“Why settle for a pair of stereo speakers for your desktop when you can get a soundbar?” This was the question I was constantly asking myself a year or so ago after determining that my gaming PC had a faulty 3.5mm auxiliary jack and that I needed to find an inexpensive USB workaround. The answer, of course, was price, and ultimately, I went in a different direction due to my financial situation at the time.
However, for the month or so that I was researching other alternatives, the OXS S2 Thunder Lite 2.0 Compact Gaming Soundbar was always at the top of my Amazon Wishlist. Like a Swiss Army Knife of soundbars, it could apparently accommodate five different audio inputs, came with both onboard controls and a remote, and only took up a modest amount of space.
Also, as someone who hates the hassle, time investment and guilt of returning products to Jeff Bezos’ doorstep, I was also a bit gun-shy on how well the OXS S2 Thunder Lite would meet my specific hookup needs, not just as a retro gamer but also as an aspiring streamer and content creator, thus I was hesitant to place an order just to find out. So, when the opportunity to review the OXS S2 Thunder Lite on behalf of CGM came along earlier this month, I volunteered immediately, eager to finally answer my many questions about the product that could only be learned through hands-on experience.
Similar to the OXS Storm G2 Wireless gaming headset I recently reviewed back in March, the S2 Thunder Lite is a direct expression of OXS’s seemingly unspoken mantra of versatility through simplicity. At just 18 inches wide, 2 ¾-inches tall and 4.5-inches deep (45cm by 7cm by 11.5cm), the cylindrical soundbar is quite compact and can easily fit either underneath or just in front of most monitors that you’ll find on a gamer’s desktop.
It weighs just over a kilogram, but the OXS S2 Thunder Lite 2.0 Compact Gaming Soundbar looks and feels expensive. Its rounded edges, black/grey tones, and minimalist membrane-button controls found on both the device and the mini-remote allow it to visually blend into most gaming, computer and home theatre setups easily. It can also be wall-mounted.
Aimed at augmenting the audio experience for gamers, movie watchers and music listeners who primarily play and enjoy content in small spaces like bedrooms and dens, the S2 Thunder Lite has been engineered to deliver an impactful 2.0 stereo soundscape within the limited confines of those environments. There’s no subwoofer, nor an option to add one, just a pair of dynamic 80-watt speakers and an “integrated bass pipe” for handling the output of lower frequencies, so no one should expect anything more than tried-and-true, dual-channel stereo from this device.
“It weighs just over a kilogram, but the OXS S2 Thunder Lite 2.0 Compact Gaming Soundbar looks and feels expensive.”
Despite the S2’s modest design, a glance at the I/O on the back of the unit offers no less than five input options built to meet the needs of just about anyone looking to add some extra stereo “oomph” to their desktop setup. These inputs are as follows: HDMI ARC, USB-C, Optical Audio, Bluetooth, and 3.5mm Auxiliary Audio (AUX). Apart from the latter input option and Bluetooth, a corresponding cable is included in the box for each of the other inputs. Consequently, just about any modern PC or game console can be readily hooked up to the OXS S2 Thunder Lite, albeit with some compromises.
While as a desktop gamer I am always in favour of having as many AV hook-up options as possible, I was initially surprised and a bit confused by the S2’s inclusion of HDMI ARC (a.k.a. TV ARC) support, as it’s generally a feature that only HDMI ARC-enabled TVs, monitors and Home Theatre setups can take advantage of.
In addition, unlike the more expensive and bespoke home theatre soundbars that I’m accustomed to using in either the living room or bedroom of my apartment, the S2 does not provide a passthrough option for sending an HDMI video signal to the TV. Depending on how your HDMI ARC-compatible TV or panel is configured, this potentially means having to sacrifice one of the HDMI ports on your TV in exchange for better stereo sound only.
On the bright side however, just like with an Optical Audio cable, an HDMI-ARC compatible panel can extend the soundbar’s improved audio to all the other devices connected to the panel via HDMI. This means that even Xbox Series consoles (which physically lack Optical Audio outputs as well as generic support for audio output via USB) can still be enjoyed in digital quality via HDMI-ARC, or failing that, Optical Out via a connected, compatible panel. So, if you’re a current-gen Xbox owner that happens to own either of these types of panels, you won’t be left out of the S2 party.
