We even have a few flat-panel systems for those who want aesthetic quality to match audio quality. But our emphasis is on audio quality. For each speaker system, we listened to a variety of music CDs, played Quake II and Unreal, and watched a DVD movie. With music, we listened for bass resonance and faithful reproduction of midrange and high notes. DVD movies have higher quality audio than CDs, and mix music, dialogue, and sound effects, so this is one of the tougher tests for the speakers to pass.
Gaming is pretty specific.
We listened for good surround capabilities to generate the feeling of really being in the game environment. CNET recommends Guitar Player magazine editor in chief Michael Molenda is also a Bay Area record producer, audio engineer, composer, and international recording artist. He co-owns Tiki Town Studios in San Rafael, California with noted producer Scott Mathews. We've found some excellent speaker systems to suit a variety of uses and budgets. You can't go wrong with these babies.