Choosing high-end computer speakers ensures exceptional audio quality without compromising space or breaking the bank. Investing in a speaker pair or system will improve your auditory experience and ensure optimal hearing. While quality PC gaming headsets and headphones offer benefits, there are times when allowing your ears to rest is better. Often, the built-in speakers on laptops and monitors fall short, as shown with MacBook Pros.
For an immersive gaming, music, or movie-watching experience, superior computer speakers are a must. Equipped with advanced USB microphones adept at minimizing background noise, they serve well for conversations, eliminating concerns about echoes or feedback.
Discover our carefully curated collection of top-notch computer speakers, meticulously vetted and evaluated. Whether you seek a compact set suitable for a confined workspace, a robust soundbar accompanied by a subwoofer, or budget-friendly speakers boasting impressive audio quality, our assortment caters to every user and budgetary preference.
Logitech Z407
These speakers, though a bit older, still offer excellent sound in a budget-friendly package, making them the top choice for most users.
Weight: 389g (satellites), 2,450g (sub) – Size: 7.87 x 3.70 x 3.35 in (satellites), 9.45 x 9.21 x 7.09 in (sub) – Drivers: 7-inch woofer, 2.5-inch full-range drivers – Supported Connectivity: Bluetooth – Audio Inputs: 1 x micro USB, 1 x 3.5mm jack – Outputs: Subwoofer output
The Logitech Z407 offers great bang for your buck in a wallet-friendly and stylish package. These small, round speakers not only sound really good but also get quite loud. They connect wirelessly and have two ways to plug in other devices, so they’re useful in different situations.
There’s also a handy remote control included with the speakers. With this remote, you can change the volume, adjust the bass, play, pause, or skip tracks from up to 20 meters away. Although the control knob might seem a bit confusing at first, it’s actually quite useful once you get the hang of it.
Despite its small size, the subwoofer packs a punch, delivering deep bass for intense gaming and movie-watching experiences. If you haven’t been paying much attention to computer speakers before, the Logitech Z407 will definitely make you reconsider with its cool features and strong performance.
Creative Pebble Plus
Priced under $50/£50, this 2.1 PC speaker set delivers impressive audio and effectively minimizes distortion even at high volumes.
Weight: 0.30kg left, 0.34kg right, 1.05kg sub – Size: 4.8 x 4.5 x 4.5 inches (satellites), 5.9 x 7.7 x 8 inches (sub) – Drivers: 2-inch full range speakers driver – Supported Connectivity: none – Audio Inputs: 3.5mm stereo mini-jack – Outputs: none
Quality computer speakers don’t have to cost a fortune, and Creative’s Pebble Plus proves it. Whether you’re a gamer or a movie lover, this budget-friendly 2.1 speaker system offers a solid solution. While it may not match up to high-end audio standards, its sound quality is impressive considering its affordability. In fact, finding better stereo sound within this price range is quite a challenge.
Featuring two far-field drivers positioned at 45 degrees and a subwoofer that fires downward, the Pebble Plus excels in delivering clear highs, mids, and lows. During our testing, it impressively maintains minimal distortion even at higher volume levels, a rare achievement for speakers in this price bracket.
Sure, there are some compromises, as expected with budget-friendly peripherals, but none significant enough to deter you. If you’re working with a tight budget, this is undoubtedly the top choice for computer speakers.
SteelSeries Arena 3
Featuring two front satellites, a center channel speaker, two rear satellites, and a subwoofer, this system elevates your audio experience to a deeper level.
Weight: 1.04kg per speaker – Size: 4.57in x 5.98in x 7.95in – Drivers: 4-inch woofers – Supported Connectivity: Bluetooth, 3.5mm – Audio Inputs: 2x Analog 3.5mm, 3.5mm PC – Outputs: Bluetooth, Analog 3.5mm
The Steelseries Arena 3 is the company’s basic speaker option, making it the simplest choice in their lineup. While it lacks the rear satellites found in the Arena 9 or the subwoofer of the Arena 7, you can still expect good sound quality, an immersive soundstage, and access to Steelseries’ new audio suite.
When we listened to these speakers, we noticed strong mid-range tones and a wide soundstage. Because of their small size, the bass doesn’t go very deep, and the high-end frequencies have a subtle effect.
What really impressed us, though, is how much you can customize the sound using Steelseries’ Sonar Audio Suite. This suite includes a parametric EQ, which lets you fine-tune the audio in more detail than most gaming and computer speakers usually allow. If you have multiple devices set up, the Arena 3 makes it easy to switch between them with its two analog inputs and multi-function button.
SteelSeries Arena 9
Featuring two front satellites, a center channel speaker, two rear satellites, and a subwoofer, this system elevates your audio experience to a deeper level.
Weight: 2.31kg (front satellites), 5.65kg (subwoofer) – Size: 4.13in x 4.97in x 7.72in (front satellites), 9.25in x 9.41in x 12.8in (subwoofer) – Drivers: 3-inch woofers, ¾-inch tweeters (front satellites), 2.75-inch woofers, ¾-inch tweeters (rear satellites), 2x 2.75-inch woofer, ¾-inch silk dome tweeter (center satellite), 6.4-inch downward firing woofer (subwoofer) – Supported Connectivity: USB, Bluetooth, Optical, Analog 3.5mm – Audio Inputs: USB, Optical, Analog 3.5mm – Outputs: Optical passthrough, Analog 3.5mm
Experiencing real surround sound is unbeatable. Virtual surround sound on headphones or speakers tries to copy it, but it’s not quite the same. It’s rare to find computer speakers that can give you a full 360-degree sound experience.
