Best PC Speakers: From Budget to Audiophile Bliss

Sorry but when you are to review speakers and you give a " + RGB " on one of them... Your review went out the window for me... No credibility at all...

But for my ears in the premium segment with no amp or extra electronics needed:
KEF LS50 Wireless II
Dynaudio Focus 10

Need an amp:
Piega Coax 411
Kerr Acoustic K300S MK3
Magico A1

Want to keep it simple and you like the sound of a horn loaded tweeter and it is a 2.1 system ready to go.
Then maybe Klipsch Heritage pro media 2.1 is the one for you. But Klipsch is kinda like Martin&Logan. You either love or hate the sound.
 

jefferzbooboo

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Sorry but when you are to review speakers and you give a " + RGB " on one of them... Your review went out the window for me... No credibility at all...

But for my ears in the premium segment with no amp or extra electronics needed:
KEF LS50 Wireless II
Dynaudio Focus 10

Need an amp:
Piega Coax 411
Kerr Acoustic K300S MK3
Magico A1

Want to keep it simple and you like the sound of a horn loaded tweeter and it is a 2.1 system ready to go.
Then maybe Klipsch Heritage pro media 2.1 is the one for you. But Klipsch is kinda like Martin&Logan. You either love or hate the sound.

Your post went out the window when you brought up a $1600 pair of speakers.
 

Ogotai

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ive never had " pc speakers " connected to my comp, its always been 5.1 with a separate receiver. currently its a Yamaha RX-V583 with Polk audio front, center and rears, with an Energy 8" sub. never found pc speakers that appealing, and partly cause i also like having a radio, and a cd player :)
 
Sry, not trying to be a buzzkill, don't hate a messenger with an opinion that reflects the sad truth on this given topic. Now then: The TL/DR/DWtR version: every product mentioned in this article is a total waste of $. Don't abuse yourself and deprive yourself of just how sweet music/audio can sound. As for the reply recommending speakers for over 1k$, please know you can get a receiver, amp, & decent pair of floor standing speakers that can, theoretically, make your house shake without distortion & enable you to host a party or other event with sound loud and good enough to have no problem dancing to or otherwise appreciating. If you prefer the sad offerings shown above to reasonable alternatives, well, then I can only remind you that quality audio is just as important as your GPU, monitor or other components. Don't fall victim to marketers targeting gamers/typical computer users.

Elegance, quality materials like real metal (handcrafted aluminum for some cases), design excellence & utility used to define the enthusiast Desktop Chassis/Computer Case market, when true quality competition was fostered a lil over a mere decade back. Before it all went down the toilet by replacing elegant metal with acrylic and plastic, then glass, along with LEDs; 1st on fans, then cases, then literally every component, (even RAM!), catering to vanity & the hyped up ads disguised as articles on popular tech sites that succeeded in creating the unthinkable... What happened to the consumer audio industry followed a somewhat similar path.

Btw, the very concept of "2.1" doesn't belong in the world of sound. Music isn't produced in mono. If you're going to use a subwoofer, use 2 even 2 cheap ones is better than a "2.1" setup. In the span of 15-20 years or so, we went from being able to get reasonably priced stereo systems with speakers that were great, taken for granted, to w/e you wish to call this nightmare, where SINGLE speaker, portable, non-stereophonic bluetooth horrors many think acceptable & cool are, in fact, such a gaffe, a rip off, a bad joke easily avoided even via a decent boom box (yes! theyre still around!). Many vintage & even some newer portable boomboxes will at least offer you fm/am & more, stereo, nice, full sound in comparison to the typical overpriced, cheaply made mono bluetooth ear assaulter. Not knocking wireless or bluetooth, btw.

Very good bookshelf speakers, if pricey, that suit some situations do exist. But they can't hope to compare to quality floor standing speakers. There's lots of DIY kits out there for those willing to assemble & spend more than the "offerings" shown above. Srsly, the site is just doing it's job, but plz know the consumer has far better options open to them for a bit more $, and its worth it rather than settling for marketing gimmickry that deprives one of the sheer joy of good audio.

