Speakers: The PC Part You Forgot

[@ryandunnison]

I'd love to see a longer form video showing 'the ultimate pc audio setup' or just a how to guide for different audio options since there's a lot of them and it's not always clear what you can do with your motherboard and when you should look to invest in a sound card or if you can get an external amp instead etc.

[@joshuad1716]

Yamaha hs5 and that’s it

[@daniel-1976]

I'll throw in behind this as well. Because for me I'd like to get an in depth on "audio out " on mobos. I'm outputting from that little jack on the back of my mobo to a decent Denon amp with some wharfedale diamond 220 speakers attached. I'd love to get some insight on how the mobo output effects the end result.

[@Jako1987]

So large full range speakers, good amp and acoustic treatment to the space? 😎

[@tiavor]

definitely. I went the "go nuts" route with an AVR and bit standing speakers (+ bookshelf for rear channels + sub + center)

[@Kriss_941]

I have a pair of Dali Opticon 1 MK2 powered by a Bluesound Powernode and it's great. High res streaming from either PC or phone, and running optical to the PC for PC audio.

[@theAessaya]

Getting a pair of solid studio monitors for my PC was the best decision ever. And I've helped a couple of friends convert as well. All of them commented on the sound "it's like having headphones on, but without all the head pressure or wires". There also is another consideration for choosing speakers for PC that wasn't mentioned: the designed field distance (i.e. what is the intended distance from speaker to listener). Many bookshelf/home theater speakers are designed to be mid- or even far-field, making them suboptimal for use with PC, where listener is usually very close to the speakers. Studio monitors, on the other hand, are usually designed as near-field, with wider angles of accurate reproduction off the axis, meaning your sound will not be as affected by the position of your head as it would be with mid- or far-field speakers, whose sound cones are narrower.

[@Oystein87]

Having good speakers in correct placement so the sound imaging is the way it should is BETTER and more natural than having headphones/headsett on😜

[@snotvlek4721]

Don't forget to treat the room you're in, that makes a lot of difference too!

[@theAessaya]

@@snotvlek4721 I did, and even just a couple of pieces of accoustic foam got rid of a lot of unwanted resonances. I just need some bass traps for the sub now.

[@SirenaWF1]

I have monitors setup correctly and a sub, and I can't believe how much better games sound.

[@csciabar]

Looking for recommendations. Seems like to many options.

[@badbits2747]

Protip: Acoustically treating your room with sound absorbing foam and/or bass traps can be so significant in a small room, that it'll feel like you've upgraded whatever speakers you already have. The placement and angle of the speakers in relation to your listening position and the room's dimensions can improve things as well. It can actually be mathematically calculated for optimal performance.

[@5urg3x]

Yes. Bass traps are huge in small rooms.

[@Walhor]

Agreed, moved into an apartment with a tiny room for my pc. Every other room had some wood planks in the ceiling too reduce noise bounce because holy hell was the noise horrible. Had to bring in a couch and big rug too reduce it just a little bit

[@MarcusH...]

@@Tanks_In_Space audio > wife

[@DX88]

My PC is in the middle of the living room, I don't think my wife would approve.

[@DE3P_Beats]

@@Tanks_In_Space as Marcus said, audio > wife

[@peppa1492]

0:10 - to be fair those 'head clamps' don't necessarily have to be uncomfortable. There are enormous difference between models and manufacturers.

[@techtt6213]

Many great options out there, for every budget something. Jusy don't buy the gaming stuff, that's usually crap.

[@YOEL_44]

Exactly.

[@MrWitheridge]

Glad to see you threw Edifier a mention - they are great!

[@t94xr]

I know, those 1280Ts are amazing - some of the best speakers (in the budget/home category) you can buy apparently. I love the sound that comes out of them!

[@totherik91]

I have that Edifier R1280DB (The same speaker like in this video, just with added bluetooth). Its the best damn speaker i ever had for my computer, i really recommend it!

[@sptauto]

They're cheap, they're not great. Actually quite poor, objectively speaking.

[@Alberos]

I'm using R1700BT, they sounds great...., with some setting adjusted and one big "but". First, the settings, I turned the bass down and treble up quite a bit to get it to sound clearly and less boommy bass. And the "but", it sucks at sub bass! (not surprised, it has no subwoofer) I can't hear anything under 50-ish Hz or so. They did tell you that this set can't produce sub bass in the spec thou (they listed the frequency respond of around 50Hz and up, I think). Also, if you want sub bass, you can get the one with sub anyway, they have one. I'm happy with this set, they sound wayy better than any "PC Speaker" I tested at that time.

[@sptauto]

@@Alberos Their drivers are out of phase, they use cheap crossover components, and sit in an improperly treated speaker cabinet with resonance issues. They're ok IF and only IF you do a craptonne of DIY fixing. Them playing sub-frequencies is also not a good thing, that just means they have a shitty crossover design. A midrange woofer is only supposed to play between 150-2500Hz, anything more or less adds distortion.

[@reddragonsmaw]

So I have been using my home theater receiver to power my audio from my PC since before HDMI existed. As such I'm fairly confused why we would completely ignore one of the most compelling use cases for HDMI 2.1's capabilities, that modern graphics cards provide. One of the few sources that can even take advantage of the high bitrate audio, Pre-amps, and recievers support, is the HDMI port on your video card! I understand most people are not gaming on their 75" tv from their PC, but some of us have been trying to unify our entertainment solution to a fewer devices, since the days of the "All In Wonder" cards of great antiquity... It's disappointing though, that the home theater HDMI option was left out of the video all together. Amplifies come in many forms also, and MOST actually use the XLR connector, in the audiophile world. I'm sure Linus and James are quite aware and familiar with this given their previous videos showing them utilizing these setups. So then why nyx the option entirely? Even still, love the video, and hope to see more audio related content in the future!

[@TrioLOLGamers]

Yep HDMI ARC for me is a life changer to not carry an analog cable in your room but the issue is that 90% of the time you have one ARC port in TV and ONE output port (probably not ARC) on the amplifier. Like why do they do this? It doesn't cost a lot dammit!!!

[@BEXYSPC]

No to mention that alot of games support surround sound using multi channel PCM through HDMI.

[@mcramp20]

YES!!!

