Typically, soundbars are most often found in the living room instead of in a desktop computer environment. Still, these compact devices can be used as PC speaker replacements very easily and cheaply.
Case in point, the Thunder Lite by OXS, a compact soundbar that offers 2.0 with a virtual surround sound EQ mode.
The Thunder Lite comes as a complete package ready to accept digital and analogue connections from games consoles, Blu-ray players and other sources. Bluetooth is also available for streaming audio, although bear in mind that there"s no support for low latency CODECs, so AV sync issues are noticeable if using this for things like gaming, so wired is recommended for this sort of use.
The Bluetooth connection is only for audio streaming from a phone or other portable device.
The Thunder Lite is made from all plastic with a fabric grille on the top fascia. The buttons are simple tactile dimples that aren"t anything special but do the job just fine. They are illuminated amber, and the source input button LED changes colour to indicate what input source is currently active:
- Yellow = Optical
- Green = 3.5mm AUX
- Blue = Bluetooth
- Purple = USB
- White = HDMI ARC
The styling of the Lite is such that it easily fits into any environment without looking out of place. There"s no RGB here, and a basic-looking remote controls the core functions:
On the backside, the connections are logically laid out:
Specifications
| Driver | 2* 2"" Full-range Drivers |
| EQ Modes | Standard, Xspace Surround Sound (VTS button) |
| Power | 40 watt. Peak 80 watt |
| Frequency | 60Hz-20kHz |
| Distortion |
|
| Sound Level | 90dB |
| Connectivity | 3.5mm Stereo Audio, Optical (S/PDIF), TV ARC (HDMI), AUX, USB-C, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| In the box | Soundbar |
| Dimensions | (W x D x H): 450 x 122 x 73.5 mm (17.7" x 4.8" x 2.9") |
| Price | £99 / $99 |
Ease of use
I tested this soundbar over about a month across both Windows and Linux PCs. Linux has native over-amplification in its audio driver stack, which works well and can highlight any noticeable distortion in speaker setups. Most of my testing was done on this system via a USB connection.
There is no driver to install on any OS. It is recognised as a digital speaker connected by USB. The only real gripe I have in usage is that the volume control is just generally slow to respond, it"s not instant, and I think this is largely down to the fact that these dimple buttons are used, pressing either volume up or down on the soundbar itself blocks the LED indicator so you must remove your finger to see if you"ve reached the max or min volume as the LED blinks twice at each end.
There is no audible indicator tone like on other speakers, and when using the remote control to adjust volume, there"s a moment delay before the volume changes, and the stepping is too small to effectively use it to increment the volume easily through a large range of value. Holding down the button does not skip by 10, for example.
I ended up leaving the soundbar on max volume and just adjusting the master volume through Windows or Linux, which is considerably faster using keyboard media buttons. There is very minor noise floor hiss but that"s to be expected at this price range and it"s never noticed casually, you do have to be looking for it to hear it.
That"s about as complex as general usage gets, there are no other features apart from the virtual surround which I will cover below.
Performance
With the VTS (virtual surround) function left off (default), the sound carries fairly rich bass and focus on mid-tone presentation. The 2.0 stereo imaging is decent but not spectacular. This EQ standard mode to me feels like it is good for general use, including movies, as it has the deeper bass, although higher frequencies are held back somewhat and because of this, treble detail feels like it is a little restricted.
Enabling VTS flips the above around. Now you have a much wider soundstage, and stereo imaging is placed nicer. The higher frequency range now has presence, and the mid frequency range retains its detail.
There is a compromise to using VTS, though, because lower frequencies are now much more muted. So, whilst VTS is very good for gaming, the bass is reduced, so you no longer get the bass impact that the standard mode has, which is a shame.
Here"s a video demonstrating the modes and playback of movie/music content:
Conclusion
The OXS Thunder Lite is a simple yet usable soundbar. It is priced based on its range of limited features and relative sound quality. It"s good for the price for sure, it can kick out some great bass in the standard EQ mode, whilst offering some surround sound for when that is desired.
It"s a shame that there is no third EQ mode that combines the best of both VTS and standard. Perhaps this is something OXS can add via a firmware update, as my review unit did receive an update that improved sound quality already based on some feedback I passed to OXS during initial testing.
The cables that come with the Thunder Lite are of good quality as well, which is welcome to see at this price range. Speaking of which, the cables are tucked away at the back, so if you decide to wall-mount the soundbar, then the front of the soundbar will have to face upwards to avoid putting unwanted tension on the cables.
The overall fit and finish and choice of material on the fascia look and feel are of decent quality. The plastic doesn"t bend, and there are no rattles or creaks. This is genuinely a good quality soundbar that does a decent job but could do with an additional EQ just to bring some treble detail in standard EQ and restore that bass detail in virtual surround mode.
In short, this soundbar is for anyone wanting a general-purpose soundbar that can output good sound without breaking the bank and has a good range of input connections.
This is not for someone wanting high-resolution audio for cinematic immersion or musical tonality.