Due to the fact that communication with your teammates is not always possible when playing a game as a team, various sorts of sound systems are frequently used.
Should you choose to purchase conventional speakers or a sound bar? We’ll explain how to get the finest audio experience possible when gaming in this article.
It is typical to have a set of inexpensive stereo speakers for your computer, unless you are an aficionado. Even though they might be “adequate,” these will never provide you with the best video gaming or movie experience.
Although a correctly placed 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system would be ideal, this is frequently not physically achievable. In this article, we’ll examine whether it would be preferable to purchase a 2.1 speaker system or a sound bar.
Many households in recent years have invested in some of the best soundbars for TV viewing. However, is the device suitable for gaming? Keep reading to decide for yourself!
A priori, sound bars have several advantages over speakers, but in the section below, we’ll discuss if those advantages outweigh the drawbacks when using a sound bar instead of speakers.
Sound Bar vs. 2.1 Speakers: Benefits and Drawbacks
Of course, as you will see, we have disqualified the 2.0 speakers because the gaming experience cannot be fully realised without a subwoofer to simulate the bass.
However, the reality is quite different, and we’ll explain why. It’s important to note that many users are hesitant to utilise sound bars, particularly because of the possible positional sound that is “more visible” when we can set a pair of speakers with their subwoofer anywhere we want.
Location, Orientation, and Space
Without delving into specifics, assuming you want a good 2.1 speaker system. The three components may be placed anywhere you like, and you can also orient them to where you will be seated, which is important for a nice audio experience. This is its biggest feature.
This benefit can also be a drawback because you must place the speakers on the table, ideally with the subwoofer as well.
If this is not always possible, the subwoofer can be put somewhere else, like underneath the table, but this is not ideal. Simply said, they take up more room than a sound bar that you can put under the monitor.
Cabling
On the other hand, it is undeniable that you will need more wires the more components the system has. A 2.1 speaker system contains two speakers and the aforementioned subwoofer, thus there are a total of four wires needed to connect the system,
like the Sound BlasterX Kratos S5 in the image above (whose subwoofer is under the table) (one per component plus the power supply).
When compared to a 2.1 sound bar like the Razer Leviathan, the number of cords is reduced to 2 (optical audio + power cable), or even 3 if the cable connecting the bar and subwoofer is included.
Sound Quality
The quality of the equipment is certainly one of many aspects that affect sound quality in this situation. For example, comparing a sound bar from a well-known brand like AVerMedia or Creative with a cheap 2.1 speaker system from an unidentified manufacturer is not a fair comparison.
In any event, the advantage of using separate speakers over a sound bar is that we can position them more accurately and that they can be larger and more powerful than a sound bar, which has a restricted size.
However, despite being put directly in front of the user, many sound bars mimic the location that we can have with speakers. This is precisely another advantage, as they can be specifically created for it since they will always be in that position.
We have seen this even in small Bluetooth speakers like the renowned Sound Blaster ROAR, capable of integrating an entire 5.1 system with a passive subwoofer in a speaker that occupies no more space than a book and with surprising power.
This is evidenced by the fact that many sound bars already integrate a full set of 5.0 speakers inside the bar itself (then to have the 5.1 they take the subwoofer separately).
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Which is more effective for gaming, a soundbar or speakers?
The best gaming experience will always be had when wearing headphones, but if we must forgo them and muster the courage to select between a speaker system and a sound bar, the speakers will, without a question, provide the most lifelike and well-focused audio.
We don’t want to dismiss soundbars because many of them work quite well and are great for gaming, but if we are searching for the best, they fall short of speakers.
Although some kinds of sound bars may compete with high-quality speakers in terms of sound quality, due to their spatial limits, sound bars cannot match the gaming experience that decent speakers can provide.
When compared to most speakers, high-end speakers don’t have anything to envy in terms of location or sound quality.
In any event, you must determine your needs and your financial capabilities in order to make the best possible purchase for you, as sound bars are typically more expensive than speakers.
since they typically also incorporate more advanced audio technology to make up for their shortcomings or even to produce audio that is superior to what stereo speakers are capable of producing.
For instance, a high-end 5.1 sound bar will undoubtedly provide you with a greater experience than basic stereo speakers, despite the fact that it will also be somewhat more expensive.