The best gaming speakers to turn UP to

How loud is loud enough? Is it enough that the bass is trembling so hard that you can’t feel your insides anymore?  Or does it need to be so loud that your ears are about to fall off? Today we’re reviewing the best gaming speakers for your consoles, PC or for any other reasons that you may want speakers for. Note that these speakers can be used for all sorts of devices but our focus is going to be around gaming and computer speakers.

We’re really looking for surround sound speakers and that BOOM that we can really only get from quality gaming speakers. There are a lot of expensive options out there for PC speakers such as Logitech and Klipsch, but we’re focusing more on the personal gaming as opposed to a full media center. There are some really interesting competitors in this market right now such as Creative Logitech and Bose. All of these brands offer a multitude of solutions such a sound bars, 5.1 surround sound and 2.1 bookshelf speakers.

What’s in a name?

Of course, the main feature we reviewed was the names of the sound systems. With names like Katana and Leviathan, it really makes you wonder if anything less cool is worth your money. All jokes aside, the name doesn’t really make the best gaming speakers but for some reason we noticed that the cooler the name was the better the speakers tended to fair.

What we reviewed to find the best gaming speakers

In our testing of gaming speakers, we compared to a lot of features that we thought were important, but tried to ignore the details that, to the average consumer, won’t really make a difference. We tested for the highs and the lows. We tested to make sure that we could hear every sound that the game was supposed to produce and we cross referenced those sounds with a pair of 7.1 Logitech headsets to make sure that sounds were equal, if not better. We didn’t look the portability as a factor, but the small form factor of some of our top ranked speakers definitely made a difference for our personal use. This was due to the compactness and yet still the astounding quality that we were getting. Without further ado go ahead and turn UP the volume and let’s get you the right speakers to turn UP your game.

1. The Creative Sound BlasterX Katana cut through the competition

We weren’t kidding when we said cool names meant really good speakers. This is evidenced by the Creative branded Katana Bluetooth Wireless Gaming Soundbar. That Katana offers a powerful high resolution Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound that actually virtually delivers 7.1 surround sound. You can connect to the Katana through Bluetooth, optical, USB or auxiliary, but we recommend the USB for the 24-bit lossless audio playback.

The most surprising thing about this setup is how compact it is. I was able to set it right under my screen and it really seem like it belonged. There was no mess with wires, speaker stands or really any other peripheral other than the speaker and the sub that came with thanks to the Bluetooth setup. In the end, the simplest way to sum it up is that these speakers are very loud and provide the top of the line surround sound even though it’s just a sound bar.

The hardest thing to compare will be the Katana against our second place Leviathan. Arguably the Leviathan provides just as good of a sound and as good of a bass as the Katana, but with one very important difference. If you use a USB output on the Katana, you do not have to buy a separate audio card to get lossless sound quality as opposed to Leviathan. If your sound card sucks, your audio is not going to be saved by the Leviathan.

This is why the Katana comes in as our best gaming speakers.

Ups:

1. In built DAC (no need for a separate sound card)
2. Provides the highest sound quality
3. Virtual 7.1 surround sound
4. Slick LED design

Downs:

1. High price, but no speakers compare in this space

2. The Razer Leviathan creates waves over the competition

Our second place soundbar setup also offers a 5.1 channel surround sound and fits easily under any desktop monitor. With its cutting edge technology, awesome sound drivers and an amazing sub boot, you get rich sounds that really create the epic in-game battle scenes you need. Leviathan and first pick Katana speakers are really made for gaming at its purest form, though they do other things like movies and music well enough. Just know that you’re not going to be getting the best quality in the world. At the same time that doesn’t mean that it won’t outperform your inbuilt TV stereo speakers.

Another awesome feature is that you get great sound right out of the box. There’s no settings to fiddle with and you don’t have to select a different profile for use cases – it just works. You can connect to Leviathan through 3.5mm audio jack, optical connection or the bluetooth /NFC pairing solutions. It’s a really cool innovation, but the NFC is still kind of gimmicky because you’re expected to hold up your device that supports NFC to the speakers. Other than the lack of the RGB lighting and inbuilt audio card, there’s really no reason not to get the speakers as compared to the Katana (but we didn’t want to spend money on an audio card).

Ups:

1. Compact
2. Awesome out-of-the box performance
3. NFC

Downs:

1. No inbuilt DAC

3. Logitech Z906

The Logitech Z 906 5.1 Surround Sound System is actually the one system I decided to keep. It offers unparalleled sound quality and gives you a true cinema quality sound. It is the best surround sound speakers to date (and in my opinion, the best gaming speakers). The system deliver 500 watts of power and are super simple to set up. The biggest downside and reason that this is not our top ranked product is because this speaker wasn’t made just for gaming. As a full media center solution, this thing is big, takes up a lot of space and uses a lot of wires. If the Katana belongs to a ninja, the Z906 belongs to a a tank. If you are looking for a PC and home entertainment surround sound, this is absolutely the best bang for your buck.

The subwoofer comes with an 8 inch driver and the system can be used for your computer, music player, TV, Blu-Ray, game console or really any other audio source. Supported inputs are optical, coax, RCA audio or 3.5mm outlet. Sadly, there’s no bluetooth but you can buy a separate Bluetooth adapter. The Z906 comes with a separate control panel to change the settings on the speakers as you need. This is really convenient, but also adds an extra step in getting just the right sound that you’re looking for. For me, I was not short on space and I really wanted the best quality and chose to keep these speakers.

