We’ve spent some time playing games, listening to music and watching movies using Logitech G560 gaming speakers, and here’s what we think.
Pricing and availability
We think the G560 speakers aren’t expensive when you consider what’s on offer. Read on reading to find out why.
Design and features
The G560 speaker setup is comprised of two desktop satellite speakers and a down-firing subwoofer. The two satellites are impressively small at 148 x 166 x 118mm, especially when you consider the inclusion of lighting and the high volume produced (a whopping 240-watt peak output). They look sleek too; circular in design, with an extended curve on one edge that props each speaker up and houses one of two lighting zones. The lighting is projected onto the curve, which is then reflected forward without being distracting or irritating when gaming. You’ll also find a reprogrammable ‘G’ button and volume controls on top of the right satellite for quick access when gaming. On the rear of each satellite, you’ll find a larger lighting panel which projects light behind your speakers at a slightly upward angle. The brightness and angle of the RGB panel should provide most PC setups with an effect similar to that of Philips’ Ambilight range, with ambient lighting filling the area around your monitor. The down-firing subwoofer is much larger at 404 x 255 x 207mm, but it should still fit nicely into the majority of setups. Besides, the incredible bass produced by the sub is more than enough to make up for the large dimensions! So, why would you want to pay £209 for gaming speakers? Why would you want RGB lights on your speakers? Let us explain. As well as cycling through colours or intelligently reacting to music to provide a lightshow that’d put some nightclubs to shame, the real draw for gamers is that the RGB lights will reflect what’s going on in-game for a number of compatible games including Fortnite, Battlefield 1, GTA V and CS:GO. The Lightsync RGB system reacts to in-game events like explosions, hit markers, health warnings and more – it depends what the developer wants to highlight at any given time. It really improves the gaming experience in a way we previously hadn’t considered; projecting the purple haze of Fortnite and the blinding white light of explosions in Battlefield 1 make it much more immersive, especially when played in a darkened room and when synced with other Lightsync-enabled devices like the G513 keyboard. Even if a game doesn’t specifically support Logitech’s RGB SDK, the Logitech G software (which we go into more detail about below) provides a customisable screen sampling mode. Simply highlight the areas of your game that the speakers should recreate and you’ll get an effect similar to officially-supported games. It’s a great addition as it doesn’t limit the impressive LED setup to a relatively small list of officially-supported games; from AAA games to unknown indie games, you’ll have your reactive ambient lighting. While the primary connection for the Logitech G560 speakers is USB, it also offers Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity and a 3.5mm audio jack on the rear of the right speaker for easy access. You can connect four Bluetooth devices at once thanks to Logitech Easy-Switch support, allowing you and your friends to play music from smartphones and tablets without the need to turn on the PC. You’ll still get an impressive LED show too; any music played via Bluetooth or Aux will trigger the audio visualiser.
Software
Logitech Gaming Software, or LGS for short, allows granular control over not only the lighting, but also the audio output of the gaming speakers and other Lightsync-enabled devices. In terms of the G560 speakers, it provides the option to customise the ‘G’ button on the right speaker. By default, it’s used to control the brightness of the lighting, but you can reprogram it to be a mute button, trigger an in-game macro and more. That’s not all you can do, either. In the lighting menu, you can choose from a handful of lighting effects; Fixed Colour, Colour Cycle, Breathing Effect, Audio Visualiser and Screen Sampler. You can also tweak the finer controls, like the rate at which the colours cycle, and how long before the lighting should go to sleep when inactive. It’s also where you can set up the screen sampler to analyse specific areas of your display to mirror the most prominent colour not only in your favourite games, but when you’re watching movies, browsing the web and performing general tasks. If you only want it to be enabled in certain situations (like when a supported game is opened), you can do that too. LGS also features an EQ with a handful of presets for different game types; Flat (default), FPS, MOBA, Drop the Bass and Cinematic Gaming. But as well as being able to select one of these presets, you are free to create your own profiles using the Advanced Equalizer. You can also enable DTS:X Ultra 7.1 virtual surround sound for a more immersive audio experience when gaming and listening to music. It renders a 3D soundscape that essentially tricks your brain into thinking audio is coming from different directions. It’s not the perfect replacement for a physical 7.1 setup of course, but it’s an achievement making audio sound like it’s coming from behind you by using two speakers positioned in front of you.
Audio quality
Unsurprisingly, the Logitech G560 speakers sound incredible – especially at £209. The high-strength metallic drivers in the 2:1 setup produce crisp, clear and rich highs, mids and lows across a huge soundscape, but it’s in terms of bass that it really shines. The bass is loud and booming to the point where you feel it vibrating on the floor and in your chest, perfect for getting immersed in your favourite FPS games like Call of Duty and Battlefield 1 where there are explosions-aplenty. The LGS EQ allows you to tone down the bass if it’s a bit too much for your taste, with no noticeable sacrifice to overall quality. Another factor that simply can’t be ignored is the volume output. It offers an incredible 240-watt peak output, which for those who don’t have a frame of reference is incredibly loud. It’s more than enough to fill even large rooms with game audio and music; in fact, it’s loud enough that we don’t think it’d break a sweat if it was used for music playback at house parties. Seriously; when we listen to music and play games using the G560s, our Windows Volume never goes above 18 (out of 100!). The good news is that even when it is up full volume, it doesn’t suffer from distortion or any real loss in quality, though the bass does become less prominent as volume rises. Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