[@trentonbennettVO]

It can be a trade-off in that if you have a really good monitor, you may have to use a DisplayPort cable to get the full color range out of it if the monitor doesn't support 4:4:4 via HDMI. Even so, I do similar to you and simply use a DisplayPort directly to the monitor and then an HDMI cable out to an old home theater receiver that only outputs audio. Weird side effect: the HDMI signal will not send more than Stereo down the cable *unless* I specifically set the "refresh rate" of the receiver-that-doesn't-have-a-monitor to 60Hz via the advanced graphics options in Windows. I suspect it's relying on the signal frequency to determine the bit rate that can be sent through the cable to the receiver. Even then, I have to get into the old-school Sound Properties panel, right-click, and "Configure speakers" (and walk through that wizard) sometimes to remind the machine that the receiver can do 7.1.

[@BEXYSPC]

@@trentonbennettVO I have a seperate HDMI cable running the the receiver. works fine in my case :)

[@vdfritzz]

1:55 people have no idea HOW FUCKING INSANE studio speakers sound, you literally have to stand in front of them and listen to understand it's not about the volume, it's not how low the bass goes, they sound so damn clean, a small pair of sudio speakers sound WAAAAAY BETTER than standard speakers, even better than quality bookshelf speakers on a good receiver doesn't matter if you listen to high quality flac files or watch this youtube video on it, they are just great

[@YOEL_44]

Chill dude, we know, but you also have to spend way more, quality doesn't come free.

[@nixx5490]

But there is always a guy that know nothing about audio that will say that studio speaker are for producing music and are not good for listening… because… they don’t know there just like to say dumb things like this

[@Kerdtress]

People have no idear how good anything can sound if you buy any kind of decent audio Gear instead of shitty PC/Gaming stuff. While i would recommend Studio Monitors too because of simplicity and the sound in Nearfield even with untreated rooms im staying with Hifi Bookshelf Speakers well placed like my Elac Vela BS403. But i can design my Desk Setup around my Speakers which most can not :D

[@vdfritzz]

@@Kerdtress i use an old panasonic dvd/hometheater with tiny center, L and R channels and a tiny subwoofer lmao i used to work at a repair shop that repaired high end receivers, studio monitors and those enormous professional mixing and DJ gear, i was exposed to a lot of high quality audio equipment but the studio monitors were something else

[@Pretagonist]

Yeah, I got myself a pair of Adam studio speakers and I'm never going back. The crispness of the sound is incredible. Sure I could have had more boom if I got a pair of pc speakers with a sub but with the studio speakers you can actually hear every single sound which is great for audio presence in games. It's a bit more expensive, you need more cables and you don't get all the bells and whistles like Bluetooth, displays, fancy knob and such but the studio equipment people are way, way better at producing clear flat sound (flat as in no distortion or arbitrary amplification)

[@Preske]

I have these 20+ year old pc speakers from cambridge soundworks and they still work like a charm. Compact too, they fit right under my monitor, which is handy, as I don't have much useable deskspace.

[@88porpoise]

I have Amazon Basics Bluetooth speakers.... Good enough for me.

[@MikeStavola]

I have a few sets of these. Some older computer audio systems sound really good. My lab PC has a 2.1 Bose PC system hooked to it. A Companion 5. I found them on the curb on my way into work one day. They're the kind with a dedicated USB DAC. It honestly sounds really good for a workshop system. And... after looking them up, I found that they sell used for over $300. Hm.

[@TalesOfWar]

I still have some Logitech Z4's. They've been through at least 4 entirely new PC builds, probably more. Still sound pretty good for my small space. I keep looking for something new but they're all either some stupid shape or massive. I'm rather space constrained! I'd rather have my 3 27" monitors on the desk than sacrifice one for some nicer speakers lol.

[@Preske]

@@MikeStavola nice!

[@TraneFrancks]

I had a pair of Cambridge SoundWorks PCWorks that worked beautifully for over 20 years. They heaved their final sigh only about 18 months ago. Best hundred bucks I ever spent.

[@Sircliffe]

17 year old Logitech Z-5000 represent. Works like a charm still. Only issue is the LCD backlight has gone dim.

[@triggertits]

I have the same set, bought it in 2007'ish. Unfortunately, the subwoofer stopped working. Damn shame, it was a great set of speakers, but the satellite speakers still work like a charm.

[@AndreasElf]

Have them aswell. Not the best setup, but very capable. Though I would like to upgrade in the future. The base could be quicker and the speakers could have a bit more base to them aswell.

[@ravenof1985]

I have a set of Juster 3D601s speakers i bought in the early/mid2000's, the ONLY fault they have is that the power LED burnt out a decade ago. ill probably replace them with a set of 3D602's IF they ever die

[@zondervon]

@@triggertits Actually, even back then plugging a basic stereo amp and two smaller bookshelf speakers was still an option. And you could do it at a reasonable price. Not $20 bucks, but the sound difference would be drastic.

[@Ruben9505]

@Ian Visser if you hook them up with the 3.5mm jacks and crank audio quality, then grab some lossless movies (+80gb files) you'll see that the z-5500 still has plenty of crisp. Not to say that anything with larger drivers won't sound better, cause it will, but big movies made for Atmos and THX still sound awesome when watched in the original resolution. If you're watching KZbin/Netflix you're most likely gonna be needing some 5" drivers or bigger. I'd actually say the biggest upgrade one can ever do is at least 5" drivers for proper voice-playback and a proper amp/receiver :) after that everything gets blurry and there's too many factors to even bother bringing up here.

[@TigerClaw305]

In regards to PC speakers, There are some that give you 5.1 surround, The back of a soundcard would have outputs for the front, surround, center and the back speakers, They also have outputs for using an optical cable to get 5.1 surround as well, It really depends on your setup, If your someone who watches movies or game in 5.1 surround sound.

[@fermitupoupon1754]

The thing with that is that TOSLINK or SPDIF for that matter, don't support uncompressed 6 channel audio. Yes it works with Netflix or other steaming services like that, because they generally offer Dolby Digital or DTS compressed streams which the reciever then decodes. However most games and things like TeamSpeak or Discord do not support this. They will send an uncompressed PCM stream for the audio, in which case TOSLINK and SPDIF limit you to 2 channel audio. Now if you're using HDMI, the Handy Dandy Movie Interface, that does support 6 or more channels of uncompressed PCM.

[@onlynemesisR32]

I decided to try those Edifier 1280db last year... now, I have one pair for my gaming PC, one pair for my working PC and one pair in the dinning room! Love them!!

