Need a Computer Speaker Upgrade? These Are the Best Speakers and Soundbars for PCs and Macs
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When planning a gaming PC setup, it’s easy to think your audio options are limited to a pair of powered bookshelf speakers. Soundbars are associated with TVs and home theaters, but you can get one that’s designed to sit under your monitor while you play games.
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Computer soundbars are more compact than ones we’d recommend for home theater use, but they work the same way. A bunch of drivers (the part of a speaker responsible for producing sound) are placed next to one another in a single horizontal speaker. You lose some stereo separation, but don’t have to string wires around your computer desk. A computer soundbar also has a leg up over gaming headsets, which can get sweaty or start to feel heavy during a long gaming session.
If you prefer listening to your game audio through speakers, but don’t have a lot of space, we’ve done the research and found the best computer soundbars available right now
What Are the Best Bluetooth Computer Soundbars?
If you’re looking to pick up a new computer soundbar, here are eight of the best speakers to get, based consumer reviews, audio clarity, and price.
BEST OVERALL: Creative Stage Under-Monitor Soundbar
BEST WALLET-FRIENDLY: Doss PC Soundbar
BEST FOR LIMITED SPACES: Bluedee Computer Soundbar
BEST FOR ENTERTAINMENT: Creative Store Sound BlasterX Katana
BEST FOR PC GAMING: Razer Leviathan V2 Pro
BEST FOR VIDEO CALLS: Dell Pro Stereo Soundbar
BEST FOR VERSATILITY: Logitech Z407 Bluetooth Computer Speakers
BEST FOR DESIGN: Razer Nommo Chroma
1. Creative Stage Under-Monitor Soundbar
$79.99 $89.99 11% off
Creative designed its Under-Monitor Soundbar to be used with your PC and home theater system. It’s 23.7 inches long, which makes this the longest soundbar we recommend, but it’s worth it. This is a 2.1 soundbar, which features a pair of drivers built into the bar, plus a subwoofer. The subwoofer is wired, so it has to be connected to the soundbar to work. Make sure you have enough extra space under your desk if you’re considering this option.
This soundbar’s best feature is its wide array of connectivity options. It has an aux input, so you can connect it to a computer, Bluetooth support for wireless streaming, and both HDMI Arc and Optical audio inputs, so you can connect it to a TV.
Creative’s computer soundbar has more inputs than any other computer soundbar in our guide, and it’s the only one designed to be wall-mounted. This is a great feature if you hook your PC up to a large TV, or play titles on game consoles. It even has a USB port, so you can connect a flash drive to it and play music files directly from the soundbar. Creative Stage bundles this soundbar with a remote, so you can control its main functions (power, volume, play/pause) without having to physically touch it.
If you need a computer soundbar that can pull double duty and work in your living room, Creative has you covered.
2. Doss PC Soundbar
$39.99
Doss’s PC Soundbar is a great budget option that’ll still be a big improvement over the speakers in your laptop or desktop computer.
It’s 17.7 inches long, which puts it in the middle of the pack size, and features a 16-watt stereo audio system. We like that Doss’ soundbar has physical play, pause, next track, and previous track buttons on top, so you can shuffle between songs on a playlist without looking down. This is a quality of life feature we didn’t expect from a soundbar under $40.
Doss’ PC Soundbar’s standout feature is its dearth of connectivity options. You can plug it into your computer using a USB cable, connect to it wirelessly over Bluetooth, or play audio off either a flash drive or MicroSD card. This soundbar’s ability to play songs off of external media means you can use it as a standalone audio device when you’re not at your computer.
If you want a computer soundbar that’s also capable of replacing a Bluetooth speaker you have in another part of your home, Doss’ PC Soundbar should be your first choice.
3. Bluedee Computer Soundbar
$49.99 $59.99 17% off
If you want better sound from your computer, but don’t have a lot of room, Bluedee’s Computer Soundbar is the ideal choice.
At 16.4 inches it’s the smallest soundbar in this guide, but it’s loaded with modern features like Bluetooth support. We also like that Bluedee’s soundbar is bus powered, which means it draws electricity from your computer’s USB-A port. This means you won’t need to plug it into a wall, which saves you even more space.
This computer soundbar’s coolest feature is its RGB light strip, which is located on its front side. You can set the strip to switch between different lighting modes, including one that pulses with the music you’re listening to. If you’re entertaining friends, this is a very cool feature.
