We've been blasting the best PC speakers all day and all night to find out if they've got what it takes to earn a place on our desks. Sure, the best gaming headsets will give you a more intimate immersion, but there's nothing like enjoying your audio out loud with the best gaming PC speakers.
The best computer speakers overall are the Mackie CR3.5BT + CR8SBT subwoofer combo, as the units combine to make a multitalented and mega-powerful 2.1 setup with superb flexibility and excellent overall audio quality. The best budget gaming PC speakers are the Creative Pebble Pro, which make up a small yet surprisingly powerful package for very little cash.
The Quick list
The best overall
When Mackie's ultra-flexible CR3.5BT reference monitors are paired with the CR8SBT subwoofer, the effect is nothing short of profound. A titanic 2.1 setup for sure, but the speakers themselves are well worth a look on their own if bass isn't your top priority.
The best budget
They might be affordable, but you're getting a huge amount of sound for your money. Though the bass isn't earth-shattering, these speakers still offer both excellent clarity and a small footprint. You can squeeze these clear performers in almost anywhere.
The best mid-range
While they might not have the "look at me" RGB lighting of its bigger brother, the Z407 still offers great audio quality with the addition of a handy wireless control knob, all for a very reasonable price.
The best gaming soundbar
A well-designed soundbar solution, designed to prioritise PC gaming audio. That being said, with plenty of connection options, RGB lighting and a substantial sub, it's got plenty of flexibility for all sorts of uses.
The best budget soundbar
Though button placement is a bit odd and the Bluetooth is basic, it's incredible to think you can get such a solid-sounding soundbar for so little cash nowadays.
The best bookshelf speakers
These aren't cheap, but the sound quality here is exceptional, and they're remarkably powerful, too. If you're looking to splash out on high-quality audio, these little units really kick.
November 11, 2025 to overhaul the formatting. We have also added the Creative Stage Pro as best soundbar, added a new best budget choice and best budget soundbar choice. We have also refreshed the also tested section with recent reviews.
October 22, 2025 to add Creative's Sound Blaster GS3 soundbar and Pebble Pro speakers, along with Razer's Clio headrest speakers, to the Also Tested section. The first two are budget-priced, entry-level systems, and while they're good value for money, they're not good enough to change our recommendations for best budget speakers and soundbar. The Razer Clio is just...well...a bit odd.
June 2, 2025 to give this guide a once-over and double-check all of our recommendations below still represent the best PC speakers you can pick up right now.
Andy's had the pleasure of working with some of the best speakers money can buy in multiple recording studios over the years, and more than a few mega-powered live rigs, too. With a penchant for audio nerdery and an aural attention to detail, he's well qualified to tell you which speakers sing, and which should be best avoided.
The best gaming PC speakers
✅ If you're looking for the best all-rounders: Thanks to a tone-adjustment dial on the CR3.5BT monitors that switches the tuning from a flat response to fun, these are remarkably versatile speakers for all uses. And that optional sub really can shake the room with the best of them.
✅ You want an upgradeable setup in future: If money's tight, you could always grab the excellent $130 CR3.5BTs now and save the $200 sub till later. Or simply enjoy an excellent pair of speakers on their own and skip the sub entirely, if mega-bass isn't your thing.
❌ You want huge amounts of bass for cheap: The CR3.5BTs are very well priced, but they deliver tight bass, rather than room rumbling. You'll want the fairly pricey CR8SBT sub if you plan on removing your pictures from the wall with massive amounts of low end.
Gaming-specific speakers look to be a bit of an endangered species these days, and that's because truly great speaker sets are now available that are capable of doing it all. Enter the Mackie CR3.5BT and CR8SBT subwoofer combo, a combined 2.1 set that easily takes our top spot for the best PC speakers overall.
That's not to say you should rule out the Mackie CR3.5BT reference speakers as an individual purchase, however. These two monitor units are available on their own for a mere $130/£130, and their star feature, a tone dial that adjusts between flat response for studio work and "fun response" (for want of a better term) for gaming, music and more, works exceptionally well.
The CR3.5BTs really are as versatile as they come, switching between studio shenanigans and pleasant, enjoyable audio on the fly with a mere crank of a dial. Should you wish to get even more out of them, they also respond beautifully to a bit of third-party EQ, although it's by no means necessary to enjoy these remarkably accurate units.
As a set of small speakers, the bass they deliver is tight and defined, rather than room-rumbling. Should you wish for the sort of bass that brings the constabulary to your door, you can add in the CR8SBT subwoofer—an absolute Godzilla of a bass unit that's more than capable of damaging the foundations of your home, should you so desire.
