Computer Speakers

Computer speakers are actually quite interesting, and pretty important. If you are someone who enjoys listening to music, watching movies, or playing games with sound, having a great set of speakers is a must! There really are just a few options when it comes to how computer speakers are setup. Most of us use the standard two speakers, usually tall and skinny, and typically placed right next to or very near the monitor. The two main areas you see variation are in the number of speakers (if you want surround sound for example) and whether or not you are using a sub woofer to add bass and depth to your computer's sound system. In today’s enviroment, with easy to watch videos and limitless music, having a fair amount of knowledge when it comes to your computer;s speakers is important. This is one of the few pieces of hardware outside of your computer's monitor that is fully functional without software or drivers. It truly is plug and play in most cases - unless you want surround sound (then you need to make sure your computer's sound card is capable).

Below, we will break down each part of your speakers.

Standard Computer Speakers:
The typical setup consists of two single speakers, often referred to as satellites. These usually have to be powered with some sort of adapter; a small percentage of computer speakers run on usb power, but you should note that those are about as bad as they get. As far as controls go, you have very little other than volume up and down. Some of the more advanced speakers may give you a little more as far as the equalizer goes (maybe bass and treble options), but that is about it in most cases. These are just fine for the vast majority of the population.

Two Satellite Speakers + Subwoofer
This setup isn’t all that different than the one outlined above, except for the fact that it will have a subwoofer attached to the system to help provide a much fuller sound. In our opinion, if you like to listen to anything at all on your computer this is a must - we're talking about night and day difference between the two systems. The wiring on this setup will be a little different in the fact that you will typically run the audio cable from the back of your computer, to the subwoofer ,and then use provided cables to connect the two satellite speakers. Using a Subwoofer doesn’t change any of the requirements your computer will have, and often times these types of speaker setups will give you more flexibility when it comes to mixing your audio.

Full Surround Sound:
This speaker setup really isn’t anything more than the above system, along with adding 3 more satellite speakers. These setups usually have the satellite speakers in much smaller package, and you can put them all over your office. This is a great setup for the movie enthusiast, but we never really notice much of a difference when it comes to audio. It is also important to remember that, if you don’t get cordless, you will literally have wires running everywhere around your office.

Speakers add a lot to the experience of computing. It's important you don’t overlook them, as a great set of speakers can make all the difference when it comes to playing games, watching movies, or listening to music.

If you have any questions at all, shoot on over to our forum and ask away.

Thanks so much for joining us in Lesson 11: Computer Speakers. Please submit any and all questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - we will be happy to answer!

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