Ask Engadget: Best PC speakers for the office?
By Darren Murph 
posted June 12th 2009 12:21AM
posted June 12th 2009 12:21AM
We know you're struggling to take it in, but you really have just stumbled upon this week's episode of Ask Engadget. Fascinating, the timing, yeah? Now that you're here, we're going to ask you to stick around, answer Chris' question below and then send in one of your own to ask at engadget dawt com. First things first, though:"My desktop is wired through my home theater, so everything sounds great when I listen to music at home, but when I'm at the office I only have little Harman/Kardon speakers that came with my Dell. I work in an office that is music friendly, but no one has any decent speakers. I was hoping the Engadget community might have some good suggestions for reasonably priced computer speaker sets that sound good. You know... so I can share my extensive Matchbox 20 bootleg collection with the rest of my colleagues. Thanks!"
First off, congrats on working in a "music friendly" environment. And for everyone else, why not give this guy a little advice before hitting him up for job opportunities?
I'd use some Logitech 2.1 speakers, around $50 just about anywhere
Logitech Z-2300.
Logitech Z-4 if you are on a budget or don't listen to hyper bass music at max volume.
The S220 is only $25 with free shipping on Amazon.
I picked up some cheap Insignia speakers from Best Buy a couple years back. They're made by Cyber-Acoustic and have a 5-inch subwoofer and 2 satellites. They cost around $35, but they sound awesome for being cheap speakers. They suffice until i can invest in a 5.1 Surround System for my PC.
@Cheami90... I second that... I love mine.
3rd the z-2300's
I definitely agree, for a good pair of speakers on a budget, Logitech can't be beat. We use several different models of Logitech speakers in our office and they do a great job.
harman/kardon sound sticks with 2 oblong satellites and a small sub wrapped in acryllic. sound and look good.
A motivational speaker
On the Cheap:
Boston Acoustics - MM226MIST $80 @ http://www.electronics-expo.com
Mid priced:
Klipsch 2.1 THX system $150
High:
Onkyo Stereo receiver $140
JBL 5" bookshelf(pair) $100 shipped
JBL 10" sub $150
total $390
COMPLETELY! BLOWS THE HELL OUT OF THE $400 BOSE COMPANION 5!
Audioengine A2 will blow you away. I replaced my Klispch Pro Media 2.1 with them and don't regret it for a minute. These little beauties will only set you back $200. Google them and read the reviews, don't take my word for it.
Logitech spekers blow hard compared to low end audiophile stuff. Logitechs are muddy, un-musical, low resolution speakers. At the present moment, the most revered, coveted, and admired PC speakers Audiophiles are lusing for are Axiom's AudioBytes, just read the revews and see why Maximum PC, PC Word, and every one else says there is no comparison, these are the benchmark by which all lesser computer speakers are judged.
Axiom is a well respected Audiophile grade speaker company.
http://www.axiomaudio.com/audiobytecomputerspeakers.html
Axiom Audiobytes Revews. The Custom Finishes will blend well with an office enviroment and trust me, these sound much better than the Bose my friends have.
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/reviews/axiom_audio_audiobyte_speakers
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/axiom-audiobyte,news-322.html
No one wants to hear your Matchbox 20. Buy some headphones, and save the office some of your torture
No one wants to hear your douchebaggery. Buy some manners and save the Internet some of your unhappy, spiteful harping.
I clicked on comments just to find dumbasses harping on others' music tastes. It's inevitable, and I just vote 'em down.
I was hoping that the OP was being sarcastic, but he may not be. If that's the case I think he's simply conceding his taste...nothing wrong with that!
lawyer bird: I've got nothing against Matchbox 20, it's the music in the workplace that I was bashing. In my experience, one stereo for an entire office never seems to work. See Milton in Office Space for an exaggerated example
I agree, headphones are better if you just want to listen to one single band, about which many people are bound to be hot or cold. If you're playing your music so that others can hear, you get two choices:
1) Pick something difficult to criticize, i.e. established classics
2) Play a mix.
Matchbox 20 is neither.
speakers in a shared office space are absolutely unacceptable. Regardless of what you think about matchbox 20 ... get some damn headphones. Not only do they offer much better sound than price comparable speakers but they also will allow the rest of the office to work in peace. Oh and no open air headphones too. Using open air cans is about the same as using speakers and they will bother your co-workers.
@cg0def
What? They are *always* unacceptable? That's pretty damn broad. At my workplace we only have 8 employees, and most of them don't work near my office. I blast rock all the time, and if someone wants to have a meeting at the conference table, i turn it down.
You assume that manners and speakers are mutually exclusive, or that all working environments are the same, which is silly.