The downside? It costs $200/£200 as a separate purchase, and that pushes the price overall of this now-2.1-combo up to the $330 mark, which is fairly pricey for a PC audio setup.
What you're left with, however, is a truly immense slab of audio equipment that really can suit all uses. Okay, so it's not a 5.1 surround system, but take it from us—unless you're dead set on multiplayer gaming footstep-spotting from behind, 5.1 systems really aren't worth the hassle.
Should you choose to opt for the extra sub, it also comes with a control puck that allows you to adjust the bass and speaker levels independently when everything is hooked together. It's a little cheap-feeling compared to the rest of the setup, but you'll likely want to use it to adjust that subwoofer down to reasonable levels to keep it from overwhelming the monitor units.
It really is phenomenally powerful and giggle-inducing in such a way that I couldn't leave it out of this recommendation. Still, it's probably a bit much for many, so if ultra-powerful bass is not your concern, then the Mackie CR3.5BTs on their own make for a fine choice.
I'd still spend the extra cash on that mega woofer, though, if I had it spare. Regardless of which combination you pick, the Mackie units deliver everything you could want from a PC audio setup for reasonable money. That makes them the best PC speakers by far, and the ones I'm happy to hang my hat on at the top spot of this guide.
Read our full Mackie CR3.5BT + CR8SBT subwoofer review.
The best budget PC speakers
✅ If you're on a budget: Normally, we yell "how much?" when we spot something pricey. Here, we yell it because the Creative Pebble Pro are remarkably cheap.
✅ If you still want great audio clarity from cheap speakers: While they aren't particularly bass heavy, the Pebble Pro offer very clear and distinct audio quality that's perfect for a spot of YouTube or enjoying otherwise dialogue-heavy media.
❌ If you like a lot of bass: The Creative Pebble Pro don't quite have the gumption to provide room-shaking low-end fun.
When you're out shopping for PC speakers on a budget, it's easy to be overwhelmed by choice. It doesn't help that reliable brands have multiple options in the same price range. The low-end differences can be minimal, but the Creative Pebble Pro speakers stand apart from the competition with their big sound despite their compact size. That makes them my pick for the best budget speakers, as nothing gets close to their level of quality for the money.
These speakers pump out crisper audio better than competitors at a far less restrictive cost. They won't produce the loudest sound around, but there's little distortion even with the volume maxed out, and at more reasonable volumes, they get the job done well. The only complaint in the sound department is a lack of bass. It's still in the mix, but it won't thump like you might want.
The Pebble Pro speakers may lack some raw oomph, but they make up for it in clarity. This is why we highly recommend these speakers for students and those who move around a lot, as the speakers are small enough to fit on any cramped desk surface. They're easily the most portable speakers we've tried and perform best in a smaller bedroom or office.
Like any other pair of speakers at this sort of entry-level price range, the Creative Pebble Pro set is easily shamed by a mid-range set like the Logitech Z407. However, they surpass their predecessor, the Creative Pebble Plus, partially because of super-solid connectivity. You can plug them in via 3.5 mm jack, USB Type-C or even Bluetooth 5.3.
For this sort of price, you want something better than a lot of the no-name brands, while still keeping the hole in your pocketbook as small as possible. With that mission in mind, there is no better option than the Creative Pebble Pro.
Read our full Creative Pebble Pro review.
The best mid-range PC speakers
✅ If you want powerful sound for a lower price: At a $110 MSRP, these loud and distinctive speakers cost far less money than you might expect.
✅ If you want wireless control: The hockey puck like wireless volume knob is a great feature, and adds some real flexibility to your speaker setup.
❌ If you need lengthy cables: The included cables here are a little short, which is a shame if you were planning on placing the speakers some distance apart.
If you don't want to stretch your budget to the full Mackie CR3.5BT + CR8SBT speaker set, Logitech's much more tame Z407 set offers a great alternative for less money, quickly becoming our top pick for mid-range speakers as a result. They're effectively a similar set of two tweeters and a subwoofer, but ditch all the gamer stylings and lights of the fancier kit.
The Logitech Z407 set pretty much wins the award for most deceptively awesome computer speakers around. This 80 W speaker system connects via Bluetooth, 3.5 mm headphone jack, or Micro USB, so you can easily connect to it with your phone, gaming laptop, or PC. Keeping with the wireless theme, we fell in love with the wireless control knob, which lets you control your media with satisfying spins.
