Sometimes you just want to relax and hear your music or movie’s audio without being encumbered by wearing headphones. That’s especially the case if you’re enjoying your media with friends or family. The problem is that laptop speakers just often don’t have great sound; they can sound muffled, tinny, and/or lack audio fidelity. What you need instead is a good pair of PC speakers to get the best sound from your media files.
Luckily, you don’t need to buy a complete 7.1 surround sound system to feel satisfied. For less than $150, you can find some affordable PC speakers that provide quality audio. It’s true that at this price point you will need to make a few compromises, but the best budget computer speakers can still offer a quality listening experience while saving you money, and that’s what we call a win-win.
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Best dirt-cheap option AmazonBasics USB-Powered Computer Speakers with Dynamic Sound |
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Why you should trust PCWorld for budget computer speaker reviews and buying advice: PCWorld’s PC speaker reviewers have tried most of the budget speaker models on the market, so they know the ones that stand out from those that don’t quite hit the mark. Our testing criteria is also as thorough as it gets. To test each speaker, we set it up in a typical environment — on a desk in a home office — and play a variety of audio tracks while pushing a speaker system’s sound capabilities to the limit. We consider everything from how practical the design is, to the audio fidelity. We also compare and contrast models to make recommendations based on our findings.
Creative Pebble – Best overall budget speakers
Pros
- Extremely affordable
- Excellent audio quality
- Space-saving design
Cons
- No Bluetooth connectivity for mobile devices
Who should buy the Creative Pebble?
If you’re strapped for cash and still want decent audio, then the Creative Pebble is a no-brainer. You just need to have a USB-A port and a 3.5mm audio jack handy in your PC. You’ll also need to be cool with the fact that your speakers will be tethered — i.e., you’ll need to unplug them if you want to move your rig.
Creative Pebble: Further considerations
We wouldn’t have thought a set of $25 speakers could impress us much, let alone turn out to be our favorite. But Creative Pebble’s simple USB-powered 2.0 system defies all odds, producing richer, more immersive audio than you commonly find in speakers at twice the price — and twice the size. Though we wish these offered Bluetooth connectivity for mobile devices, the Pebble is still a top-notch choice.
Read our full Creative Pebble review
AmazonBasics USB-Powered Computer Speakers with Dynamic Sound – Best dirt-cheap option
Pros
- Well-rounded sound
- Plug-and-play setup
- Low price
Cons
- Can’t turn off accent lighting
Who should buy the AmazonBasics USB-Powered Computer Speakers with Dynamic Sound?
If your budget consists of just loose change and your goal is simply to release the sound from your PC without it sounding terrible, then these speakers will do nicely.
AmazonBasics USB-Powered Computer Speakers with Dynamic Sound: Further considerations
These AmazonBasics USB-powered computer speakers get you well-rounded audio for a rock-bottom price. They’re easy to use with simple plug-and-play USB connectivity. They also feature attractive glowing blue LED accent lights below each speaker’s bottom radiator.
Read our full AmazonBasics USB-Powered Computer Speakers with Dynamic Sound review
Bluedee Computer Soundbar – Best portable speaker
Pros
- Clear refined sound
- Lightweight and portable
- Large volume knob control
Cons
- Lacks strong bass
- No dedicated software app
- Sound is quite localized
Who should buy the Bluedee computer soundbar?
This is a good choice for anyone who wants the versatility of a PC soundbar that can also be used as a portable Bluetooth speaker. This soundbar is ideal as a space saving option on a desktop setup, since it’s quite compact. It weighs only 2.2 pounds, so it’s easily moved from location to location.
Bluedee computer soundbar: Further considerations
The Bluedee computer soundbar supports both Bluetooth connectivity as well as wired connectivity in the form of USB-C and 3.5mm aux cable connection, so it can be used with other devices in your home, namely your mobile phone, TV, and / or gaming console. It also features voice commands, so you can easily tell which mode you’re in. The controls on the side are large and easily accessible. The audio quality is very clear.
Read our full Bluedee Computer Soundbar review
Monoprice DT-3BT – Best premium Bluetooth speakers
Pros
- Clean audio
- TRS, RCA, and Bluetooth connectivity
- Capable of very loud volume
- Easy access to aux input and headset output jacks
Cons
- Audio will sound a little hollow to some ears
- Audio distortion at higher volumes
Who should buy the Monoprice DT-3BT
If you like to hear layered elements in your music, then you’ll really like the Monoprice DT-3BT’s emphasis on higher and lower tones. These speakers also project sound very well, so choose them if you like to fill up your living room with the sound of your tunes or media.
Monoprice DT-3BT: Further considerations
For years, Monoprice has sold affordable, quality tech gear without fanfare or frills. It continues this tradition with its 50-watt DT-3BT desktop speakers, which sport clear audio and support the most common kinds of connections. There’s of course Bluetooth 5.0 for clean, wire-free setups, but TRS and RCA jacks are available, too. Combined with the understated appearance and tidy $130 price tag, they’re an excellent option for speakers with good sound and simple setup straight out of the box.