What happened to reasonably priced sound systems with two tall, deep speakers with a number of monitors (single speakers) on each, from huge woofers to various midranges to tweeters, that most people today will never experience? For audiophiles/music lovers using decent headphones with a nice dac/amp, etc., any who value music knows they're a must have. They afford us what is perhaps the best way to listen to music the way an artist intended it to be heard. However... you should be able to also blast music or throw a party with sound loud & clear enough for all attending to feel in their bones, at a reasonable price. Edit: mainly since emoji wouldnt work. ;)
 
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Ogotai

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Music isn't produced in mono.
maybe not now, but it was years ago...
If you're going to use a subwoofer, then use
you do realize that sub bass, doesnt need to be in " stereo " right ? it has no direction, and sounds the same no matter where it comes from, the only advantage to haveing 2 subs, is it will be louder and provide more rumble..
 
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maybe not now, but it was years ago...

you do realize that sub bass, doesnt need to be in " stereo " right ? it has no direction, and sounds the same no matter where it comes from, the only advantage to haveing 2 subs, is it will be louder and provide more rumble..

Most audiophiles don't understand subwoofers very well since they're not built with audiophiles in mind and true audiophiles rarely even use a sub because you have to position tower speakers where they deliver the best stereo imaging which isn't where they deliver the smoothest bass response.

One sub, typical in most home and gaming systems can be positioned optimally by doing the "Subwoofer Crawl" which isn't something most really want or need to do for PC gaming but that's a personal preference. If for some reason you feel compelled to use two subs, put one in each front corner of the room, behind and to the outsides of the main speakers. You'll also need a crossover to set them for the same frequency which means at this point you're likely spending considerably more money than you want or need to for gaming.

That being said, sound is still subjective since everyone's hearing, room and budget is different therefore requirements will be different. The best way to judge what sounds great to you is going to the store and listening for yourself. If that's not possible reviews can only provide a best guess gauge to make a choice.

I still use Logitech Z-680 505 watts 5.1 THX Certified Speakers from 2003. Why? They still rank as one of the best PC sound systems ever and in the last 20 years I haven't heard anything better that would make me spend money to change.

https://hothardware.com/reviews/logitech-z680-51-channel-speaker-system

To be honest while a great sound system is fun for pc gaming I certainly don't need audiophile quality sound coming from my gaming machine. That's what my home theater system is for.
 

punkncat

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Lol.

I purchased a set of Logitech Z506 "5.1" speakers back in 2014 as a refurb set for less than $40. They aren't 'really' surround but have a mode that works well enough to be convincing and spread the audio into an immersive experience. They have enough power to be worthy of use as a stand alone set for use in a variety of situations. I have liked them enough to hold off on purchasing some self powered Klipsch or the like (yet). I figure as long as they continue to work as they have I might get another 10 years out of them.
 

Ogotai

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You'll also need a crossover to set them for the same frequency
um, most if not all powered subs have a built in crossover, at least the 2 Polk audio and the Energy sub i have do, so no extra cost there for a crossover.

ill stick to my Yamaha Reciever, and Polk audio speakers :)

They aren't 'really' surround
technically they are, they need a sound card that has the 3 " headphone jack " out puts, green, black and orange. as they dont decode DD or DTS directly via optical or coax like the above Z 680, or the newer Z 906s do...
 

iphorde

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The iLoud Micro Monitors are not listed, and far better than the above. For $249 you have an incredible small form factor set of speakers that sound like they're much larger. Spend the money and get the iLoud. You won't be disappointed.
 

wingfinger

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I think a low end studio monitor is probably better than most "computer" speakers.

The PreSonus Eris E4.5 pair is popular on Amazon and isnt quite as expensive as AudioEngine A2+. There are variants with and without BT. I wonder how it compares. There is a smaller model that is even cheaper.

For Edifier, there is the MR4 that is 20 more (for list prices). Are the little cube or pebble computer speakers really any good?

It was a long time ago, but when I listened to some small speakers like that (G2000 and others in the review)..... Even if the materials used or engineering is good, small drivers and their enclosures cannot really make up for the size they are. They can sound punchy and dynamic, but something usually feels off overall. For games and action movies, they might be ok. Have they improved?

When I was looking around last year, I also took a look at the M-Audio BX4 4.5, Alesis Elevate 5 MKII , and a few others.