For PlayStation and PC gamers, things are more straightforward, with USB-C being the connectivity method of choice for the OXS S2 Thunder Lite. A 1.8 metre, USB-A to USB-C cable is included in the box, but it can be swapped out inexpensively for a USB-C to USB-C cable if the only available data ports on your PS5 or PC happen to be of that type.
Unlike Xbox, PS4 and PS5 will immediately recognize the S2 Thunder Lite as a USB Headset, and while I don’t own a Nintendo Switch to confirm, traditionally most wireless USB headsets built to work with PS4 tend to work when connected to the Nintendo Switch dock via a dongle, so it’s a pretty safe bet the S2 Thunder Lite will work in the same way with the Switch.
The remaining hook-up methods work as one would expect. The Optical Audio input is best utilized for HDTVs and consoles, and is the recommended, old-school alternative option to HDMI-ARC (especially if it can free up a valuable HDMI port for hooking up another device). I was easily able to hook up my PlayStation 3 Super Slim to test compatibility.
“Finally, detection and pairing with the OXS S2 Thunder Lite 2.0 via Bluetooth was a breeze to set up with both my smartphone and desktop PC…”
I also dug up one of my own male-to-male 3.5mm cables in order to test the S2 Thunder Lite’s AUX port when listening to music, and was pleased that I was unable to detect any noticeable trace of audio distortion and/or crackling typical of a poor-quality jack. If you recall, that was the issue that put the S2 on my shopping list in the first place, so having no issues here was a relief.
Finally, detection and pairing with the OXS S2 Thunder Lite 2.0 via Bluetooth was a breeze to set up with both my smartphone and desktop PC, though oddly, PS5 does not support the S2 Thunder Lite in this way. There is also a second issue: When a device is connected to the S2 via Bluetooth, the audio volume “floor” appears to be set to medium loudness or just below that. Any further volume reduction beyond said threshold results in the audio being muted completely.
In other words, there is no “low volume range” when the S2 is connected to a device via Bluetooth; the volume starts at medium and can only go higher from there. This makes the soundbar’s Bluetooth mode impractical for quieter, discreet listening. Thankfully, this issue doesn’t surface in the S2’s other input modes, so it isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker.
To paraphrase a famous comedian, I told you that story just to tell you this one: apart from the Bluetooth quirks mentioned above, S2 Thunder Lite’s 2.0 is quite good, and more importantly, sounds practically identical across all input options. The overall quality is clean and respectably loud, and the bass performance, while hardly mind-blowing, is rich and responsive enough to fill a small workspace with warm sound.
There’s excessive noise, crashes, rumblings, and explosions sound hollow and lose their impact, and my natural instinct is to immediately shut it off to protect my ears. It’s unsuitable for music listening or movie watching, and isn’t worth enduring the aural assault just to gain a slight multiplayer advantage.
In fact, the above issue ironically highlights a missing feature that the S2 Thunder Lite certainly could have used: a built-in and/or mobile-based Equalizer app that could have enabled users to access and fine-tune the soundbar’s audio settings. In turn, this might have made VTS bearable enough to be effective in competitive multiplayer, but as it currently stands, the S2 Thunder Lite only has the two aforementioned audio modes, standard 2.0 and VTS, which the user can either take or leave.
Also, there are no voiced audio cues for any of the button commands, so players will need to memorize the colour codes associated with the highlighted RGB membrane buttons on the device to know which input option is currently selected and/or active.
All the above limitations notwithstanding, sometimes all a gamer needs is a good, loud and bassy set of desktop speakers for their setup that can accommodate multiple input sources while also saving space, a common scenario that the S2 Thunder Lite is unquestionably custom-built for. Setting the subwoofer’s weird Bluetooth gripes and completely forgettable Virtual Surround mode aside, the OXS S2 Thunder Lite 2.0 Compact Gaming Soundbar does an admirable job of delivering the audio basics for an affordable price point ($149.99 USD). If you are in the market for a simple, compact and great-sounding stereo sound solution for your small workplace/play space needs, there’s plenty of reason to seriously consider the S2 Thunder Lite.
