If it is late and you really can't blast audio, the speaker will output 7.1 virtual surround sound to any headset you plug into it with a 3.5mm cable. The tiny three-pound, 15-inch speaker, does a fantastic job of producing virtual 3D surround sound using its FPS mode setting. So this means you can drag this small speaker right to the living room and give your TVs a sound boost (assuming it's Bluetooth) or connect your phone and enjoy some tunes from your phone on the go. For starters, one of its many tricks is that the GP9 can act as a wireless speaker with around 5 hours of battery life. It's small enough to sit comfortably on your desk without taking it over but also loud enough to easily be featured as your living room sound system (thanks to its subwoofer).Īt a glance, it's easy to mistake the GP9 as just a standard gaming soundbar. The Sound Blaster Katana V2 is a great soundbar. If you got a tiny desk or not much space to spare the near 24-inch soundbar, it might be a tight fit. Weirdly enough, the fix was cycling through different inputs every time.
Some nagging odd Bluetooth connectivity issues drove us a bit mad. Another problem was setting up premium features like SXFI, and Battle mode has to be set up through a cumbersome app. The downside to the Katana V2 is the hefty $350 price tag, which makes it more expensive than most gaming soundbars you can buy right now.
We managed to get great sound out of a Playstation 5 by simply plugging it via USB-C audio in, which means we could still keep the PC connected as well.
The subwoofer's 5.25" drivers provide the V2 that little kick in the butt you want when your playing shooters and still have a decent enough soundscape for listening to music.Īnother thing about the V2 is that it can be pretty much be plugged into anything thanks to its many connectivity options. The Katana V2 has bright RGB lighting that accents the underside of the bar that gives it a little flair.
The Sound Blaster Katana V2 is a significant upgrade from last year's model with a sleeker look and, more importantly, better-sounding tweeters and subwoofer. Often, the soundbar is too big for your desk or too small and the sound lacks any oomph. Mainly because many soundbars out there are tuned and made for TVs in mind and not PC gaming. It's been a while since we had a soundbar make a list. Bluetooth issues -Expensive for a soundbar -Large for some desks Like any other pair of speakers below $50, the Creative Pebble Plus speakers are easily shamed by a mid-range set, but we found these speakers to be the clear winner for gamers on a tight budget.
They're easily the most portable system we tried and performed best in a smaller bedroom or dorm. This is why we highly recommend these speakers for students and those who move around a lot, as the speakers are small enough to fit on any cramped desk surface. The Pebble Plus speakers may lack some raw oomph, but they make up for it in clarity. The only complaint here is a lack of bass control to complement the convenient volume knob located on the right speaker.
While they won't produce the highest sound volume, we found little distortion even with the volume maxed out. With a total power output of 8 watts, these speakers pump out crisper audio than some of their competitors, using two to three times the power amount. The low-end differences can be minimal, but the Creative Pebble Plus speakers stand apart from the competition with their big sound despite the compact size. It doesn't help that reliable brands have multiple options in the same price range. When you're out shopping for cheap PC speakers below $50, it's easy to be overwhelmed by choice. Tangle of cables -Bass is a little lacking Some even come with a sub-woofer you can tuck under your desk for some rump-shaking sound. If you don't have space, we found a couple of great soundbars that might be a better option. The only downside is that this option is usually more expensive and not so space-efficient.
This will give you an excellent depth of sound and positional audio.
If you've got the real estate, you should go for the typical 2.1, left/right speaker setup, complete with a sub-woofer. One of the main factors in deciding the best computer speakers for your desk is how much space you have to spare. You'll hear every toe-tapping beat in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy or stray gunshot in Hunt: Showdown, and even if you want to jam out some of your favorite game soundtrack tunes after a long, hard day, the best computer speakers will set you right. Having the bass notes of every explosion rumbling through your foundations will provide some spectacular sound for your games-and your neighbors will get to enjoy your games too. Being able to sit back and let the sweet sounds wash all over your body is something else.