I’ve mentioned before that deciding what you want in your speakers is very important. Computer speakers come in different configurations, and what you use your speakers for can help determine which setup is best for you. Here’s a run down, complete with images of layout guides and samples:

2.0 or 2 Speaker System

This just refers to a basic setup with 2 satellites, often placed next to the monitor to provide a stereo sound with left and right channels. The lack of a subwoofer isn’t necessarily a bad thing; there are plenty of 2.0 speakers with good bass and it’s a great space-saver. This is the preferable choice if you have space constraints and/or can’t afford to have excessive bass leak through to neighboring rooms or apartments. If you’re mostly using your speakers for listening to music, this is often sufficient. That’s not to say that it’s a poor choice for video games or movies, however; it depends on the quality of the product itself. While 2.1 speakers seem to be the standard for most computer setups these days, the possible lack of cohesion between the subwoofer and the satellites (especially dangerous with cheap sets) means that a good pair of 2.0 will often provide a better sound stage.

Note: this may also refer to the built-in speakers that laptops or certain PC speakers have. These are generally very poor quality and we won’t be talking about, or referring to these in this site.

2.1 Speaker System

This adds a subwoofer to the 2 satellite speaker setup, which serves as a dedicated output for low frequencies. This is a popular choice for people looking for an upgrade from stock speakers as it seems like a significant enough upgrade with the extra component, but not drastic enough to warrant a 5.1. Computer speakers in online stores tend to carry more 2.1 setups over the other types, so you should be spoilt for choice if that’s what you’re looking for. If you can afford enough space to place a subwoofer in your setup, the extra bass boost should improve your listening experience. Note that poor 2.1 systems can offer a worse listening experience to good 2.0 speakers, so it’s important to choose the right one. This setup is good if you want the extra bass response, but don’t require an extra-immersive surround sound effect.

5.1 Speaker System

This takes the spatial presence of your audio to another dimension by introducing three speakers into the mix to total five satellites and a subwoofer, surrounding the listener to give a true "surround sound" effect. Additional satellite speakers are placed directly to the front, as well and the left and right rear. This is great if you want a more immersive experience when playing video games and movies (make sure they support surround sound though); music mostly doesn’t benefit from this as much, although some albums have a 5.1 mix and you do still get a more "wholesome" sound due to the positioning of speakers around you. Of course, these come at a steeper price, with cheaper ones pushing the $100 mark. As mentioned with the 2.1, however, a poor subwoofer could ruin the sound even when compared to a good 2.0 setup. Furthermore, at the sub-$100 mark, there aren’t many good 5.1 systems. Another important factor to consider before deciding on these is that they require a fair bit of space around your computer due to the rear speakers that may require stands as well.

7.1 Speaker System

This is an upgrade to the 5.1, with two additional satellites to the side of the listener. However, these systems are often expensive, with an average price of around $300. Due to the nature of the site, I will not go into these in detail.

Hopefully this will help in your decision making process.

In this blog I’ll try to be use as little technical terms as possible, for the simple reason that it’s not necessarily useful in our search for cheap computer speakers. Sure, it’s good to know all these numbers but it ultimately boils down to the actual performance and personal preference to the speakers. As I’ve mentioned in the buying guide, reading reviews will pretty much suffice to inform you adequately about the product.

Regardless, it might still be useful to know some common terms that might be used in these reviews, and what they mean for you. It’s not going to be especially extensive, just the bare essentials that might apply. I’ll try to describe them in as newbie-friendly a manner as possible and keep jargon to a minimum but that means it won’t be the most in-depth. I may add entries over the course of time.

Acoustics

The science/study of sound. Also refers to how the environment affects sound.

Amplifier or Amp

The electrical circuit/device that boosts the current, voltage or power (read: volume) of the electric signal.

Attenuation

The reduction of an electrical signal, often by a controlled amount by instruments like volume control and faders.

Audio Spectrum/Frequency

The range of frequencies (audio spectrum) that the human ear can perceive. This is generally regarded to be between 20 Hz and 20 KHz. In audio it is generally classified, in order of low to high, as bass, mids and treble.

Balance

The difference in volume between the left and right channels.

Bass

The lower frequencies, or lower end of the audio spectrum. This is approximately 20 Hz to 400Hz.

Clipping

The distortion in audio that occurs when the peaks of audio signals are unable to be produced by the speakers, usually when the input signal is too high or the volume is set too loud for the amplifier to reproduce due to insufficient power.

Decibel or dB

A measurement scale denoting the relative strength of volume. A 10 dB increase means a sound will sound twice as loud.

Distortion

An undesirable change in the intended sound from the original.

