Best PC speakers for 2021 – CNET [CNET]

One of the things usually missing when you buy a computer — whether it’s a laptop or desktop — is good sound. Yeah, laptops are equipped with a small speaker or two that output decent sound, but it’s not exactly full, rich stereo sound. These built-in speakers aren’t ideal for listening to music or watching videos — they only play so loud and tend to be seriously lacking in the bass department.

If you’re looking to bypass your laptop speaker and take that sound to the next level, it’s time to look for a small or portable speaker to pick up the slack. The good news — the market is completely saturated with computer speakers that offer quality sound, taking your computer’s audio experience to the next level. Even a budget computer speaker can boost sound quality to such an extent that you’ll be shocked by the poor quality of your laptop speaker.

There are a multitude of PC speakers to choose from, and you can certainly pair your PC with a Bluetooth speaker to augment the sound. That said, this list comprises the best in the powered speaker arena — they have their own built-in amplifiers, which means they need to be plugged in.

Some of the speakers on this list have simple analog connectivity options, but the majority offer some form of digital connection — that means you can plug them right into a computer’s USB port. Others have wireless Bluetooth connectivity, which allows you to easily pair the speakers with all your Bluetooth devices, including smartphones and tablets. You can even position a Bluetooth speaker set to mimic surround sound. As you might expect, better connectivity options tend to add some cost to the speakers, but a few moderately priced speakers have excellent connectivity options, in addition to more-than-decent sound.

Note that we haven’t fully reviewed many of these picks, but we’ve listened to all the selected models. If you’re on the hunt for great sound, keep reading — the right speaker for your computer is sure to be here. Also, we’ll update this list periodically as more laptop and desktop computer speaker options hit the market.