The only potential downside to Bluedee’s Computer Soundbar is that it can only play music in stereo, which makes sense given its small size. If that doesn’t bother you, and your desk space is limited, Bluedee’s Computer Soundbar is the right pick.
4. Creative Store Sound BlasterX Katana
$195.99 $299.99 35% off
This sleek soundbar will fit right under your monitor or gaming setup and comes with its own wireless subwoofer for booming bass.
It’s got five drivers and comes equipped with a Dolby Digital decoder, all designed to give you an immerse audio experience, according to the brand. Feel the tension during your action sequences and hear every in-game dialogue crisp and clear with this nifty soundbar.
It’s even got a stellar in-built lighting system with up to 49 programmable LED lights. Whether you want your new soundbar to blend into your gaming setup or you’re looking for some ambient lighting during your all-night gaming sessions, you’ll be able to customize the lighting as you see fit.
As for connectivity options, there is an optical input, AUX input, USB as well as in-built Bluetooth meaning you can connect it to multiple devices and integrate it into your gaming setup.
5. Razer Leviathan V2 Pro
$499.99
At $499.99 at Amazon, the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro is designed to take your gaming experiences to the next level with premium and immersive audio. It uses advanced Audioscenic technology to track your movements to deliver the best personalized sound quality to your ears no matter where you are in the room, while it remembers where you’re standing or sitting to give you precise audio.
Meanwhile, the computer soundbar is THX-tuned for 3D spatial audio for virtual surround sound, as well as fuller and richer sound for a movie theater-like experience. It has RGB lighting with 30 zones for effects and patterns that’s customizable via the Razer mobile app for even more immersion. The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro comes with a subwoofer too for deep bass and rumble.
6. Dell Pro Stereo Soundbar
$71.99
Looking for better sounding video calls? The Dell Pro Stereo Soundbar — which goes for $71.99 at Amazon — offers exceptional audio clarity for video calls, thanks to its 5-watt RMS front-firing speaker system for robust and rich sound. It’s noise-canceling with a line of microphones built-in to reduce background noise and echoes in your home or office. The soundbar is even certified for Microsoft Skype for Business, so calls taken on this platform will sound their best.
At just under 18 inches in length, the Dell Pro Stereo Soundbar attaches at the bottom of just about any standard monitor with interfering with adjustability, while its simple plug-and-play function will have you receiving better audio quality in no time. Just plug it in to your computer’s USB-A port for instant sound clarity.
7. Logitech Z407 Bluetooth Computer Speakers
$114.99
Priced at $114.99 at Amazon, the Logitech Z407 Bluetooth Computer Speakers are expertly tuned with dual 80-watt speakers that offers premium and immersive audio, even at louder volumes without degradation. It comes with a 20-watt subwoofer for deep and booming bass, which is ideal for watching movies, listening to music, or playing video games.
The system uses a wireless one-dial control system that sits on a desk for precise sound and bass volume, as well as controls for play and pause. The Logitech Z407 Bluetooth Computer Speakers has multi-switch between up to three wired and wireless devices through Bluetooth, microUSB, and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Meanwhile, it’s a fantastic audio system for working from home or gaming.
8. Razer Nommo Chroma
$142.62 $149.99 5% off
On sale for $141 (reg. $150) at Amazon, the Razer Nommo Chroma is a pair of full range speakers made with 3-inch woven fiber glass drivers for tighter and detailed sound. Each speaker is designed with rear-facing bass ports for richer and fuller audio and rumble, while separate controls for audio and bass levels are available for both speakers. This is ideal if you want to take the bass level from booming to a low hum for late night use at a moment’s notice.
It connects to your computer via USB-A or 3.5mm audio jack, so set up is fast and easy with plug-and play functions. The pair look very futuristic.
Buying Guide; How to Pick Bluetooth Computer Soundbars
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best computer soundbars for you; below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list.
Size: As we mentioned earlier, one of the big advantages of using a computer soundbar is saving space. All of our picks range between 16.4 and 23.7 inches long, so you’ll be able to find one that can fit comfortably on your desk.
Connectivity: All of our computer soundbar recommendations can be plugged into your computer via a 3.5mm audio cable, but support other connectivity options like Bluetooth, so you can stream music to them wirelessly.
Compatibility: Any computer soundbar in our guide can be used with both a PC and Mac.
Stereo or Surround Sound: Soundbars can never fully replicate the experience of a 5.1 surround sound system, but some can do a pretty good job at recreating by pointing multiple drivers in different directions and using a subwoofer. Our guide features stereo and surround sound options.
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