If you’ve ever wondered why so many of the hardware reviews we do in Game On are about gaming headphones, there’s a good reason: They dominate the market. I’m still old enough to remember when desktop computers came standard with speakers, and that simply isn’t the case anymore.

Maybe it is because so many of us live in close quarters and don’t have the luxury of blasting our sound out into the stratosphere. Not until my current apartment did I live somewhere I could turn the sound up and not worry about waking somebody up or bringing the wrath of an annoyed neighbor down upon my household.

For that reason, headphones are a great solution, especially for up-close, personal sound. That said, there’s nothing quite like a rock solid set of desktop speakers that projects the sound and fury all around.

The hardware recently rocking my world is the Logitech G560 adaptive lighting desktop speakers for PC, which is yet another in a long line of Logitech sets that I’ve owned. My first set of gaming speakers were Logitech, in the mid-00s, that came with six satellite speakers and a massive subwoofer. They were my first foray into high-end sound, and for an exceptionally low price.

That description is also what you’ll get for the $199.99 G560s, with the added bonus of environmental lighting. The two desktop satellite speakers have two adaptive lights apiece, which can be set to a plethora of options via the Logitech software. From a standard color sequence to an audio visualizer, the speakers can light up the area around your computer in fun ways.

The real draw is the G560’s adaptive setting, which changes from game to game and looks different depending on the game and the situation. While playing Diablo 3, the speakers will glow with the colors of your health and mana bar, while in Overwatch they can alert you to when your ultimate gauge is full.

The rest of the time the speakers pull from the game environment. If a brilliant, fiery explosion occurs, then the speakers will glow the appropriate red and orange. The feature is by no means performance-driven and is mostly a fun, cool thing meant to increase game immersion. The lights are a great touch that ups the cool factor of any gaming desktop setup.

The lights are a neat addition, but I’d never recommend speakers based solely on an (admittedly cool) trick. At the $200 range, you’re competing with a variety of solid soundbars and speakers, so it is good that the G560s have the power, range, and substance to back up the pretty, pretty lights.

The subwoofer is an impressive 240-watt, power-feeding subwoofer that’s more powerful than most soundbar setups. The shock that comes along with the power and reverberation of a subwoofer is impressive, especially if you’ve not had one. Even turned completely down, the bass hums through the floor and pumps out impressive low-note fidelity.

Backing up power is DTS:X Ultra surround sound, with 5.1 and 7.1 surround support. For many, these speakers might be the most affordable 7.1 speakers in the gaming sphere, and the sound is impressive in games like Overwatch, where directional sound matters.

Having primarily used headphones for the past five years, I was impressed with the details in sound I had been missing by not using speakers. In Overwatch, small touches like the reverb in D.Va’s mech as she uses her communications link or the pounding bass from Lucio’s heal stand out in a way that makes a true, functional difference to headphones.

Don’t get me wrong: I love a good set of headphones. That said, there’s something cool about turning up the volume and hearing the sounds of explosions and rhythm all around.

The G560s also have the quality of life features that allow for everyday use, including an easy to use Bluetooth connection feature, all with the press of a button. Using this connection, USB, or 35mm, up to four devices can be connected and switched to the G560s. While the color adaption software is only usable on a desktop computer (and not consoles, sadly), the ability to connect with a phone or tablet helps make use of some truly fantastic-sounding speakers.

If you’re in search of a desktop sound solution, the Logitech G560s are more compact and aesthetically pleasing than a soundbar. The adaptive EQ software is a great touch that puts it a step above its competition, especially if you have the room to turn up the bass and blast some volume.

But, trust me: The lights won’t make you a better player. Sometimes lights are simply just lights.

The Logitech G560 RGB PC Gaming Speakers are available now — online and at select retailers — and were provided for the purposes of review to The Blade by the manufacturer. 

Contact William Harrison at DoubleUHarrison@gmail.com or on Twitter @DoubleUHarrison.

First Published August 2, 2018, 10:39 a.m.