5 Best Computer Speakers in 2022
A closer look at today's market to find only the best computer speakers on offer - focusing on price, performance, sound quality, and overall value for money
After 36 hours of research and comparison, we concluded that the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 is still the best computer speaker in 2022. While these are slightly older speakers, they’ve earned their position being some of the best computer speakers on the market with great audio. Don’t just take our word for it, it is backed up with a THX certification!
If you’re looking for small or wireless speakers, this ain’t for you. But we have the best in these categories below. Read more to learn about it.
Our Top Picks
The 5 Best PC Speakers
In-depth Review
Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
The Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speaker is a surprisingly popular speaker even to this day despite initially being released in 2002.
Even though these would be legally of age to drive here in the US, they still sound great. In fact, they can still compete effectively with today’s speakers.
The speakers have aged a little aesthetically. They aren’t nearly as bad as some designs from that era, but they don’t necessarily embrace the same sort of clean lines that are so common in modern design, nor do they feature the over the top angles of current gamer culture.
The 2 speakers are angled just right to give you a solid audio clarity. And like the Logitech G560, this also has a subwoofer that handles low-frequencies well. You’ll even feel a little rumble even when the subwoofer knob isn’t turned all the way up. Not that I would recommend turning it all the way up since it can ruin the audio’s quality and clarity.
Unlike 5.1 and 7.1 speakers, these don’t handle surround sound very well. Regardless, they still manage to do a really good job with directional audio cues. In fact, explosions and gunshots are well balanced whether gaming or just watching a movie.
One thing that’s unfortunate about this speaker is its use of traditional speaker wires since these can be a pain to work with at times while also being highly susceptible to damage.
As expected from a speaker with a THX certification, the audio quality is clear and very detailed. High frequencies are crisp and clear, mid-frequencies are solid, and low-frequencies are vivid thanks to the subwoofer.
Logitech G560 Speakers
Logitech G560 Speakers
Logitech has released solid speakers (and other computer accessories) for years now. Their catalog features speakers ranging from as little as $20 to over $200. This time around, they are proud to present their very first gaming speaker: the Logitech G560.
The build is solid for its price and I personally find it great that it has a matte-finish because this makes cleaning it a whole lot easier.
Its design is heavily inspired by the MX Sound (some earlier Logitech speakers) because of the cylindrical satellite speakers.
It’s a 2.1 channel compact gaming speaker. This means it comes with a subwoofer to complement the crisp and detailed high- and mid-frequencies perfectly. The bass is also really good at handling the low frequencies. So good, in fact, you will feel a rumble when grenades blow up near you when playing games like Battlefield.
The highs are very clean and they don’t sound very sharp to the ear at all. The mids sound great in the background and they perform well without pushing the midrange vocals too much. The bass is very heavy out of the box but can be easily adjusted via the Logitech Gaming Software to match the perfect bass levels.
Aside from being a subwoofer, it also acts as a central hub for connectivity. Here, you’ll find a micro-USB that can connect to your computer’s USB port, a 3.5mm input, as well as a left and right channel output that comes in different colors for easy distinction.
Wireless connectivity is also inspired by the MX speakers. You can connect 4 devices at once and play music seamlessly without having to mess with the connections. Just pause the music from device 1 and you can then play music from either of the 3 connected devices– very convenient.
The feature that truly sets these speakers apart, however, are the LED lights. These aren’t your ordinary RGB lights because, for the first time in forever, they actually serve a purpose– and this is to immerse you deeper in the game by setting off lighting patterns according to the game’s environment.
For instance, when you’re playing GTAV and are being pursued by the police, the speakers’ LED lights will blink red and blue mimicking the lights on the roof of the police cars. It will also turn red when you’re being shot or are at low HP on DOTA 2.
Just keep in mind that the list of supported games is limited only to a few popular game titles. Hopefully, there will be more in the coming years, however.
Altec Lansing BXR1220
Altec Lansing BXR1220
Compact, easy to use, and sounds great– the Altec Lansing BXR1220 is the best 2.0 computer speakers for the price.
On top of being compact, this speaker is USB-powered, which makes it very convenient wherever you may be, especially if you regularly use a laptop or travel a lot. But despite being small, this can be loud if you max it out.
