Thunder Duo Max

After its 7.1.2ch Thunder Pro Plus soundbar, OXS set out to deliver immersive sound in a more flexible form. The result is Thunder Duo Max, a pair of bookshelf speakers whose larger cabinets house bigger drivers for fuller bass, and whose soundstage, the maker says, can be widened or narrowed to suit the space. OXS pitches it for gaming, creative work and live streaming, as well as console play, living-room movies and studio editing.

Height channels on the desktop

The headline feature is what OXS calls world-first sky channel audio: dual upward-firing drivers tuned to work with the main drivers and add a vertical layer to Dolby Atmos playback. According to the maker, this helps place overhead sounds such as helicopters, rain, explosions or enemies approaching from above. The full system is described as true 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos using physical channels rather than virtual effects: front left/right, a center channel formed by the two speakers, rear left/right from a wireless satellite neck speaker, a low-frequency channel combined from both speakers, and the two sky channels.

A dual DSP system combines Dolby Atmos decoding with OXS's own Xspace sound algorithm, and the maker says the system holds official certification for 3.1.2ch and 5.1.2ch Dolby Atmos.

Connections and configurations

HDMI 2.1 supports PS5, Xbox Series consoles and PCs outputting 4K 120Hz. A USB-C port handles Switch, Steam Deck and mobile devices, and Bluetooth 5.3 provides low-latency wireless. OXS says inputs switch instantly and that it ran more than 1000 hours of testing on popular gaming devices, selected using its user data. The system comes in four configurations:

• Thunder Duo: 3.1.2ch Dolby Atmos entry setup
• Thunder Duo X: 5.1.2ch, adds the wireless satellite neck speaker
• Thunder Duo S: 3.1.2ch Bass Max, adds a wireless subwoofer
• Thunder Duo Max: neck speaker plus wireless subwoofer

The neck speaker uses dual physical drivers, a 5.8GHz low-latency wireless link and 12 hours of battery, replacing two rear speakers. The Thunder Sub has a 5.25-inch woofer and 80W RMS output.

Output and tuning

OXS quotes up to 110W, which it says is 50% more than standard gaming speakers, along with studio-grade drivers, long air ducts and a long-stroke design. Total harmonic distortion is stated at 0.5% or less. The maker says performance was tested by Rayleigh Labs and tuned by audio engineers from Harman Kardon, Klipsch, JBL and Jamo. Six LED rings offer 8 motions and 50 colors, controlled with EQ via the OXS app and remote, while the OXS PC app adds per-channel adjustment and programmable RGB.