That's one of the key benefits over the much cheaper Creative Pebble Pro, but don't ignore their simple and effective design. Logitech's two tweeters come with small stands for your desk, and the subwoofer is compact enough not to take up too much space under your desk.
What was not satisfying was the unusually short 4ft cables, which limit how you can set them up. However, being able to lay the speakers vertically or horizontally is a nice touch. The sound achieved surprisingly balanced audio for a speaker set asking for this much cash—a strong yes for anyone looking to upgrade their current dinky desktop speakers.
The speakers here are substantial, without being overpowered, and that sub is capable of excellent bass without overpowering the tweeter units. Balance between smaller units and a big, weighty subwoofer is important, and this set does a good job of keeping itself in line. Still, crank it to the guns, and you'll still rattle your fillings, which any set of speakers at this price should be capable of to some degree.
That makes the Logitech Z407 our top pick for mid-range speakers. Not too pricey, well-built, and delivers great sound. That'll be that, then!
The best gaming soundbar
✅ If you want versatility: With a plethora of connectivity options and a flexible sound that suits many purposes, the Stae Pro aims to cover all bases, and mostly succeeds.
✅ If you want a soundbar with powerful bass: Thanks to the addition of a subwoofer, this setup packs a mean punch.
❌ If you want something sleek: With a bunch of cables and two separate, relatively bulky parts, the Stage Pro has a pretty big footprint.
With a great whollop of a sound, a litany of solid connectivity options and a solid price (especially considering it comes with a subwoofer), the Creative Stage Pro is the best soundbar out there right now.
One thing we noticed immediately about this soundbar is that it can get tremendously loud. It's so loud, in fact, that we weren't always comfortable cranking it up above just 15%, for fear of a neighbor complaining. It is, however, still strong at lower volumes, unlike some speakers (here's looking at you, Edifier G2000 Pro).
The Soundbar itself is deep and immersive, and it's all complemented by a subwoofer packing a kicking bass. You can adjust treble and bass separately from the included remote, and that remote can switch between connectivity modes and adjust volume in a snap. It's an attractive package, and one that really pounds for its value-oriented price point.
You are sorely mistaken if you think this soundbar would miss out on RGB lights, too. The Creative Stage Pro has bright RGB lighting that accents the bar's underside and adds a little flair. Though this is quite a large unit for any desk, it might be a tight fit if you don't have much room to spare for the 21-inch soundbar.
It can feel a tad cumbersome with that included subwoofer, though, and you certainly need a decent bit of space to get it all in. If you don't have a need for loud sound or don't have much room, there are better choices, but it is a mighty impressive bit of tech.
The Creative Stage Pro is a great soundbar, all things considered. It's small enough to sit comfortably on a decent-sized desk without taking over and loud enough to easily be featured as your living room sound system.
Read our full Creative Stage Pro review.
The best budget gaming soundbar
✅ You want something better than your laptop or monitor sound: At its price point, this budget beauty is a great replacement if you want something punchier than the tinny speakers of your laptop or monitor. It looks pretty good while doing so.
❌ You expect high-quality sound: The Sound Blaster GS3 isn't super clean and incredibly immersive. It is, instead, a great pick at its price point, with some pretty basic Bluetooth connectivity.
PC soundbars only get better priced every day, and it's pretty impressive to think that something like this one would come in at around the price of a controller or new game. That's what makes the Creative Sound Blaster GS3 the best budget soundbar right now.
First off, it's worth noting that price isn't getting you super high-quality sound. The Sound Blaster GS3 is perhaps at its best as a replacement for the tinny speakers of a gaming monitor or laptop. It can add just a little more punch to a value-oriented setup. It certainly doesn't sound bad, and there's a good spread of volume and depth of clarity, making out the punch of a shotgun or the shrill of a demon screaming in your direction.
It doesn't come with a dedicated subwoofer, like the Creative Stage Pro, but it does come in at half the price, and the bass duct at the back does allow the GS3 to rumble when the low-end activates.
As far as connectivity is concerned, you've got pretty much everything you need here, with it being compatible with USB, Bluetooth, and it has a 3.5 mm port. The Bluetooth 5.4 mode only supports the rather basic SBC code, which means plugging it in is the best option, though.
One thing worth noting is that the controls are a bit hit or miss. It comes with a big dial on the right side, which you can click in to turn the whole thing off. This is satisfying and easy to use, but the buttons surrounding that dial aren't. You will have to remember the placement of the buttons to use it with ease, as it's just a little too awkward to look at, without picking up the soundbar or moving around the attached wires.
We also found ourselves unconvinced by the super wide mode, which attempts to add a bit more depth to the soundstage. For the most part, this mode is almost imperceptively different, and the less you need to mess around with this soundbar, the better.
