Intro and Design
Back in the 1990s, I was huge fan of Sound Blaster products. In 2017, I am a huge fan of the Sound BlasterX product line that has reinvented the Creative name into something slick, solid, and powerful. When I first powered on the KRATOS S5 2.1 speaker setup from the Geeky Gods from Above, I laughed. WTF is this rainbox sh*%?! As you can see from the shot above, it's featured prominetly in the marketing material. Luckily, you can configure them to be solid, have a pulse of different colors, shift like a purty rainbow or just shut them off completely. Phew. Rainbow crisis averted.
I digress, as the 2.1 speaker market is uber flooded and to be honest, quite boring, I wasn't too excited when I first started testing the KRATOS. Yet, after I dove into them, once again, I left impressed. Not only can use the included volume wheel to toggle power but a smooth volume control as well. On the back on the sub, you have a plethora of goodies to play with including bass level, a toggle for auto/manual power on and off (YES!!) and the Aurora light config. It's simple yet effective in design and feel.
Performance
Look, you can have pretty rainbow colors and every feature under the sun but if the performance and sound quality is poor, in my eyes, it's all for naught. Luckily, the KRATOS S5 absolutely pumps quality sound for music, movies, and most of all, gaming. It's compact yet completely fills my large office with solid audio. Honestly, I couldn't believe what I was hearing after cranking a few of my fave dubstep tracks and even more amazed after blasting out a few gaming titles as well. Every gunshot in PLAYERUNKNOWNS BATTLEGROUNDS cracked and pounded the room with pure audio goodness. It was a huge eargasm that came from a stunningly small 2.1 setup. It has to be heard to be believed.
In the end, regardless of what I threw at this set, it sounded remarkably good. To spice up the 2.1 speaker space is a feat that is rare indeed. Not satisfied, I kept throwing more and more tests at the KRATOS and sure enough, they passed with flying colors.
Value and Conclusion
Now, you may still be hesitant after reading all this about yet another 2.1 system to flood the market. Let me just say that for the price, you will not find a better sounding, room filling audio device out there for around $129 bucks. It's truly a stunning deal that could not only be used for PC, console, or a movie set up, but just about anything you could imagine. It's just a shame there is no optical input. Sad face. Just like the KATANA before it, it's awesome to see the Sound BlasterX line to continue to shine. Either way, I love the KRATOS S5 and give it my highest recommendation.