This has a USB-cord for power and a 3.5mm jack that goes to your laptop or your computer audio port.
The drivers have a fixed angle that I personally wish you could adjust manually. After all, not everyone is going to be placing these the exact same distance away or at the exact same height. Regardless, its compact size makes up for it since you can easily place it on top of a bookshelf or a set of books.
It also boasts a very solid plastic build compared to other speakers in this price range. It is worth mentioning that the powering these on isn’t like most modern speakers. Instead, of a button you push, you use a knob. While this is kind of weird (and arguably bad design), it’s not a big enough of a deal to truly matter.
When it comes to sound quality, it actually sounds really good. The highs are handled pretty well while the mids are fair as a whole. The lows aren’t really great, so if you like bass then you might want to look elsewhere. That being said, these speakers should be fine for casual use.
Creative T30 Wireless Bluetooth 3.0
Creative T30 Wireless Bluetooth 3.0
We highly recommend the Creative T30 Wireless Bluetooth 3.0 speaker if you need a wireless speaker to maximize convenience and flexibility. Even though you can pair your device to the speaker wirelessly via Bluetooth, the package still comes with a 3.5mm jack– which is very convenient.
To pair your smartphone to the speaker, simply enable the Near-Field Communication, or NFC, setting on your device’s wireless settings (refer to your phone’s manual if you aren’t sure) and hover it on top of the NFC icon found in the right speaker.
If you wish to pair this with your computer wirelessly, you don’t have to lift your computer to do so since it can be done manually (although that would be a rather unorthodox way of syncing your computer to your speakers). Just hold down the Bluetooth button at the front of the speaker and wait until the light blinks. From there, simply refresh your computer or your laptop’s Bluetooth to find the speaker and proceed to pair.
The speaker isn’t as compact as the Altec Lansing BXR1220, but it does have a very solid build. You’ll also notice that this has 4 drivers:
- 2x silk dome tweeters so you can listen to smooth highs
- 2x woven glass fiber cone drivers for clear midrange frequencies.
There are also 3 knobs on the shell:
- Volume knob
- Treble knob
- Bass knob
All these can be adjusted accurately to fit your liking. If you want to listen to party music for entertainment, you can turn the bass up for a serious beat drop. Alternatively, you can also adjust the treble to hear the highs better.
Just keep in mind that both speakers are connected via a wire that goes from one end of the speaker to the other; as such, it isn’t entirely wireless. It just plays music wirelessly.
It is worth noting that wireless speakers can introduce a small delay, which can negatively impact your results when playing competitive games. This can be avoided if you’re using the 3.5mm jack that it comes with, though.
But if you need a wireless computer speaker for daily use and some casual gaming, this is a decent speaker for the price.
Logitech S150
Logitech S150
Coming in as our budget pick for this roundup is the Logitech S150. For under $17, you get a USB-powered computer speaker that’s easy to use, perfect for basic usage, does not need a separate power brick, and perfect for computers with a faulty sound card, bad sound output, or just not speakers at all.
They look okay, but they’re not premium-looking by any stretch of the imagination. But knowing that this is from Logitech, a reputable company known for manufacturing decent computer peripherals for many years now, it’s worth grabbing.
For connectivity, you only have a USB cable– that’s it. Just plug it into the USB port and you have a working digital speaker.
The sound isn’t really what you’d want for a great entertainment experience. However, it’s more than enough for basic computer usage: basic gaming, YouTube streaming, and other basic Windows application.
There’s no power on or off button, either. So if you want to turn this off, you either unplug it, turn the volume all the way down, or mute it by pressing the middle button. Just keep in mind that the volume buttons control the Windows volume, too.
So, if you need a budget speaker that you can surely rely on, the Logitech S150 is for you.
Final Word
Whether it’s gaming speakers or just everyday computer speakers, choosing the best speakers for you really boils down to your specific requirements. Hopefully we’ve given you all the information you need to go out and make the correct decision on which ones are best for you.
Tell us what you think about our choices, which speaker is perfect for you, or just share your experiences in the comments in case you currently own or have owned one of these before. We definitely would love to hear from you!