The built-in speaker(s) on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or iPod
don’t do your audio justice, especially if you want to enjoy full, rich
sound or share your music with people more than a few feet away. So
along with good headphones (see our headphones buying guide), a new set of speakers is one of the most rewarding audio upgrades you can give your gear.
But if you've recently visited any store—local or online—that sells
consumer electronics, you've likely been confronted by rows and rows (or
screens and screens) of computer speakers, speaker docks, and the like,
in many different sizes and at many different prices. Which do you
choose? To help you find the right set—for yourself or your favorite
gift recipient—here's the latest edition of our annual speakers buying
guide, which includes both general shopping advice and specific
recommendations.
What to look for when shopping
As you're browsing the aisles or webpages of your favorite stores, here are some tips to keep in mind.
Specs and sound quality
Put simply, you should ignore manufacturers' specifications, especially
frequency-response numbers. No standardized testing methodology exists
for speakers, so many vendors exaggerate specs—often laughably so—making
them essentially worthless. With very few exceptions, you can't rely on
these numbers to tell you anything about a system's audio quality.
Instead, use your own ears: Try to audition speakers locally before you
buy. While a store isn't an ideal environment for testing, it's better
than nothing, and it can let you separate the good from the obviously
bad.
When testing speakers, bring a variety of your favorite music and take
your time. A quality system provides good balance between the treble
(upper), midrange, and bass (lower) frequencies, producing full, rich
sound while preserving detail. Be especially wary of systems where the
treble detail or bass sounds especially prominent—some speakers
exaggerate one or both these to stand out in a crowded store display.
This is especially common with bass: Speakers that use small drivers—and
this includes subwoofers with small-for-subwoofer drivers—simply can’t
reproduce the lowest notes, so vendors often tweak speakers to emphasize
upper-bass frequencies. This approach adds some punch, but it can also
make the speakers sound boomy or thumpy—a trait that becomes fatiguing
over time. If deep, controlled bass is important to you, you'll need
speakers with relatively large woofers or a good-sized subwoofer.
Otherwise, consider speakers that forgo the lowest frequencies
altogether in favor of accurate sound across the rest of the audio
spectrum.
If you can't audition a system in person, read reviews from sources you trust.
Computer speakers vs. docking speakers vs. wireless speakers
Will your new speakers be used mainly with a computer? If so, any set of
standard "computer speakers"—a self-powered system you connect to your
computer using a simple analog or digital cable—will work just fine; you
just plug in and enjoy. Computer speakers also work with tablets,
smartphones, and portable media players—you just connect a cable from
the device’s headphone jack to the speaker system. (Some smartphone
charging docks and cradles even have a dedicated audio-out jack that
provides higher-quality audio than the headphone jack offers.) But there
are other options, as well.
If you’re looking for speakers to be used primarily with Apple
gear—iPhones, iPods, or an iPad—you may want to consider a system that
includes a dock cradle featuring Apple's 30-pin dock connector or
Lightning connector. The connector plugs into the port on the bottom of
your device, letting the speaker system grab the highest-quality audio
signal while simultaneously charging your player. (If the docking
speaker system can run off AC or battery power, it likely charges your
player only when the speakers are connected to AC power.) Some of these
systems can also connect to your computer via USB, letting you sync your
device with your computer while docked.
iOS devices released prior to the iPhone 5 in September 2012 use a
30-pin dock connector, while the iPhone 5 and subsequent devices use
Apple’s new Lightning connector—make
sure you buy the right kind of dock for your particular device(s). To
use an older, 30-pin speaker dock with newer, Lightning-connector
devices, you’ll need one of Apple’s Lightning-to-30-pin adapters or a third-party adapter.
A few speaker systems that include an iPad-compatible dock cradle are
out there, but not many. If none are to your liking, but you want the
charging/syncing capabilities and better audio quality that come with a
docking system, you can use an adapter cable such as CableJive's dockXtender basic ($16) or dockXtender
($26)—plus the appropriate Lightning adapter, if necessary—to connect
your iPad to any system with an iPhone dock. Keep in mind that most
iPhone/iPod speaker systems will charge the iPad slowly, if at all.
