First look: The THX Razer Mako 2.1 speaker system

The guys from THX came in to see us yesterday with an interesting new 2.1 desktop speaker system. Costing upwards of €300 euros and packing a whopping 300 watts of total system power, it’s a fairly high-end set-up compared to most 2.1 desktop sets.

And while most people might think spending over £200 on a pair of computer speakers is crazy, these just might change a few minds. Because they really do sound fantastic. Even in the 30 minute demo they gave us, it was clear that this is no ordinary desktop sound system.

With most desktop speakers, the sound gets distorted because some of the sound waves go straight to your ears, while others bounce off your desk (and other objects) and then hit your ears. The Razer makos address these desk-bounce and comb-filtering issues by using THX’s innovative ‘Ground Plane’ and ‘Slot Speaker’ technologies.

Full review coming soon

THX Ground Plane works by facing the speaker downward and firing sound directly, and exclusively, onto the desk’s surface. This controls reflections and distributes crisp, room-filling sound with minimal interference from the desktop.

At the same time, THX’s Slot Speaker design is very different from most other speakers out there. Like its name implies, THX Slot Speakers distribute sound from a very narrow opening. This allows for better control and directionality of the sound image - creating wide, spacious sound stages.

What this results in is an incredibly bassy, crisp sound that doesn’t degrade as you move around the room – or even behind the speakers themselves. The sub is reassuringly heavy and the overall performance is nothing short of fantastic.

They’ve got a touch-sensitive wired remote as well – you only have to drag your finger across its surface to change bass and volume levels. Very cool indeed.

We’re getting a set in for a full test, so we’ll publish the review in the next few weeks.

James Rivington

James was part of the TechRadar editorial team for eight years up until 2015 and now works in a senior position for TR's parent company Future. An experienced Content Director with a demonstrated history of working in the media production industry. Skilled in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), E-commerce Optimization, Journalism, Digital Marketing, and Social Media. James can do it all.