[@t94xr]

I picked up a pair cheap, when I started to use them I did a bit of research and found out they're like really really highly rated speakers, it was a "gem product" - cheap speakers for not-so cheap sound. Love em!

[@myselfshubhamrana]

Are they better than Harman Kardon Soundsticks?

[@myselfshubhamrana]

@Telleva I prefer Harman Kardon over Sony any day, except in some products.

[@myselfshubhamrana]

@Telleva Price is no issue. I just want quality. I have Soundsticks Wireless ( or wireless version of III). It's sounds amazing, but since I had it since years, I am desiring if something even more amazing is possible. I have eyes on Audioengine. Was just checking where this Edifier stands in hierarchy.

[@myselfshubhamrana]

@Telleva Audioengine and Devialet are my go to right now. Will check what you suggested. Haven't touched anything with seperate amp. Seperate amp is not that common in India. We don't even know we have to worry about something like an amp.

[@Zuriki09]

I went through this whole rabbit hole recently. Ended up picking up some active Edifier speakers. I'm not an audiophile, I just wanted something better than the crappy PC speakers and an external amp was just too much additional crap I'd have to buy.

[@rafy5289]

Is edifier speaker are good?

[@greengenesis]

Which model did you go with? I am currently looking into them too.

[@Zuriki09]

@@greengenesis Edifier R1280DB

[@Zuriki09]

@@rafy5289 yes, but like I said I'm not an audiophile. I'm sure if you ask someone who is an enthusiast they will tell you to buy some $1000 set-up. For me, these are absolute fine. Edifier R1280DB is what I picked up.

[@EntropyConcept]

@@Zuriki09 R1280DB is a complete joke. Buy a pair of Adam a4v's with a topping E50. You'll never be able to go back. /j They're nice little bookshelf speakers, I'm glad you like them. (to others): The edifier r1280t will be a bit cheaper if you don't need Bluetooth, and the edifier mr4's will be nice if you're looking for something that's a little more aesthetically pleasing.

[@_dxnnie_]

I have a pair of active studio monitor, JBL LSR305, brought around 4 years ago for $200 that still amazes me. I am yet to use it at max volume or felt like it should've gone bigger or better in ANY way. I've been using for gaming, watching movies, music and whatever needed, and everything is clear. The setup is: PC > cable aux to rca > passive preamp (a.k.a. volume knob) > rca cable to XRL > powered speakers

[@personal-stream-studio]

Totally agree! That kind of things that I've always tell my clients. But I think external DAC + active speakers generally speaking will be better than passive speakers + amp plugged directly in motherboard.

[@dantdmnl]

I have passive speakers + amp but also a Sound Blaster Z

[@Hotrob_J]

I went with an audioengine HD3, as they've got a built in DAC, but also à headphone jack and independent volume. I don't know if that was the best call vs a separate dac and speaker setup though.

[@personal-stream-studio]

@@dantdmnl that's cool too I think because you have more presice DAC conversion, better THD+N, etc. in comparison to build-in sound card

[@personal-stream-studio]

@@Hotrob_J as far as I know these speakers has an analog RCA connection so you can try to use external DAC with it and compare it to one that build in speakers if you're curious!

[@Scotty24198424]

Still rocking my legendary Logitech Z-5500 system, owend them 16 years and still awesome.

[@akmartinez1]

I just recently found and connected an old Cambridge Soundworks 5.1 speaker setup I had for my home theater when I was living single... I connected it to my PC and absolutely love the sound!!! I got in trouble with the wifey for playing my music and games through my PC...

[@Preske]

i have the 2.1. it's amazing

[@SullenSecret]

For years, I've used a surround receiver to power studio monitor speakers. This transfers the signal from the computer over HDMI. ( I use an Onkyo receiver.) This is the best option for creating a home entertainment environment (over time, considering the extra costs). Another option is a good external audio interface that gets its computer signal from USB. It acts as an external sound card. (I recommend the Minifuse 2 from Arturia.) It sends the audio to a pair of self-powered studio monitors. Finally, the easiest option is to just buy active studio monitors, as the video suggests, that create the audio and power themselves straight from a digital connection.

[@teddine7366]

I've always used my hi-fi stereo or home theater receiver and speakers for my pc. Right now it's an Onkyo 120 watts x 5 with all polk audio monitor speakers and a velodyne sub in there for good measure. It shakes the whole house and sounds really clean doing it.

[@sptauto]

That's unfortunate, because Polk audio makes some of the worst speakers available. Their drivers are out of phase, and they use garbage crossover components.

[@dantdmnl]

I'm using a Sony STR-DB940 (110w per channel, 550w total) with 2 JBL LX500 MK2's as my stereo speakers, Mordaunt Short Genie MS404 centre and 2 x Mordaunt Short Genie MS402 Satellites as my surround speakers. Oh and a Sound Blaster Z for Toslink.

[@Neil_Hanson]

@@sptauto Polk make perfectly decent speakers for their prices and they are usually pretty well reviewed, but their subwoofers on the other hand are not so good.

[@sptauto]

@@Neil_Hanson They don't. Being well-reviewed by influencers means nothing if they're about as knowledgeable in regards to audio as a turtle. The sound engineers, and audiophiles alike disagree. Go watch GR Research's video on the Polk audio speakers.

[@Neil_Hanson]

@@sptauto For every bad review you can find I can find a good review. At the end of the day if someone is happy with their set of Polks then that's all that matters. And honestly, a lot of audiophiles are just elitists who think they are some kind of authority on audio but couldn't pass an ABX test.

[@leobottaro]

I got a Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 and BOY! That was one of the best upgrades for my PC, no longer my ears hurt from wearing headphones all day AND my pc sounds simply AMAZING. Tip: Don't cheap out on speakers, there's a reason expensive is expensive. My opinion is to save up until you can afford a nice pair, because later you won't upgrade your setup for a long time and you know it.

[@LiannLee1666]

A longer video on this subject would be nice with some testing and showing some more speakers to choose from... etc etc I use pioneer S dj60X speaker for my music pc , and use a pioneer Pioneer DJm 700 as amp. Sounds great with gaming too. Greetings from The Netherlands.

