If you’re using your computer for gaming, movies, or music then a quality speaker system is essential. While desktops may come with some basic speakers and laptops feature chintzy built-ins, neither is going to give you quality sound when you start to crank it up. Below we’ve gathered our list of the best computer speakers at price ranges fitting every budget. These systems should provide a huge upgrade in sound quality over most any stock speakers.
This list has been updated since its original publication to reflect new products that have entered the market. Multiple members of the Digital Trends staff contributed to our best computer speakers list.
For a more in-depth look at some of the best speakers on the market, be sure to check out our PC Speaker Reviews.
Bowers & Wilkins MM-1 Multimedia Speakers $499.00
Price is no object you say? Well if you don’t shy away from big price tags, this set from Bowers & Wilkins will pack some serious hi-fi sound into pint-sized package that’ll fit nicely on your desktop. As far as specs go, it’s got four 18-Watt class D amplifiers, a two 1-inch tweeters, and each speaker has it’s own 3-inch woofer. Aside from its innards, the system has also got a sleek, well-designed exterior.
Harmon Kardon Soundsticks III — $150
If you’re looking for a speaker set that balances sound quality with an eye-catching design, check out this system from Harmon Kardon. The third incarnation in the Soundstick line, this system boasts two satellite speakers—each of which contains four 1-inch full-range transducers—and a 6-inch 20 watt subwoofer. Their performance easily ranks among the best we’ve seen from speakers in this price range. Downsides? Despite being the third generation of the system, it still doesn’t have a remote.
Altec Lansing Expressionist Ultra MX6021 $199.95
If you love floor rumbling bass for your movies and games then give Altec Lansing’s Expressionist Ultra MX6021 computer speakers a long look. They offer the most bass on our list with a 6 ½” front firing, long throw woofer. This system offers 200-watts of power and retains a clean output at any volume. If there is one downside to this system it’s the size, the woofer is pretty large so if you have space concerns then you should probably look elsewhere.
Check out our full Altec Lansing Expressionist Ultra MX6021 Review.
Logitech Z523 $99.99
These are the most inexpensive speakers on our list, but don’t let the price tag fool you. These offer great sound that should satisfy most non-audiophiles. The 2.1 system offers surprisingly rich bass and performs great with music and games alike. All three speakers are driven by a 40-watt amplifier that fills most medium sized rooms easily with sound. These speakers may not satisfy everyone’s appetite but if you’re on a budget then their outstanding choice.
Check out our full Logitech Z523 Review.
M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 $229.00
The Studiophile AV 40s from M-Audio offer nothing flashy, just outstanding sound and surprising bass for a system lacking a dedicated subwoofer. The monitors feature a combination of 4-inch polypropylene-coated drivers and ¾-inch silk dome tweeters for balanced professional-grade fidelity. An integrated bass boost switch along with MDF wooden cabinets provide the Studiophile AV 40 speakers with plenty of low end power and saves users from trying to find a place to put those large dedicated subwoofers.
Joey Roth Ceramic Speakers $495.00
Industrial designer Joey Roth’s Ceramic Speakers are the most expensive system on our list and won’t suit everyone. For the price they aren’t going to be the best bang for your buck as you can probably get better sound from the Audioengine or M-Audio systems, but the Ceramic Speakers are about making a statement with a unique style that deviates from traditional plastic computer speakers. The speakers are made from simple materials including porcelain, cork, and Baltic birch and the T-Amp is made from stainless steel and cast iron which emphasizes the systems minimalistic and natural qualities.
Check out our full Joey Roth Ceramic Speakers Review.
Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 $149.99
The ProMedia 2.1 system offers no frills just great sound plain and simple. The three piece system offers two 35-watt satellite speakers and a booming 130-watt subwoofer which reaches down to 31 Hz. The two satellites feature Kipsch’s MicroTactrix horn which maximizes clarity in digital sources and the system’s high output digital hybrid amp features a headphone jack and dual stereo analog inputs so you can connect two sources at once.
Audioengine A5 $349.00
The A5s are similar in design to M-Audio’s AV 40s with a slightly larger tweeter and woofer to offer a little more punch. They offer phenomenal sound, two audio inputs, and two integrated charging options. With a 5-inch driver and 50 watts per channel the A5s pump out a lot of sound for their size. At close to $350 MSRP they are a bit pricey but since they’re powered there’s no need for a separate amplifier which depending on your needs can save you money, space and allows you to hook up any audio source.
