Computer Speakers

Australia's GoodGearGuide.com covers 18 speakers that are available in the U.S. There are no Editor's Choice awards, but there are ratings, a pros-and-cons list and a summary assessment. Axiom's Audiobyte… is praised for clarity and detail, though the subwoofer (at an additional cost) is "tight rather than booming." The Creative GigaWorks T40 provides clear sound for a reasonable price. The Logitech LS21s are a real bargain, if you have a small room and don't mind losing low bass ranges.

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This high-adrenaline and often irreverent computer magazine periodically publishes single-product reviews. Ratings, along with pluses and minuses, make it possible to compare systems. Three speaker systems… are graced with Maximum PC magazine's "Kick Ass" award. The Logitech Z-5500 gets a perfect score for powerful, clear sound in all ranges. Axiom Audio's Audiobyte is praised for the detail it gives, and the reviewer is impressed with the Focal XS system for its detailed sound and subtle bass.

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Not all PC speakers on this site have actually been reviewed by editors, but those that have receive detailed coverage with a rating (including Editors' Choice awards), highs and lows and overall… assessment. Newer models include video reviews as well. A large number of older, long discontinued speakers remain listed, which bogs down navigation somewhat. Among current speakers, the Logitech Z-4 and Logitech G51 are both great values with clear sound, though bass suffers somewhat on these lower-priced models. Logitech's Z-5500, however, delivers near-perfect sound quality even after a year of daily use.

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This Indian website provides a rating, pros and cons for each speaker system, as well as some comparisons to competitors, though not all are sold in the U.S. Reviewer Frazier Barretto rates the Cyber… Acoustics CA3090 highly for being a good budget choice, and the Altec Lansing VS2421 is also an excellent value. He grudgingly admits the expensive Bose Companion 5 system delivers quality sound across all ranges.

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This India-based site features individual reviews as well as a number of roundups. In this article, Siddharth Bhatia examines the Creative GigaWorks T40 Series II, the Logitech Z-10 (now discontinued) and… the Audioengine 2, which he prefers for its natural, open sound. Elsewhere on the site, the Bose Computer MusicMonitor is honored as the best speakers of 2008. Logitech's AudioHub is the runner up for that award, while Altec Lansing's VS2521 is named as best value.

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India's version of PC World tests the Altec Lansing VS2521, Creative Inspire T3100 and Logitech X-240 at their labs to see which 2.1 speaker system is the best. They're most impressed by the VS2521 from… Altec Lansing, which has strong bass response. Mids and highs fare well too, though Laldinfela Pachuau feels sound can be too bright at times. Creative's Inspire T3100 comes close, but the VS2521 has a better soundstage.

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Amazon.com lets users post reviews of computer speakers that they own. Some speakers get hundreds of reviews, and it's easy to spot top choices. Many score similarly, though, so separating out the very best… can be challenging. On the other hand, losers tend to stick out like a sore thumb. User-review sites like Amazon.com are particularly useful in identifying cheap computer speakers that perform well, which aren't always covered in professional reviews.

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This article is reprinted from the French site DigitalVersus.com. It's supposed to compare the Creative GigaWorks T20 Series II, Creative GigaWorks T40 Series II and Logitech Z-5, but the reviewer really… only compares the T20 and T40. The T20 and Z-5 receive the same rating and which is preferred is never made clear. The T20 is praised for strong bass, though mids and highs leave much to be desired. Logitech's Z-5 gives genuine omnidirectional sound with a small footprint, but bass response is weak.

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