The Best PC Speakers 2019

[Julio Franco]

The choice of PC speakers has evolved accordingly from standard systems to more audiophile oriented monitors and practical yet refined solutions covering all price segments. We've done the dirty work of researching a wide range of PC speaker offerings to bring you the best options in five major categories.

Read the full article here.

https://www.techspot.com/bestof/speakers-2020/

 

[Fearghast]

It's hard not to type: "Buy some Mackie and shut up scrub".
Seriously, who buys Logitech, Razer etc. these days anyway?

 

[texasrattler]

The world. Logitech is one if not the biggest computer peripheral maker in the world. Especially in gaming. Razer may not be known as a Audio/speaker maker but they have been making speakers n headsets for awhile.

 

[grvalderrama]

Hard to believe that a pair of active bookshelf fill all the audiophile's gaps, there are plenty of good stuff out there within that price range, now comes to my mind some cheap marantz or cambridge stereo amp, coupled with a pair Dynaudio emit m20 speakers or Dali Zenzor or Monitor Audio bronze speakers, whatever you like and fit your pocket, because one of the most important thing audiophiles look for is versatility, the possibility of trying a new set of speakers or a new amp. Or maybe that's just me...

Edit: I'm not saying that a cheap Marantz or Cambridge Audio stereo amplifier are a bad thing, but there are stereo amps that cost like if they were a space rocket, even from these brands, but you can find a good well-rounded stereo amp without breaking the bank, I don't recall the models, but I do remember a few from the 2 brands I mentioned before.-

 

[NightAntilli]

No JBL 305?

 

[grumblguts]

For me the best pc speakers was a tv sound bar,
throw up on the wall and retain table space.

 

[grumblguts]

4X 110 Watt outlets.You cant improve on the vintage stuff today without spending 1000s.
4 x dm 602 by b&w
and a Technics SU-V450 AMP

https://imgur.com/a/QTnqtZl

 

[grvalderrama]

'Who buys Logitech'? ? Anyone who wants a massively better speaker system than the average dross that gets sold as PC Speakers, that's who. 'Mackie'?? WTF?? Logitech make one of THE best PC speaker systems EVER created - the Videologic Sirocco Pro (sadly no longer available) - look it up before writing such rubbish. texasrattler has it right on, and grvalderrama's idea is a real good alternative, and possibly the best idea.

You got a point: Logitech makes pc speakers and though they are excellent products, they are far behind Mackie's knowledge in the audio industry. Mackie is well known in the home and studio monitor audio industry, not as much as in the computer and gaming deparment. You should try one sometime and you'll notice the difference, I listened to both brands in the same form factor (bookshelves) and both sound great, with a significant better performance by Mackie CR4.

 

[Vulcanproject]

Logitech always made some really amazing budget systems and if anyone isn't a serious audiophile but just wants a nice setup it's easy to default to one of their all in one systems. The old Z-5500 is classic for a reason.

 

[madboyv1]

I have the Mackie CR3s and they are very nice given how inexpensive they are for powered monitors. My set developed the bad left/right switch problem so it has to be in a VERY specific spot for both speakers to work, but for $100 (got the gold trim ver) It's something I don't mind dealing with ha ha ha.

I've heard about the R-15s and the A5 and how people love them so I'm not surprised they are on this list. The Promedia's are a freaking blast from the past as are those silly looking sound sticks ha ha ha... and for 5.1 I used to have the Logitech X-530s, and totally not surprised we're still talking logi for 5.1.

 

[texasrattler]

Hard to believe that a pair of active bookshelf fill all the audiophile's gaps, there are plenty of good stuff out there within that price range, now comes to my mind some cheap marantz or cambridge stereo amp, coupled with a pair Dynaudio emit m20 speakers or Dali Zenzor or Monitor Audio bronze speakers, whatever you like and fit your pocket, because one of the most important thing audiophiles look for is versatility, the possibility of trying a new set of speakers or a new amp. Or maybe that's just me...

Edit: I'm not saying that a cheap Marantz or Cambridge Audio stereo amplifier are a bad thing, but there are stereo amps that cost like if they were a space rocket, even from these brands, but you can find a good well-rounded stereo amp without breaking the bank, I don't recall the models, but I do remember a few from the 2 brands I mentioned before.-

The point isn't who has the best speakers but who offer the best option for YOU. Logitech offer the best options for the masses. There are always audio companies out there who many have never heard of. Some of them make it big and the world gets to know them. I can promise you, tons and tons of people have no clue who Mackie is but almost all know who Logitech is.

Only a true audiophile will know who these companies are but the masses will only know names they have heard of. In many cases it will be Logitech they know but not others. Especially on the computer side.
Lenovo is a major computer manufacturer but a lot of people ask who they are. Some say they have never heard of them. But all of them know who HP and Dell are.

