With the holiday season around the corner, it is a perfect time to be thinking about gifts for loved ones—mainly that special gamer in your life. It is no secret that gaming is getting more popular among all demographics, with PC and console gamers outnumbering their mobile counterparts. With gaming becoming more social by the year, some gamers in your life may not wait to join in on virtual party chats or play co-op games with friends while being together. With that in mind, here are a few tips to help you pick out the perfect gifts for your gamer:
1. Look at the wattage
It is not only the size and power output of speakers but also the watts per channel (WPC) they produce. Generally speaking, the more watts per channel, the better it will perform with the better sound quality.
2. Look at the bass
It is vital for those who love bass to look at the wattage for looking for a high-quality speaker for gaming. Higher wattage speakers have more powerful bass than the lower wattage ones. However, a lower wattage speaker can get a good bass response. The chances of this happening are more specifically when buying computer speakers because they do not need much power to produce sound compared to gaming systems, so they do not use too many watts, and this leads to having a completely better bass output as compared to gaming consoles and high-end home theater products.
3. Consider the quality of materials used to build the speaker
The quality of the material used to build a speaker will determine how long it can last and how well it performs. The type of material used will also determine how much power is required to produce sound. There are some materials that are better than others, so the speaker needs less power to produce sound efficiently. That enhances the performance and increases its durability in terms of long hours of use without much fatigue or inevitable wear and tear.
4. Avoid distortion
Distortion is the primary enemy of sound quality. It produces a sound that is unpleasant and undesirable to the ears. Distortion occurs when the audio signal is amplified much beyond its capacity. The power of a speaker can distort if it is not big enough to deal with the power produced by the audio signals that have been amplified much beyond its capacity. Avoid buying subwoofers with low RMS ratings; this will distort the output sound quality. So, always go for a system whose speakers or woofer has a higher RMS rating (for example, 50W RMS) than subwoofers with lower RMS (for example, 20W RMS).
5. Look at the frequency range
The ideal frequency range of a gaming speaker will be between 40Hz and 20KHz. That is the best place for gaming speakers as it suits the dynamics of console games. A speaker with a lower low-end band and a high one at the high-end will produce better audio quality than having both in relatively equal amounts. In reality, you can even get bass effects in a gaming system working with a speaker with only a 0 Hz to 30Hz low-end band but no low-end below 0Hz (below 40Hz). Therefore, you need to consider this when buying speakers for your gaming system.
6. Consider the type of speaker driver
There are three types of speaker drivers: woofers, tweeters, and subwoofers. Woofers produce low-frequency sounds, whereas tweeters produce high-frequency ones. Subwoofers are used to produce low bass sounds. So depending on which dynamics you want from your gaming speakers, you should choose a system whose configuration best suits your desires/needs. If you want a high-quality sound with no or minimal bass but with many energetic highs, then go for coaxial speakers as they mix both woofer and tweeter in one system. On the other hand, if you want a system that does not distort or produce sound with a wide dynamic range, go for separate woofer and tweeter systems. Subwoofers are mainly used for the mid-bass response, so to get a clean sound devoid of muddy bass and high highs, go for a 2-way or 3-way speaker system.
7. Consider personal preferences
The last but crucial thing is to consider your personal preferences when considering any gaming speaker system to buy. That is not only about the bass you want from your system but also how loud you want it and how big the room you will use it in is. Most people want their speakers to be very loud to bring the sound effects of video games to life. Some go for the bass rumble that shakes the floor or whole room. Some want a complete surround system with a subwoofer to get the authentic experience of being inside a gaming world.
Your speaker’s sound quality impacts your gaming experience considerably. You will hear every gunshot, power-up, and explosion crystal clear if you have a high-quality speaker. You will be able to tell what is going on in the game and react accordingly. In reality, every gamer deserves only the best for their gaming sound quality.
