Desktop computers and laptops aren’t known for their awesome sound quality. They often sound very tinny when cranked up to full volume, which isn’t ideal when you’re gaming, listening to music or doing video editing. You need additional sound quality to make your laptop or desktop computer come alive. This is where desktop computer speakers come in to play.
If you’re wanting to improve the sound on your laptop or desktop computer, but don’t want to spend too much on computer speakers, then why not have a look at my well researched list on the best desktop speakers for your computer, under $50. These cheap computer speakers will make you think twice about buying the more expensive versions. I also have a section down the bottom of this page which showcases the best computer speakers for under $20! With this handy guide, you’ll be able to quickly decide on some budget computer speakers to enhance whatever activity you need sound for on your laptop or desktop devices.
What you Need To Think About Before Making A Buying Decision on Budget Computer Speakers
I’ve tried to narrow down the different considerations you need to take on board in order to buy the best budget computer speakers for your own specific uses. For me, features like the ability to control volume and tone is really important as well as the size of the budget speaker and brand. Let’s go over these points in a bit more detail. Hopefully I will shed some light on what you need to look out for when buying your desktop computer speakers.
Additional Features
Check out the various additional controls that the desktop computer speaker may have like the ability to control bass, treble and tone levels. You might even want a remote control for the speakers or possible auxiliary cable input for various devices that you may want to connect the speakers to other than your computer or laptop.
Size
It’s important that you have enough space on your desk for your computer speakers, so do consider the size of the speakers that you want to buy. Too big and you’ll have to sacrifice important desk space that you could use for other things and functions.
Brand
Always buy a proven brand that is known for its quality, right the way through their range of speakers. Often with cheap desktop computer speakers, you’ll find certain brands will scrimp on quality in order to keep prices low. The ones I have listed below are all quality brands that are known for producing exceptional products with great sound quality and providing people with the best budget computer speakers on the market.
Best Budget Computer Desktop Speakers Under $50 Comparison Table Guide – A Quick Reference To Help You Choose The Right Budget Computer Speaker
| Image | Product | Watts | Connectivity Technology | Price | Rating out of 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Creative Inspire T10 2.0 Multimedia Speaker System with BasXPort Technology | 5 Watts RMS | Wired | $$$ | 4.2 |
 | Logitech Multimedia Speakers Z200 with Stereo Sound | X2 2" drivers - 6 watts of peak power | Wired | $$ | 4.1 |
 | Cyber Acoustics 2.1 Computer Speaker with Subwoofer | 62 watts peak power; 30 watts RMS | Wired | $$$ | 4.2 |
 | Logitech Multimedia Speakers Z213 | 14W peak power (7W RMS) | Wired | $$ | 3.8 |
 | GOgroove SonaVERSE O2 Satellite Computer Speaker System | 62 watts peak power; 30 watts RMS | Wired | $$$ | 4.2 |
 | Satechi Dual Sonic Speaker 2.0 Channel Computer Speakers | 1.5W x2 Speaker unit | Wired | $$ | 4.3 |
 | Logitech Speaker System Z323 with Subwoofer | 30 Watts | Wired | $$$ | 4.3 |
 | ELEGIANT USB Powered Sound Bar for Computer Desktop Laptop PC | - | USB | $$ | 4.2 |
 | Logitech S150 USB Speakers with Digital Sound | 1.2 watts RMS (0.6 watts per satellite) | Wired | $ | 4.0 |
 | Creative Pebble 2.0 | 4.4 Watts | USB | $ | 4.5 |
Best Budget Computer Speakers Under $50 Reviews
ConsumerExpert.org Best Buy Budget Computer Speaker – Logitech Z200
Logitech Multimedia Speakers Z200 with Stereo Sound
The Logitech, like the Creative T10s, have fantastic sound quality for a set of computer speakers that cost under $50. I’m so impressed with the 10 Watt output along with the clear as crystal sound and vivid deep bass that you get from these budget speakers. If I didn’t know the price of them, I would have thought they were at least $100 due to the overall high quality of the speaker.
“Pound for pound, this is the best budget speaker on the market”
Listen to music, gaming, movies out loud or simply plug in your headphones into the headphone jack to take your listening pleasure private. You can even connect your ipad or other mobile devices to the Logitech Z200 at the same time with the 3.5mm audio input and auxiliary line. A very versatile computer speaker indeed.
The sign of a good speaker is the ability to control different aspects of the audio sufficiently. The controls on this speaker is easy to use as they have on-speaker control knob where you can adjust volume, tone, treble and bass.
The Logitech Z200 is a favourite with gamers and most were impressed with the vast range of sound that these speakers can omit around a space. Vibrant and booming sound from a budget pair of speakers is a welcomed bonus.