Creative GigaWorks T40 Series I/II $130.00
If your desktop space is limited then Creative’s GigaWorks T40 series may be worth a look. This system goes up rather than out saving you space but retaining great sound and bass response for their slender size. Each of these computer speakers feature a pair of 2.5-inch full range drivers, a 1-inch tweeter, and bass reflex port on top. The right speaker offers convenient controls on the front for bass, treble and volume along with a 3.5-mm headphone jack. The T40s won’t give you quite the bang for your buck as M-Audio’s M40 system but they’ll fit better beside a monitor on your desktop.
Check out our full Creative GigaWorks T40 Series I Review.
Edifier Spinnaker $299.99
Make your desktop look devilish and sound downright sinful with these speakers from Edifier. Sure, they’re rather unconventional in terms of shape, but their form definitely doesn’t affect their function. Each 16-inch tall unit encases a silk-domed tweeter, a mid-range speaker and a downward-firing bass driver—all driven by 90 watts of RMS power, so you can rest assured that these badboys sound just as sharp as they look. They’re a bit on the spendy side, but if you’re looking for a set of speakers that can make a statement without even being turned on, look no further.
Edifier Exclaim E10 $99.99
Edifier is quickly making a name for itself as a manufacturer who thinks outside the box with their sound system designs, but doesn’t make any compromises when it comes to sound quality. The Exclaim E10′s are some of the best-sounding computer speakers you can get for this price, so you don’t have to break the bank to get top-tier frequency response and a classy wireless aesthetic.
Looking for something a bit bigger? Check out our robust selection of in-depth Speaker Reviews to find a sound system that’ll blow you away, or head over to our constantly-updated list of the Best Speakers
Great to know Mike. Bose has been difficult to get review units from for some reason. We will keep bugging them!
Where is BOSE?
WAKE up people! I recently listened to most of the speakers being talked about and advertised as the so-called best… what a joke!!! 99% of them are made in China and the quality of manufacturing and sound quality??? is $hit! The majority of the attention given these products is because you're led to believe that's all you have to choose from. You have to really dig to find quality sound that's also manufactured well… and yet affordable. I highly recommend you check out HiVi Swan… Canadian and California partnership that makes AMAZING desktop monitors that blow any of these systems being talked about out of the water! Good luck.
Just what I need is a speaker that cost 110 g's for my computer you moron!
I have no idea what you’re talking about. HiVi SWANS speakers start at around $50 for basic 2.0 desktop sats and higher powered systems comparable to the ones in this review are similarly priced ($150-$500 range). Whatever it was you think you found for “110 g’s” you might want to check again.
Actually, HiVi is a Chinese company. The speakers are still designed by their canadian inventor, but the company is now Chinese owned and the drivers and other components are made in China. You might want to research a bit further.
One of our 10 year old speaker’s just went out…great timing on this…thanks!
Any of you ever hear a 30 year old 100 watt stereo system?
Probably 125 bucks back then and will fill your soul with the
real thing.
I still have an amp from back then, (actually 35 years old) they sound fantastic also. Sounds great, but you had to get LARGE speakers back then (still got those too). Best part is in 35 years the only problem is that one of the lights on the front panel has burned out. The don't make them like they used to. And you're just about right on the
I've gone through 2 sets of Klipsch 5.1 computer speakers so far. The amps seem to last about 3 years.price I paid for the speakers. $110 each.
Shoot me a message with testing standards and I will write you a review.
Wondering how my Bose Companion 5 System didn’t make the list! The sound reproduction is head and shoulders above any Computer Speakers I have ever heard they are a little pricey but, if you command the best sound available worth every penny !!
well am thinking of buying a new set of speakers…just its such a minefield that one havent a clue..but may well go for a bose system as reading your commet mike..they seem alright and have a good repation…but when your playing mp3 and none lossless…is there any real point in buying a good set up..and I’m always wary when a rec is made from a blogging site…youno…I like to think its a non biased view but you can never be to careful these days!
You guys are crazy…
im surprised the Logitech Z-5500D isn't in the list.
The T40s are junk. Just bought them and returned after one week. Music ‘disappears’ when the T40s can’t handle the song. Echo bass muffles any clarity from the highs. J U N K .
I have the M-Audio Studiophile speakers, and the sound quality sounds great. These speakers would be great to use if you produce or record music. http://www.houstonwindshieldrepair.com
They're talking about sound quality, which leaves class T anything out.
