We actually got these speakers some time ago, and opened them up thinking that the gimmick was simply that they were lit up. But here I am some months later, just recently having freed myself from their hypnotic gaze, synchronized to the explosions and gunfire of my gaming. I actually used these speakers during my play through of Half Life 2 for our recent exhaustive review . Playing that game late at night with the lights down and those speakers going was an incredible experience. To have your room filled with flashing lights that match the alarm you just tripped or the muzzle blasts of the combine soldier's rifles - well, it created a nerve-racking realism that any adrenaline-junkie gamer should love.

They probably wouldn't look too great outside at noon on a sunny day, but in a normally-lit room they look very cool.

Requiring no special drivers and having no connection to your computer other than the standard 1/8" stereo audio jacks, the speakers seem to work on the same principles as "rumble packs" for the Gameboy Advance. The Gameboy's hardware doesn't actually support any force feedback technology, so 3rd party manufacturers like Mad Catz produce that effect by having certain sound frequencies and volume levels trigger their pack's internal motor.

Like the rumble packs, the Sicuro speakers' lights flash and glow when certain frequencies come down the line from your sound card. What is great about the Sicuros is that the different frequencies and channels activate the lights on different speakers. Strong explosions will throw lights from all speakers, while the subwoofer shakes your floor. On the other hand, the crack of an AK 47 fired at your left flank will light up only your left speaker. This is pretty cool, considering that the speakers are not receiving any data from your computer other than the stereo audio.