A good set of PC speakers is a need regardless of whether you use a high-end gaming rig, a desktop for your home office, or a casual laptop. While they don’t quite provide the same level of immersion as a decent set of headphones, they do offer clear, detailed audio so you can still hear doorbells, pets, children, and other sounds in your house.
Consider purchasing external speakers if you want to upgrade your music experience and get rid of your laptop speaker. I’m not referring about a large audio system; a compact or portable desktop speaker would suffice. Even inexpensive or modest speakers may improve sound quality to the point where you’ll be surprised by how poorly your laptop speakers compare.
To improve the quality, you may also connect a Bluetooth speaker to your computer, but this list only has the finest powered external speakers. They will thus require an electrical outlet to power their built-in amplifiers.
Although some of the desktop speakers on this list offer analogue connections, the majority do it in the form of a digital connection that enables USB direct connection to a computer. Some of them include Bluetooth, making it simple to couple them with your other devices, such as tablets and smartphones. A few reasonably priced speakers feature superb connectivity choices in addition to more-than-decent sound quality and a surprisingly deep bass, as you might imagine, better connectivity options can add some expense to the speakers. Some of these computer speakers also allow for surround sound positioning.
TECHJAZZUP hasn’t thoroughly examined many of the products on this list, but I’ve listened to every model that was chosen. The ideal speaker for your PC is guaranteed to be found here if you’re looking for terrific sound from high-quality speakers. Additionally, when new laptop and desktop computer speaker alternatives enter the market, we’ll occasionally update our list of the finest computer speakers.
1. Creative Pebble V2
The Pebble speakers from Creative have been around for a while, and the V2 version now has a USB-C socket (a USB-A adaptor is supplied) that powers the speaker without the need for a separate power adapter. They cost $25, as opposed to $20 for the older V1 version (with USB-A). Be aware that compared to the V1, this V2 model does play a bit louder and sound better.
Although they don’t have a powerful sound and have little bass, they are surprisingly good considering their modest cost.
For only $48 extra, a version with a subwoofer that produces greater bass is offered (see below).
2. Edifier R1280DB Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers
The vast majority of PC speakers produced by Edifier are excellent. The R1280DB Bluetooth Bookshelf Speaker is one of our favourites since it has all the features you need, such as an optical input and Bluetooth capabilities, in a very small form and provides excellent sound for a reasonable price of $150.
3. Creative Pebble Plus 2.1 (with Subwoofer)
It’s difficult to top Creative’s Pebble Plus 2.1, which costs approximately $50 and occasionally $40 and comes with a sub, in terms of sound quality for the money. The 4-inch sub isn’t very attractive, but it’s a black box you can tuck under your desk or in a corner.
This model must be connected to your device using a conventional 3.5mm aux-in wire even though it is powered by USB (no power adapter is supplied) (included). Since it is powered by USB, don’t expect a lot of loudness, but it still produces better sound than you may anticipate for the price.
4. Logitech Z407
The Logitech Z407 is a small, portable system with a little subwoofer. It is made entirely of plastic, and the satellite speakers are rather lightweight, but it is still stylish and has some good features. To begin with, it’s easy to set up. You may either utilise a USB connection to your computer or use it in wired mode with an additional 3.5mm cable. However, the bulk of users will pair their gadgets with it through Bluetooth.
It includes a controller the size of a hockey puck that serves as a Bluetooth transceiver between any Bluetooth-enabled audio device and the speaker system and is powered by two AAA batteries. By tapping on the top of the puck and adjusting the volume dial, you may skip tracks forward and backward. It’s also important to note that you may stand the speakers upright either horizontally or vertically. It has a clever layout.
Close-up sound quality is nice, although the bass isn’t precisely tight (you can only expect so much for the price). This would be a nice audio system for a small area, but it just lacks the power to sound well in a bigger room (although power ratings aren’t all that important).
5. Audioengine A1
The A1 speakers, the newest member of the Audioengine family, sound good for their small size, especially in terms of their clarity. They lack a little bass, similar to the more costly A2 Plus (see below), but if you use them up close (like you would if you were staring at a computer screen), the bass will appear to be sufficient. They can be connected to a subwoofer, although doing so would significantly increase the cost of the kit. They may serve as your primary speaker system in a small space, but they just lack the power for a bigger space.
They have a beautiful appearance, which is something. Additionally, they are cordless and easy to set up, allowing you to Bluetooth-connect your computer or other device. To activate pairing mode, just press the pair button on the rear. The two speakers are connected by a pair of speaker cables (the left speaker has the amplifier and all the connectivity options). Additionally, you may use the provided cable to connect your computer to the auxiliary-in connection.