CableJive's DockBoss lets you connect any source to a 30-pin speaker dock.
If you have a Windows Phone smartphone or an Android smartphone or
tablet, speaker docks made specifically for these devices are few and
far between, so I haven’t included any in this year’s list. However, you
can connect Android and Windows Phone devices to any speaker system
using a basic audio cable; CableJive’s DockBoss
lets you connect these devices to a 30-pin iPhone speaker dock; and a
Bluetooth speaker system—see the next paragraph—is always a solid
option.
The third option, and the one that’s seen an explosion in popularity
over the past couple years, is a wireless speaker system. Most of these
connect using Bluetooth, a feature that’s quickly becoming pervasive,
especially on mobile devices. Some use Apple’s AirPlay technology,
which offers better range and audio quality than Bluetooth but works
only with Apple devices. The big advantages of most wireless speaker
systems are that you can use them with multiple devices and that you
aren’t tied to a particular location—you can walk around with your phone
or tablet, and control audio playback from a chair or desk on the other
side of the room.
iPhone and iPad dock compatibility
If you'll be using a docking speaker system with an iPhone or a 3G- or LTE-equipped iPad, look for one that sports the Made for iPhone or Made for iPad
logo. Such products were developed according to Apple's specifications,
so they're more likely to charge your device properly and less likely
to suffer from interference due to your iPhone or iPad's wireless
circuitry when not in AirPlane mode.
Multiple devices and multiple inputs
Planning to use your speakers with both a computer and a
tablet, smartphone, or other media player? Wireless speaker systems
(more on these below) usually make it easy to use multiple audio
sources—assuming most of those sources feature Bluetooth.
If wireless isn’t an option, many computer speakers have two inputs—you
can connect an additional device to them by running an audio cable from
the phone or tablet’s headphone jack to the speaker’s second input jack.
Conversely, most speaker docks also have an auxiliary-input jack for
connecting a computer or other audio source using a standard audio
cable. (As noted above, there are also adapter cables
that let you connect a computer to a speaker system that has only a
30-pin dock connector.) Make sure the speaker systems you’re considering
include such additional inputs.
Especially for computer speakers, look for systems with the additional
inputs located where they’re easily accessible, rather than
inconveniently placed on the back of the speaker or on a subwoofer
located under your desk. Also, when shopping for a speaker system to be
used with multiple devices, consider where the speakers will sit: If
you'll be doing a lot of listening at your computer, you'll likely want a
system with separate left and right speakers—which usually means
computer speakers. Otherwise, any design will do.
The controls and connections for Logitech’s Z523 are conveniently located on the right satellite speaker.On-speaker controls for computer speakers
The most-basic computer-speaker systems have no controls of their own;
you connect them to your computer and then adjust output volume using
your computer. Look instead for systems that provide their own volume
controls. Even better, many systems let you adjust bass and treble
levels to fine-tune audio output for your particular listening
environment. If the speakers you're considering include such options, be
sure the controls are easily reachable—again, on the left or right
speaker, or on a control pod or remote control, rather than on the back
of a subwoofer that sits under your desk.
Price
To some extent, the more you pay for a set of speakers, the better the
sound quality or the more features—or both—you get. Fortunately,
speakers are among the most heavily discounted computer accessories, so
be sure to shop around. Your budget may get you more than you think.
Speaker types and recommendations
In the sections below, I provide descriptions of each of the major types
of stereo (left+right channel) speaker systems on the market. (I don't
cover surround-sound systems.) For each type, I also provide a number of
recommendations at various prices. For each recommendation, I indicate
the audio-input options: analog-audio jack, optical connection, iPhone
or iPad dock, Bluetooth, AirPlay, or USB. Prices listed are MSRP, so
you'll likely be able to find each product for a lower price—sometimes
substantially lower.
Of course, these recommendations are by no means exhaustive—many quality
systems aren't listed. But you can’t go wrong with the models listed
here, and they should give you an idea of the state of the art in each
category.
Edifier’s Spinnaker e302.0 computer speakers
A 2.0 system (two channels but no subwoofer) usually comprises compact,
left and right speakers, with the amplifier housed inside one of those
speakers. By separating the left and right channels, a 2.0 system
provides much better stereo separation and imaging than a one-piece
system that confines the left and right speakers to a single enclosure.
