Could audiophile speakers make games sound WORSE?

[Deus Gladiorum]

The following first paragraph is just sort of backstory; it's not "necessary" for answering the question.

Hey so I'm a PC gamer, and something I remember specifically about my transition from console to PC gaming is how very attentive to detail (to the point of obsession) I became over graphical fidelity. In my days as a console gamer, I remember not giving a hoot about frame rate, aliasing, resolution, frame latency, etc.. Like most, I really couldn't properly articulate why one game looked particularly better than another. Looking back, I realize that consoles games are rarely developed with the aforementioned graphical specifities in mind, and instead just try to improve things like polygon count and lighting techniques. But anyway, as I became a PC gamer my attention to detail became massive. Nowadays I can see the most minute amounts of aliasing, and can see differences in frame rate as small as 3 or 4 fps, and as such I find console games to be almost disgusting to look at.

So basing of this evolution of my standards, I was wondering if the same could be applicable to sound quality in video games (I am by no means an audiophile): if I hypothetically spent like $1K on some nice audiophile speakers, would that actually make playing games worse? I know sound quality in games can vary a lot between games, so I'm wondering, could having an audiophile setup allow me to really tell how inferior the sound quality of certain games are and as such, actually make certain games almost unbearable?

 

[oczdude8]

no it wont make it "worse", it will just sound the same as it did on a standard set of speakers.

 

[random stalker]

it depends on your sound card...

the difference is about this:
pool your current speakers together and play a random song...
cover them with a cooking pot...

uncovered - the sound you'll get with decent sound card (such as asus xonar or sound blaster z)
covered - the sound from an onboard integrated sound

 

[andrew_berge]

I'll contradict everyone here and say yes, different speakers can make it sound worse. It depends less on whether or not they are "Audiophile" speakers (a term that doesn't really mean anything), and more on sound signature, which can be either revealing or forgiving of the audio's imperfections.
That still doesn't necessarily mean those imperfections will be noticeable, though.

Random Stalker is exaggerating, by the way. It's typically agreed that speakers/headphones should get the biggest piece of your budget, as far as sound quality goes.

 

[ien2222]

First, as for what Random said...not really. In the olden days of onboard it was true but now the gap isn't that large anymore and some onboard is just as good. Of course it only matters when using 3.5mm or RCA output. If you are using digital out to a preamp or AVR then it doesn't matter in the slightest as far as quality of sound goes.

Now to your question, short answer is no. Pretty much all games, especially AAA titles have very good sound now (or at the very least good enough). Having a good sound system will pretty much only improve your experience. I do mostly console gaming and it bothers me when I don't have my HT system running while playing any game I have. When playing on the PC, although I have a decent 5.1 PC system I find myself wishing I had more like my main HT setup.

 

[ssddx]

having a good sound system will make the experience better.

while true that better speakers can reveal some distortions in low quality audio that you never heard before in general this isnt a problem for games.

i personally have a 725w home theater system hooked up to my pc and i couldnt ever go back
pioneer vsx-30 receiver, klipsch quintet iv 5.0 speaker set, klipsch sw-450 subwoofer

i also play games on my big screen television too.

if you have the budget i say go for it.

oh and dont worry about some games sounding worse. i still play some OLD games such at total annihilation (from 1998) and even some emulator games from snes and i've never noticed any real sound issues. and i'm one who after getting good speakers is rather finnicky about poor mp3 files (i wont use anything less than 192kbps anymore).

 

[random stalker]

so, let's close it like this...

1. good sound source is needed to drive decent speakers as even the best speakers are worthless if the sound source is bad...
2. if one spends $1K on audio, one can spend at least $50-100 for a superb sound card...
3. since it makes no sense to buy a pre-build set with those $1K, he will probably put together some passive bookshelf speakers /two or three pairs/ a decent front speaker and an active woofer...
4. to drive those passive speakers he will need a decent amplifier or a/v receiver...
5. we all will be green from envy

and because games are not only about story and graphics, but also about the sound as well, OP will have better experience playing anything he likes

 

[Deus Gladiorum]

Well actually this question was more of a hypothetical than anything. In terms of the speakers I'll actually buy, it'll be the Swans M10 recommended to me by @random stalker in one of my other questions. I should be clear that I was never asking if the audio would be objectively worse, because I wasn't thinking that it would. Sorry for the confusion.

What I should have really said is, in getting a really superb sound system and hence being able to hear the difference in audio files, will my standards be raised so much so that certain sounds which I currently perceive as "pleasant" later be perceived as less pleasant? For example, whereas I currently can't tell the difference between mp3 192 kbps and FLAC on my current sound setup, I'd be able to tell the difference on this hypothetical $1k sound setup, and hence I'll now find mp3 192 to be so below my new standards that I would not ever want to listen to it anymore over FLAC. So could that same example be applied to video games? Will older or non triple-A games with poorer sound quality become harder to endure whereas before they sounded just fine?

 

[ien2222]

No, you won't tell the difference between mp3 192 and FLAC. On a $3000+ 2.1 system in an acoustically treated room...perhaps but not guaranteed. Most people's hearing isn't good enough to tell the difference regardless of the quality of kit being used. You'll need to be way way above normal before you'll tell the difference on a PC setup.

