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Over the past few weeks, I’ve done Kukuwa dance workouts, streamed a lot of Spotify, and sometimes accidentally conducted Zoom interviews in stereo sound. I had Usher’s voice pinging between my left and right speakers as I listened to “Yeah!” a few too many times ahead of the Super Bowl. I’ve switched between external speakers and my laptop’s built-ins multiple times to make sure I truly heard a difference and wasn’t just drawn in by marketing ploys for a $200 system. And I’ve walked away convinced that external computer speakers really do make a difference. I’ll admit that I was loath to cede desk space to another boxy appliance, add to the thicket of cords on my desk, or mess with Bluetooth pairing every time I changed devices (truly a unique and modern torture). But every time I thought maybe the speakers I was trying weren’t so great after all, it turned out … I’d forgotten to turn on Bluetooth.
My experience left me all the more amazed to discover in reporting this story how many people — even podcasters and music writers! — think nothing of dropping hundreds on a pair of headphones, but for computer speakers rely on their computer’s built-in speakers or an old set of speakers they’ve had for a decade.
That’s probably a mistake: If you’re planning to use your computer for watching movies, gaming, or just playing music in the background during the workday, a set of dedicated speakers can elevate the experience, bringing out more nuance and detail, particularly on the low end.
The best option for you will depend on how you intend to use the speakers, how much space you have, and, subjectively, what you think sounds best. “The most important thing about speaker buying is to actually have them set up so you can compare one song on multiple speakers to hear what you’re actually paying for,” says Mikey Weiss, owner of Mikey’s Hook Up, which has been selling electronics and cables in Williamsburg for more than 20 years, with a satellite location in L.A. Your best bet is to listen to the same songs, games, or movie clips on several different sets and pick the one you prefer. For testing, I played Liquid Liquid, one of my favorite bands for getting through the workday; Re-TROS, my old pals from Beijing; and the booming opening sequence of Killers of the Flower Moon. I also spoke to several audio-obsessed experts to get their recommendations.
With very cheap speakers, you probably won’t see an improvement over your computer’s built-in speakers or a portable Bluetooth speaker (such as Strategist favorite Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3). Weiss says his stores stopped selling speakers below the $150 range — once customers heard the jump in quality with a more expensive speaker it was “a no-brainer.” (We did include one model that costs less than $150 on this list; it’s an instance where you really do get good value from a direct-to-consumer brand.) Once you get to the very high end, say more than $500, “it’s just personal taste,” says Weiss.
What we’re looking for
Number of speakers
More speakers obviously means more stuff on your desk, but a single speaker may not do everything you want it to do. Two speakers will offer the stereo experience for listening to music, and an added subwoofer can fill out the low end of the range, particularly if you’re working with smaller speakers or playing games, movies, or any kind of music with a lot of bass.
Size
Bigger speakers take up limited desk space and may overwhelm the aesthetics of a room, and in a compact home-office setup, they may be louder than you need. Experts I spoke to suggested not getting too hung up on the specs provided by a manufacturer, which can be confusing or misleading. That said, smaller speakers — anything with a speaker cone smaller than about 3.5 or 4 inches — will struggle to produce sounds in the low range (a separate subwoofer can come in handy here, depending on your listening habits). If you’re listening to music like jazz with less low end, or you’re primarily using the speakers for Zoom calls or watching YouTube videos, a smaller speaker may work just fine.
If you’re having to turn the volume all the way up to fill a large room, you might need speakers that are larger in terms of watts (about 50 watts should be good for a small room or home office up to 100 square feet), driver diameter (in most cases, you’ll want about three inches), and sensitivity (how loud a speaker gets, in decibels). Your setup will make a difference, too. Placing speakers near a wall or inside cabinets can cause “boomy and ill-defined bass,” says William Woods, an industrial design professor at Savannah College of Art and Design who has “an obsession with sound.”
Connections
All of our picks can connect to your computer wirelessly, and some connect to your computer via a headphone (3.5mm) or USB jack, a nice extra if you, like me, spend a lot of time fighting to pair devices. Some also include RCA stereo jacks for connecting to other electronics.
Best overall
Number: 2, with option to add a subwoofer | Size: 6” x 4” x 5.25” each, 60 W (30 W per speaker) | Connections: Bluetooth, 3.5 mm, RCA
Over several days of testing the A2+, the sound was rich and clear as I listened to music or secretly did dance workouts during the workday. The difference between these and my laptop’s built-in speakers was striking: Each instrument came in distinctly, and the bass and drums were more robust — even without an added subwoofer. Do I need this sound quality if I’m just streaming Spotify at a low volume all day? Maybe not. But I found myself putting on music more often: The speakers easily filled my office with music at a low volume and could be turned up loud enough to fill most of my apartment. The Bluetooth pairing was a slight hassle every time I connected to a new device, but I mostly found the speakers easy to use. My main quibble is that the speakers added to the clump of cords and cables on my desk, thanks to the power cord and the speaker wire connecting the two sides.