Most 2.0 speakers also take up very little room on your desk. However,
because they tend to use small speaker drivers to keep their footprints
small, 2.0 speaker systems rarely match a good 2.1 system (below) when
it comes to bass response. Recommendations:
Ultralink’s UCube USB speakersUSB-powered 2.0 computer speakers
Although not as common as AC-powered models, some 2.0 speaker systems
get their power from a USB port on your computer. In fact, these models
use only a single USB cable for both power and audio—they grab a digital
audio signal over USB—making them appealing to people averse to cords
and cables. Some are also portable, making them convenient for laptop
listening. But because a USB port doesn't provide much power,
USB-powered speakers tend to be small, don't play very loud, and can't
produce much bass—their sound quality is rarely as good as that of a
similarly priced AC- or battery-powered speaker system. The ones listed
here offer solid sound—for USB speakers, at least. Recommendations:
Audioengine’s Audioengine 5+Studio monitors/powered bookshelf speakers
A variant of 2.0 systems, studio monitors are essentially powered
bookshelf speakers. Considerably larger than most 2.0 systems, they
generally give you much better bass response thanks to more-powerful
(and better-quality) amplification and larger low-frequency drivers.
They can play much louder, as well. In fact, a good set of studio
monitors produces sound quality closer to that of a traditional home
stereo system. On the other hand, studio monitors can take up a lot more
room on your desk, and they sometimes sound better from across a room
than when you're seated directly in front of them (called near-field
listening). Professional studio monitors, often used in recording
studios, can cost well over $1,000, but there are some great options at
reasonable prices if you've got the room. Recommendations:
Note that most studio monitors are designed like traditional bookshelf
speakers, with a flat base. This means that if you put them on your desk
without a stand, they’ll project audio directly at your stomach or
chest. Most can be wall-mounted to get them up off your desk and
positioned at ear level. Alternatively, you can buy a set of inexpensive
speaker stands designed specifically for using studio monitors on a
desk; these stands are short but angle the front of each speaker upwards
towards your ears. Some good options are the Audioengine DS1 (for small monitors; $29) and Audioengine DS2 (for larger monitors; $34).
Paradigm’s Millenia CT2.1 computer speakers
A 2.1 system (two channels plus a subwoofer) typically uses even smaller
left and right speakers than a 2.0 system. These speakers, called satellites,
produce the higher frequencies, while a larger speaker/amplifier
component, usually designed to sit under your desk, produces lower
frequencies. (A 2.1 system is often called a subwoofer/satellite, or
sub/sat, system.) The two big advantages of a 2.1 system over a 2.0
system are that you usually get much better bass response—both more
impact and the capability to extend down to lower frequencies—thanks to
the dedicated subwoofer, and the smaller left and right speakers take up
less room on your desk (though the subwoofer/amplifier unit may take up
a lot of room under it). Recommendations:
Jabra's SolematePortable speakers
If you want to be able to pack your speakers in your luggage, laptop
bag, or backpack, you need something small, light, rugged, and battery
powered. However, thanks to the smaller size and lower power of portable
speakers, you'll sacrifice sound quality for such convenience. The
majority of portable speakers can connect using a standard audio cable,
but many recent models also support Bluetooth connections (see
“Bluetooth wireless speakers,” below). Recommendations:
iHome’s iP4 BoomboxTransportable/boomboxes
Yes, the venerable boombox is back—a number of companies now make big,
luggable sound systems that run off lots of big batteries (or AC power).
But instead of cassette decks, they feature iPhone docks and Bluetooth.
Think “portable but not packable”—and, yes, you can even carry them on
your shoulder. Compared to truly portable speakers, these systems will
give you better sound, more bass, and louder volume, albeit in a much
larger and heavier package that won’t fit in your carry-on.
