Best speakers under $75 (ideally Bose, 60W+)

darkowl72 said:It’s a bummer that the 2.1 1800 setup doesn't have a headphone jack, because that power distribution is actually pretty solid.

Hold up, you mean this n/a? Because according to the specs, this one actually does have a headphone jack 🤷

I recently picked up the n/a. It features a front-facing headphone jack alongside a line-in for a mic—handy if you’re looking to host some karaoke nights with friends. You've also got the bass, treble, and volume controls right there on the front panel. As far as audio fidelity and punch go, I'm satisfied, though my setup is primarily for music rather than dedicated gaming. A 2.1 system might serve a gamer better, but I can't speak to those with any real authority since I haven't used them—though for this specific model, I'd definitely give it a thumbs up.

EDIT:
Check out this review; even though the creator is Czech/Pole/Slovak and I struggle to follow the commentary, pay close attention to the 3:26 mark. He's holding the volume knob, and you can see there's a slot for both headphones and a mic—I had something nearly identical on my old Logitech speakers.

Ronald Myers81 said:I recently picked up an SP-HF1800A...(shortened)

EDIT:
Check out this review. It’s by a Czech/Pole/Slovak guy so I can barely follow him, but watch at 3:26 where he's holding the volume controller. Looks like there's a jack for both headphones and a mic—I had something pretty much identical with my old Logitech speakers.

Yeah, obviously the SP-HF1800A has a headphone jack. I just wasn't sure which 2.1 1800 darkowl72 was talking about in his last sentence...

If I go with a 2.0 setup, the SP-HF1800A is definitely the move. 👍

EDIT: For the SW-HF2.1 1800, the description says "master Volume and Bass control Lin in and" plus a headphone jack on the wired control pod.

I'm looking at this compared to some older Logitech models. I haven't seen a setup with the amp built right into the sub and those side connectors anywhere else. Where did you even pick this up?

This 2.1 kit has master, bass, echo, two mic inputs, and dual mic volume controls... but zero headphone jacks. 😬

And honestly, that photo over at Best Buy might just be wrong. 😬 Wouldn't be the first time...

Hold on a second... you're talking about this model, while I'm referring to this one 😬

"SW-HF2.1 1800K V2" isn't the same thing as "SW-2.1 1800," but apparently, that doesn't matter to these big-box retailers 🍿

EDIT: also, why does your link just dump me onto the main page of the manufacturer?

Our local retailers are part of the problem too, constantly messing up product names and photos. But a huge chunk of this mess comes from Genus, whose cryptic model numbering and regional series variations just create total chaos.

So, I found this specific model at Best Buy:

http://www.czc.cz/genius-sw-2-1-1800.../58412/produkt

On the official manufacturer pages, it's listed with a "PA" suffix (meaning public address), but that's how it showed up on the Best Buy link. Now, I can't tell if it's just sold out or if their new website is just complete garbage—it won't even load for me.

Edit:

Okay, the page finally loaded, though who knows how long it'll stay up:

It’s opening for me now too... though that karaoke version you mentioned actually has a "K" in the title 😬

Anyway, tell me—is the one I was looking at even worth anything? The link is in the previous post leading to the Logitech page...

EDIT: this one

Look, most of those budget speakers that aren't just pathetic 2W junk are actually decent. It seems like they found a way to churn out model after model using basically the same internal platform, all while keeping the price point dirt cheap (and recycling parts, just like everyone else does). They slap some wood veneer on one, plastic on another, call one of them "gaming" gear... but at the end of the day, they all sound surprisingly good.

Specifically, the one you're asking about looks pretty solid to me. For this tier, having a 6.5" bass driver is great—it’ll move enough air to actually fill the room. Plus, pairing that with 15W per channel for the mids and highs sounds like a winning combo. My guess? You won't be able to crank them past halfway, but that's not because of distortion—it's because you'll have the neighbors knocking on your door.😬

Thanks for the tip! 👍

Oh, please, listen to this guy. A 6.5" subwoofer driver? Calling that a "subwoofer" is quite the stretch, isn't it? It's more like a tiny little 😁
.

It all depends on how the amp and cabinet are built, the driver quality, and a bunch of other variables. But honestly, you have to consider what you actually need them for (personal use) and the price tag 😬 because we aren't talking about audiophile-grade gear here.

I’ve still got an old set of 2.1 speakers on one of my PCs—just some cheap setup with a 12W wooden sub and two 7W satellites. I picked them up for pennies back in the day at a local discount shop. I can tell you, they almost fill a whole room with sound, and it isn't even bad. But if you push those bass levels too hard (it’s only a modest 4" sub at 12W), the neighbors start noticing. You can feel the vibrations traveling through the floor. It won't knock down walls, but it'll definitely rattle the windows. As for component quality, you don't even really notice distortion until you crank them past 90%.