Woods calls Audioengine’s A2+ (or if you’ve got the space, the larger A5+ version) “great compact speakers that pack a huge punch.” If you connect via Bluetooth, you can bypass your computer’s internal sound card and connect directly to the speakers’ DAC (digital-analog converter), which the manufacturer says results in more dynamic sound and less noise.
The speakers’ fiberboard cabinets come in matte shades of red, white, black, and blue (the version I tested, which looked more like purple to me).
Best less expensive
Number: 2 | Size: 5.5” x 8.0” x 5.9” each, 50 W (25 W per speaker) | Connections: Bluetooth, 3.5 mm, RCA
For an affordable, no-frills option, the direct-to-consumer brand Monoprice has this set, which just comes in black, unlike the multiple color options offered by the other brands on this list. The company’s speakers “will outperform most of the big-box brands at that price point,” Woods says. There’s a headphone jack and volume control on the front of the left speaker, as well as an RCA connection in the back of the speaker.
Best for gaming
Number: 3 | Size: satellites: 5.83” x 6.54” x 4.65”; subwoofer: 15.91” x 10.04” x 8.15”, 240 W total | Connections: Bluetooth, 3.5 mm, USB
External speakers can really make a big difference in your gaming experience, and the positional surround sound of the Logitech G560 can make for a more immersive experience. Since gaming is a world I know nothing about, the first person I thought to ask for a recommendation is Saira Mueller, a freelance tech reporter who covers the gaming industry. She calls this set of two round “satellite” speakers and a subwoofer the best option for gaming. The smaller speakers have built-in lights that change color and respond to sound and action within games — although Mueller notes those lights stay on even in standby mode. At almost 16 inches tall and weighing about 12 pounds, the subwoofer is huge, she notes.
Best for multitasking
Number: 1 | Size: 3.34” x 6.30” x 5.18” | Connections: Bluetooth, USB, power output not listed
Essentially a speaker and docking station in one, the Logi Dock is meant to clean up “wire clutter” for work-from-home setups. The speaker has ports for connecting monitors and peripherals and a built-in microphone — and it works as a power bank to charge a laptop.
Over several days of testing, the dock sat cutely on my desk, and the volume and microphone controls right on top were very convenient for Zoom meetings. My main complaint is that for something that’s supposed to cut down on clutter, the box on the charging cable is egregiously large! The sound is totally fine for listening at close range during the workday; I noticed a huge difference in the low end and bass over my laptop’s built-ins. I could even turn the volume up loud enough to grab a snack in the other room while a colleague was delivering a monologue in a Zoom meeting.
Best portable
Number: 1 (can be paired with a second for stereo sound) | Size: 3.24 x 5.97 x 3.24”, power output not listed | Connections: Bluetooth, 3.5 mm
An even more compact option, the Bose SoundLink Revolve II is designed to distribute sound throughout a room whether it’s situated in the center of a room or near a wall, and it can be paired with a second speaker to provide stereo sound. Juan Leguizamón, a New York–based film editor, uses the wired connection on this sleek model as his computer speaker when he’s editing at home. He likes the small footprint it leaves on his desk and gives it high marks for its sound and construction. According to the manufacturer, it lasts 13 hours on a full charge, so it “doubles as a great Bluetooth speaker when on the move,” says Leguizamón.
Best for audio recording and editing
Number: 2, with option to add a subwoofer | Size: 8.27” x 5.53” x 6.46” each, 50 W (25 W per speaker) | Connections: Bluetooth, 3.5 mm, RCA
Technically studio monitors, the PreSonus Eris 3.5BT are intended to have clear, accurate sound. Unlike the other speakers on this list, these will produce a flat response, which means they won’t boost the high and low end of the range and may have a thinner sound than you might be used to, but they’ll let you hear what’s actually going on with your audio, which is important for recording and editing. Weiss says that these “pro-sumer” speakers “hit that middle ground perfectly” of being serviceable for someone recording or editing at home or who just wants an affordable, good-sounding speaker. There’s a volume control and on/off switch on the front of the speakers. On the back, there are knobs to adjust the high and low frequencies to your liking. The Melbourne-based musician Worst Vibes is another fan of PreSonus speakers and says he just wanted “speakers I could afford that could go loud.”
Our experts
• Juan Leguizamón, a New York–based film editor
• Saira Mueller, a freelance tech reporter who covers the gaming industry
• Mikey Weiss, owner of Mikey’s Hook Up
• William Woods, an industrial design professor at Savannah College of Art and Design
• Worst Vibes, a Melbourne-based musician
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