Best Laptop Speakers

Turn Your Laptop Into a Music System With The Best Laptop Speakers

We live in an age of never ending content, whether it be the multitude of TV shows that are released each month, the shows and series on Netflix that you can browse within a day or the thousands of YouTube videos that are put out daily. It is perhaps the best time to be an enthusiastic consumer of visual media. 

The amount and kind of content we consume in the age of the internet is significant different from the kind before it. Before the internet, we had fewer options of what to watch. One could either watch movies in cinema halls by paying a fee or watch movies and TV shows at home on their TVs. These were the two primary modes of consumption until the widespread prevalence of the personal computer. 

Once personal computers had CD drives, we could purchase our favorite DVDs and CDs and watch them on our computers. While this was not very different from watching a movie on your TV that was connect to a CD or DVD player, it helped lay an important foundation for personal content consumption devices. Computers were no longer just machines used for doing work and productive tasks, they could also be used for personal entertainment.

This brings us to the age of the internet, where the personal computers were slowly overshadowed by laptops and smartphones. Both laptops and smartphones are the epitome of portable, convenient personal entertainment devices. They enable us to view the largest collection of content ever available to humanity it the click of a mouse or the touch of a finger.

Although smartphones are more portable and prevalent, the laptop sits at the top of the personal entertainment device pyramid. With a large screen, convenient controls and access to the internet, the laptop has slowly phased out the television. College students and working professionals, if given a choice, would always choose a laptop over a TV to consume their content. 

But it must be acknowledged, that TVs beat laptops in one crucial category. TVs still retain the edge when it comes to audio output. Most laptops, with their compact sizes simply cannot fit large speaker units or audio drivers to match the volume outputs produced by TV.

However, we have a solution to this shortcoming of laptops. See, another aspect where laptops shine, is their ability to interface with a variety of peripheral devices and these include external speakers. The best laptop speakers can easily take your viewing experience to a whole new level. Providing you with loud and often better sounding audio than most modern TVs.

But before you hunker down and buy the first speaker set that pops up on your search results, let us look over a few factors that you must consider to makean informed purchase.

Factors to Consider Before Buying

1. Loudness: Since laptop speakers come in various shapes and sizes, the acoustic loudness provided by one is an important parameter to consider. The loudness generated by a speaker is determined by various things like the size of the installed audio drivers, size of the speaker unit and the wattage of the speaker. 

A general parameter used to judge if a speaker is loud would be the wattage drawn. Wattage is basically the amount of energy used by the speaker in a second. It is a great measure to quantize energy transfer. With all speaker units, the general convention is that the more wattage a speaker draws, the louder is it. While other factors certainly play a role, the wattage is ultimately what determines how much electricity the speaker uses for sound output. The best laptop speakers would have a sufficiently high wattage rating, thus producing louder sound.

2. Interfacing Options: With the wide variety of speakers available on the market, a great parameter to help you make your choice would be the ways you have to connect them to your laptop. There are various options when it comes to interfacing speakers with laptops, each with their own benefits and drawbacks.

• Bluetooth Speakers: Bluetooth speakers utilize Bluetoothtechnology to wirelessly connect to your laptop. Every laptop comes with a Bluetooth modem that enables this method of interfacing. Bluetooth speakers are one of the newer entrants into the speaker market. They offer convenient, wireless connections. 

Their downsides, however, are worse audio quality and higher latency than wired speakers. Since the sound must be transmitted wirelessly to the speakers, some of the data is lost during the transfer, worsening the sound quality. While this is not an issue for someone who just wants to use the speakers for casual watching or listening, if you intend on using the speakers for audio intensive tasks like music production, Bluetooth speakers may not be for you. 

They also have a higher latency rate than wired speakers. This means that there is a slight delay between the sound being transmitted and the sound being played on the speakers. They are convenient to use, but often require batteries which must be regularly charged. 

• Wired speakers: Wired speakers come in two variants, digital optical input and auxiliary input. The speakers with auxiliary input use the 3.5mm headphone jack to transmit information from the laptop to the speakers. These have the factor of convenience but sacrifice top notch sound quality for it.

Digital optical sound speakers use AV cables to transmit audio to the speakers. Out of all the interfacing methods, these have the best sound quality by far. However, they involve the use of hefty and often multiple cables, making them inconvenient for portable use.

The best laptop speakers usually have a combination of these input interfaces, making them versatile.

3. Size: The benefit a laptop has over PCs, is the portability. Thus, if you choose to use your laptop with external speakers, you must keep portability in mind as a factor. If you are someone who travels regularly and intends on using their speakers with their laptop while on the go, it is importantto invest in speakers which are easy to carry around and use.

This factor is not very important as a lot of people like using their speakers while at home, or just uses headphones or earphones with their laptops while traveling. If you intend on using your speaker while traveling the best laptop speakers for you would be ones that are easy to carry around.

4. Diversity of Audio Drivers: Along with taking the volume or loudness into consideration, it is important to consider the quality of sound produced by the speakers. The best laptop speakers can produce low end, as well as high pitched sounds with ease. The range of sound your speakers can produce all depends upon the types of drivers used in the speaker construction

A good set of speakers will have at least two tweeters, to produce the high-pitched tones. And they should have at least one sub-woofer, to produce low-end sounds like base, which makes up the backbone of most music.

Now that we have gone over some of the key factors to help you choose the best laptop speakers for you, let us look at some of the best products available on the market.

