Gaming laptop speakers have always been workable, but almost never preferable. Fans get in the way of footprints, and cranking the volume to overcome the whirr often creates some kind of post-punk distorted mess. That's not troubling Audioscenic, though, who has just announced a partnership with Lenovo to bring its 3D beamforming tech to the Legion 7a.
This spatial audio tech "creates a wide, three-dimensional soundstage that appears to extend beyond the physical boundaries of the device," according to Audioscenic. It's being touted as a full 3D sound experience without the need for the one of the best gaming headsets, but unless the Legion has found a magical method of reducing fan noise to zero, I still hold my reservations.
Even the best gaming laptops can still kick up a notable amount of noise when running games even in their lower power settings, so rev their engines to full TDP and those fans can easily overpower at full volume.
Still, as the years roll on these rigs are starting to run a little quieter (helped by more efficient CPUs and GPUs in the last 12 months). That could create a gap for Audioscenic's spatial audio software, even if it's just dipping its toe for now.
Lenovo has previously turned to Harman for virtual surround sound in its Legion gaming laptops, and with no word on that relationship we can only assume the new Legion 7a is a more isolated experiment. Should those fans leave a little more room for precise, directional audio this could be a machine worth investigating, especially if you struggle with 'headset fatigue.'
The Lenovo Legion 7a will ship with the brand's stamp from June 2026, though pricing is yet to hit the airwaves.
1. Best overall: HP Omen Max 16
2. Best budget: MSI Katana
3. Best value: Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 10
4. Best 14-inch: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
5. Best 16-inch: Razer Blade 16
6. Best 18-inch: Asus ROG Strix Scar 18
We're also rounding up the best Asus gaming laptops and the best Razer laptops, or check out the best Alienware laptops for something a little chunkier.