[@aloniumbonium]

You're really good at making an expensive setup sound like it's not actually that expensive

[@SamuraiGuy]

Welcome to HiFi/audiophiles

[@gtx1650max-q]

fr, throw 300$ dollar and you get lady gaga produce all sounds for ya

[@zippymagee]

Exactly LOL ...my discounted amp and borrowed surround speakers turned into a $1000 system quickly.

[@JoeBob79569]

Nice to finally see some audio stuff here! I have an Atmos receiver for my PC audio, 5.1.2, connected with HDMI, but it's a pain to set up because you have to tell Windows that you have a second display connected, when you really don't; and so you end up with a second non-existent, but still existing, display at the side or the corner of your screen, and it can be a black hole for the mouse, or some files or folders if you end up moving them into the void accidently.

[@victortitov1740]

hmm... is it the reason why i couldn't make an hdmi sound extractor box work as a kind of sound card? How do you convince windows there is a monitor there when there actually isn't?

[@victortitov1740]

@@Tanks_In_Space we did, but i think it still didn't work without an actual tv on the other end. And we still haven't managed to push anything beyond stereo to the audio box, even though the box supported 5.1.

[@JoeBob79569]

@@victortitov1740 My setup goes like this: Display Port from the GPU to monitor. HDMI from the GPU to receiver. And then I just go into Nvidia Control Panel and I set up multiple displays there, add the second display, and I drag it around find a location where it interferes the least. You might also have to go into Set Up Digital Audio in the NCP, but generally once the receiver is displayed in NCP, or in Windows Settings> Display you should be good to go, once you set everything correctly, like Windows audio settings, HDMI input on the receiver, etc.. But, yea, I think the HDMI device would probably need to send some feedback to the computer, so that it knows that it's there, and what it is. My receiver, for example, shows up in Windows as "AV Receiver", and in NCP with the correct brand name.

[@victortitov1740]

@@Tanks_In_Space it is. The option to switch to 5.1 audio is grayed out... When using the audio box as a passthrough, we got horrible picture quality (low bandwidth?), with a dedicated splitter we got good picture. But 5.1 just never worked =( but it did work with a blu-ray player. We wanted to build an epic sound system with a custom dsp, but this unreliability of it all made us drop the project. My laptop has the hdmi wired to intel gpu. It does have a second gpu (nvidia), but i don't think nvidia control panel can control whatis sent out to the hdmi. And intel control panel is ... dead =) as are most other UWPs on my system somehow, i think i wrecked the system by trying to get access to the file system containing the UWPs to mess with them.

[@r3mpuh]

Logitech Z-2300 is goat, evil thumbnail. Better than any Edifer speaker ever produced.

[@stelp7617]

Been using Yamaha bookshelf speakers now for years, and recently upgraded my amp to an Audioengine N22 from an old Pioneer home theatre receiver. Paired with my Asus Xonar Essence STX soundcard, just lovely.

[@youtubeshadowbannedme]

I'm using budget Pioneer headphones and they sound far better than anything I've ever used

[@philgoodinc2]

One thing not completely mentioned is, If you get Active Studio monitors, (like Yamaha HS, JBL PRO LSR and KRK ROKITs) you should also get an interface and decent quality balanced cables relevant to your hardware. While there are cables that convert 3.5mm headphone jack to XLR/Balanced TRS which technically "work", they pick up interference. I believe the bookshelf speaker varieties that have RCA inputs are different and dont have this issue. Having a decent interface also would give you better power to drive headphones and also allow you to use XLR microphones.

[@josenunez7422]

I remember my first pc speakers. Altec Lansing, they sound great and they're still alive after 20 years

[@kr19569]

My first one was a Yamaha 2.0. Can't remember the model, but boy, were they good. Lasted almost 8 years before I accidentally blew them up.

[@darrenfalconer3267]

my first was the internal piezo haha

[@Spirch]

altec lansing mx5021, i'm using them right now 😀

[@josenunez7422]

@@kr19569 they aren't made as before. quality back then was waaay better. everything was built like a tank. the only thing bad about then was the white color, now a disgusting yellow, but still sound amazing after 20+ years .

[@kr19569]

@@josenunez7422 haha, got that one right. Mine were White too. 😁

[@Davethreshold]

EXCELLENT!! Thank you. People need to know this. I have my computer plugged into a full surround sound, with JBL studio speakers, bi-amped with Threshold amplifiers. You don't need to do that, but $300 will set you apart from any "computer speakers." to the envy of all of your friends. Spread the word!!

[@dare2liv_nlove]

Liked for the shoutout to JBL studio monitors, though mine are probably much more low-end than yours (JBL LSR305's).

[@EntropyConcept]

@@dare2liv_nlove they may be referring to the JBL studio lineup of products (not studio monitors, that's the name of the line).

[@Mr.Morden]

My suggestion is a video with Linus and 50 Alexas all talking to him at once, then they begin to talk to each other, then they become sentient and they take over the world. But then after they take over the world it actually turns out pretty nice once the apocalypse enthusiasts stop freaking out.

[@trentenr7255]

The klipsch 2.1 pro media speakers are ~$100 and are insanely high quality for the price. @1:52 Nothing I’ve ever heard compares.

[@Ponlets]

what about 5.1 or 7.1 surround systems or even something with dual subwoofers like a 5.2 surround or even something Dolby Atmos like with a 7.2.2 setup?

[@THU31]

Last time I used PC speakers was 2004. Then I bought an old Yamaha amplifier with a pair of used hi-fi stereo speakers, and I never went back. I just kept gradually upgrading my set up over the years, and now I am extremely happy with my Yamaha receiver and Monitor Audio Bronze surround set. And if your budget is very limited, it is always better to buy a good stereo set over a cheap 5.1 set.

[@SeanKillmaster]

"The PC Part You Forgot" @0:01 - The IO Shield, obv

[@Connie_cpu]

Honestly haven't used speakers on my PC in years and I don't really miss them. My open back headphones are extremely comfortable and give great sound, plus I don't have to switch anything around when I join voice chat

[@kapriolenpfeifer]

Open Headphones are the best. It's like the music is in the room. No need for Speakers.

[@alexanderdiogenes8067]

I've been using a regular stereo receiver out to big ol' hifi floor speakers from my old stereo for yeaaaars. Audio interface -> receiver -> speakers

[@carlaustin1093]

Also a lot of pc's offer a optical output. Purchasing a set of speakers that offer a optical (digital) input will add to the sound quality. Those Edifier speakers shown in this video are a great all in one solution. Also more home stereo amplifiers also have optical inputs to accommodate that solution.

