There are tons of computer speakers on the market, and many of the ones we tested are perfectly fine but don’t deserve a spot above for one reason or another.
Edifier QR65 for $370: Delivering classy looks with supercool lighting effects and a seriously big, powerful sound, these speakers are excellent for music, movies, or games. They also come with two angled stands to point them at your ears. They have USB, RCA, and Bluetooth 5.3 inputs and USB ports for charging your gadgets. Controls are decent, with a physical button on the right speaker for power and cycling through modes. The problem is that they are huge and won’t fit on most desktops, including mine.
Creative Pebble X Plus for $130: If our budget pick isn’t quite doing it for you, Creative’s Pebble X Plus adds a cube-shaped subwoofer under your desk. The larger speakers, with RGB lighting, are also more powerful, and the sub provides punchy bass. They sound reasonably good for the money. Connectivity is also beefed up compared to the V3 above, with headphone and microphone ports and Bluetooth 5.3, but all of this invariably comes at a higher cost.
Soundblade by BlueAnt for $150: If there was an award for the most stylish soundbar, the curved Soundblade by BlueAnt would win. The Soundblade also delivers a surprisingly nuanced sound and a real punch of bass, courtesy of the built-in subwoofer. It is supposed to sit under your monitor but not serve as a stand or riser (sadly, BlueAnt told me not to put anything on top of it). Connectivity is good with USB-C, 3.5 mm, or Bluetooth 5.3, but the voice prompts are annoying. It sounded good for movies and games, but slightly muddy mids and restrained highs hampered the music. It comes with a handy wee remote.
OXS Thunder Lite for $150: This compact soundbar lacks the bells and whistles of its bigger sibling above but is far more affordable. It can get plenty loud, supports virtual surround sound, and comes with a small remote. Unfortunately, separation was poor, so it was tough to tell where sounds were coming from in games, and it is severely lacking in bass for a soundbar with thunder in its name. Connectivity includes USB-C, 3.5 mm, Optical, or HDMI, and it supports Bluetooth 5.0.
Creative Sound Blaster GS5 for $70: While it doesn’t quite have the power of the OXS Thunder Lite above, this soundbar is less than half the price and matches it on connectivity, even adding cool RGB lighting to the underside. It also has a remote and decent software for making EQ and lighting adjustments. The sound lacks clarity, and the bass is limited, but this is a solid small soundbar for the money and works well as a desktop device.
House of Marley Get Together Duo for $140: Sporting an attractive and eco-friendly blend of bamboo and fabric, the Get Together Duo from House of Marley is affordable. They connect via Bluetooth 5.0, RCA, or 3.5-mm aux. There’s no subwoofer, the midrange is dominant, and they are lacking something at the high end. The battery-powered right speaker can also double as a portable speaker, and you can use these as bookshelf speakers or pair them with House of Marley’s Stir It Up turntable ($160) (8/10, WIRED Review), but as computer speakers, they are just OK.
SteelSeries Arena 3 for $129: Sporting a nice pear-shaped design with tiltable speakers and subtle branding, the entry-level Arena 3 from SteelSeries can get loud. But they lack bass, lose detail in the highs, and sound a bit fuzzy for music. Even for SteelSeries fans, there isn’t much reason to choose these over some of our picks above. They don’t have lighting, USB, or any other extras.
Razer Nommo V2 X for $115: The sound quality of Razer’s entry-level speakers is solid for music, though lacking in bass, and good for movies and games (there’s THX Spatial support). These no-frills speakers look great but lack a subwoofer, RGB lighting, and remote. They offer USB and Bluetooth connectivity and can be customized in Razer’s Synapse software.
Logitech Z407 for $114: A complete 2.1 system at this price is no mean feat. These speakers connect via USB, 3.5-mm aux, or Bluetooth, and there’s a wireless remote volume dial. Construction is cheap, and the sound lacks definition, but there’s a good thump of bass from the subwoofer, and mids and highs are reasonably crisp, provided you don’t turn the volume up too high. WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu says he used a variation of the Logitech Z series for nearly a decade and only recently donated them to someone else.
Logitech Z906 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System for $400: This 5.1 system is THX-certified and comes with a huge subwoofer, five speakers, and a central control unit. The design feels dated, maybe even a bit ugly, and you need to run cables around your room. The surround sound effect is solid, and you can even convert stereo with the 3D mode, but overall, it’s a bass-heavy system.
Creative Stage V2 for $104: This affordable soundbar offers excellent connectivity with HDMI ARC, optical, USB, 3.5-mm aux, and Bluetooth 5.0. But it’s not especially powerful, can sound muddy and flat, and has a short cable (no good for sit-stand desks). The subwoofer lends some decent bass, there’s a remote control, and I like the Clear Dialog option to sharpen voices, but you can do better.