Not a single one of these should be on the list as not one of them is surround. People like to watch movies, even Blu-rays on computers. What good is a speaker if it can't produce the full sound required of it? I've also noticed that the best audio cards, especially when it comes to blu-ray audio (only one card can do this), have HDMI or digital outs only. The best speakers should therefor have an input for such.
Useless article – no Bose, seriously? … Just get the Bose Companion 5 … But you have these Little Kitty speakers?
Damn im sure Harmon/Kardon makes some better speakers
Bose, no highs and no lows
The Altec Lanshit is #1? You must be friggin kidding me.
Have you heard of the Logitech Z-2300 by any chance? It's better in every way possible. It's cheaper. It's more powerful. It has better frequency response. It has less distortion. The subwoofer is almost twice as powerful (68 vs 120), the satellites are 80 watts which makes them more powerful than the subwoofer of the Lanshit system.
I really can't believe you guys missed Klipsch and Logitech over this piece of shit, over-priced system. They really are awful.
wait how has no one said this is up to opinion and yah bose suck they dont sound horrible for like 100 bucks but their alot more. i like the sounds sticks but for sheap decent speakers ( i mean cheap) go logitechs. I have polk and logitechs. THIS IS JUST MY OPINION
wow these comments are pathetic.
i see Bose in them. i see people talking about wireless speakers.
i see logitech and H&K.
what about HiVi m200mkIII?
what about the swan brand?
they are by far the best speakers for the buck.
m-audio is crap compared.
if you want to save money and get good speakers.
go out and use google for your own drivers and equipment to build your own.
took me $60 and 2 hours to build my speakers. i have no experience with it otherwise.
i have audiophiles over all the time.
another one is remove the regular headphone(3.5mm) male connector and get a banana clip to replace it with.
wires soldered into both speakers will increase the quality by about 8-14%.
it also depends on what chip your pc uses.
many are really low grade. especially if you use realtek.
all i can say is take your time if you want quality And google is your friend.
Harman/Kardon soundsticks II is excellent and tops the list on other computer speakers review sites. Surprised that it didn't make your list.
Dude you're so right. I just bought myself some soundsticks a week ago and they are by far the best speakers i've ever had. The subwoofer creates an insane bass feeling. Interesting speaker design too.
HK Sound Sticks have the best small subwoofer I've ever heard. The actual sticks leave something to be desired compared to bigger speakers. The frequency response is not even and the soundstage is small. I had the first version. I would get these again over any bose product though. Why we even talkin about bose? What is this 1992?
That's insane. You are saying that Logitech has better quality speakers than Bose? Bose is by far one of the greatest sounding speaker companies around today.
UMMMM…NO. Let me rephrase that for you. Bose is by far one of the best speaker marketing companys around today. You obvioulsly have not heard what good speakers sound like.
Bose is good at making small speakers that simply work, but not at making good speakers. You can find much higher quality spearkers than Bose makes for less than 1/3 the price if you know what to get and how to set it up. I got a nice JBL set of speakers for my surround sound system with a Sony reciever for a total of $800 for 7.1. The comparible setup from bose would have run over 2 grand and would not have sounded nearly as good.
Bose uses psychoacoustics combined with adequate speakers to trick your brain into thinking it heard things that those speakers didn't actually produce. The trouble is, it's not a perfect illusion, especially when you compare it to something better. Go ahead and do an A/B/C comparison with some speakers in the same price range, if you can find any! There's a reason they don't put other comparable systems next to the Bose ones at the store…
Great review. I am wondering how the new B&W MM1 computer speakers stack up against this lot?
Could you please compare these bad boys to the pack leaders.
I want to add Serene Audio (Canadian made speakers) to this list!
sorry for shouting
I MADE MY OWN STUDIO QUALITY SPEAKERS WITH THE USED BAGS FROM MY HOOVER VACUUM CLEANER AND THEY SOUND BETTER THAN ALL OF THESE LISTED HERE. AND, I AGREE THE SPELLING AND TYPING SKILLS HERE ARE SHOCKING–zzzzzz
Anyone advocating a BOSE speaker setup has lost credibility in my book. Read djdanlib's post above for empirical evidence of their inherent flaws and subpar sound. Those that recommend Bose must have gotten suckered in by their aggressive marketing efforts and wasted a good deal of cash on a terrible product. I guess the only way to make yourself feel better in this scenario is to recommend their awesome sound to others' and feel better as misery loves company. Check out DYNAUDIO for some of the best audio drivers on the planet. Danes don't lie.