[@LovelyDoetje]

Optical is limited. You will not have high res and no modern surround system.

[@Dyonivan]

Back in March, I bought my "dream PC" for gaming, but neither it nor the monitor came with a speaker. I've been using a cheap $15 bluetooth speaker for the time being, but finally got around to buying the SoundBlaster Katana V2 soundbar. So excited to hear audio from a decent speaker system.

[@zwenkwiel816]

dont you get lag with bluetooth though? like I've only used some cheap bluetooth speaker on my phone and for music it's fine but video (or games I imagine) are horrible because of the pretty bad lag on the audio

[@Dyonivan]

@@zwenkwiel816 I haven't noticed any lag with the cheap bluetooth speaker, but it has like no bass at all. So if someone is speaking and says a hard consonant, it sounds like the person gagged for a moment. The speaker is also only like three feet from the antenna of the computer. I'll be using an optical cable to hook up the soundbar though.

[@sptauto]

I'm disappointed you've been lead to believe that is in any way a comporable listening device. Soundbars are acoustically one of the stupidest designs to hit the market, and you're genuinely missing out. It's unfortunate to see so many people succumb to marketing gimmicks.

[@SamuraiGuy]

@@sptauto Soundbars can be really good. I'm sorry someone convinced you otherwise. That said, I don't believe the Razer leviathan to be a good sound system, but it will be an incredible jump from a cheap Bluetooth speaker.

[@Dyonivan]

@@sptauto Okay so now that I've been using the Katana V2 for a few days now, I feel like I can finally respond to you. First off, you don't know my situation. I'm disabled, so I'd have to ask other people to set up a proper sound system. And if I wanted to change something? I have to ask them again. That's a lot of favors to call in. A soundbar is simple and convenient. But I don't regret my purchase at all. This soundbar sounds better than any speakers I've ever had in my life. It does everything I want it to and more. I use earbuds when I'm talking to people online so they don't hear an echo of themselves, and I expected to have to plug them in and out whenever I wanted to change what I'm listening to. But not with this system - there's a button to press to switch to the earbuds and back again. It's so convenient. And I know when I get a PS5, all I need to do to connect it to the soundbar is use a USB cable and it'll immediately be setup. And this soundbar just looks great.

[@vomaufgang]

I absolutely swear by my Nubert NuBoxx 311 + Denon PMA60 combo. Absolutely neutral sound, zero hissing, a bit big if you're used ordinary desktop speakers but once you manage to setup a stereo triangle on your desk you'll never want anything else. Amazing sound stage as well. Strong enough base where you wont need a subwoofer when listening to music or watching movies at your desk. Also these speakers usually last for *decades*. The currently available model are the NuBoxx 313 I believe. If you're among people that don't want to compromise on a budget of around 500 to 600 € for all parts combined, these NuBoxxes can be amazing. They do need a little bit of a better amplifier than recommended in this video though - but admittedly the PMA60 is a bit overkill. The more affordable PMA50 or a used Teac AH-01 will do just as well, just make sure to connect your PC via SPDIF (i.e. digitally) over coax or toslink and let the DAC handle the conversion from digital audio to, well, sound. Or, if you don't want to invest into a separate amplifier, Nubert (and a lot of different vendors) also sell active speakers which are basically their passive speakers (like the aforementioned NuBoxx series) plus an integrated DAC so you can hook up your speakers via USB directly to your PC. Those do usually cost 50 to 100 € more per piece tough.

[@zeveroarerules]

For tight and "exact" sound make sure you overspec your amp to your speakers.

[@mndlessdrwer]

Also reduces the risk of clipping. Clipping can kill your speakers faster than putting too much power through them unless you're severely exceeding their maximum power handling on a continuous basis.

[@evlkenevl2721]

👆 This. A lot of people think an amp rated above what the speakers are rated will blow the speakers. It can, if you crank it way up, but using an amp rated lower and turning it up to the point of distortion is more likely to kill your speakers.

[@mndlessdrwer]

@@evlkenevl2721 Clipping kills speakers shockingly quickly. I mean, they aren't great at coping with square-wave signals, after all. They CAN, but not for very long and not at high volumes. It's hell on the poor voice coil.

[@nen848]

Yo James sang that "Treble" with such power and quality. Those pipes my man are freaking clean

[@daleneuman6593]

You rock James! Clear and concise info with just a dash of comic relief.

[@canarbn3com]

I am still using a set of Cambridge SoundWorks 2.1 speakers made in 2000..i bought at a garage sale for 15 bucks.....in 2006.....quite happy and have tried different sound systems and keep coming back to these ..

[@rist98]

Me, a sound engineer, wondering why im even watching this vid. Good vid tho. :D

[@wilppuse]

To nitpick ofc

[@Mopsie]

@@wilppuse lol you must be fun

[@Suwawako]

I like the PC speakers on my mom's PC because it's the only thing remaining of an old 2000s PC that died a while ago. Glad to see them everyday so I can remember the memories of that old PC.

[@kurtis4572]

I connected a receiver via hdmi to graphics card. 5.1 surround sound system sounds amazing!

[@brayannexon4613]

So to answer the question nobody asked the speaker that james is smashing in the thumbnail of this video is a satellite for the Logitech z2300. Actually probably the best "computer speakers" that exists.

[@FiveFiveZeroTwo]

Still using them every day.. for a moment I was afraid he were gonna say they were bad.

[@MrTurbo_]

One suggestion: use optical audio cables, that's the only way to really get rid of the hissing and it just sounds best in general, if your amp supports USB audio that's also just as good, but most don't support it

[@ravenrush7336]

Balanced XLR cables are good enough, at least good enough for many professionals recording studios.

[@sinswithin]

@@ravenrush7336 XLR cables need an input/output specifically for them, no? In most cases it's more common to find an optical cable (Usually built into a motherboard) that can be linked out to a DAC/AMP and then to the speakers. If you're going for higher end then yes you can go XLR and above. But I think this person was just stating that a digital option will remove any possible electrical interference that running a 3.5mm or RCA cable could pick up from your motherboard etc.