It was hard to tell how good the speakers really were since most people's audio opinions are subjective and DJ reviewers might favor bass (while I do not). The BX4 might have an issue with its auto on-off feature (slow).

In the past, studio monitors were often magnetically shielded, but now that CRTs are obsolete, that might not be a priority.

Edit:

I would also like to point out that such monitors typically have unbalanced inputs and balanced inputs. Balanced outputs are often found on usb audio devices. The devices can be an alternative to a sound card or upgrade from motherboard audio.
 
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bit_user

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Here's what I've used:

Very impressive frequency response, for 2-way speakers of their respective sizes. With the HR824's you pretty much don't even need a sub. They feature balanced and unbalanced inputs. My DAC & preamp have balanced outputs.

Also, if you really care about audio fidelity, you should be running parametric EQ that's been setup using pink noise, a spectrum analyzer, and a calibrated microphone. I'd imagine there are some software EQs that can automate the process. Many of the better A/V receivers include a microphone and can do it automatically.
 
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With the exception of Audioengine, I was a little underwhelmed by THW selection.
PC audio has evolved many folds from those tinny plastic sounding thingies!
Save your money and buy something that allows more faithful reproduction of the music or more realism in gaming.
There are many studio budget active near field monitors from Yamaha H series or Adam T series
Align these to an external DAC, connect the USB cables or SPDIF input to your PC and you're good to go.
If you're on a budget, my personal choice would be a pair of Adams TV5 and SMSL SU1.
There are some good deals to be had on Amazon. It will probably cost you around £380 or thereabouts. Worth exploring.
 
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bit_user

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Align these to an external DAC, connect the USB cables or SPDIF input to your PC and you're good to go.
Depending on your PC/sound card, I think an external DAC is no longer necessary. Good-performing DACs are no longer that difficult or expensive to make.

The main advantages of an external DAC should be eliminating crosstalk and ground loops. You should be able to tell if you're suffering from either problem. Otherwise, the only point of a DAC is that it should be built to a higher level of fidelity, but I could imagine there are high-end sound cards that actually outperform cheap external DACs.

IMO, the ultimate solution would be to integrate the DAC into each powered speaker. That way, the speaker can utilize digital-domain crossovers and Eq. Maybe also use a Class D amp, instead of a regular DAC + amp setup, since I think those have gotten pretty good, by now.
 
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Depending on your PC/sound card, I think an external DAC is no longer necessary. Good-performing DACs are no longer that difficult or expensive to make.

The main advantages of an external DAC should be eliminating crosstalk and ground loops. You should be able to tell if you're suffering from either problem. Otherwise, the only point of a DAC is that it should be built to a higher level of fidelity, but I could imagine there are high-end sound cards that actually outperform cheap external DACs.

IMO, the ultimate solution would be to integrate the DAC into each powered speaker. That way, the speaker can utilize digital-domain crossovers and Eq. Maybe also use a Class D amp, instead of a regular DAC + amp setup, since I think those have gotten pretty good, by now.
I believe there are active speakers with built-in DAC, Kanto monitors and may be even Triangle have them.
Yes if you're strapped for cost, a PC sound card should suffice. Really depends on what you're looking for in terms of sound quality and what you've allocated for your budget.
External DACs are likely to have the best chipsets, AKM, Sabre, Burr Brown etc. Better quality components, better isolation and power supply. So if your aim is the highest HiFi reproduction of sound, it makes sense to have an external DAC.
There is a proviso, there's no point in having an external DAC if you don't have a decent monitors to match. No point connecting your Trust boom box to it! 😂
I suspect for casual listening the PC card does the job.
 
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OneMoreUser

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The best speakers you can buy for your setup — whether you’re looking for a simple stereo system or 5.1 surround sound.

Best PC Speakers: From Budget to Audiophile Bliss : Read more
No, just no:colere::kaola:

Sorry, but not only did this "review" get near covering all the possible choices, it is also missing much of what actual speaker reviews brings - measurements* and thus verification and documentation of claims made by the manufacturers. Where are the frequency response curves?

This wasn't a review, this was advertising meant to make the less informed use the affiliate links to buy and put money in TH's pocket. Shame!

*A measurement with a dB meter is something you use to measure noise, not music and sound. And you can not judge the quality of speakers by how many dB the bring. FFS!