When it comes to gaming, headsets are usually the way to go when it comes to experiencing in game sounds, voice chat and the like. However, recent developments in speaker technology has seen external speakers become more popular, and used more by those who don’t enjoy having something sitting on their heads and ears for prolonged periods of time.
Logitech G has embraced the increased popularity of speakers and has released the G560 PC Gaming Speakers, a three-piece set that boasts not just incredible sound but a fantastic light show as well, being equipped with LIGHTSYNC technology and colourful LEDs.
Design
Like with other gaming speakers, the G560 comes with three pieces, a subwoofer that acts as the main centre piece, and two satellite speakers, the left being just a standard speaker and the right being a speaker with control buttons and knobs, just like most other speakers in the market.
The subwoofer is fairly large, rectangular and stands vertically, which appears to be designed to sit on the floor. The satellite speakers, however, are more compact, circular in shape and small enough to sit comfortably on a desk without being too distracting. The circular design of the speakers actually give off a complete gaming setup look, blending in nicely with the monitor, keyboard and mouse. In some respect, the full setup, which includes the speakers can give off a professional look to one’s gaming setup.
The only downside of the speakers’ design would be the subwoofer and the fact that it’s fairly large, has to be connected at all times for the satellite speakers to work and gives off a relatively noticeable ‘thumping’ vibration that can be heard through the walls (when turned up loud of course).
LIGHTSYNC
The G560 speakers come equipped with LIGHTSYNC technology which allows you to sync up lighting effects to gaming, video or even music content. The customisation options are aplenty with nearly 16.8 million colours and the speakers feature four lighting zones to allow for all sorts of customised combinations.
Considering that speakers are predominantly made for audio enjoyment, the G560 is very heavily focused on lighting effects and the ability to do a whole lot with it. Developers are able to utilise the LIGHTSYNC SDK to program animations for different games. An example could be having bold red lighting show up when you die in game or bright blue lights when you’re sailing the high seas in Sea of Thieves. I, personally didn’t really get to play around with syncing up the lighting with games, predominantly because I found it challenging hooking my Xbox One up to my PC and then getting my PC to work with the Logitech Gaming Software. I’m a bit of a technical noob with these kind of things but the idea and ability to have lighting effects linked to games is really cool. PC gamers and those with the technical skills will really love messing around with these different customisation varieties.
Another interesting feature is the ability to have a sort of rave party using the G560’s ‘Audio Visualiser’. The speakers can be programmed to illuminate with different effects based on the kind of sounds being played. For example, pumping dance music will trigger pulsing light that’s intune with the beat of the music. It’s always cool and fun to be able to have interactive features with content, whether it’s gaming or music and having flashy lights making your gaming room all buzzy is a real trip.
All of these customisations can be done via the Logitech Gaming Software, which I’ll be honest, unfortunately was a tad too complex for me at times. That’s not to say that those with expertise will find it as challenging as I did though.
Performance
I’m no audiophile but I do enjoy good sound quality when listening to music and having crisp in game sound to be able to hear every detail of my game when playing. The technical specifications of the speaker system are:
Total watts: (Peak) 240W Total watts (RMS) 120W Satellite 2 × 30W Subwoofer 1 × 60W
Now these numbers typically don’t mean much to me but I do know that it led to having some very detailed sounds coming in from both the subwoofer and satellite speakers. Not only was the music I played a delight to my ears but in game sound was crystal clear to the point that every footstep and shot could be heard as clear as day.
With the added benefit of having DTS:X ultra surround sound, the G560 provided sound in surround sound, which is perfect for immersive gaming experiences. Normally, I find that my headset provides this feature of being able to hear ‘surround sound’ as it blocks off most of the outside noise. I was curious whether it would be the same with speakers. Whilst it doesn’t block off outside noise at lower volumes, the surround sound feel and audio quality did feel the same as headsets on higher volume levels and allows for gamers to feel completely immersed in their game.
Price & Affordability
These days a decent pair of gaming headsets costs anywhere between $100 – $400, so often, the assumption is that a sound system or speakers would cost a lot more, given the size and complexity of such devices.
The G560, however, is considerably cheaper than what I’d had expected and is at a comparable price to most high-end gaming headsets. At an RRP of $349.90NZD, the G560 is worth the price given its features, rather sleek design and the fact that it’s not as horribly large as some other sound systems. Considering all that you’re able to do with the speakers’ LIGHTSYNC technology and surround sound system, the G560 would be a worthy investment for those wanting to add ambience, fun, good sound and interactivity to their gaming experiences.
Overall, the Logitech G560 is a speaker system with audio quality that rivals that of gaming headsets. Gamers and audiophiles will enjoy being able to customise their experiences and hear such clear and expressive tones of sound. If you’re interested in giving the G560 a try, they’re available here.