[@MrTurbo_]

@@sinswithin indeed, that's exactly what I meant

[@TheNc333]

Juste to be accurate: Active and passive speaker are NOT amplified and non amplified Speaker, active speaker mean than you have one amplifier per driver (usually mean one for the boomer and one for the tweeter) but it didn't define if the amplifier is physicaly inside the speaker or not you can have non amplified active speaker, means you have to run 2 amplifier to the speaker (with dual connector on the back) the standard bookshelf speaker are passive non amplified, because you need only one amp. but you can find active amplified speaker, with an adjustable crossover frequency between the boomer and tweeter or passive amplified speaker, wich are 80% of the product market.

[@johnb0815]

I still use the old speakers my dad bought for the first family pc in the late 90s. "Trust Soundwave 20" they sound good even after all these years.

[@TalesOfWar]

Trust stuff used to be EVERYWHERE in the late 90's and early 00's. They were always cheap as hell too. Very hit and miss in regards to quality too but they made so many models of things you could generally find something that did the job well enough for the price.

[@icemann1908]

Speakers were made to sound GOOD in the 90's (and before). Until Aiwa and Sony came with their boom boom truvox all bass speakers :(

[@robsku1]

I have a stereo system that has two AUX In connectors - one is connected to a PC, the other is connected to my TV/monitor so you can hear TV _or_ another PC (I have a desktop PC and several laptops) with HDMI through the stereo speakers - it works great and allows me to switch between different devices, including just listening music from the stereo system (although as CD's can be played from my desktop PC, I only use them for old C-casettes). PC's, TV and stereos, all with one set of speakers - it's great, especially in small apartment like mine.

[@Chrispd100]

Really wish LTT would do more reviews about computer speakers from an audiophile stand point. The side by side comparisons of desktop speakers would be awesome!

[@AcheliusDecimus]

I use fxsound on my Windows 11 and it doubled my audio volume, and cleared up my sound. I never realized how bad my audio was until I could hear the lead singers clearly. I don't use PC speakers, I connect the speakers you recommended and plug into the green port. You can hear my music a block away. I have 4 tower speakers in my setup and a subwoofer, but I really need to upgrade.

[@MonicaElleRose]

ive been using the same altec lansing speakers for about 20 years and they're phenomenal, im able to angle them properly so that my mic audio doesn't pick up the speaker surround sound.

[@raven47172]

Why should I upgrade? I've been using the same Logitech z-2300s for almost 15 years and they still sound fantastic!

[@DiogoSotero]

One of the best choices for pc speakers for the price is the brand edifier

[@m1dnightdev]

idk man i use my dad's old surround sound from a decade ago which he gave to me after he updated. they still hold up to modern speakers.

[@hardrivethrutown]

I'm still using Altec Lansing speakers from the mid-90s I actually like the quite a lot, they're pretty solid, ACS90s

[@rapids444]

i'm using my Altec Lansing's too. I bought mine in 2001 though. Still fantastic for the $50 and MANY MANY moves since then.

[@Hybris51129]

Audio is one of those things that the older I get the more I have come to appreciate.

[@offbeat4772]

This sounds so much more complicated, especially when I’m usually wearing headphones if I really want to hear with any sort of fidelity. I think for convenience sake, the cheapest speakers will work fine for a lot of people.

[@dev.lockridge]

Honestly, they made it sound incredibly overcomplicated. Find a set of powered bookshelf speakers with good reviews, grab a cable (often included anyways) and you’re set. It’s honestly not harder than getting PC-specific speakers. Edifier has some fantastic options that cost a similar amount to decent “computer speakers” but will give you a much better sound!

[@AhmedBodhi]

@@dev.lockridge dang, looks like they take up quite a bit of space. I wonder what's the best and smallest within the low price range.

[@dev.lockridge]

@@AhmedBodhi edifier r1280t is probably your best bet. I used them for years, I could be wrong but IMO they’re kinda as low as you can go and still get good quality - the bang for your buck here is remarkable, they sound property damn good! My upgrade was literally 3.5x the price.

[@FlybelFideos]

This is what I do. I have a cheap 2.1 speaker set from Logitech that definitely sacrifices audio quality, especially vocal clarity, but it does the job for the rare occasions on which I actually turn them on. Most of the time I put on my headphones, but I also have a TV and a decent Sonos 5.0 surround system right behind my desk so listening to music as well as gaming or watching stuff without headphones are also covered.

[@Leiflokey]

Ive had my logitech z2300 for about 15 years and see No time soon that i have or Will replace them, absolute quality speakers.

[@jamesrobertson504]

Great video. Can't stand headphones for too long, unless I have to when playing games in multiplayer. Have had PC speakers and subwoofer for as long as they've been around. Great for music, movies and streaming vids. Just got the new Klipsch Heritage ProMedia 2.1 from Costco (about $100 cheaper than Amazon with recent Costco promotion). Had the old ProMedia 2.1, but these sound much better.

[@JordanPlayz158]

Yeah, might consider some speakers, took off my headphones and the hair pressed in was literally white lol

[@LightPink]

What headphones do you have? I got the hd 650s and can wear them for 12 hours straight

[@SephirothSyrraeoth]

Is it a huge difference between the Heritage ProMedia and the standard ProMedia? I have the older style ProMedia 2.1 and they sound quite good to me. Not the best by any stretch, but for the price I'd say it's a good deal.

[@JordanPlayz158]

@@LightPink Some $30 headphones, forget the model but I think the issue is just that the headphones are not big enough so the padding on top pushes my hair down rather than just bracing the top of my head but I'm not getting new headphones until they break which takes me a couple years, I'll just deal with it as it's not that big of an issue

[@jamesrobertson504]

@@SephirothSyrraeoth The 2 desktop speakers are much bigger and have wood enclosures and a retro look. I like the sound better that the standard ProMedia, seems a bit more like regular stereo speakers than a desktop unit. But the one thing I don't like is that the manual volume controls are on the back of the sub unit which is on my floor. You have to use the remote to change the volume or mute the sound (or alternatively the speaker control in the Windows system tray). Other problem is that it seems to have an auto power saver mode, so I have to click once on the remote to bring the sound system back on after not using it for a while.

[@smokegames1179]

Still using this philips Micro entertainment system for my pc, sound immersion in games is as important as a gpu

[@rickleng6543]

Am i the only one who uses a 5.1 home theatre system as PC speakers? A little overkill but in my opinion great sound is even more important than good image quality...

[@gospodinkenobi9903]

There's two of us now! I've plugged old LG home thratre to my PC and it is awesome!

