Prøve GULL - Gratis
Is Your AV AMP Or Soundbar Making Gaming Input Lag Worse?
What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision
|October 2021
Do AV receivers and soundbars add input lag?
-

Input lag is a hot topic these days. While gamers across the globe are using input lag as a convenient excuse for constantly getting spanked in online deathmatches, television manufacturers appear to have become engaged in an arms race to deliver the lowest possible input lag figures.
At the same time, games consoles are delivering a more cinematic experience than ever before, particularly in terms of sound, and many gamers are taking advantage of that by connecting their machines to a soundbar or even an AV amplifier.
The question is, though, whether placing an audio device in the chain between the console and TV increases the input lag. And, if it does, is there an alternative way to set everything up? With our trusty Leo Bodnar input lag tester, we set out to find out.
What is input lag?
First things first, though – just what is input lag anyway?
Put simply, input lag is the time it takes for the button presses on a gamepad to appear as actions on the screen. A large amount of lag means you’re always slightly behind the action – even if it is only a fraction of a second – and that’s a recipe for disaster in fast-paced online games, not to mention a frustrating experience all round.
In truth, while a lot of input lag certainly is frustrating, a little too much emphasis is placed on the differences between very low scores. Anything under about 40ms is simply imperceptible to almost everyone, and the insistence by some that they can tell the difference between 10ms and 12ms rings of nonsense.
Denne historien er fra October 2021-utgaven av What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision.
Abonner på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av kuraterte premiumhistorier og over 9000 magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FLERE HISTORIER FRA What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision

What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India
Audio-Technica AT-LPW50BTRW
Decked with fine features and fine sound
5 mins
September 2025

What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India
Vertere SG-1/XtraX
Turntable package £44,605 (₹50 Lakhs)
6 mins
September 2025

What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India
iFi Zen Phono3
Plenty of features and a big, refined sound.
3 mins
September 2025

What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India
Projector power play
FOR Dynamic tone mapping and HDR10+, Sharp, bright, colour-accurate AGAINST Remote isn't backlit, Nothing much at this price
3 mins
September 2025

What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India
Cambridge Audio Duo MC/MM
A dynamic switchable phono stage, with headphone amp as a bonus
2 mins
September 2025

What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India
Technics SL-1500C
A beautifully made and fuss-free record player with a fine built-in phono stage
4 mins
September 2025

What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India
Pro-Ject nails the affordable Bluetooth turntable recipe
There are some combinations that work beautifully, even if you wouldn't necessarily consider putting them together in the first place. Beans on toast is an odd combination when you think about it, as is surf and turf, while carrots in a cake has no right to be as good as it is. Mixing poached eggs with smoked salmon is essentially combining poultry and fish, but no one complains when a bougie brunch spot has Eggs Royale on the menu, do they?
6 mins
September 2025

What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India
Sony PS-LX310BT
A fully automatic, Bluetooth turntable with a surprisingly musical sound
4 mins
September 2025
What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India
THEY SAY YOU SHOULD NEVER MEET YOUR HEROES BUT HEARING MY FIVE HI-FI IDOLS WAS FAR FROM DISAPPOINTING
Technical editor (WHF UK) Ketan Bharadia revisits a selection of classic hi-fi separates that still make him smile
5 mins
September 2025

What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision India
TOP FIVE LAUNCHES
Five products to look out for this month
2 mins
September 2025
Translate
Change font size