Genius, located in Taiwan, is a leading international brand when it comes to computer peripherals and have a variety of products including mice, keyboards, web and security cameras, speakers, headphones, and more.
The company expanded in 2011 and created the GX Gaming series to develop peripherals specialized for professional gamers and have since have made a strong lineup of gaming peripherals. Among the list of such strong products are their SW-G2.1 3000 speakers, one of their latest speaker systems.
Specifications
Configuration: 2.1 Total output power: 70 watts Satellite power: 15 watts x 2 Subwoofer power: 40 watts
Drivers:
Satellite: 3”, 4 ohm Subwoofer: 6.5”, 8 ohm Frequency response: 35 Hz – 20K Hz Signal-to-noise ratio: 85 dB
Connections:
Headphone jack Microphone jack 3.5mm input RCA jacks x 2
The SW-G2.1 3000 comes in their usual box marketed toward gamers, steel and brushed metal and all. There is a lot of information printed all over the box in multiple languages, and a large image of the speakers themselves front and center.
Inside is the unit itself, all wrapped in plastic, comprised of a subwoofer, a controller, two satellite speakers, two audio cables, and small user manual.
The speakers are visually appealing, especially to the market they are going for. With a nice glossy black finish coupled with a reflective golden or yellow center, these are slick looking satellite speakers. There is no speaker mesh seen on other speakers which makes them look that much more nice. The controller and subwoofer match with the same black and golden yellow color combination.
The controller is designed to sit vertically and features two knobs on the front, the larger one being main volume and the smaller being subwoofer volume. There is no power button, with the main volume knob acting as the on/off switch instead. Also included on the front of the controller are two 3.5mm jacks for a headphone and microphone.
The back of the controller shows the speaker connections. There is an input 3.5mm auxiliary jack and two input RCA jacks for the two satellite speakers, as well as a single 3.5mm microphone output acting as a passthrough for the front microphone jack. Finally there are the output RCA jacks as well as the output subwoofer jack.
Installation is very easy with everything clearly marked on the back and a lightweight design. The left speaker has an ‘L’, the right has an ‘R’, and each connector has a coinciding label. The cables needed for a standard PC configuration are included.
Speaker sound quality is somewhat subjective, so it is worth noting that the performance review is in the opinion of the reviewer and should be taken as you see fit. The sound card used in the review was the ASUS Xonar Essence STX Virtual 7.1 .
The first test was music. With a lot of emphasis on the bass, the genre used was rap. The bass in the test song was surprisingly good. Without too much going on, as it is with things like movies and video games, the speakers feature the music’s audio effectively. It is worth noting again that the bass is impressive.
Next was the movie test. The go-to genre for a movie audio test is action. Again the bass was effective, however it is here where the speakers’ lack of channels hurts it. Because these are not true surround and only feature two satellite speakers there isn’t much they can do. Dialogue is clear, but during action sequences it waivers outside of the bass. They do well at keeping everything distinct though.
Finally is the gaming test. Here, the first person shooter genre was used. Again, here is where more than 2.1 is necessary. It does sound nice and clear, with a great bass, but as far as trying to tell which way an enemy is coming from is difficult with only a left and right side. However, on non-FPS games such as racing or MOBAs, these little speakers work just fine and are a nice addition.
The Genius GX Gaming SW-G2.1 3000 gaming speakers are a surprisingly good speaker set and are probably the best for their price. They aren’t 7.1 surround sound speakers, so there are limitations, but if used within their boundaries they are perfect. Overall, a worthy purchase if you’re looking for an audio upgrade without shelling out too much money.
Check out www.gx-gaming.com for more information on GX Gaming products.
Follow me on Twitter or subscribe to this column at the top of the page to keep up on all future news, reviews, interviews and giveaways.
via Examiner National Edition Gadgets & Tech Channel Articles http://www.examiner.com/review/genius-gx-gaming-sw-g2-1-3000-gaming-speakers-review?cid=roadrunner