Honestly, one of the best buys I've ever made (!) for next to nothing. Even today, these newer, much more expensive models can't seem to touch them. It's a shame that brand doesn't exist anymore; the best proof of their quality was back in 2001 when Logitech bought them out just to crush the competition.

Bradley Lewis59 said:I guess it might be worth taking a listen to that Logitech setup. It features a 6.5" subwoofer driver, which I suppose could even pass for a decent little sub. 😁

You should really swing by sometime to hear my Adam setup; it's just a little 7" driver, but I think you might find it interesting. 😁

darkowl72 said:It really all boils down to how the amplifier and the cabinet are engineered together, the specific quality of the drivers, and a whole host of other technical variables. But I suppose, more importantly, you really have to keep the intended use in mind—whether it's just for personal listening—alongside the actual price point you're looking to hit. 😬 I mean, let’s be honest, these prices definitely aren't in the ballpark of what you'd expect if you were looking at true audiophile-grade equipment.

I still have an old set of 2.1 speakers hooked up to one of my computers—they’re just basic little things, really, with a 12W wooden subwoofer and two 7W satellites. I think I picked them up years ago at a local Best Buy during a clearance sale, if I recall correctly. Honestly, I have to say they almost fill the entire room with sound, and the quality isn't half bad for what they are. Though, I suppose if you get a bit too ambitious with the bass settings—given that the 4-inch sub only puts out a modest 12W—my neighbors might start noticing. You can definitely feel the vibrations traveling through the floor; it’s not exactly enough to bring the house down, but it’s certainly enough to make the windows rattle a little. As for the build quality, I guess it speaks for itself, since you don't really start noticing any distortion until you crank the volume past the 90% mark.

I honestly feel like this was one of the best purchases I’ve ever made, especially considering how little it actually cost me at the time. Even looking back from today, I think these speakers could easily outclass many of the newer, much more expensive models hitting the shelves right now. It’s a bit of a shame that the Labtec brand isn't around anymore, but I suppose the clearest testament to their quality was when Logitech stepped in to buy them back in 2001, purely to dominate the competition.

I believe there is yet another solid company worth mentioning, assuming they are still around—Microlab.

It feels like a lifetime ago, but I remember picking up... I suppose I should probably get started on this. I suppose it’s just some sort of thing, I guess. $133 I suppose that’s really about as much as you could reasonably expect for that price point, though if you're lucky, you might even squeeze a little more value out of it.
One thing I’ve never quite been able to get past with those budget 2.1 PC speaker setups is how incredibly underpowered the satellite speakers tend to be. Because they lack any real substance, the subwoofer ends up being forced to pick up the slack by reproducing the lower-midrange frequencies, which really isn't what it was designed to handle in the first place. I guess the inevitable result is this noticeable gap in the midrange, and since the subwoofer is trying to push tones well above 100Hz, you can easily pinpoint exactly where it's sitting in the room. 😁

They definitely exist, it's just that Europe isn't much of a market for them. And yeah, I'm with you on the underpowered satellites. That’s why I mentioned how much I actually dig the power distribution on that 1800 Karaoke (PA) setup—it’s got those 2x 15 W satellites and a 15 W sub. But I guess that's probably just because they prioritized the microphone input...

darkowl72 said:It all comes down to how the amp and the enclosure are designed, the quality of the drivers, and a whole host of other variables. But primarily, you have to consider the intended use (personal) and the price point 😬 because we certainly aren't talking about audiophile territory here.

I still have a set of Logitech speakers on one of my old PCs from ages ago—a 12W wooden subwoofer paired with two 7W satellites. They were budget picks, bought back when I was shopping at Best Buy. I can honestly say they fill a room with sound quite effectively, and the quality isn't half bad. Of course, if you push those bass levels too far (with a 4" sub pushing a modest 12W), your neighbors might start twitching. You can actually feel the vibrations traveling through the floor; it’s not going to bring the house down, but it’s enough to make the windows rattle. As for component quality, you can tell they were built decently because distortion only starts creeping in once you crank them past 90%.

Honestly, it was one of the best purchases I ever made (!) for next to nothing. Even today, these modern, much more expensive speakers struggle to replicate what those could do... It’s a shame that brand doesn't exist anymore, but the best testament to its legacy is that Logitech bought them out back in 2001 just to crush the competition.

Well, obviously, you can't expect miracles at this price point, but technically speaking, there isn't really a "subwoofer" there... just a woofer. It’s like trying to market an integrated graphics card as a high-end gaming GPU; as cosmicheron48 pointed out, their frequency response reaches into the mid-range, which practically makes them monitors (satellites).
Of course, that doesn't mean they won't pack a punch. 😬

cosmicheron48 said:Come over and listen to my Adam subwoofer, it only has a 7" driver 😁

Another solid brand, if they even still exist—Microlab.

