There are a lot of computer speakers on the market, and many of the ones we tested are perfectly fine, but don't deserve a top spot for one reason or another.
Edifier QR65 for $370: Offering a classy look with spectacular lighting effects and seriously big, powerful sound, these speakers are excellent for music, movies or games. They also come with two angled stands to point towards your ears. They have USB, RCA, and Bluetooth 5.3 inputs and USB ports for charging your gadgets. The controls are good, with a physical button on the right speaker for powering on and cycling through modes. The problem is that they are very large and won't fit on most desktops, including mine.
Creative Pebble X Plus for $130: If our budget pick isn't enough for you, Creative's Pebble X Plus adds a cube-shaped subwoofer under your desk. The larger speakers are also more powerful, with RGB lighting, and the Sub offers punchy bass. They look pretty good for the money. Connectivity is also better than the aforementioned V3, with headphone and microphone ports and Bluetooth 5.3, but all this always comes at a higher cost.
SoundBlade by Blunt for $150: If there were an award for the most stylish soundbar, BlueAnt's curved SoundBlade would win. The SoundBlade also delivers surprisingly subtle sound and a real punch of bass, courtesy of the built-in subwoofer. It's supposed to sit under your monitor but not act as a stand or riser (sadly Blunt told me not to put anything on top of it). Connectivity is good with USB-C, 3.5mm, or Bluetooth 5.3, but voice prompts are annoying. It sounded good for movies and games, but the slightly muddy mids and restrained highs hindered the music. It comes with a handy Wee remote.
OXS Thunder Lite for $150: This compact soundbar doesn't have the bells and whistles of its bigger siblings above, but it's far more affordable. It can be quite loud, supports virtual surround sound and comes with a small remote. Unfortunately, separation was poor, so it was hard to tell where sounds were coming from in games, and there's a serious lack of bass for a thunderous soundbar named after it. Connectivity includes USB-C, 3.5mm, optical or HDMI, and it supports Bluetooth 5.0.
Creative Sound Blaster GS5 for $70: While it doesn't have the power of the aforementioned OXS Thunder Light, this soundbar is less than half the price and matches it in terms of connectivity, even adding great RGB lighting on the bottom. It also has a remote and good software for making EQ and lighting adjustments. The sound lacks clarity, and bass is limited, but it's a solid little soundbar for the money and works well as a desktop device.
House of Marley Get Together Duo for $140: With an attractive and eco-friendly blend of bamboo and fabric, House of Marley's Get Together Duo is affordable. They connect via Bluetooth 5.0, RCA, or 3.5-mm aux. There is no subwoofer, the midrange is dominant, and they lack something in the high end. The right battery-powered speaker can also serve as a portable speaker, and you can use them 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're perfectly fine.
SteelSeries Arena 3 for $129: Sporting a nice pear-shaped design with tiltable speakers and subtle branding, SteelSeries' entry-level Arena 3 can pack a punch. But they lack bass, detail gets lost in the highs, and sound a little vague to the music. Even for SteelSeries fans, there's no particular reason to choose these over some of our options above. They do not have lighting, USB or any other additional features.
Razer Nomo V2: The sound quality of Razer's entry-level speaker is solid for music, though lacking bass, and good for movies and games (it has THX spatial support). These no-frills speakers sound great but lack a subwoofer, RGB lighting, and a remote. They offer USB and Bluetooth connectivity and can be customized in Razer's Synapse software.
logitech z407 for $114: A full 2.1 system at this price is no mean feat. These speakers connect via USB, 3.5-mm aux, or Bluetooth, and have a wireless remote volume dial. The build is cheap, and the sound lacks definition, but there's a good thump of bass from the subwoofer, and the mids and highs are reasonably crisp, provided you don't turn the volume up too high. WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokattu says he used a variation of the Logitech Z series for nearly a decade and 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 massive subwoofer, five speakers, and a central control unit. The design feels old, maybe even a little 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, this is 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 particularly powerful, can sound sloppy and flat, and has a short cable (not good for a sit-stand desk). The subwoofer delivers some good bass, there's a remote control, and I like the Clear Dialogue option for turning up the volume, but you can do better.