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There’s excessive noise, crashes, rumblings, and explosions sound hollow and lose their impact, and my natural instinct is to immediately shut it off to protect my ears. It’s unsuitable for music listening or movie watching, and isn’t worth enduring the aural assault just to gain a slight multiplayer advantage.
In fact, the above issue ironically highlights a missing feature that the S2 Thunder Lite certainly could have used: a built-in and/or mobile-based Equalizer app that could have enabled users to access and fine-tune the soundbar’s audio settings. In turn, this might have made VTS bearable enough to be effective in competitive multiplayer, but as it currently stands, the S2 Thunder Lite only has the two aforementioned audio modes, standard 2.0 and VTS, which the user can either take or leave.
Also, there are no voiced audio cues for any of the button commands, so players will need to memorize the colour codes associated with the highlighted RGB membrane buttons on the device to know which input option is currently selected and/or active.
All the above limitations notwithstanding, sometimes all a gamer needs is a good, loud and bassy set of desktop speakers for their setup that can accommodate multiple input sources while also saving space, a common scenario that the S2 Thunder Lite is unquestionably custom-built for. Setting the subwoofer’s weird Bluetooth gripes and completely forgettable Virtual Surround mode aside, the OXS S2 Thunder Lite 2.0 Compact Gaming Soundbar does an admirable job of delivering the audio basics for an affordable price point ($149.99 USD). If you are in the market for a simple, compact and great-sounding stereo sound solution for your small workplace/play space needs, there’s plenty of reason to seriously consider the S2 Thunder Lite.
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Of course, the audio sweet spot is right in front of the user when seated at one’s desk, and one can expect the bass to quickly drop off the further one steps away from that zone, generally within 3 meters of the optimal listening position, but that’s exactly the kind of range that the S2 Thunder Lite is built for.
The soundbar also features a Virtual Surround (VTS) Mode, which boasts a more immersive soundscape and promises a competitive gaming edge, but speaking truthfully, it’s a feature that I feel is best left unused. Turning on VTS results in a louder signal that attempts to simulate immersion, but in exchange, the lower frequency sounds drop out almost completely, similar to how the “Superhuman Hearing” feature found in a variety of Turtle Beach gaming headsets works.
There’s excessive noise, crashes, rumblings, and explosions sound hollow and lose their impact, and my natural instinct is to immediately shut it off to protect my ears. It’s unsuitable for music listening or movie watching, and isn’t worth enduring the aural assault just to gain a slight multiplayer advantage.
In fact, the above issue ironically highlights a missing feature that the S2 Thunder Lite certainly could have used: a built-in and/or mobile-based Equalizer app that could have enabled users to access and fine-tune the soundbar’s audio settings. In turn, this might have made VTS bearable enough to be effective in competitive multiplayer, but as it currently stands, the S2 Thunder Lite only has the two aforementioned audio modes, standard 2.0 and VTS, which the user can either take or leave.
Also, there are no voiced audio cues for any of the button commands, so players will need to memorize the colour codes associated with the highlighted RGB membrane buttons on the device to know which input option is currently selected and/or active.
All the above limitations notwithstanding, sometimes all a gamer needs is a good, loud and bassy set of desktop speakers for their setup that can accommodate multiple input sources while also saving space, a common scenario that the S2 Thunder Lite is unquestionably custom-built for. Setting the subwoofer’s weird Bluetooth gripes and completely forgettable Virtual Surround mode aside, the OXS S2 Thunder Lite 2.0 Compact Gaming Soundbar does an admirable job of delivering the audio basics for an affordable price point ($149.99 USD). If you are in the market for a simple, compact and great-sounding stereo sound solution for your small workplace/play space needs, there’s plenty of reason to seriously consider the S2 Thunder Lite.