Read our full Monoprice DT-3BT review
Creative Pebble X – Best speakers for multiple devices
Pros
- Clear, crisp sound
- Attractive RGB accents
- Wired and wireless connectivity
Cons
- Comes without a subwoofer
- limited app support for Android and iOS
- Control buttons are tiny
Who should buy the Creative Pebble X?
Anyone who wants the versatility of being able to use their speakers with more than just their PC — a smartphone, tablet, or other device — should consider the Creative Pebble X. These speakers are also ideal if you use a 3.5mm microphone and like the idea of using the Creative Pebble X’s software to do things like muting or unmuting your calls or filtering out unwanted noise.
Creative Pebble X: Further considerations
Imagine our top overall pick, and then soup it up with more features — namely, much more connectivity and sweet RGB lighting. That’s the Creative Pebble X. If you have multiple devices (plus a headset and microphone), these speakers let you centralize everything. You can connect devices via USB, a 3.5mm aux cable, and Bluetooth, and there are jacks for a 3.5mm headset and a dedicated 3.5mm microphone, too. It’s a great upgrade option if you want the Pebble’s great sound but want just one set of speakers for your gear.
Read our full Creative Pebble X review
Cyber Acoustics CA-2890 Speaker Bar – Best space-saving speaker
Pros
- Clip mount keeps it off your desk
- Clear, distortion-free audio
- Can get very loud
Cons
- No bass
- Weak stereo audio
Who should buy the Cyber Acoustics CA-2890 Speaker Bar?
These are for buyers who are super tight for desk space or who just likes a clean, uncluttered place to plant their PC. If that’s you, then you’ll love the speaker’s clip-on functionality that will win you back some much-needed real estate.
Cyber Acoustics CA-2890 Speaker Bar: Further considerations
This basic speaker bar may be outclassed by other extremely affordable rivals in some ways, but the Cyber Acoustics CA-2890 Speaker Bar has a feature that keeps it in the running — you can clip it to a monitor. That gets this speaker off your desk, a plus for anyone that loves minimalism. Add in clear audio reproduction, and lack of distortion at high volume, and those seeking a good compact option can forgive it for its lack of bass and proper stereo output.
Read our full Cyber Acoustics CA-2890 Speaker Bar review
Creative Pebble X Plus – Best for less than $150
Pros
- Compact design
- Good sound quality for the money
- RGB effects, if interested
- Support for many audio sources
Cons
- Fixed, short cables
- Limited control from mobile
- No software for Mac
Who should buy the Creative Pebble X Plus?
Anyone who wants a complete audio solution for their bedroom, dorm room, or home office. These speakers may be compact, but they sound great, feature both wired and wireless connectivity options, and are also powerful enough to fill up a room. Plus, the RGB lighting will liven up your personal space.
Creative Pebble X Plus: Further considerations
With USB, Bluetooth, and 3.5mm auxiliary input, the Creative Pebble X Plus offers more than just plug-and-play speaker functionality. Indeed, you can connect it up wirelessly to your phone or wire it up to create a complete audio solution for your bedroom, dorm room, or home office. Two speakers and a woofer draw a peak 60 watts of power to comfortably fill a room with sound. They produce a clear soundstage with a good level of detail in the mids and treble range. A plastic film under the woofer was a small quirk that softened the bass in our playtesting, but removing it fixed that issue.
The device makes a stylish presence on a desktop or near a PC. The two speakers, which are shaped like spheres, measure a compact 5.48 inches, while the cube-shaped woofer is only slightly larger at 6.24 inches. The speakers also sport RGB lighting, which you can personalize in Creative’s companion app.
Read our full Creative Pebble X Plus review
Other speakers that we liked
While the above speakers are the best value and fall into the category of budget, we also liked the Creative Pebble Nova and the Logitech Z150. The Creative Pebble Nova is a premium speaker offering premium sound for $279. It features excellent connectivity supporting 3.5mm aux-in and Bluetooth. This speaker also has a unique bowling ball style design.
The Logitech Z150, at $35, is a simple plug-and-play speaker supporting a 3.5mm aux-in cable. It’s quite small and lightweight and has a strong volume and output for such a small device.
Can you get a better deal?
We at PCWorld are constantly on the hunt for better deals. Amazon and other retailers are frequently running deals throughout the year, so you should have a chance at snaring a discount if you time your purchase for the sales.
While the prices in this list are updated daily, they do not account for special offers or deals. It’s best to check our PCWorld deals articles to see what offers are available each week. Additionally, it’s worth keeping an eye out for deals at sales events such as Amazon Prime Day in mid-July and Black Friday at the end of November to see what special offers are available.
How we test PC speakers
We test speakers on a range of different criteria, including their design and build, their sound quality, their ease of setup and additional features. For a more detailed guide on our evaluation process check out PCWorld’s comprehensive guide on how we test PC speakers.
Sound tests are kept as simple as possible. We evaluate the tonal range of the speakers and how detailed the audio signature is. Since bass is such a big point of contention in speakers, we take extra notes on whether speakers have a commanding bass presence or are lacking in that department. We also take note of the clarity of sound and look for the absence of distortion in the sound signature.
