Some of the best PC speakers and soundbars we’ve tested are on sale starting at just $27.99

Some of the best PC speakers and soundbars we've tested are on sale starting at just $27.99

The Creative Labs Pebble V2 is a set of stereo speakers that connect to your PC via USB and feature a minimalist design.

Starting with an old favorite of Tom's Hardware, the Creative Labs Pebble V2 are about as simple and straightforward as PC speakers come. We've seen them for a couple of dollars less before, but at just $28 for a 2.0 stereo set of speakers, it's hard to complain. The speakers connect via USB-C (power) and 3.5mm (audio), and there's a volume dial on the front of the right speaker for quick adjustments.

We've reviewed the Pebble Pro set , which comes with an optional power boost to round out the low-end, as well as modern wireless connectivity with Bluetooth, but they're around $60. For a no-nonsense set of speakers that you plan on exclusively using with a desktop, however, the base Pebble V2s remain our go-to option.

The G2000 speakers from Edifier come with a peak power raing of 32W and a frequency response of 98 Hz up to 22 kHz, along with analog and Bluetooth connections.

Up a step in quality, you can save a solid 27% off the Edifier G2000 speakers, which currently rank as our best set of PC speakers for 2.0 gaming. With 32W of peak power, the G2000s are substantially more powerful than what you get with the Pebble V2, helping to deliver better low-end performance out of the 2.75-inch drivers.

In addition to USB and 3.5mm connections, the speakers also support Bluetooth, and there's an optional input for a subwoofer if you want to expand to a 2.1 stereo setup in the future. This is the first time this pair of speakers has dropped below $80 this year, with the set mostly selling for around $90 and $100 on sale, so now's a great time to pick them up.

The Edifier M60 speakers feature a 3-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter, as well as 66W of total output across the four drivers.

If you're after the illustrious Audioengine A2+ speakers, they unfortunately aren't on sale right now. The Edifier M60 set does a decent impression, however, and they're half the price right now at $149.99. Peak power is more than doubled compared to the G2000, up to 66W peak with the internal Class-D amp; the drivers are enlarged to 3 inches, and Edifier includes a 1-inch tweeter to help separate the high-end frequencies.

For connections, Edifier includes USB-C, 3.5mm, and Bluetooth, and the speakers come with a pair of aluminum stands that angle the drivers up toward your ears at 15 degrees (an extra with Audioengine speakers).

These 6.81 x 4.68 x 5.51-inch speakers have attractive removable cloth fronts, 10-degree angled stands to aim them up at your ears, and they performed well in our testing. They also have ample connectivity, with Bluetooth 5.3 LE, USB-C, RCA (with a built-in Phono stage for vinyl record players), optical, and a subwoofer connector. I've used these for years as the sound system for my projector and have been very happy with their audio output.

For around the same price, you can pick up a pair of the GX-10DB speakers from the Japanese brand Onkyo. These speakers are similar to the M60 set, featuring a 3-inch driver and 3/4-inch tweeter, though with a lower 30W of total power through the Class D amp. Onkyo also includes 3.5mm, USB-C, and Bluetooth inputs, along with an optical input and an RCA output for a subwoofer.

The main reason to go for the Onkyo's is the enclosure and DSP chip, which is better than what you get with the Edifier's. Both the white and black versions are on sale, and regardless of the color you choose, you get a pair of wood-finished angled stands and speaker grilles with the Edifier logo.

These 4-inch 50-watt speakers look great, come with angled desktop stands, and can connect to your PC and just about everything else. Features include Bluetooth as well as 3.5mm AUX, HDMI ARC, USB-C, line/phono, and optical connections.

If you have a bit more budget, the larger GX-30ARC speakers from Onkyo are also on sale, and they currently rank as our top multi-use 2.0 PC speakers. They're virtually identical to the smaller GX-10DB set, just with larger 4-inch drivers and a bump up to 50W on the amp. Onkyo also includes an HDMI CEC input with these speakers if you want to us them with a TV or console.

You can read more about both sets of speakers in our Onkyo Creator Series review .

The Fluance Ai41 speakers feature 5-inch drivers with a 1-inch tweeter, and they come with an included remote that controls volume, bass, and treble.

Stepping up once again to a 5-inch driver, the Fluance Ai41 speakers are on sale for around $255. Similar to the Edifier M60 set, these are modeled after Audioengine's A5 speakers, though they cost half the price right now. Plus, Fluance includes some extra goodies that Audioengine doesn't, such as a remote that controls volume, treble, and bass, in the box.

In our Fluance Ai41 speaker review , we found that the audio quality was excellent for the price, assuming you have space for larger speakers on your desktop. The speaker accepts RCA, Bluetooth, and optical inputs, and the two satellites connect with the included 18-gauge speaker wire.

The OXS Thunder Pro speakers is a 5.1.2 system with Dolby Atmos support that comes with an included neck pillow that function as satellite speakers.

At the high end, the OXS Thunder Pro soundbar is on sale for a solid $150. It's a 5.1.2 system with Dolby Atmos support, with the soundbar packing dual 3/4-inch tweeters, dual 2.5-inch full-range drivers, and four 1.5-inch full-range drivers. You can optionally purchase a neck pillow with two additional 1.75-inch drivers, though we found the neck pillow to be mostly a gimmick in our OXS Thunder Pro review .

Although the soundbar is angled toward PC, it includes two HDMI inputs (one of which supports eARC), a USB-C and USB-A connection, a microphone and headset input, as well as a separate 3.5mm audio input. OXS also includes a wireless remote, as well as a wired desktop volume rocker.

Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.

Key considerations

Investor positioning can change fast
Volatility remains possible near catalysts
Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows

Reference reading

More on this site

Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.

Key considerations

Reference reading

More on this site

Related posts:

Leave a Comment Cancel reply