Read our full Creative Sound Blaster GS3 review.
The best bookshelf speakers
✅ You want immensely detailed sound: These are reference speakers, which ordinarily means they'd sound a little flat for casual listening. Not so here.
✅ You want an understated look: These are serious, professional-looking speakers and should blend in no matter where you put them.
❌ You're not prepared to pay up: $350 is a lot of money for speakers, although it has to be said, not a huge amount for reference units. Still, for regular usage, that's quite a bit to spend.
❌ You don't have the cables: Cables are cheap, it's true. Still, it'd be nice if Kanto included some in the box, other than the one that links the two speakers together.
The Kanto Ora speakers are rather ordinary-looking. For some, that's going to be a bonus, and for others, it's something of a letdown given the $350 price tag. However, that flat black aesthetic betrays the fact that these speakers are not out to impress with their looks but are instead designed to blend into a studio setup. All that really matters in a studio environment is sound, and audio quality is where the Ora set really shines, which, paired with their stature, makes them the best bookshelf speakers you can buy for the money.
Don't let the relatively small size fool you—the Kanto Oras can put out some serious bass and massive amounts of volume, too. More than that, they're detailed in a way that should allow you to hear not only the nuances of your favorite tunes, but also positional audio as well as ambient noises in your games.
Being reference speakers, these units are designed to deliver what's there and not mollycoddle the sound into becoming something that it's not. Often, that can lead to a flat, lifeless sound, but the Oras have just enough user-friendly magic sprinkled on top of their driver design to ensure that you end up with the best of both worlds: a fantastically accurate sound which still pleases the ears.
And for the money, they'd better. Still, reference speakers are not cheap, so they actually represent excellent value for the level of audio quality they're able to fire at your eardrums—and with this much volume on top, potentially your neighbor's ears too.
Connectivity-wise, you've got the option of USB-C, RCA or Bluetooth. That's a greatest-hits lineup right there, although with one major omission: a 3.5 mm aux input. Still, that wouldn't be a problem with the addition of a very cheap 3.5 mm to RCA cable, which is why it's baffling that the box doesn't include one, or indeed, any cables at all. Well, apart from the one that connects the two speakers together, anyway. That'd be really silly not to include.
Still, the Kanto Oras sound fantastic, and really, that's all they aim to do. If you're looking for pure gaming audio only, then they're probably a bit much for your purposes. But if you want speakers that can do it all and do it with just about the best audio quality you'll find outside of a studio environment, well, these are probably exactly what you need.
They're the best reference speakers we've tested to date, and despite the cost, that makes them some of the best speakers you can plug into your PC, too.
Read our full Kanto Ora review.
Also tested
Q&A
Do I need a 2.1, 5.1, or 7.1 setup?
You'll mostly find 2.1 setups for the PC market cover just left/right channels and a subwoofer, and perhaps more often than that, even devoid of a subwoofer for a 2.0 setup. That's mainly because that fits the bill for a desktop and monitor, with the speakers in front of the user for decent stereo sound.
Living room speaker setups and home cinema systems will take that a little further, often offering at least five surrounding speakers in most cases. You could hook such a system up to your PC and find decent support for such a configuration, but we're hesitant to recommend such a setup due to the sheer number of wires involved around a single desk. It doesn't bear thinking about.
Some companies will tout virtual 5.1 to make up for the lack of physical speakers, often at the expense of sound quality, including Windows' Sonic function. Don't forget that many games use clever 3D audio techniques to generate positional game audio with great accuracy, so you may find you don't need much of a helping hand.
Which is better, speakers or soundbar?
Since both speakers and soundbars can offer a similar audio experience, it all comes down to your desktop. If you've little space to spare, a pair of computer speakers will be best suited. Whereas a soundbar can take up a long stretch behind or under your monitor. That said, a soundbar can work a treat with monitors on arms or mounted off the desk.
The other thing to consider is that a soundbar might offer some extra features, such as beamforming or head-tracking, or come with a few more smaller tweeters than a standard 2:1 speaker set. But generally, it comes down to space as to which is best.
How do we test computer speakers?
We test each set of speakers in-game for several hours through a wide range of games with rich soundtracks and sounds, such as Doom Eternal, Call of Duty: Warzone, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, and Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. We also run listening tests, putting them through their paces with movies and music.
Importantly, we try and get time with speakers to use them as you would a typical pair you've just bought. Testing a set of speakers in controlled environments will get you most of the way there, but it's always important to emulate how they would be used day to day.