If you’re after user friendly, easy to set up speakers that look slick, then the Logitech Multimedia Speakers Z200 is just the right computer speakers for you. For me, this is the pound for pound best budget speakers on the market.
Pros & Cons of the Logitech Z200 Computer Speakers
Pros
- Compatible with almost every mobile device
- Slick design.
- User-friendly
- Clear Sound
- High performance 10watt speakers
Cons
- Volume range on lower volume isn’t as good as the Creative T10
- Loud pop sound when you turn them on. (depends how loud you have the volume at when you turn them on)
If you’re after user friendly, easy to set up speakers that look slick, then the Logitech Multimedia Speakers Z200 is just the right computer speakers for you.
Creative Pebble 2.0
Creative Labs are one of the best brands out there for computer speakers and has high quality at its core. Creative Labs products sell like hot cakes due to their pricing and quality of sound. The Pebble 2.0 fits perfectly into the companies approach to product development. It’s an attractive set of computer speakers with distinctive golden pools and amazing looking sunken middles. Oh and they sound great too!. They fit in perfectly with any interior setting. They are one of the best USB powered desktop speakers under $50 on the market.
Why do they sound so good?
The speakers themselves are set at a 45-degree angle tilt. This seems to enhances the sound emitted from the speaker by directional projection towards the listener. It’s pure sound optimization at its best.,
Other features
The Pebble pumps out an RMS peak of 4.4 Watts of power and has built in far field drivers as well as rear facing bass repro radiators.
The Pebble 2.0 speaker is 4.4 inches wide which makes them very versatile in where you can position them. They can be rested quite easily in the smallest of places such as between books on a bookshelf or on a small desk with your laptop for desktop computer.
Pros:
+ 45 degree tilt for optimized audio performance
+ Easy to set up
– USB powered.
+ Easy access volume control.
+ Slick modern design
Creative Inspire T10 2.0 Multimedia Speaker Sound System with BasXPort Technology
The Creative Inspire T10 is one of the most expensive speakers on this list at just under $50, but you get what you pay for. Even though $50 isn’t a lot of money to spend on computer speakers, people will tend to go for the very cheap computer speaker options even at this budget end of the computer speaker market.
“Creative speakers always deliver great sound when it comes to budget speakers. The sound is that of a higher priced computer speaker”
These speakers have such an elegant design look about them. There’s a bit of black piano gloss featured on the front of the speaker casing, which looks very classy! It just makes the product look a lot more expensive than it actually is. It also has near perfect audio, which comes from the compact Inspire T10 two-way speakers. This enables you to hear details in your gaming audio and music that you may have never heard before. Coupled with the tweeters that the Creative Inspire T10 has, makes sounds from cymbals, strings and treble really zing out at you.
It also comes with BasXPort technology which provides the listener with quite a strong and vibrant bass, which is rare for a desktop speaker to have that doesn’t have a subwoofer.
Overall, this budget computer speaker is top class for the price. It’s probably the best $50 you’ll spend on desktop speakers.
Pros & Cons of the Creative T10 Computer Desktop Budget Speakers
Pros
- No loud pop when you turn the speaker on.
- Slick design. Looks more expensive than they are.
- Excellent sound quality
Cons
- No separate controls to adjust bass or treble individually.
Cyber Acoustics 2.1 Computer Speaker with Subwoofer – CA-3602
This is an awesome piece of kit for under $50!! With the Cyber Acoustics Powered Computer Speakers system (CA-3602) you get two satellite speakers, a subwoofer, and a control hub, which is unheard off to get this much for a set of speakers in this budget range. You get 30Watts for power from the speakers as well as a sub woofer working off from a 2.1 channel system!! The great thing about the woofer is that it ensures high audio quality, which makes it perfect for gaming, watching movies and listening to all kinds of music like dance, drum and bass and hip hop.
Pros & Cons of the Cyber Acoustics 2.1 Computer Desktop Speaker
Pros
- Relatively inexpensive and great value for money
- The subwoofer is awesome. Gives the sound a real kick.
- You get a lot of kit, but all fits nicely on a normal size desk.
- Bass is pretty damn good.
Cons
- Dust magnet.
- Mid range sound is a bit drowned out by the excessive bass.
Logitech Multimedia Speakers Z213
The Logitech Z213 speakers comes with two satellite speaker units as well as a single sub-woofer unit. You also get a wired control unit that has an on/off switch, gives you full volume control and a headphone socket.
The set up of the speakers is super easy as the two satellite units just plug into the sub-woofer, and then you connect the speakers to your desktop computer or laptop. You can also connect quite easily to your mobile devices via an audio lead. They are mains powered, which isn’t great, as I would prefer speakers to be USB powered these days, but this is what you get with budget speakers.
