. Make these two connections, pair a smartphone via Bluetooth and you’re good to go - or you may decide to go the whole hi-res hog and make a USB-C connection from a laptop or smartphone with a premium music streaming service on board.</p><p>There’s a single turn/push control dial on the front baffle of the right speaker, along with a tell-tale LED- here’s where you get control of power on/off, volume and input selection. And there’s also the Creative Nexus control app — it features precisely no playback controls, but it does allow you to check on firmware updates and let the system know if it’s on a desktop or not. It also gives access to a 10-band PEQ that has scope for custom settings as well as literally dozens upon dozens of presets, some of Creative’s own design, some uploaded by users.</p><ul><li><strong>Usability and setup score: 5 / 5</strong></li></ul><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-creative-xf1-review-value"><span>Creative XF1 review: Value</span></h3><p>As with most Creative systems, the sensation of value for money is pretty strong with the XF1. Sonically it’s not without its issues, as I’ve discussed — but it’s possible to weigh these against the things it gets right in audio terms, the standard of the build and finish that’s on display, the neat and tidy dimensions, and the amount of tweaking the PEQ allows and still conclude you’re getting your money’s-worth.</p><ul><li><strong>Value score: 4.5 / 5</strong></li></ul><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-should-i-buy-the-creative-xf1"><span>Should I buy the Creative XF1?</span></h3><h2 id="buy-it-if">Buy it if...</h2><div class="product"><p><strong>You have a source of hi-res music handy</strong><br />Use the system’s USB-C input and access to a native 24bit/96kHz DAC is yours.</p></div><div class="product"><p><strong>You can operate a screwdriver</strong><br />Creative supplies cork stands for the XF1 but you have to screw them into place yourself.</p></div><div class="product"><p><strong>You want your sound to be bigger than your speakers</strong><br />Considering their compact dimensions, the Creative generate impressive sonic scale.</p></div><h2 id="don-39-t-buy-it-if">Don't buy it if...</h2><div class="product"><p><strong>You want a truly wireless system</strong><br />In that case you’re going to need something battery-powered.</p></div><div class="product"><p><strong>You want a truly neutral sound</strong><br />The XF1 isn’t the most sonically coloured system around, but it has a flavour of its own.</p></div><div class="product"><p><strong>You value low-frequency variation</strong><br />The Creative can sound a little lumpy and unchanging at the bottom end - there’s admirable weight but not all that much subtlety.</p></div><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-creative-xf1-also-consider"><span>Creative XF1 : Also consider</span></h3><div class="product"><p><strong>Logitech Z407</strong><br />Spending less money with Logitech buys you more stuff — and on a pound-for-pound basis the Logitech Z407 makes a lot of sense. The inclusion of a subwoofer means genuine low-frequency presence and control is available, and the super-compact speakers will fit more-or-less anywhere. Not quite the poise or the overall balance of the XF1, and not the ease of operation either — but a profoundly competitive proposition nonetheless. Read our full <a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/speakers/dali-sonik-1-reviewhttps://www.techradar.com/reviews/logitech-z407-bluetooth-computer-speakers-with-subwoofer" data-dimension112="1269a718-d6c3-11f1-b9e9-4f563f35d9c4" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Logitech Z407 review" data-dimension48="Logitech Z407 review" data-dimension25="">Logitech Z407 review</a>.</p></div><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-how-i-tested-the-creative-xf1"><span>How I tested the Creative XF1</span></h3><p>Naturally I position the Creative XF1 on my desktop, a speaker on either side of my MacBook Pro. Plugged into the mains, connected to each other and with a USB-C cable running from the laptop to the rear on the right speaker, I am able to access lots of hi-res content via the Qobuz and TIDAL apps. I also connect an iPhone 15 Pro and a FiiO M15S digital audio player wirelessly via Bluetooth — the latter allows use of the LDAC codec, and connecting it via its 3.5mm headphone output to the Creative’s corresponding input allows me to assess how effective (or otherwise) the XF1’s digital-to-analogue conversion is.</p><ul><li><em>First reviewed: October 2026</em></li><li><a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/how-we-test"><u>Read TechRadar's review guarantee</u></a></li></ul> </article> ]]>