A great set of speakers can turn your Mac from squeaking mouse to roaring lion. Super simple to install, external speakers can make your favorite movies, music, video games, podcasts, and more come to life. But which Mac speakers should you get? I've rounded up some of my favorites, so strap yourself in, hold onto your hats, and ride the waves.
BestComputer Speakers for Under $100Windows Central2019
If you're not a headphones person, you're either dealing with terrible laptop speakers or maybe the awful ones built into your monitor or all-in-one PC. If that's you, then you're most likely in need of some great external speakers. You also don't want to spend a fortune on a Harmon Kardon 5.1 surround system, so we rounded up some of the best computer speakers for less than a hundred dollars.
Premium sound: Bose Companion 2 Series III
Staff Favorite
If you want excellent sound quality and value, then you want Bose. The brand is well-known in the audio space for great sound, and that remains true with these speakers.
$99 at Amazon
Small and punchy: Edifier Exclaim e10
Not taking up much space on your desk, the Exclaim e10 delivers plenty of sound with each speaker sporting two 1.5-inch tweeters and a 3-inch woofer.
$80 at Amazon
Studio design: Mackie CR3
The Mackie CR3 sounds excellent and has some handy features like aux in and headphone out ports on the front, plus TRS and RCA in on the rear.
$99 at Amazon
Cheap and cheerful: Cyber Acoustics CA-3602FFP
This sleek-looking 30W system sports a handy control pod, controlling power, volume, and bass, and has a headphone jack and auxiliary port.
$40 at Amazon
Crisp audio: Creative GigaWorks T20 Series II
Creative makes relatively inexpensive products that sound superb. Each speaker produces clean, crisp audio that'll impress, considering the price tag.
$73 at Amazon
Compact design: Genius SW-G2.1 1250
A reasonably compact subwoofer, two 3-inch drivers in each satellite speaker, and a total output power of 38W result in some excellent sound output.
$100 at Amazon
Futuristic look: GOgroove BassPULSE
These are the coolest-looking speakers in our roundup, but they're not all flash and guile. These speakers can produce unbelievable highs and lows.
$60 at Amazon
Great value: Logitech Speaker System Z313
The Z313 comes with a powered subwoofer and two satellite speakers to deliver 25W of total power. That's enough to fill your room and then some.
$49 at Amazon
Connect everything: Creative T12
The T12 by Creative is an affordable speaker solution, consisting of just two units. Not the best sounds, but great for such a budget purchase.
$50 at Amazon
Turn up the bass
In the case of most consumer goods, you're paying way too much for whatever you're getting, and you often get much more for much less, depending on the product. With speakers, you do pay for what you get. If you're keeping to a budget, don't expect anything ground-breakingly spectacular, but don't expect total crap either.
Spending a just a bit extra unlocks another tier of great-sounding speakers that will likely surpass this list. That being said, if your budget is tight, these are the tops, and Bose takes my number one spot with the excellent Bose Companion 2 system.
If you don't want to spend too much on any computer accessory, Logitech is a trustworthy brand, and the Z313 speakers are a great value. They're not as powerful as some of the other speakers on this list, but that's what you get for such a low price.
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Capitalistic Bliss
Check out these must-have PC accessories this Black Friday
Black Friday is usually when we go all-in on the big-ticket tech items we've had our eyes on all year. It's also a great time to get some accessories too. Here are some picks for the best PC accessories and peripherals to keep your eye on this Black Friday.