Taking the best and worst parts of gamer-specific gear by looking the part, yet failing to fully fire out of all of its many cylinders.
Soundbars offer a different experience to your more traditional speaker setup. Because you can't loop together tweeters with cables to stretch around a setup, you have to place it directly in front of you and this can have unintended consequences on the sound. Gaming-specific speakers tend to have this very over-the-top marketing style, with the ad's target gamer being entirely blown away by the noise and immersed in the footsteps of battle or the lumbering sounds of a dragon above. With the OXS Thunder Pro, this is the closest I've ever been to a marketing level experience… and I'm not too sure how much I like it.
Starting out with the look, this thing is loaded with RGB lighting, with two up-firing, front-firing, and side-firing speakers complete with that familiar burst of colour as you turn it on. Those bright lights do serve a purpose with them being used to choreograph which of the listening modes are currently being engaged. We'll get more into that later but, for now, know that the RGB lighting isn’t entirely meaningless, and it looks quite pretty in the dark.
One of the main benefits of a soundbar like this is you simply need to plug it into the mains and it works. You don’t need to work around terminal cables or find space on equidistant sections of a desk for the optimal sound. Plop it down, plug it in, and get listening.
It also comes with two different controllers; a remote that you can change settings from afar with, and a small wheel that you can spin and tap down to change volume and turn it on with. That dial tends to feel a little unnecessary with the remote but it's a nice bit of tech that feels surprisingly intuitive in use.
It is helped by its great connectivity, working with USB-A, USB-C, Aux, Bluetooth, and HDMI, though it doesn't come with the necessary cables so you will have to find your own. This connectivity is great, and the ability to change between them with the remote means you can keep multiple devices plugged in at the same time. You can also plug in a mic and headset if you want the ability to chat with your mates while you play. The only place it loses out in regards to its connectivity is room for a sub-output but, with its built-in subwoofers, you likely won't need one.
It's an obviously very nice bit of kit that is sturdy and powerful—loud enough to really thump a desk. This impressive façade, however, hides an audio quality that is lacking if you manage to catch it in the wrong audio space. Hrvrd's On With Disease, a song filled with intricate guitar work, pounding drums, and high-pitched vocals, is thunderous thanks to the speaker’s high levels of bass. On the other hand, TTNG's Baboon, a mathy miasma of mids and highs doesn't quite fair as well. The OXS Thunder Pro feels almost perfect for Loathe's Aggressive Evolution, on the other hand, thanks to its Djenty guitar work, blasting drums, and Deftones-style vocals.
Fittingly, off the back of the announcement of Doom: The Dark Ages, if you go back to Doom 2016, you will hear every demonic rip and tear, thanks to Mick Gordon's super thick and distorted tone.
Destiny 2, which has managed to capture my partner's life since the launch of The Final Shape, is great in those fast-paced gunfights and almost becomes too much. See, the OXS Thunder Pro is appropriately named as the thing booms on a desk and can be almost overwhelmingly atmospheric.
Though it has tons of ways to shift the volume up and down, there's a noticeable point where it goes from a slightly underwhelming speaker to a monstrous one. For this reason, it can almost be hard to recommend it as purely an under-monitor speaker. Its volume, size, and the remote controller actually make it a much better TV audio source. If you want to crank the OXS Thunder Pro, don't sit in front of it as it gets so loud you get lost in the wall of sound. The smattering of drivers allows for 3D audio, meaning you can make out directional sound from where you’re sat. When it works just right, this is honestly a magical experience, even if it does start to lose its charm after a little while.
✅ You want serious compatibility: With the ability to plug in with Aux, USB, Bluetooth, and HDMI, this can handle almost anything you throw at it.
✅ You like bass: Though not as bassy as say the Razer Nommo V2 Pro, this thing can really pack a punch.
✅ You want immersive sound: With support for Dolby Atmos and many speakers spread across the bar, it offers a very immersive and engaging sound profile.
❌ You want clear mids: Though the bass is very good here and highs are mostly solid, mids can get a little muddy.
❌ You plan on using it at low volume: It can be a little underwhelming when you don't crank it, and it can get loud very quickly.
❌ You're on a budget: There are better choices out there at a smaller price point, even if they don’t have some of the OXS' more interesting features.
Mass Effect, a game that is ever so slightly more subdued than Destiny 2, thanks to its focus on character dialogue, is fine on here, but not quite as clear as I'd hope given the quality of bass and connectivity. Mids get muddy which you really start to notice in TV shows and movies, too. It is capable of working with Dolby Atmos, which allows for true surround sound play but, at a certain point, this feels more like form over function. Just how immersive that sound is can be great but I'd take a really high-quality set of reference speakers over this the majority of the time.
That's all before mentioning the rather prohibitive cost of $600 for its cheapest model. For now, you can get almost any of the best PC Gaming speakers, and have cash left over for a brand-new game too. The Thunder Pro valiantly attempts to cover for the more muddled mids with three gaming modes; FPS, RAC, and MOBA, which focus on different sections of the sound. For the most part, this is a good idea and being able to move from hearing footsteps with greater clarity to listening to team call-outs makes the listening experience more engaging.
The Thunder Pro has great connectivity, a good look, and snazzy controls, yet lacks somewhat in its overall delivery. OXS has put out a product I really want to like more than I have, in the end delivering a still solid if uninspiring experience. Which is not what you want from such a premium-priced product.