[@akyhne]

Well, I sort of do too. I have an old set of Altec Lansing 5.1 PC surround speakers. But they always sounded horrible. So recently I inherited a Bose 5.1 AV 18 media set. It can't play 5.1 from a PC over Toslink. So I "borrowed" the satellites from the Bose system, as well as the double subwoofer, and connected them to the Altec Lansing set. After Calibration with a UMIK-1 mic and REW, I now have an excellent 5.1 surround set to my PC.

[@YOEL_44]

Not a home theater but a nice 5.1 computer speaker set, Creative Inspite T6300.

[@akyhne]

And I totally agree with you, that great audio is just as important, as picture quality. I'd raster downgrade my 4K HDR10/Dolby Vision TV to a regular 1080P TV, than having to live without my Denon/Dali/Klipsch/MINIDSP surround set.

[@rickleng6543]

@@gospodinkenobi9903 have you plugged in via hdmi or toslink? I currently use hdmi because my MB doesnt have an optical sound output. So the problem is this invisible 4th monitor where i often get my mouse stuck, its annoying... but I thought about buying a new MB/CPU and I am not sure if toslink delivers the same sound quality. Any experiences?

[@fernbobbio]

I have a little old Philips stereo system (5 CDs and MP3/WMA support) that has a glorious USB B connection for PCs. No PC audio or soundcard required, Windows will detect it directly as a digital audio output. Its controls (remote or in system) even allow you to skip, play, pause or stop songs. I love it, and I never saw anything similar in all these years since I bought it back in 2002.

[@lukas0999]

0:18 My parents have exactly(look) these since 2009 😂

[@OffensiveProduction1]

If you're a real diy, Dayton audio is awesome. You get plate amps, mini amps/ receivers, stand alone drivers. tweeters, woofers and subs, you can mix and match and build your own from the ground up. Or pick up passive or active setups. Also, if you have blown car speakers, they make drivers in nearly every size and make real good replacements in most cases at a fraction of the cost of oem.

[@Brokenhill42]

Love that you guys are covering more audio stuff. I love my Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 passive speakers! As others have mentioned, absorption treatment is HUGE...I have 8 GIK acoustic panels myself. Helps a ton, though the price and bulk aren't for everyone...

[@mscott7426]

I got both an Edifier 2.1 and a Logitech 2.1 system just after Christmas. After setting both up on my desk and trying them for hours, I decided to return the Edifiers and keep the Logitech. The Logitechs were able to play louder and clearer and to my ears, fuller sounding.

[@djemergency512]

Been using Presonus Studio Monitors for a long time now, great sound

[@Kasper0822]

My first step was getting active edifier speakers which was a huge upgrade. Now i have a speaker amp with two tower speakers and a sub for TV + couch and two bookshelf speakers for when i want to use the desk. Theres also a headphone amp and hifiman edition xs headphones when i don't want to piss off my neighbours.

[@crushablepaper1570]

Been loving my audioengine a2's. Work great with my turntable and got built in Bluetooth

[@x9x9x9x9x9]

If you have like $200 to spend go get an old receiver/amp from goodwill, pawn shop, flea market, garage sale, etc... Seriously these things are champs and generally sound better than most things made today. Then spend like $150 on good bookshelf speakers that you can mount to the wall. The only downside is the amp is large but I use it as a monitor stand since my benq stand isn't height adjustable so its almost perfect. Whats really nice about this setup is my headphones are always plugged in and I can just put them on whenever. I don't have to unplug anything or change modes or anything just put them on if I want them but I usually just go with my tannoy bookshelf speakers because I like being able to hear my surroundings even though I live alone. A lot of modern amps don't let you do this. You have to swap modes unfortunately. I'd love to get a smaller amp but I can't find one that does what I want and that also has a built in EQ so I can tune easily.

[@mayh3xx]

Im only 2 minutes in and I just gotta commend you for your editing! Just the right amount of everything if that makes sense.

[@curvingfyre6810]

underated move btw: one of those dvd-player integrated home theater setups packaged all in one. so long as it's a solid brand and a decent model, the tuning is done for you, the form factor for the amp/dac is reasonable, and it'll take at least one standard input, usually 1-2 analog and digital options. Often, you can even find them with very small surround setups. I myself have a philips 5.1 setup, takes optical. since I don't use the dvd player, the box is on its side leaning on the rear side of my PC tower, and each speaker is small enough to sit on my desk, with the appropriate positioning and everything. these things have full enthusiast grade DACs, and amps that, while not particularly stellar, are *very* well tuned for their included speakers. Picked it up for 10 bucks at a thrift store.

[@someoneelse5005]

did the same thing, got myself a "neo" braded DVD player for $30 unopened and brand new even though it was produced in 2003, it works amazingly!

[@Gsoda35]

or you could use the onboard motherboard speaker for all audio. enjoy.

[@pixelreflectorpro]

The ultimate way to listen to music no bass, barely any treble extension, just midrange

[@fermitupoupon1754]

For me personally the best argument to go with passive speakers and a proper AVR, is the fact that it bypasses the lacklustre DAC on the motherboard. Audio is delivered as a digital PCM bit stream and the AVR has the DAC. This moves the unamplified analog audio signal out of the noisy environment that is a PC. Added benefit is that even basic interfaces like SPDIF and TOSLINK, like HDMI are galvanically separated. Which eliminates ground loops entirely and generally provides a much more clean signal. Secondary added benefit is that you no longer need to hassle with either shitty sound drivers or the Windows audio controls in order to set up a proper low-pass filter for the sub and things like that. All that stuff is handled by the AVR. And while I know that it sounds like a heap of audiophile mumble jumble, this is one of the most apparent and easiest to hear improvements in sound quality. I bought my AVR and subwoofer second hand for cheap, got a pair of good bookshelf speakers from a liquidation sale. Spent less on sound than what a Logitech Z5500 cost at the time, for sound quality that completely blows that set out of the water. And even if you spend a bit more, passive speakers basically can't die unless you abuse them and a proper quality AVR is going to last for years as well, mostly because it wasn't built to a bargain bin price. Match those speakers with a half decent hyper-cardioid or shotgun microphone, and you'll never have to wear a headset again.

