There's no denying it: compact Bluetooth speakers designed for use with smartphones and tablets are all the rage these days. But while it’s dead handy to have a compact, all-in-one speaker that you can easily carry from room to room at home, there are still times when it’s nice to have a good old-fashioned set of speakers to help make the most of music, games or movies – and this is our guide to the best PC and desktop speakers you can buy.
Apart from anything else, a 2.0 speaker system – which consists of two separate ‘satellite’ speakers – provides far more depth and detail than a single Bluetooth speaker ever could. And in most cases, a decent set of desktop speakers actually costs less than many of the Bluetooth speakers on the market: you can spend well under £100 and still get something very serviceable indeed.
Below you'll find a quick guide to help you decide what you need to look out for, followed by quick summary reviews of our current favourite speakers.
The best PC speakers: Buyer's Guide
How much should I spend?
You can buy a little set of stereo (also known as 2.0) speakers for your PC or Mac for as little as £10, and while they may be an improvement on the tinny sound that emanates from most laptops and tablets, they’re never going to let you sit back and wallow in your favourite tunes, or provide the soundtrack to a raucous house party. So, even if you're working to a tight budget we’d generally advise that you spend at least £30 or so on a good, basic set of speakers that do offer a real upgrade.
It’s hard to quantify something as subjective as audio quality, but the physical build quality of a set of speakers can often be a good indication. Cheaper speakers that are housed in a lightweight plastic ‘cabinet’ tend to vibrate when as you start to pump up the volume, causing distortion that affects the sound quality. That’s not to say that plastic speakers are all automatically rubbish, but it's not until you spend around £100 or more that you get solid rattle-free build quality which does its bit to reduce distortion and improve clarity.
As you head towards and beyond the £200 mark you’ll also start to come across speaker cabinets made out of wood, with MDF being a popular choice for many manufacturers and audio enthusiasts. You'll also find that speakers may boast more potent amplification (measured in watts), which may provide higher volumes and clearer sound compared to lower-end models.
Above the £300 level you’re getting into audiophile territory, so it’s worth doing a bit of research of your own before buying - and as many speakers at this level are designed for proper Hi-Fi or music production, you may find that local music and Hi-Fi shops will allow you to compare multiple models before splashing out. When you're spending this kind of money, it's worth checking which speakers you personally prefer the sound of.
What kind of connections should I look out for?
One other thing to remember is that stereo speakers, almost by definition, are not intended to be portable. They’ll spend most of their time sitting on a desk or a shelf at home, so they will often use an old-fashioned 3.5mm audio cable to connect to your PC, and more traditional stereo desktop speakers may require a 3.5mm to twin RCA adapter if you're connecting them to the output from a laptop or other mobile device.
Some stereo speakers may offer Bluetooth as an extra feature – so that you can use them wirelessly with a smartphone or tablet – but you’ll generally get better results with a wired connection. Speakers with Bluetooth AptX technology avoid most of the sound quality compromises that can mar the audio quality of lesser Bluetooth speakers, but a wired analogue or digital connection will sound superior. However, some high-end speakers also offer Wi-Fi connectivity, which uses your Wi-Fi network to deliver improved wireless sound quality. This often goes hand in hand with the option of linking multiple speakers together as part of a multi-room speaker system.
Some speakers may also include a USB interface too. That can be handy for smaller speakers, as it allows them to draw their power supply from the USB, with no need for any additional power cables. Speakers with a USB input option may also provide a DAC – digital to analogue converter – that is capable of handling high-res audio files, which are gradually starting to become more popular.
Do I want 2.0 or 2.1 speakers?
For most people, the decision between 2.0 (stereo) and 2.1 (stereo + subwoofer) systems will come down to space and neatness. The extra space and cabling required for 2.1 systems – that include two smaller satellite speakers alongside a separate sub-woofer – may ben enough to put some people off straight away. The benefit of a 2.1 system is that the smaller speakers can handle the less-demanding upper frequencies, while the larger subwoofer deals with the rumble and thump of the bass regions.