Recommendations:
Brookstone’s Big Blue StudioDesktop speakers and speaker docks
If you’re looking for something compact to put on your desk, the kitchen
counter, a dresser, or a bookshelf, but you don’t really need
portability, desktop speakers are the way to go. Thanks to AC power and
larger-than-portable-speakers enclosures, these systems can offer
surprisingly good sound quality, but they’re still compact enough to fit
in small spaces. Some include an iPhone or iPad dock, and some even
provide alarm-clock or radio features. A few offer battery-powered
operation, which is convenient if you just want to be able to move your
music from room to room, or take it to the backyard. (We haven’t yet
tested any Lightning-connector speaker docks, so I don’t include any
here.) Recommendations:
If you have an Android or other non-iOS smartphone or tablet, a few
docking speakers are trickling out, but we haven’t yet tested any. For
now, I recommend a system that features Bluetooth connectivity (see the
next category).
Harman Kardon’s SoundSticks WirelessBluetooth wireless speakers
Bluetooth speakers let you cut the cord—or dock—between your audio
source and your speakers. You can stream audio to stereo-Bluetooth
(A2DP) speakers from any recent Bluetooth-equipped smartphone or tablet,
including iPhones, iPads, and most Android and Windows Phone devices,
as well as from many media players, including the iPod touch and iPod
nano. Recent Macs and some recent Windows PCs also support
stereo-Bluetooth streaming, and you can use Bluetooth speakers with
other devices by purchasing a Bluetooth transmitter, offered by a number
of companies. Most Bluetooth speakers also allow you to connect to
non-Bluetooth devices using a standard audio cable. Because of this wide
compatibility, Bluetooth is easily the fastest-growing category of
speakers over the past year or two.
For convenience, some Bluetooth speaker systems provide Play/Pause,
Back, and Forward buttons on the speakers themselves; most tablets and
smartphones let you control music playback using these buttons. Some
Bluetooth speakers also double as a speakerphone, letting you easily
switch between music and voice features. Bluetooth speakers generally
have a wireless range of around 30 unobstructed feet.
It’s worth noting that if you listen to high-quality music files and you
have good ears, the sound quality of a Bluetooth speaker system is
usually not as good as that of a similar wired system. (A new technology
called Apt-X is helping to reduce this shortcoming. However, Apt-X isn’t yet widely supported, and you need Apt-X on both
ends of your wireless connection—your Bluetooth source and your
Bluetooth speakers.) Also, note that even though Bluetooth speakers
connect wirelessly to your music source, the rest of the system isn’t
wireless: For non-portable models, you still need a power cord, and for
systems with left and right speakers or a subwoofer, there’s usually a
cable connecting those components.
Bluetooth speakers come in all types—you may have noticed that I
included a number of Bluetooth-equipped models in the various
recommendation lists above. I provide a combined list here, noting the
type of each speaker, for readers who are looking specifically for
wireless options. Recommendations:
Libratone’s ZippAirPlay wireless speakers
Like Bluetooth speakers, AirPlay-enabled audio systems let you cut the cord, but they take advantage of Apple's AirPlay
(formerly AirTunes) technology to let you stream music, from your iOS
devices or Macs, over your local wireless network. (Some of these
systems also include an iPhone/iPod dock.) The advantages of AirPlay
over Bluetooth include better audio quality—AirPlay uses lossless audio
compression, while Bluetooth uses lossy compression—and much better
range, as you can stream anywhere within range of your Wi-Fi network.
The biggest disadvantages of AirPlay systems are that you can use them
with only Apple-branded sources, and that they tend to be quite a bit
more expensive than comparable Bluetooth systems. Recommendations:
As an alternative to buying a speaker system, you can build your own
system for your computer, smartphone, or tablet—even for Bluetooth or
AirPlay listening. A few years ago, I wrote about building an iPod/iPhone speaker system
from a small amp, a dedicated iPod dock, and a set of quality bookshelf
speakers. Many of the components in that article are no longer
available, but the how-to information is still relevant. More recently, I
wrote about building your own AirPlay-enabled audio system, and we’ve also covered several desktop amplifiers. Going this route allows you to spend as much (or as little) as you like on whatever design and level of quality you prefer.
If you’re interested in this approach, we’ve got some upcoming articles
you’ll want to watch for, including an article on adding Bluetooth to an
existing speaker or stereo system; a roundup of desktop amps with a
built-in digital-to-analog converter for getting quality audio from your
computer; and an updated version of that AirPlay do-it-yourself
article.
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