1.Edifier e25 Luna Eclipse Speakers

This set of speakers manufactured by Edifier is a great all in one package for those looking to add some oomph to their entertainment. Being extremely versatile, with Bluetooth, aux and digital optical audio inputs, you can interface with these speakers however you choose, depending upon convenience. With touch sensitive controls, these speakers are easy to operate and fit well with portable usage.

Key Features

• The e25 has smooth curves and a great finish, making it a great, classy addition to your home.
• Armed with a 3-inch base and a tweeter in each unit, this set of speakers can handle all ranges of sound with comfort and produce a loud booming sound.
• The speakers can be connected to in three different ways. The speakers have Bluetooth connectivity, auxiliary input and digital optical input, making them versatile.
• The speakers come with touch sensitive controls and a remote, making them easy to operate.

This subwoofer unit is ideal for those looking to add heavy base into their watching or listening sessions. The powered unit comes with a massive 8-inch down firing subwoofer that produces intense base. The frequency range for this subwoofer is 27-180 hertz. The speaker has a sturdy build and comes with a 3-year warranty.

Key Features

• An 8-inch down firing driver that comes in a MDF cabinet (front-ported). This ensures powerful targeted base output.
• The subwoofer comes with dual-line inputs in the form of RCA and mini-jack (1.5mm) input.
• The subwoofer has an auto-sleep feature that protects the unit from surges and saves power.

3.Logitech Z337 Bold Sound Bluetooth Wireless 2.1 Speaker System

This set of speakers is one of the best laptop speakers in this range. The set has two 80-watt speaker sets and one massive subwoofer. This ensures that the speaker can output both low and high frequencies with ease and clarity. The set has a versatile input array, including Bluetooth, auxiliary and RCA input channels. The speaker set also comes with a wired control pod to make pairing and controlling the speakers easy.

Key Features

• Two 80-watt satellite speaker sets and a massive subwoofer that is great at producing loud sounds while also being compact.
• The set has a versatile input array, including Bluetooth, auxiliary and RCA input channels, making it easy to connect to the set in a variety of ways, according to your choice.
• The subwoofer is easy to control with a base adjustment knob at the back.
• The speaker set comes with a wired control knob that can be used to pair the speakers, control volume and attach headphones for private listening.

4.Audioengine A2+ Limited Edition Premium Powered Speakers

This set is the second entry from Audioengine and offers more than just loud base. These powered speakers use audiophile quality, ferro fluid cooled, silk dome tweeters with neodymium magnets, making them durable. The speakers have analogue amplifier built in, which automatically elevate your listening experience. The set has versatile interfacing options which include a minijack (1.5mm), RCA input and USB input.

Key Features

• The set has two speakers with high quality tweeters that handle base as well as high frequencies well.
• The A2+ speaker set can connect to all your devices with ease with RCA, USB and minijack (1.5mm) input options.
• Despite being compact, the speakers are acoustically designed to fill up a whole room with crisp sound.

5.Bose Companion 5 Multimedia Speaker System

Bose is the uncontested champion of making quality audio devices. Any time you encounter a speaker of set of headphones with the Bose brand name, you can rest assured that you are buying the best audio device available in that range. The Companion 5 Speaker system is not exception to this rule. With two finely tuned tweeters and a subwoofer, all capable of 5.1 surround sound, this is the best laptop speaker you can buy.

Key Features

• The setup is very simple, with no augmentation or adaptors required. Simply plug in for top-notch sound quality.
• The speakers come fully assembled and mounted on attractive stands that provide the best acoustics while making the speakers ergonomic.
• The set comes with a control pod that can be used to control volume, attach headphones and even connect a secondary audio device like an MP3 player or a phone.
• The great sound compression technology lets you reach high volumes without any form of distortion.

With laptops slowly replacing out TVs as our primary and preferred device for entertainment, it is very important that we place quality audio up on a pedestal. With this collection of the best laptop speakers, your laptop can be turned into a home theatre system, or a music system for partying. Adding a whole different layer of versatility to your laptop.

Guide to shop the best laptop speakers

People enjoy listening to music or watching movies on laptop using headphones. But there are times when you actually want to watch a movie with friends or family on your laptop. This demands you to get the best laptop speakers in the market. Using this guide, you are sure to shop right.

• Not too huge speakers

The speakers should never be large enough to be accommodated near a laptop. If you are buying a wired one, make sure the cables are strong enough.

• Wireless with Bluetooth connectivity

Space is considered to be one major problem when it comes to laptop speakers. So, it would be better if you buy a wireless speaker with Bluetooth connectivity so that you can hear from a distance.

• On the pricey side

It is recommended to get the speakers for laptops which are on the pricier side for assured durability.

Look out for these main requirements while buying speakers for your laptop.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are speakers safe to use with laptops?

This question often comes up as speakers utilize heavy magnets for their operation. However, you need not be worried as all modern speaker units come with magnetic shielding that protects your devices from the magnetic field.

1. Are laptop speakers a better choice than headphones?

This primarily depends upon your type of usage. If you intend on listening or using your laptop for long hours, having speakers is much more comfortable. Also, if you want to listen to your music or watch a movie at high volumes, you should go with speakers as using headphones at a high volume can easily damage your hearing.

1. Can laptop speakers be used for a home theatre system?

Yes, laptop speakers can be used to set up a home theatre system. This works best if your speakers are compatible with 5.1 surround sound.

1. Do laptop speakers have sufficient base?

Yes, most laptop speakers can reach low frequencies with ease. However, if you want a heavy, booming base, you should buy a set of laptop speakers that come paired with a subwoofer.