Logitech Z523

The Logitech Z523 comes more highly recommended than any other under-$100 PC speaker system. The 5.25-inch subwoofer impresses testers with distortion-free bass at all but the loudest volume. The curvy piano-black satellite speakers can sound a little harsh or tinny on the highs at times, testers say, but overall the Z523 sounds better than anything else in this price range. Other benefits include its multi-directional speakers -- the Z523's satellites each have two speaker drivers, one in the front and one in the back -- and a bunch of different connection options: including two 3.5 mm inputs and a stereo RCA connector. The satellites themselves connect to the subwoofer with permanently attached wires; if they break, they won't be as easy or cheap to replace as a speaker wire that uses standard connectors. If you can spend more, experts say the Harman Kardon SoundSticks III (*Est. $170) reproduces sound more flawlessly.

CNET, PCMag.com and DigitalTrends.com all test the Logitech Z523, assigning it a star rating and comparing it with other PC speaker systems. Amazon.com has collected almost 180 user reviews for the Z523.