Who curated this article?
Dominic Bayley is PCWorld’s PC speaker reviewer and Australian Editor. His tech interests span a heap of topics — everything from gaming laptops to headsets and mice.
How to choose the best PC speaker
One of the first things you should do is decide on a budget for your PC speaker system. Most of our picks in this chart fall into the cheaper budget range category of $100 or under. These are speakers which offer good value for money so they’re a good place to start if you don’t want to spend a lot.
Size
You’ll have to decide on the size of the speaker system you want. For this, consider the room size you’re wanting to fill with sound. If you have a large room and want to fill it with audio you may want to invest in a speaker system with more than two speakers, preferably with a subwoofer, so a 2.1 speaker system. If you’re trying to fill a small room, you can get away with a smaller speaker system, so with just two satellites or a 2.0 speaker system.
Connectivity
Next think about the connectivity you’ll be needing. This will dictate how you’ll use your speakers and with which devices. Will you need wireless Bluetooth as well as wired connectivity? Or just wired connectivity? If you want to use your speakers with your smartphone as well as your PC, I’d recommend you get speakers with Bluetooth functionality also. Then, not all wired connectivity is the same. You may want to consider whether you need USB-C connectivity or just 3.5mm aux-in?
Ease of setup
Different speaker models can have different degrees of setup, some being tricky and others being relatively easy. The Bluedee soundbar, for example, is a relatively easy option to set up requiring just one cable. It may be tricky to know which models are hard to set up and which ones aren’t just by looking at them. The best way to find out how easy or hard a speaker is to set up is to read our PCWorld reviews.
Sound
It’s true that not all speakers sound alike. Some sound warm and champion the mid-tones and others are more skewed to the bass or treble tones. You should decide what you need the speakers for when considering the kind of sound you should get. Will you be listening to music? in which case you’ll need a deeper bass presence, or will you just be playing games and need a speaker that is well represented in the mid-tones? Again, the best way to tell how a speaker sounds is to read our PCWorld reviews where we evaluate them for you.
FAQ
What are the best budget speakers for PC?
Creative Pebble’s simple USB-powered 2.0 system defies all odds. At just $25, it produces richer, more immersive audio than you commonly find in speakers at twice the price — and twice the size.
What type of speaker should I get? Ex: Should I aim for a 5.1 setup? And are 2.1 speakers better than 2.0 speakers?
In this price range, a 5.1 multi-channel speaker setup (five speakers, one subwoofer) won’t sound as good as better models. The same amount of money can buy a much better-quality two-speaker system. These basic 2.0 stereo setups, which are comprised of just a left and right speaker with a single driver (the actual loudspeaker) in each, abound in this price range. Occasionally you can also find a decent 2.1 system — a pair of speakers to handle the higher frequencies and separate subwoofer for the bass — for not much more. These take up extra space but often produce more balanced sound.
How do I pick a speaker that sounds good?
Don’t lean too heavily on manufacturers’ specs when making a decision. Even if you can parse frequency response numbers, they are often exaggerated. Let your ears be your guide instead. Listen for a good balance between the high (treble), mid, and low (bass) frequencies. Often, speakers will exaggerate one — usually the treble or the bass — at the expense of the others. Good speakers will produce full, detailed audio that sounds as the creator intended it.
Be aware, though, that finding strong bass response in this price range can be challenging. Without a subwoofer, 2.0 systems have trouble reproducing low frequencies. The manufacturers often use technological tweaks to amplify the bass notes, but these can sound boomy, and distort the overall mix. If a deep, controlled bottom end is a priority, a 2.1 system might be a better investment.
Should I get speakers that use AC power? Or is a set that uses USB power okay?
Both these options are prevalent in the sub-$100 price range. USB-powered speakers reduce cord clutter, as they don’t need a separate power cable. However, they can’t supply as much juice as the AC variety, so they tend to produce lower volume and less bass.
How important is a speaker’s design?
You wouldn’t think it could matter much, but even among budget PC speakers, design can play a big part in how your speaker sounds and how easy it is to use. For example, PC speakers that fire downwards instead of upwards may produce muffled sound, since the sound will have to bounce off an extra surface before reaching your ears.
Design can also play a big part determining things like how portable your speaker is. For example, wired speakers aren’t as easy to use on the go as those with Bluetooth connectivity, and small portable speakers are preferable over big cumbersome ones if you need to move them from location to location.
How do I set up my PC speakers?
You can expect there to be two or sometimes three components to your PC speakers. Ideally, you’ll want as an immersive sound as you can possibility get, which in a two-piece setup means placing a speaker either side of your PC. If your speakers also come with a woofer, this is best placed on the ground, since the heavier vibrations it produces will likely cause some rattling on your desk.
Slightly angling your speakers towards your ears makes the speakers easier to hear. If you want more of a cinematic kind of sound experience you might like to also move each of your speakers further out from your laptop. This will broaden the sound stage you get from your speaker setup.