Logitech Z-5500 digitals
I've got a Logitech Z5400 with wireless rear speakers on my PC, and a Logitech Z680 for movies in the family room. Both sound amazing, even at high volumes. Great bass response!
If you can find them, the Monsoon MM-1000 Speakers are the best sounding computer speaker I've ever heard.
They forgot H&K Soundsticks II, probably better than most listed here.
all those speakers are terrible
Logitech Z-5500 digitals are the only computer speakers that anyone should own (Other than the 700RMS beast of s750 gigaworks)
I'm surprised there are no 4.1 or 5.1 systems on here…
Personally I have a set of Logitech Z-5500's and they sound pretty good (though not the best, if I really need to hear something there is a set of Sennheiser HMD280's nearby). Would prefer an Infinity system, but that is a tad out of my price range currently.
I think they forgot that Bose exist…. Or maybe it's because there speakers are so good that it goes without saying that they're on the list ;~)
Just joined this forum and FB as well ………. I’m a touring musician and know what quality sound is. I have owned Logitech Z-2300 speakers for a number
of years and their sound is awesome! I am very discerning when it comes to music
and you won’t be disappointed with this 2.1 setup! Good luck ……. harpo
The lack of knowledge about good speakers on here is, sadly, not that shocking. Speaking only to the people who invest in “the best”, not just what is “good enough”, get yourself a Paradigm MillenniaOne CT 2.1 speaker system if you want the best reference-grade speakers for the computer. You’ll get the superior range and imaging you could want for listening to music.
The Audioengine speakers are WAY overrated. Granted, I have the A2's, but they don't even come *close* to producing enough bass, and the treble sounds harsh. They were a complete let-down considering the reviews others gave them. Save your money and go with something else on this list, or some HK's.
Did NOBODY notice the typos in every paragraph? I don't mean to be a prick, but this looks like a professional site and there needs to be some sort of editor or grammar and spelling checker put on the payroll. It's just distracting and unnecessary for us to have to read about the " Sutdiophile AV 40 speakers" when spell check should have caught something like that. Thank you for your time.
I enjoy a pair of Yamaha HS80M powered monitors for my home studio work, which I picked up new for about $600 total. But, I'm a studio engineer at night. When I'm not mixing and don't require brutally honest audio, I will often turn on a BBE 482i between my computer and the speakers for some good music listening. I have had some really nice 2.1 Z-series systems from Logitech before, too. Choose a better sounding 2.1 set over a surround set in the same price range if you care about the quality of your music. Don't buy speakers unless you can listen to an un-mangled set of them at the store!
Learn the usage of there, their and they're.
Just to add. I went with the B-3s instead of the B-2s for my first set of speakers for the Trends TA 10.1.
You just need high sensitivity (89dB minimum, ~92dB and up preferred, low-impedence speakers (4ohm or 8ohm).
Why not just buy a Class-T amp and adequate stereo speakers? That should run under $400 and put out something leagues better than anything on this list.
http://www.klipsch.com/na-en/products/b-2-overvie… = better than everything on this list (and you can do better than the Klipsch…)
Wondering how Bose didn't make this list! I have a Bose Companion 5 and I have yet to hear anything that can reproduce sound the way this system does!
Did you hook it up with Monster Cable too?
Seriously, all these speakers have better sound than Bose… Bose quit being impressive for most people 15 years ago. My father has that same set you that have, was given to him by his brother. It got put in the closet after a few weeks, and he went back to his Klipsch.
Bose sucks. I owned a pair of Bose companion and I was apalled. Even the Bose I listened to in the store weren't all the great. I guess sound quality is not an absolute, but a matter of personal preference.
I like my Bose Companion 2 speakers. (paid $70)
I don't think this post hits every price range. $100 is pretty expensive for the average person to spend on speakers.
I don't notice the difference much myself unless the speakers are really crappy. I am perfectly happy with the ones in my MBP 95% of the time.
I own them too, and I agree. Effortless, crisp, and great soundstage. Expensive though.
you are 100% right
I also have companion 5 they are the best
bose are horrible, you think they sound good because you probaly never heard anything else in computer speakers. klipsch promedia 2.1 destroys bose as does all klipsch speakers.
I have the Klipsch pro media 2.1′s. They were great for the first year. now I get terrible buzzing, static and it’s quite unpleasant. I’d like something a bit more reliable