Steelseries has fixed this with their top speaker system, the Arena 9. It has six different speakers, including two front ones, a center speaker, two rear ones, and a subwoofer. This setup really pulls you into your games and movies.
The Arena 9 is awesome for gaming especially. It makes the sounds in games feel real, surrounding you as you play. Explosions even feel powerful with the subwoofer. And even when you’re just listening to music, the sound stays super clear and detailed.
So, if you’re thinking about getting a surround sound system, the Arena 9 is a great choice. Just make sure you have enough space on your desk for it.
Razer Nommo V2 Pro
Outperforming its predecessor, this product ensures clear, detailed highs, robust midrange presence, and a substantial dose of punchy bass with deep rumbles.
Weight: 5.84lbs (speakers), 10.14lbs (sub) – Size: 130 x 184 x 181 mm (speakers), 265 x 300.5 x 265 mm (sub) – Drivers: 2x 3.2-inch, 1x 5.5-inch woofer – Supported Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 – Audio Inputs: USB-C to USB Type A – Outputs: Sub via Bluetooth
Razer has finally released the much-anticipated successor to their top computer speaker system, and it surpasses the previous model in ways we didn’t expect. The Razer Nommo V2 Pro brings significant improvements in both design and performance. It boasts a sleeker, more space-efficient design, although it’s not exactly compact. The addition of a wireless control puck makes it even more convenient to use, and the overall audio quality is noticeably better.
The standout feature of this 2.1 system is its exceptional audio performance. In our tests, it delivered clear, detailed highs and rich, prominent mids. Plus, it packs a punch with its bass and rumble that practically shakes the building. While the soundstage is broad, the sound imaging is impressive. Switching to THX Spatial Audio enhances the gaming experience, adding immersion while keeping the sound natural.
Granted, this level of speaker excellence comes at a cost, and for the Razer Nommo V2 Pro, it’s quite steep. However, if you’re particular about audio quality, this investment offers excellent value, especially compared to pricier audiophile systems.
Vigilant Audio SwitchOne
Delivering powerful and room-filling sound, these speakers seamlessly transition from a HiFi-rich profile to a flatter, more neutral frequency response, perfect for studio work.
Weight: 6.6lbs/pair – Size: 7.1 x 7.1 x 4.3 inches – Drivers: 4-inch full range – Supported Connectivity: Bluetooth – Audio Inputs: 3.5mm, RCA, ¼-inch – Outputs: Headphone
The Vigilant Audio SwitchOne catches attention for a few compelling reasons. Firstly, these small bookshelf speakers manage to produce robust, room-filling sound without needing a subwoofer, and they do it quite well. Surprisingly, they still impress even without the additional bass support.
What really makes them stand out is “The Switch,” a feature that transforms the SwitchOne from a stereo speaker setup with rich sound into one with a flatter, more neutral frequency response, making it great for studio work. In our tests, we even found them suitable for mixing, although the change in frequency responses was subtle.
While these speakers don’t have USB connectivity, they offer various other connection options, including Bluetooth. Overall, the Vigilant Audio SwitchOne proves to be a great choice if you can overlook the lack of USB connectivity and are willing to invest a bit more in a quality option.
Edifier MR4
At its price point, these studio monitors amaze with fantastic audio, offering a neutral quality ideal for podcasts or song mixing.
Weight: 9.9lbs per speaker – Size: 140 x 228 x 197.5 mm (5.5 x 9 x 7.7 inches) per speaker – Drivers: 1-inch tweeters, 4-inch woofers – Supported Connectivity: Analog only – Audio Inputs: RCA, TRS, 3.5mm Aux – Outputs: 3.5mm headphone jack
When we first tried out the Edifier MR4 studio monitors, we were genuinely impressed, especially considering their price. These speakers mostly deliver exceptional sound quality that’s close to neutral, making them great for tasks like editing podcasts or mixing music.
However, because they’re affordable, there are some trade-offs to consider. Particularly, the MR4’s performance in the low frequencies is lacking when you’re listening at normal volumes, only improving when you turn them up loud. Even then, you won’t get that deep, rumbling bass often desired in movies or gaming, especially since there’s no subwoofer output available. Additionally, while the multiple analog inputs are handy for connecting to computers, audio interfaces, and external devices like phones, the absence of Bluetooth and USB connectivity is noticeable.
Still, after a quick test of the MR4 studio monitors and seeing their price, any concerns quickly fade away. Their audio quality and affordability make the issues mentioned earlier seem less important.
Fluance Ai41
Weight: 3.86kg left, 3.37kg right – Size: 7.6in x 6.5in x 10.9in – Drivers: 5-inch woofers, 1-inch silk-dome tweeters – Supported Connectivity: Bluetooth, RCA/3.5mm, Optical – Audio Inputs: RCA, Optical – Outputs: Subwoofer
The Fluance Ai41 does have one noticeable downside: it lacks USB connectivity. However, with Bluetooth, RCA, and optical inputs available, you can still enjoy exceptional sound quality that’s hard to beat in powered bookshelf speakers.
During our testing, we were pleasantly surprised by the impressive audio performance, especially the deep bass produced by the ported speakers. The bass is so strong that you hardly miss having a subwoofer. Plus, the high-mids are subtly boosted, adding to the bright yet rich sound output.
While these speakers may take up a bit more desk space than you’d like, we highly recommend them. Unless you have a very small desk or are limited by budget constraints, these speakers are an excellent choice. The one-inch silk dome tweeters and five-inch woofers provide an amazing sound experience, especially when you turn up the volume.