If you're looking for the loudest, most bombastic sound on a budget - say, for gaming - then a 2.1 system is a good shout. Spend similar money on a good 2.0 system, however, and you'll generally get a better quality of sound, with more clarity and detail, and tighter, less exaggerated bass. It’s also worth remembering that some 2.0 speakers include an output connector for a sub-woofer, which will allow you to upgrade your speaker system with a standalone sub-woofer in the future.
The best PC speakers to buy
1. Creative Sound BlasterX Kratos S3: The best PC speakers under £100
Price when reviewed:£70
You’re not going to get hi-fi quality from a set of speakers costing £70, but the new Sound BlasterX Kratos S3 will do the trick if you need an affordable 2.1 set-up that includes a sub-woofer for some extra bass power.
The sub-woofer is relatively compact, but it manages to unearth the deep bass on our favourite dance tunes, as well as adding a deep sonic rumble to action games and movies. The little satellites struggle a bit with higher frequencies as you pump up the volume, and there’s no Bluetooth for mobile devices, but the daftly-named Kratos S3 still represents great value for a full 2.1 system.
Key specs – 2.1 stereo and sub-woofer; 3.5mm analogue input; 3.5mm headphone socket; Dimensions: 155 x 95 x 110mm (satellites), 250 x 180 x 218mm (subwoofer)
2. AudioEngine A2+: The best stereo speakers under £250
Price when reviewed:£220
The compact little A2+ speakers were very much designed for use with a desktop computer. They measure just 155mm high and 100mm wide, so you’ll have no trouble sitting them on a desk beside your computer monitor. They’re well-built, though, with smart and sturdy wooden cabinets that enable these compact little speakers to produce a surprisingly full and detailed sound. The 60W output is also unusually powerful for such small speakers, and they’ll easily fill a medium size room when you want to just sit back with your favourite tunes.
There’s no Bluetooth for streaming music from mobile devices, but the A2+ is otherwise well connected. There are 3.5mm analogue, stereo RCA and USB inputs, and there's also an output for adding a sub-woofer so you can upgrade further down the line.
Key specs – 2.0 stereo; 3.5mm analogue, stereo RCA, USB inputs; Subwoofer output; Dimensions - 152 x 102 x 135mm
3. Kef Egg: The best miniature desktop speakers
Price when reviewed:£350
Kef’s trademark ‘egg’ design is certainly eye-catching, but it’s not just for show. The Egg speakers do a really good job of radiating sound all around, so that your music really expands and fills the room around you. They’re not spectacularly loud, but the clarity and detail they produce is really impressive, and justifies the high price of these desktop speakers.
They’re crammed with high-tech features too, including a combined 3.5mm/optical connector for wired analogue or digital connections, plus Bluetooth for mobile devices. The Eggs also include a USB-audio input – which supports high-res audio up to 24-bit/96KHz to keep the audiophiles happy. Our only complaint is that – bizarrely – they don’t include a 3.5mm audio cable, so you have to provide that yourself.
Key specs – 2.0 stereo; 3.5mm analogue, optical, USB inputs; Subwoofer output; Bluetooth AptX; Dimensions: 274 x 136 x 172mm
4. Yamaha NX-N500: The best high-end desktop speakers
Price when reviewed:£630
Yamaha’s top-of-the-range desktop speakers are heavy and expensive, but they sound superb and are packed with high-tech features. The 140W output is seriously loud – and so powerful that the speakers even need their own heat-sinks on the back to stay cool – but the sound they produce is rich, full and detailed enough to handle anything you can throw at them.
As well as 3.5mm analogue, optical digital and USB inputs for wired connections, the speakers include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Apple’s AirPlay for easy set-up on your home network. You can even use Yamaha’s MusicCast app to add the NX-N500 to a multi-room music system. You do have to provide your own audio cables for wired connections, though, which is a tad irksome given the price.
Buy the Yamaha NX-N500 from John Lewis
Key specs – 2.0 stereo; 3.5mm analogue, optical, USB inputs; Output – N/A; Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay; Dimensions: 285 x 170 x 222mm