6. Audioengine A2 Plus
The A2 Plus is a reasonable substitute for Audioengine’s $500 A5 Plus Wireless (see below) if you can’t afford it or don’t like its fairly big footprint. However, it generates less bass and isn’t as loud or full-sounding. Nevertheless, it has a glossy piano finish that gives it a premium appearance, and it has extremely remarkable sound quality for a little bookshelf-size speaker.
Back in 2013, I evaluated an older model of the A2 Plus. Although it currently requires a conventional 3.5mm-to-3.5mm audio connection that you insert into your device’s headphone jack or auxiliary output, it now features Bluetooth connectivity and supports AptX streaming (for AptX-compatible devices).
It provides terrific sound for $269 in a small, aesthetically basic form, which may be why it’s now so well-liked. Some websites don’t carry it in specific colour selections or have it on backorder (I personally like the white).
7. Fluance Ai41
The elegantly built Ai41 powered bookshelf speakers from Canadian speaker manufacturer Fluance give excellent sound quality at a reasonable price of $300. Although they are not as heavy or as well made as Audioengine speakers, they do provide decent sound quality and good connectivity choices, such as an optical digital input and Bluetooth possibilities. Although I used the white and bamboo model, the speakers are also offered in black.
They are around the same size and cost half as much as Audioengine’s A5 Plus speakers (see below). Although they don’t sound nearly as nice as the A5 Plus speakers, they do offer just enough bass to give the impression that they aren’t bass shy (there is a subwoofer connection if you want to add a sub). Placing them close to a wall will increase the bass a little.
A remote control is included for adjusting the treble and bass settings in addition to volume up and down. A little space will be audibly filled by them. It should be noted that an RCA to 3.5mm cable (less than $10 on Amazon) is required if you wish to make a wired connection to your computer via the headphone connector; it is not provided.
The step-up Ai61 has 6.5-inch drivers compared to the Ai41’s 5-inch drivers. For $50 extra, the Ai61 does provide slightly more power and bass. The Ai41, though, is already a sizable pair of computer speakers. They might also use the optical connection to connect to your TV.
8. Audioengine A5 Plus Wireless
The powered A5 speakers from Audioengine have been around for a while and have seen significant technological advancements. The price of the wired-only version is $399, but if you want Bluetooth, the cost jumps to $499. Both a wire and Bluetooth may be used to connect to your PC, although Bluetooth is useful if you want to use these speakers as regular bookshelf speakers as well.
As you may anticipate, they sound like classic display speakers and have a lot more bass than Audioengine’s tiny A2 Plus. With a 150W amp already built in, they provide loud, clear music that will easily rock a medium-sized room.
9. Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4
Since they were first advertised to owners of the original iMacs, Harman Kardon’s SoundSticks have been a favourite of Mac users for the past 20 years. This is likely due of their transparent design.
The subwoofer of the SoundSticks 4 has a cleaner, more modern appearance thanks to the removal of the plastic funnel from the inside, which represents a design improvement over past incarnations. The SoundSticks 4 have a 140 watt power rating, while the SoundSticks 3 had a 40 watt rating. Additionally, Bluetooth is now standard (with the SoundSticks 3, there was a step-up model you had to buy to get Bluetooth). The speaker is available in two colours: black and white with white trim.
The system is a touch more compact than you might expect from some of the images, and it does offer powerful sound with bass that, if you leave the sub on your desk, will shake a table at higher volumes (the sub is actually slightly smaller at 5.25 inches compared to 6 inches for the SoundSticks 3). This new model does sound fuller than the SoundSticks 3, from what I recall.
Its absence of a wired digital link was the only drawback I could see. Similar to the previous model, you connect an analogue wire to your computer’s headphone jack or other device’s auxiliary output. As a consequence, I frequently used Bluetooth, which offers you greater freedom to position the subwoofer (the power cord is a little short). However, the sub does need to be rather close to the exquisite small tower satellite speakers in order to link them to the sub with wires that are color-coded for simple connecting.
It’s also important to note that these speakers are available to those who do not use Macs. Any audio player with Bluetooth or a 3.5mm audio-out connection may use them.
10. Razer Leviathan v2 Game Soundbar
The Leviathan V2 by Razer is the company’s second-generation gaming soundbar. It is nicer and more expensive at $250 as opposed to $200. While Bluetooth wireless functionality is added, it also loses certain other essential connections, such as analogue and optical. It’s still a space-saving and reliable substitute for headphones or a bulkier surround system that can be excessive or take up too much room.
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