-Taylor
Thought this comment was funny...until I actually read the whole question and the guy mentions Matchbox 20, presumably to be funny. Which it actually ended up being, and therefore renders your comment bland and not funny at all. Not funny comments suck, especially when they don't really add anything constructive to the conversation.
I'm a fan of Logitech speakers... because they're cheap and sound pretty good! So anything Logitech with a subwoofer (obviously)!
Not really, any thing less than X-230 is a nightmare!
X-230's are really good.. i got mine 3 years ago for a bargain.. 20$!
So subjective... really hard to answer.
I like the $$$/performance that Logitech offers, but Creative and Altec Lansing have some decent $$$/performance stuff too.
Klipsch is good on the high end of the $$$, and BOSE is well... BOSE... avoid at all cost. ;)
Best solution is to do as with home speakers... listen to lots of different ones, and ideally to the music you want to listen to, and make your decision based on that. Testing inside a store, or a big box place would actually be not bad for simulating an office experience.... all that back ground noise and crappy acoustics. ;)
Now there's a good summary. For my money, I'd go with the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 ($170), as you probably don't need more than stereo, and those are about as good as you can get before getting into component systems.
Indeed. I have a Klipsch 2.1 system that I've used for so many different things. Rock solid sound... I've been shocked at how well it performs in very large rooms, never mind at a desk.
Unless you like the Bose sound (I happen to). I own the Bose computer monitors and am amazed at the natural sound quality coming out such small boxes. Having said that, Bose is an instant flame magnet and not what I would call a "budget" choice so all the logitech suggestions are probably the way to go. If you want to amaze and befuddle all your friends, have excellent sound quality and portability, check out the Bose computer monitors (2 piece-$399).
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1218004380533&type=product
I have a pair, and set them ontop of an endcap where I work, we turn on the music and no matter where you are around the speakers, they sound great.
the omnidirectional idea works.
I have always found that my old Logitech X230 2.1 speakers performe very well in large rooms. I even use them for presentations from my laptop in a gym sized room with over 100 people. They are also very easy to pack around or store when not in use. Perfect!
--Deamion
Altec Lansing VS4121. Nuf said. Our music system failed at the Futureshop i used to work at in Red Deer and we used a set of those to fill the store with music for the better part of a week. Average price is $100CND at FS. but I'm sure you can find them cheap some place online if you're in the US.
I have Logitech Z-10's, they sound awesome, great price on ebay.
Cons, heavy and not loud on analogue input method.
Pros, sound awesome through USB and go to loud for the office(unless you use the analogue method to hook em up)
Logitech X-230 > X-240. The X-240 is cheaper because it's subwoofer is less powerful. make sure you get the right one.
True. I fell for this trick and bought the 240, thinking I had one-upped on my brother who has the 230. When I get them home I checked the specs against my brothers and found the 230s are indeed more powerful. I was really disappointed but have since gotten over it because they are both good sets.
However I find the 230s to be better quality too. The 240s have bad problems with popping at loud volumes, where the 230s don't seem to. I have tested that on two different 230s and two different 240s, and all are the same.
Bose computer speakers are amazing. Sound fantastic and are very simple and small.
LOL
"I was hoping the Engadget community might have some good suggestions for reasonably priced computer speaker sets that sound good."
"some good suggestions for reasonably priced computer speaker sets that sound good"
"reasonably priced computer speaker sets that sound good"
"reasonably priced computer speaker sets"
"reasonably priced"
Buy
Other
Sound
Equipment
No highs, no lows: must be Bose.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bose
Hook it up to a great big guitar amp. Blast it, and let everyone know who's boss.
absolutely right. that's what I did in my office! \m/
Nothing better than a very expensive mono speaker.
"Nothing better than a very expensive mono speaker."
But with distortion. Makes crappy hiphop sound better :)
Then again, you could always use two and an insert cable :P
Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0 - The only way to go!
http://www.klipsch.com/na-en/products/promedia-ultra-2-0-overview/
I second the Klipsch, I have the ProMedia 2.1 system and absolutely love it.
http://www.klipsch.com/na-en/products/promedia-2-1-overview/
I would like to 3rd the Klipsch. Also don't be afraid to by refurbished - I purchased my promedia 2.1 in August of 2003 and they still sound great.
The Bose Companion 2 Series II's sound great, and are at $100 now.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7933686&type=product&id=1151657980013
Second that on the Companion 2s. They put out some of the best sound I have ever heard out of a 2-piece set, and they sound a not above even some of the more expensive Logitech speakers. Besides that, they are solid, hefty speakers (not like most speakers that feel like they were made out of styrofoam).
$100? You can get them at Sams Club for $60!