[@Dexter101x]

Seems like I've got active speakers, that I bought nearly 30 years ago. Yes, its the oldest part of my computer setup. Had it not been for the mobo not accepting the floppy disk drive, the speakers wouldn't have been the oldest

[@OldsXCool]

PC speakers are built for near field listening. Having multiple large drivers right in your face does not give the sound enough time to blend before it hits your ears which is bad for sound quality and will make it easy for your ears to locate the speakers. Also for versatility reasons it's best to have a subwoofer of some sort to handle the bass because unless you get lucky there's a good chance that the bass reproduction won't be its best where you need to put your speakers. If you have a sub you can put it in the place where it sounds the best unlike the mains which have to be in certain places. This is also how it's done in home theater.

[@kah0922]

I've been happy with my Logitech Z506 5.1 surround sound speakers. It's especially nice with games that use 5.1 surround sound (Finding owls in Tales of Arise is so much easier.)

[@lghdg]

Same with my z5500 setup using toslink.

[@Mr0Tubby]

wait until you try speakers that arent made at $5 a piece.

[@Just_Pele]

>10 years ago I paid $4500 for a refurbished set of Wilson Audio Duette bookshelf speakers for my main PC, and even though they're massive overkill, I've never regretted it.

[@maxiundercover]

I didn't feel like I gained a whole lot by watching this video. My main takeaway is: some PC speakers are bad and they are mostly tuned in a very specific way. So to get better speakers pay more.

[@ydid687]

yeah audiophilia can be as expensive as a exotic car hobby

[@HckrNeo1]

Not necessarily, the budget monitor market these days is offering insane value for money. For

[@maestro0428]

Running Kef Q150s and a Kef Subwoofer with Adcom Amplifier and Schiit DAC at my workstation. Good stuff, great experience.

[@joaquinneis]

To whoever edited the sound of this video. 10/10

[@shadeofentropy]

I went down the AVR route personally, your GPU already passes through audio over both displayport and HDMI so I just plumbed that in. Throw in four bookshelf speakers, a centre speaker and a subwoofer, and there we go. Surround sound. Plus the DAC in an AVR is likely much better than the one on your motherboard.

[@_Andrew]

Id love to see more home theater related content of projector technology or home theater rack equipment.

[@sptauto]

Then watch somebody else. LTT doesn't know sh*t in regards to audio.

[@CrisR82]

For the first time in my life, I see a video showing (even if not explicitly mentioning) something I have - the Edifier R1280 O: Really damn good for the price by the way.

[@defiantgg1831]

The Presonus Eris 3.5 are small, cheap and sound great. A great choice for anyone looking for speakers, pairing with a good subwoofer is a killer combo

[@Default_Defect]

Can vouch for this, using these speakers and the sub8 that came in the amazon bundle. Takes a bit of tuning to get the bass to blend just right, but once done it sounds phenomenal.

[@jens8111]

One thing worth adding to this is the upside to using speakers/ amps with optical audio connections. I have with all my sound setups over the years always had a bit of unwanted noise get from my pc and to my speakers. I tried grounding pc to amp, not having ground, separate power sources, external sound card with separate power source, all I could think of. One day I said enough is enough, got an amp with optical, and grabbed a sound card with optical out. Since then, never had any issues with unwanted noise.

[@IdealIdeas100]

I just got an expensive soundbar and called it a day. (Klipsch Cinema 600) Sounds great and rumbles my floor!

[@anderseriksson4812]

I have a good set of active studio speakers but my tip is to look at your closest goodwill and see if they have an old stereo amp to pickup. Sure it will be a bit bigger but the sound can be great if you find one. I have picked up two 80's amps from pioneer and Onkyo for 10-15 $ a piece. Together with a pair of used high end hifi stereo speakers (maybe from the same place) it could be a bargain setup for 50-150$

[@smiIingman]

I had the logitech z523's for 10 years and finally decided to upgrade to the z623, man they are so shit in comparison

[@florider2904]

Old logitech systems are much better because they were made by edifier until 2007 and you shouldnt buy a 2.1 system for that budget, a 2.0 system would be much better

[@smiIingman]

@@florider2904 my colleague recommended the even older z5500 and i actually found a full set for only 40 euro that looks brand new so i bought them. Needless to say im never buying anything else unless these break completely, i still use the z523s at my dads place whenever im visiting and man now they sound so shit compared to my z5500

[@PhoenixWwrong]

Which one do you mean is shit?

[@smiIingman]

@@PhoenixWwrong the new z623 that i bought, absolutely horrible sound in them. Music sounded fine to be completely fair but there was no fine balance in the audio at all, you either getting full bass blast or tin-can sound. I found a private seller that was getting rid of their Logitech z5500 system for 40 euro so i bought that instead and it is hands down the best sound system i've ever heard and i absolutely love it. And its a system from 2004, beats every modern day setup that is under 300 bucks easily.

[@Steamrick]

Here's a tip on PC speakers: Logitech doesn't have a single good set in their entire lineup. The Z-2300 was the last time they tried to go for quality and that was 20 years ago.

[@dylanh3712]

I am pretty sure that every gamer wants the beautiful speakers, but you forgot one BIG thing: gamers are BROKE

[@Chuck_vs._The_Comment_Section]

I have the 2.1 speaker set Z-2300 from Logitech. What do you think: Is that "good enough" or should I upgrade? And what would be a good upgrade anyway? I should add that this set is about 20 years old and that the sound over my Sennheiser headset sounds better.

[@qpdlzjs]

I don't have speakers and I don't want them

[@kamiskub7409]

Head Claps are just fine.

[@jasonatkins1467]

I use B&W 602s connected to a DENON AVR-5700 via optical pushing 700 Watts, plus a 15" Definitive Tech sub in the corner. Works good lasts long time.

[@HorrorMayhem]

not first

[@b0bsaget007]

I've got Polk T15 bookshelf speakers, a PSW10 subwoofer, and a Class T amplifier for my PC setup (which also works with my Xbox Series X), and it is orders of magnitude better sounding than any "PC speaker" set I've ever listened to.

[@WXSTANG]

Find a quality class AB amp... much better.

[@b0bsaget007]

@@WXSTANG maybe, but from what I can find, a Class AB amp would cost far more than the speakers and take up more space than I have available.

[@TheInternetBanana]

Headphone only gang ;)

[@1992djg]

I kinda wish they added a little segment about how on-board audio is relatively new as it wasn’t that long ago you needed a sound card to get audio out of your pc and the crazy market section that was dedicated to it