A long time ago, I picked up this for roughly $133 and it absolutely crushed everything you'd expect for that kind of money, and then some.
But the thing I could never get past with those 2.1 PC systems was the underpowered satellites, which forces the subwoofer to try and reproduce the low-mid spectrum—which isn't its job at all. The result? A lovely hole in the mids, and you can easily locate the subwoofer in the room because it's busy pumping out tones above 100Hz. 😁

Come on, at least your little subwoofer actually has a crossover! 😁

I’ve heard stories about some great ones, like Monsoon; they were being produced over a decade ago, but they were phenomenal. Their measurements were so good that they actually have a cult following of enthusiasts who guard them like gold. 🤣

I'm genuinely curious what is actually worth buying today in terms of affordable PC speakers. Does Harman Kardon have anything in the $500 range? $267

darkowl72 said:Oh, they definitely exist; it’s just that the American market isn't their primary focus. And regarding those underpowered satellites, I actually agree with you—that's precisely why I mentioned how much I liked the power distribution on that 1800 Karaoke (PA) model, which runs two 15W satellites paired with a 15W sub, though I suppose that's all just to accommodate the microphone input...

Generally speaking, a subwoofer ought to have significantly more wattage, given that those lower frequencies require moving a massive driver and pushing huge volumes of air just to be perceptible. But then again, shouldn't we take all these technical specifications with a heavy grain of salt? In this specific instance, they probably just cranked up the satellite output so the peaks wouldn't completely blow them out when someone starts screaming into the microphone. 😁

Nah, Harman Kardon and JBL are way more expensive... I don't really need anything new until my current setup dies on me. 😬 But when that time comes, I’m planning to ditch these cheap PC speakers entirely and grab some budget active monitors, maybe something like the Mackie CR3 or CR4. You can find those for $100-$150, and the CR4 with Bluetooth goes for about $200. They aren't really stocked locally here, so I'll probably have to hunt them down somewhere in the States to avoid extra hassle.

I think it would be a massive step up from these basic PC speakers, provided I don't plug them straight into some crappy integrated motherboard audio. 😬 If I pair them with even a decent aftermarket sound card, the difference will be night and day.

Honestly, if Harman actually put any effort into making audio gear at this price point, Logitech would be out of business overnight. It’s a stroke of luck for them that Harman Kardon is essentially just the "budget" wing of the Harman group, isn't it? 😁

Take the cheap monitors we have here in the States, for example, such as

Now, I haven't had the chance to test these absolute bottom-of-the-barrel models, and while they'd probably crush most standard PC speakers, once you get into the $400 range, you start seeing some truly excellent options.

And as for sound cards—believe it or not—I used to have a surprisingly decent one integrated into an old motherboard, I think it was an Asrock Z68 E3 GEN3. But then I went ahead and bought one of those overpriced USB sound cards, feeling incredibly smug about it, only to realize I can't hear a single bit of difference. 😬 Then I compare that setup to a handful of other laptops and desktops where the audio quality is nothing short of garbage 😁

Finally picked up the n/a. Honestly? I’m impressed, but I doubt I’ll ever crank the volume past 35% without blowing my ears out. 🤣 🤣 🤣

You really have to 😬 let them breathe once in a while... 😬

darkowl72 said:Not really, I think brands like KEF or JBL actually end up being more expensive... Personally, I don't feel like I need an upgrade until something finally dies on me 😬 but when that day comes, I'll probably step away from basic PC speakers and look into some budget active monitors, maybe something like the PreSonus Eris 3.5 or the 4.5, which usually run around $100-$150, though the 4.5 with Bluetooth SIG might push closer to $200. Since they aren't always sitting on the shelf at my local Best Buy, I might have to hunt them down through some online retailer here in the States...

I suspect that would be a massive leap in quality compared to standard desktop speakers, assuming, of course, you aren't just plugging them into some cheap integrated motherboard audio jack 😬; if you pair them with even a decent mid-range aftermarket sound card, the difference is honestly night and day...

I actually own the CR-V (among my other monitors 😁), and I have to say, they aren't bad at all—actually, there's really no comparison to those Logitech or Genius sets that people typically call PC speakers..

I picked them up mostly to have something reliable during the off-season, but they honestly surprised me quite a bit. They have a pretty solid stereo image, and they can get quite "in your face" once you crank the volume, plus the bass is surprisingly impressive given how small the cabinets are. For the most part, there isn't anything particularly "off" about them when you first power them up, which is a huge relief compared to what you usually get with standard PC speakers.