Redragon GS560 / Trust GXT 1619 gaming soundbar review

For such an ultra-budget option, the Trust GXT 1619 (the name of the version we tested) is a reasonably smart-looking soundbar. Its lozenge shape is simple and clean, as is its choice of black plastic for most of its build, along with the black metal speaker grille over the front. The RGB lighting strip that runs around the bottom front edge is even quite neatly integrated.

More lighting can be found around the central power/volume knob, and there’s even a line on the dial to show the volume level as you turn the knob. In fact, the volume knob is generally something of a triumph. It clicks off with a satisfying surety when turned fully left, and there’s no wobble or grinding feel to the dial rotation. For such a cheap unit, these aren’t small considerations.

With the volume/power knob fully off, all the lighting is turned off but is otherwise illuminated to the same brightness at all times. We found it offered a good balance of brightness that isn’t too distracting, or so dim as to be pointless (it appears a little brighter in real life than our photos suggest).

A touch-sensitive button on the top of the unit lets you alter the lower lighting ring. It can show either a constantly changing rainbow of color, a blue light that then turns ever redder, then yellower (from left to right), in accordance with audio volume, or a fixed red, green, or blue color. The final tap also just turns off this lower light, but not the volume dial lighting.

The unit’s connections consist of a non-removable conjoined cable that sprouts from the back of the unit and splits into a USB plug and a 3.5mm jack plug. In theory, this setup is easy to plug into your motherboard’s neighboring onboard sound card and USB sockets. However, if you have any sort of alternative setup with an external audio source or USB hub – or you want to plug in another device – the cables being joined is a bit inconvenient. We ended up pulling the cables apart to a length of about 1ft to get more freedom of movement.

The unit measures 400 x 75 x 70mm (W x D x H) so it’s decently compact, and it’s also easy to fit on most desks and under most monitors. The foam foot that runs the entire base of the speaker, combined with its 714g weight, means it stays reasonably secure, unlike some really cheap 2.0 desktop speakers that tend to topple over with the slightest breeze or knock of their cables.

It should come as no surprise that the Trust GXT 1619 / Redragon GS560 isn’t setting new standards in overall sound quality. However, it’s a welcome upgrade on most monitor speakers and outperforms plenty of cheap separate USB-powered speakers.

The main upgrade is a deeper overall sound, with the soundbar able to fill out more of the mid-range and bass end of the sound spectrum than monitor or laptop speakers. You don’t get true sub-bass reproduction that you feel in your chest, but you get a bit more power overall.

This means that musical genres such as heavy metal actually sound ok on this soundbar, as the distorted wall of sound isn’t turned into an ear-splitting, shrill mess. EDM, hip hop, and other genres that emphasize thumping bass drums and rumbling basslines are likewise listenable here, unlike on typical monitor speakers.

Overall volume is just enough to fill a small room without resorting to the tinny horribleness that results from cranking up your phone’s speaker, for instance. You won’t be planning a house party around this soundbar, but you and your best pal can have a little boogie.

As the volume of whatever you’re listening to ebbs and flows, though, you can clearly detect the speaker reducing the peak volume to avoid distorting when the sound gets loud. Oddly, it does this even at low volumes. It does mean the speaker almost never actually distorts, but it can suck some of the impact when the louder parts of a track (or an explosion in a game) kick in.

The stereo image you get from this soundbar is poor, too. The two 40mm drivers clearly aren’t balanced well enough to provide a clear sense of stereo image when combined. This makes music sound a bit flat, and almost like it’s just a mono signal coming from the speaker – you don’t feel that immersion in the sound that you get from a quality stereo setup.

As you might expect, this somewhat affects this soundbar’s gaming credentials. There’s no digital surround sound anyway, and the natural directional effect you get from a good stereo setup isn’t particularly strong here. You definitely do get some directional cues, but it’s not particularly accurate.

Priced at just $35, the Redragon GS560 (£30 for the Trust GXT 1619) is about as cheap as you can go for a soundbar. There are of course compromises for that low price but overall it offers decent value.

Creative Pebble V3

If you’re looking for a very cheap set of speakers that you want to place on either side of your monitor – getting you a better stereo image than this soundbar – the Creative Pebble V3 is a decent little speaker set. Also USB-powered with a 16W power rating, these speakers are basic, but they’re a solid step up from most monitor speakers for $30.

Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2X

If you’re looking for a soundbar with a more comprehensive audio upgrade, the Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2X is a good shout. Thanks to a separate subwoofer, it delivers far more volume, bass range, and clarity, with 180W of sound output. It is a lot more expensive, though, at around $200.

For $35, the Redragon GS560 (Trust GXT 1619) is a perfectly ok buy if you’re just looking to get some sort of desktop loudspeaker setup that’s a step up from typical monitor speakers. You get a deeper audio signal that’s enough to make music listenable at low volumes, and it means you can play games without headphones.

There are no special features here, though, and the poor stereo image means you don’t get a great sense of directionality in games. However, on the plus side, the unit is compact, neatly designed, and of course very cheap. That said, if you can grab one of these units at even a slight discount, it makes all the difference to its value. You only have to spend around $70 to get a much better-sounding, more capable unit.