Driver

The device in the speaker that hold the electromagnetic components.

Dynamic Range

The audio range that a system can accurately reproduce without distortion or compression.

Equalizer

A device (whether physical or software) used to boost certain frequencies.

Fidelity

The quality of the recording/reproduction.

Frequency Response

The range of frequencies that the speakers can produce.

Hiss

A high frequency sound that may be produced by the speakers.

Hum

A low frequency, often constant sound that may be produced by the speakers.

Midrange or Mids

The middle frequencies between the bass and treble. This often refers to the majority of tones in music and speech.

Mono

Single channel, as opposed to the dual channels of Stereo.

Noise

An undesirable sound produced in an audio system. This includes hissing and hums.

Satellite (Speaker)

Usually used when referring to the speakers used in a system including a subwoofer. It generally has a weaker bass response.

Signal

Desired portion of electrical information. In other words, what you want to hear.

Signal-to-Noise Ratio or SNR or S/R

The level of the desired signal to the level of background (often undesirable) noise.

Soundstage

Used to describe the ability of sound systems to create an audio environment of an imaginary stage, often with clear instrument separation and a sense of space.

Stereo

The reproduction of sound using two independent audio channels.

Subwoofer

A speaker specially designed to reproduce the bass frequencies. Also refers to the ".1" in speaker systems (eg. 2.1 speaker system refers to two satellite speakers and a subwoofer).

Surround Sound

The simulation of audio from a one dimensional space to a two or three dimensional space, thus surrounding the listener with sound.

Treble

The high freqneucies produced by a speaker system.

Tweeter

Kind of the opposite of a (sub)woofer. This driver is dedicated to reproducing the higher frequencies around 4000 – 20 000 Hz. It is often housed in the satellite speakers. Not all cheap speakers have these, but those that do generally have clearer, more defined highs.

Volume

The loudness of a sound.

There’s a bit of an ongoing debate on whether it actually makes a difference when using the onboard sound card from your motherboard or an actual separate sound card plugged in (whether external or internal). Times have changed since the old days of onboard cards being hopelessly obsolete, but that’s not to say that dedicated cards aren’t worth getting either. The decision isn’t as clear cut as, say, video cards, where getting one is absolutely imperative if you’re using your computer for more than browsing e-mails.

To most budget computer users, it seems like a plausible point that spending extra on a sound card is unnecessary, when the onboard one works just fine. The use of a good pair of headphones or speakers should bring out the sound quality just fine, and it’s more econominal to just spend on these rather than on a product that adds only a marginal, if any, discernable difference to sound. In fact, any improvements in sound are even deemed by many to be a placebo, a self-assuring justification of the money spent.

An audio output is an audio output regardless of whether it comes from a separate card or from the motherboard. People who already use dedicated sound cards, of course, say that the difference is night and day. The added functionality of supporting multiple speaker setups and 3D effects aside, there usually is an improvement in fidelity and clarity to the audio.

As I’ve mentioned in a previous entry though, it’s a matter of personal requirements and taste. The main difference is that dedicated cards, being dedicated as such, serve only one purpose: to produce audio. This means that rather than the single chip on a motherboard full of other processes, the entire card functions independently, with its own internal CPU to produce your audio. In effect, they tend to perform better both in terms of your computer’s CPU usage and (arguably) sound quality, with less stuttering, hissing and quality dips during CPU-intensive sessions and lower latency (lag time between when the sound is meant to be produced and when it is actually produced). Not everyone experiences these problems however, and certainly not all the time. Plenty of people using onboard cards get by just fine with no issues and see no reason to upgrade, just like most people who use dedicated cards are unlikely to be able to go back.

I’m not going to go into detail about what you should get if you want a full-on system with a digital-to-analog converter etcetera because this site is all about CHEAP computer speakers, so not only is this not explicitly related to speakers, it’s not exactly a cheap route. If you do end up buying an expensive fancy speaker setup though, it certainly is worth spending a little on your sound card lest your investment go to waste. At the very least, you need to have a sound card to support your setup; not all onboard cards support more than a simple 2-speaker stereo system.

Personally, in the spirit of the site, I use a cheap Creative sound card – good enough that I don’t get the disadvantages of onboard audio, but I don’t need the flashy effects of a $200 gadget either. I feel that unless you work with audio professionally on your computer or are a hardcore gamer who needs that full immersion, you don’t need something beyond a basic sound card supporting the speaker set up you need. I in fact do both these activities but only partially, and with my setup I have not encountered major issues yet. I know for a fact, however, that I could not function in these areas using my onboard output.

Just something to think about when setting up your sound system.