Ups:

1. The most versatile PC speakers we’re reviewed
2. The loudest, baddest speakers
3. The best surround sound system

Downs:

1. Take up a lot of space
2. Lots of wires
3. No native bluetooth

4. Bose, a timeless classic

If you want a solution that just works, we recommend the Bose Companion 5 Multimedia Speaker System. With the Bose Companion’s you don’t need any special software, sound cards, adapters or wiring. All you really need is the best 2.1 speakers set up and an aux cable. They’re also surprisingly small stand-alone units that give you a little bit more usable desktop space than you would imagine (even more space if you remove the stands and fix them to the wall). With the awesome control pod, you can change the volume, mute quickly and access the headphone jack unlike the other systems where you would have to go into the main speaker and plug it in.

No, these aren’t specifically gaming speakers but they are so good that they may as well have been labeled as some. The other benefit is that these can double as your television speakers unlike the first 2 soundbar options that we have. This is really beneficial if you game on your television as it gives you a two-in-one solution.

Ups:

1. Can double as your main media set up
2. Simple set up
3. Control pod

Downs:

1. 1 system
2. Super expensive (quality + brand name tax)

5. Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Computer Speaker System

In fifth place we have the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Computer Speaker System. These speakers are, what I would call, just very good. They don’t have any extra gimmicks, no crazy control panel, don’t really require any set up and don’t have a brand name tax. They just work. Even though they are seemingly cheaply made, they still produce sound which we found be nearly on par with our fourth pick, but a much lower price tag. The provided bass also did a good job of producing solid, deep sounds. For a small room these will definitely create that boom we’ve been looking for.

One little trick is that the controls on the bottom of the speaker is removable and makes it similar to the Bose pod. For the price is really hard to beat these things even though the sound quality coming out from the Bose speakers was better. Another downside is that the speakers don’t come with an on/off switch, but we didn’t really find that to be an inconvenience. Overall, this is a very nice system that produces respectful sound and very good bass.

Ups:

1. Simple set up
2. No “brand-name” tax
3. Loud

Downs:

1. Feel cheap
2. No on/off switch

6. Logitech Z506 Surround Sound Speakers

The Logitech Z506 Surround Sound Speakers are another solution that just work. You get great sound with a true 5.1 surround system. We recommend buying it with the Bluetooth audio adapter so that you can connect your smart phones or tablets as needed. Imagine this to be the little sister of the Logitech Z906 we reviewed earlier. You’re only getting 150 Watts of power but that’s more than enough for PC gaming.

What’s really nice is that the speakers are just a little bit larger than an eight ounce soda can, so you really are getting a compact system. For the dollar value of these things they’re really hard to beat. It’s also great to have a true 5.1 surround sound speaker system as opposed to the soundbars and 2.1 system that we’ve been seeing. As for the downside, there is no optical input to get that super high quality sound. Also, the frustrations of the Z506 come with the fact that the cables are not able to be extended further and the speakers can’t be mounted so they will have to be put on your desk and surrounding bookshelves to get the proper experience.

Ups:

1. Super compact
2. Cheap
3. Simple set up

Downs:

1. No native Bluetooth (but cheap enough adapter)
2. Cannot be mounted

7. Audioengine A2+ Black 2-way Powered Speaker System

The Audioengine A2+ speakers are really a diamond in the rough. The speakers were definitely not made for gaming, but their 2.1 setup is so good that we just have to recommend it as our seventh pick. The speakers come with an inbuilt DAC just like our top pick, the Katana. What this means is that you don’t have to buy a separate audio card to get that hi-fi sound delivered out of your computer. They do have a somewhat cheap interior, but from the sound quality you won’t be able to tell the difference.

You’re really getting a lot of sound from the small profile of the speakers and, as opposed as I am to the bookshelf type speakers, I really had no complaints with these compared against our fourth, fifth and sixth choices. Of course, the downside of the bookshelf speaker is that there’s no sub included so you tend to miss out on that life-like experience that you received from a lot of the other options. But if you’re short on space or just don’t require the menacing bass of the earlier list of systems, we would recommend these as the best gaming speakers for your needs.

Ups:

1. Bookshelf set up saves space
2. In-built DAC so no need for an audio card
3. Surprisingly loud

Downs:

1. No bass
2. Cheap interior

8. Bose Companion 2 Series III Multimedia Speakers

Our final pick in the list of the best gaming speakers is the Bose Companion 2 Series III Multimedia Speakers. The speakers have a super low profile and provide high quality audio performance, which is very clear at any volume. For the price that you’re paying, you get great quality even though it may not match those of the Audioengine above. These are the simplest speakers we have tested, and really the only non-gaming at this level that could hold a candle to the competition. The only input to these is an aux line (it actually has two auxiliary inputs for two devices at the same time), so be sure to have a few of those handy. At this dollar value, I’m surprised at both even offered a PC setup solution. You get is definitely out of the Bose, but the price somehow ends up being more reasonable.

Ups:

1. Bose quality without the Bose price
2. Low profile

Downs:

1. No bass
2. Extremely basic