In my experience, a good set of PC speakers is the cherry on top of a gaming machine, helping drive home the immersion of the best gaming sessions. Though its price was one of the main detractors of the SteelSeries Arena 9, it seems like a much better deal at just under $395 at Amazon right now.
The Arena 9 is a pretty impressive set of speakers, with a mighty subwoofer, two rear speakers, two front speakers, and a control pod to change volume, pair Bluetooth devices, and more. Thanks to the RGB in the front speakers, it can also add a lot to a space aesthetically. That subwoofer can get super bassy if you want, which can be very effective in shooters and more hectic action games.
What makes this set of speakers stand out from the pack is the 5.1 surround sound, thanks to a center unit, two main front speakers, and two rear satellites. This means, while paired up to a game, you can feel the audio around you—and it does a fantastic job of it.
As we pointed out in our SteelSeries Arena 9 review, “The level of detail on offer definitely ups the immersion in any game with serious positional audio atmospherics. Horror aficionados will really feel the benefit too, as there’s nothing quite like jumping at a creeping zombie that you heard scratching the floorboards behind you.”
This 5.1 setting does lack somewhat when it comes to music, unfortunately. There’s a setting to convert music for more immersive sound and it’s not quite as effective as you might believe. However, this, and the price, are the main downsides and that second part has been counteracted by this pretty great reduction. If you really want to feel each shot around you in your favorite shooters, this is well worth looking into.
