Best Budget PC Speaker Systems

Harman Kardon Soundsticks II, $129.99 – $139.99 (buy it now)

Right at the upper limits of our price range, Harman Kardon’s SoundSticks II three-piece multimedia system (two satellites, one subwoofer) is as aesthetically interesting as it is sonically proficient. Quite simply, no other system looks quite like the SoundSticks II, with its rounded, fully transparent housing and array of four one-inch drivers per satellite. It sounds clean, accurate, and punchy, though certainly not wall-shaking. Users may be somewhat befuddled when they find the unit doesn’t include seemingly obvious perks such as a headphone jack, treble control, or even a power switch, but one would have to look far and wide to find an equally impressive combination of design and function.