 

[nnguy2]

For me the best pc speakers was a tv sound bar,
throw up on the wall and retain table space.

sound bars sound terrible

 

[ThrakazogZ]

I run a Modi Multibit DAC into a pair of Emotiva powered monitors. It's a simple 2 speaker system for my PC, but It sounds beyond amazing. The width and depth of the sound stage from those speakers is ridiculous. I've sat friends in front of the pc with a blindfold, and they swore there were center and surround speakers. It's a shame Emotiva stopped making them.

 

[ShagnWagn]

sound bars sound terrible

Some people like poor quality overpriced Bose as well. Some like the bug zapper TVs they display at the store. As long as they are happy I guess? Perhaps this person didn't mean "best" as in best sound, but best placement for their preference.

 

[bexwhitt]

I'm still using some ancient Yamaha beige speakers with a linear PSU, they sound awesome to my, I think audiophiles are wrong in the head ears. Not really (on the audiophiles) if you want to spend too much money an audio stuff go for it.

 

[hahahanoobs]

For me the best pc speakers was a tv sound bar,
throw up on the wall and retain table space.

That's a great idea. I never thought of this.

 

[Soulburn74]

If only Klipsch hadn't quit making their 5.1 Promedia Ultimate Set Logitech's dominance in the computer oriented 5.1 speaker setup wouldn't exist and would be a 2nd place or less otherwise.......

 

[That Dude There]

I have a Klipsch 150-M set that sits here with no amp. I had a 2 channel Emotiva amp, but sold it (and lost money) because at the time I needed more inputs. I bought a 5.1 Harmon Kardon just to have 2 channels with all the inputs. One of the channels went out on the HK. That will be the 3rd surround sytem over the years to loose a channel. That's why my speakers sit here. I'm scared to get burnt again. I would like my emotiva back, even though only 1 audio input.

Edit: I do wish I bought powered speakers and be done with it.

 

[Jules Mark II]

Cambridge soundworks 4.1 system. Bought from 1996 and still using them today!!

 

[Musician]

Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 was everyone’s definition of a dream setup back in my teenage days. Fast forward about 20 years, I’d take their powered bookshelf speakers any day over other brands. There are surely better sounding speakers, but the sound quality vs dollar is just unbeatable.

 

[spaceboy]

The AudioEngine A2's would be enough for most people, cheap and small enough for most desktop setups.
I'm using a pair of kef q100's that I wasn't using with a cheap Topping mx3 amp and I'm surprised how well the topping amp does.

 

[grvalderrama]

The point isn't who has the best speakers but who offer the best option for YOU. Logitech offer the best options for the masses. There are always audio companies out there who many have never heard of. Some of them make it big and the world gets to know them. I can promise you, tons and tons of people have no clue who Mackie is but almost all know who Logitech is.

Only a true audiophile will know who these companies are but the masses will only know names they have heard of. In many cases it will be Logitech they know but not others. Especially on the computer side.
Lenovo is a major computer manufacturer but a lot of people ask who they are. Some say they have never heard of them. But all of them know who HP and Dell are.

Since I was referring to the audiophile grade speakers, the comment doesn't make much sense. Nevertheless, I do believe you are right that most people don't know and hardly care about those audio brands, like Mackie. Like you say, people will look for a speaker that fit their pocket and likes, there's nothing wrong about that. I don't consider logitech being a brand "for the masses", at least not where I'm from, since it's a bit expensive "for the masses".-

 

[amghwk]

I too vouch for Logitech speakers for PC gaming. Cheaper and yet reliable. Though my current desktop has Altec-Lansing and also connected to my Marantz receiver with Yamaha speakers.

I would stay away from Razer. The new kid in the block that shouts "expensive is better". Everything by Razer is f-king expensive for the same quality. I too fell for the trap before, and stopped buying when three mice died one by one within 3 months for each.

 

[OptimumSlinky]

Logitech actually builds decent stuff. Not audiophile by any stretch, but good enough audio quality for gaming and movies. People forget that Samsung and Logitech scooped up a ton of audio engineers in the late '90s and early '00s when a lot of the hifi brands either went bankrupt or were acquired by larger companies like Harmon/Kardon.

 

[wiyosaya]

Hard to believe that a pair of active bookshelf fill all the audiophile's gaps, there are plenty of good stuff out there within that price range, now comes to my mind some cheap marantz or cambridge stereo amp, coupled with a pair Dynaudio emit m20 speakers or Dali Zenzor or Monitor Audio bronze speakers, whatever you like and fit your pocket, because one of the most important thing audiophiles look for is versatility, the possibility of trying a new set of speakers or a new amp. Or maybe that's just me...

Edit: I'm not saying that a cheap Marantz or Cambridge Audio stereo amplifier are a bad thing, but there are stereo amps that cost like if they were a space rocket, even from these brands, but you can find a good well-rounded stereo amp without breaking the bank, I don't recall the models, but I do remember a few from the 2 brands I mentioned before.-

I agree. There are lots of options out there in this class. However, I think it best that people educate themselves since many manufacturers play the watts of power game, especially, I bet, PC speaker makers, with peak power ratings at 10% THD which, likely will not sound good - IMO.