Those who say they can tell a difference never did a double blind test. Since they know how a particular track is encoded, there's a perceived bias already before they listen to it. Psychoacoustics is an interesting subject to read a little about.

 

[ssddx]

as i said before... i still play older games on $1000+ of audio equipment and i dont have a problem with it. while older games might sound dated, even 8 or 10 bit sound from old snes games doesnt sound terrible. quite a bit less acoustically complex than current games but not bad quality.

depending on the type of music or sounds you might be able to tell the difference between 192kbps and 256kbps/320kbps or flac. you would need to listen to the same song to do a direct comparisson though and neither sound bad. i definitely wouldnt go any less than 192kbps for sure as this can easily be heard.

you might not ever want to go back to crappy speakers again... but thats a given. as for listening to lower than 192kbps music that is also quite a possibility.

 

[genzeleam]

The following first paragraph is just sort of backstory; it's not "necessary" for answering the question.

Hey so I'm a PC gamer, and something I remember specifically about my transition from console to PC gaming is how very attentive to detail (to the point of obsession) I became over graphical fidelity. In my days as a console gamer, I remember not giving a hoot about frame rate, aliasing, resolution, frame latency, etc.. Like most, I really couldn't properly articulate why one game looked particularly better than another. Looking back, I realize that consoles games are rarely developed with the aforementioned graphical specifities in mind, and instead just try to improve things like polygon count and lighting techniques. But anyway, as I became a PC gamer my attention to detail became massive. Nowadays I can see the most minute amounts of aliasing, and can see differences in frame rate as small as 3 or 4 fps, and as such I find console games to be almost disgusting to look at.

So basing of this evolution of my standards, I was wondering if the same could be applicable to sound quality in video games (I am by no means an audiophile): if I hypothetically spent like $1K on some nice audiophile speakers, would that actually make playing games worse? I know sound quality in games can vary a lot between games, so I'm wondering, could having an audiophile setup allow me to really tell how inferior the sound quality of certain games are and as such, actually make certain games almost unbearable?

I understand exactly what you're saying about about the graphics thing even though I've been a PC gamer my whole life with consoles being an afterthought. When I started venturing into better sound quality, I realized that not only would I have to consider the quality of my speakers/IEMs/headphones, but now I'd also have to find the right source. I've tested quite a few headphones, speakers, and sources and--similar to the way you described the change in perspective on graphics--I've experienced the same thing with audio.

With high quality audio equipment, you'll hear when music or game sound quality sounds off. You'll hear all the little differences between games, music tracks, etc. When using a consumer-grade computer speaker and a decent sound card, I found myself able to just become immersed in games better because I wasn't focusing on the quality of the audio or those little imperfections. The experience across the board felt much more consistent. Same thing with music. When I listen to music on consumer-grade speakers, music just seems to be more of a whole and the speakers/source are more forgiving, allowing me to just listen to the music.

Keep in my that this is coming from someone who'd never been into audiophile equipment growing up or through my teenage years. I'm used to what I'm used to. But I -can- tell you that, for me, higher quality audio equipment seems to ruin my enjoyment. Actual enjoyment of audio doesn't really come from being able to pick apart every little detail. Enjoyment comes when your mind is allowed to completely forget about the equipment you're using and immerse itself in whatever's being experienced.

I've just recently come to this conclusion and it's my personal opinion.

 

[Deus Gladiorum]

Well damn :\
Luckily, I'm only getting a $100 2.1 Setup, Swan M10s. It's nothing fancy, but it'll certainly allow for a better sound experience guessing that I'm coming from built-in laptop/monitor speakers and Apple headphones, but overall my subjective measurement of sound quality between games should remain the same... right?

 

[Deus Gladiorum]

F%&k. As it turns out, those Swan M10s I wanted were just discontinued. While you're all here, can someone recommend me a good $100 speaker setup? I was really looking forward to the idea of a sleek 2.1 setup ._.

 

[ien2222]

Hmmm....That sucks, I was actually going to recommend them to someone else. If you don't mind an extra $30, the Swan M20w's list at $129 with free shipping. And as I look at them, that's a heck of a nice finish they have too.

 

[Deus Gladiorum]

I can't seem to find them (I'm not looking too hard) when I do a google search but I heard that there were two other speaker systems, each made by different manufacturers, which were competing with the Swan M10s for best 2.1 setup in that price range. If someone could find that I'd be quite ecstatic, and if at all possible, newegg is my preferred retailer.

 

[genzeleam]

If you're like me (and I think you are), you're looking for some speakers that'll add life and excitement to your games or music. You'll notice audiophiles put a lot of emphasis on speakers and headphones being neutral or balanced. What these two terms mean is that the sound is flat, giving no particular emphasis to any part of the audio spectrum. The sound signature with most audiophile equipment is going be just as the term sounds: flat. If you're looking for that, then you're on the right path. If you're looking for something that's plug-and-play with some really engaging, fun sound, look for a quality set of computer speakers and save yourself all the hassle.

Good luck on finding the right speakers.

 

[g-unit1111]

Personal attacks and bickering removed. Let's try to maintain a civil discussion, OK?

 

[genzeleam]

Personal attacks and bickering removed. Let's try to maintain a civil discussion, OK?

I agree, thank you for responding. I did a little more editing of my posts, too.