Desktop accessories brand Cololight is working on an interesting addition to gamer setups: a pair of speakers that appear to float around your head to create a more immersive experience while you get destroyed in your favorite competitive shooter.
The Chimera speaker set attaches to any gaming chair with a universal clamp system, and can be adjusted to suit your posture and how much you lean in your seat.
It'll connect via an aux cable or wirelessly with an included 2.4-GHz dongle to your PC, console, Steam Deck, or mobile device to direct sound like a pair of extremely oversized open-ear headphones. Without a headband clamping down on your noggin over extended sessions, you won't have the usual fatigue and discomfort that you might experience with some bulky headsets.
Honestly, this feels more like a preference than a solution to a dire comfort issue. If you enjoy sound from speakers but wish they were aimed at your ears, you can consider these over the current lot of headphones on the market.
Cololight says the speakers have been engineered for game audio with an immersive soundstage. Each speaker features nine tweeters for mid-high frequencies, and a four-inch woofer designed to drive bass with depth in a near-field setting.
With the speakers mounted right where you can hear them best, you can expect to hear detailed environmental sounds in games, and get a better sense of where your enemies are approaching from than with conventional desktop speakers.
The Chimera also includes a mic that cuts out echoes and external noise, so you'll come through clearly in team voice chats.
This certainly looks like it'll add another dimension to your gaming sessions, without breaking the bank. It doesn't hurt that they look kinda cool, if you enjoy a cyberpunk sort of aesthetic in your lair.
Cololight is currently crowdfunding the Chimera on Kickstarter, where the set is pitched at US$219 (down from its expected $359 MSRP). That includes the mic and full set of mounting accessories.
All crowdfunding campaigns carry an element of risk, so you'll want to keep that in mind if you choose to back this campaign. For what it's worth, Cololight has been in the accessories business for a while now, and sells a range of gaming-focused products via its online store. It's previously made a surround-sound chair speaker too, so this isn't its first time creating an audio system.
If all goes to plan, the Chimera is slated to ship worldwide in November (free for most countries); a $30 delivery fee will only be added to orders from a handful of countries.
Source: Kickstarter
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