When you open the box you will be a little surprised with the size of the sub-woofer, as its a lot smaller than I expected. The satellite speakers are quite lightweight, but overall I think its pretty well built for the price.
Adjusting volume and bass is simple. You can make adjustments to the bass levels with the rotary control which is at the back of the sub-woofer. The speaker volume can be adjusted by the remote control.
The sound quality is decent for the price its coming in at and certainly a vast improvement to the sound quality you get from built in speakers on a desktop or laptop computers. Do bear in mind that these speakers are aimed at the bottom end of the market and for people who don’t want to spend a fortune on computer speakers. The bass I found was very good and not at all boomy and out of control. I would suggest that you spend a bit of time fine tuning your speakers to suit you, as they do require a bit of adjustment in order to get the sound just right.
Ideal for students and for people with small studies. It will fill a small to medium sized study / bedroom with a good quality sound quite easily.
Overall, the Logitech Z213 2.1 speakers is really good value for money and a good first introduction to computer speakers.
Pros & Cons of the Logitech Multimedia Speakers Z213
Pros
- Dedicated sub, base and speaker control.
- Great price and good value for money.
- Small and powerful.
Cons
- Bass is a bit hollow. Not as good as the Logitech Z200
- Fair bit of adjustment to bass and speaker position to get the sound just right.
GOgroove SonaVERSE O2 Satellite Computer Speaker System
A set of computer speakers that will exceed your expectations. A vivid bass lines and a really nice balance of bass and sound. The LED lights are a really decent design touch and look great at night when you’re playing video games or just chilling to some music. Ideal set of budget computer speakers if you just want something that looks good, kicks out a decent sound and is small and compact that won’t take over your desk.
Pros & Cons of the GOgroove SonaVERSE O2 Satellite Computer Speaker Sound System
Pros
- Extremely portable.
- Slick design. Looks more expensive than they are.
- Excellent sound quality
Cons
- No sub-woofer, so no deep bass tones.
Satechi Dual Sonic Speaker – Comes with 2.0 Channel Speakers – Ideal for gaming and listening to music on your desktop computer
Pros of the Satechi Dual Sonic Speaker
- Looks great.
- Good value for money.
- Affordable.
Cons
- Average audio quality
- Lots of cables
Logitech Speaker System Z323 with Subwoofer
The first thing I found with the Logitech Z323 computer speakers is the quality of build. For equipment that costs under $50, it’s pretty good! The satellite speakers comes with really decent subwoofers and are excellent for gaming. The other thing I noticed when testing out the Logitech Z323 is the ease of set up. It’s a one-connect device, so you can pretty much set it up as soon as you take it out of the box.
Another cool feature of The Logitech Z323 is the ‘360 degrees sound’ feature. This means that when you’re gaming or listening to music from your laptop or desktop, the speakers will delivers a rich and vibrant sound all across the room, via it’s dual driver speakers.
It has all the controls and connection capabilities of a computer speaker that costs more than treble what the Logitech Z323 costs. You can connect to 2 compatible devices at the same time. You can also fully control bass, treble and tone of the sound. In terms of size, it’ll fit nicely onto most desks. At 7.9 inches tall, 3.4 inches wide and 5.3 inches deep, it’s ideal for small desks with not much space.
Pros & Cons of the Logitech Speaker Sound System Z323 with Subwoofer
Pros
- Great design. Attractive looking.
- Bass control on the satellite.
- Ideal for gaming and watching movies.
Cons
- No remote control
- Not a great choice for listening to music.
ELEGIANT USB Powered Sound Bar for Computer Desktop Laptop PC or Apple Mac
Probably one of the most stylish computer speakers on this list, the Elegiant sound bar pumps out an impressive sound quality for such a cheap computer speaker. It also looks really good on your desk. One thing that is really handy is an easy to access headphone jack to enable you to be more selfish with your sound and have them all to yourself in your favourite headphones.
Set up is nice and simple as there is no need to install any drivers or software to get you up and running. All you do is plug in the speaker to one of your spare USB ports in your desktop computer or laptop and turn it on. A great buy for well under $50 and finally a cheap computer speaker that will last.
Pros & Cons of the ELEGIANT USB Powered Sound Bar
Pros
- Great stylish design that will look good on any desk / studio.
- Easy set up. Just plug in and you’re good to go.
- Ideal for students.
- Great PC Speakers
- Cheap yet great sounding speakers.
Cons
- No remote control
- Not a Bluetooth speaker.
Best Budget Computer Speakers Under $20
Computer speakers in this price range bracket of $20 and under, aren’t meant to have exceptional sound quality or have the controls to adjust sound qualities such as tone, treble and bass. But what they do offer is a basic, entry level option for those people who may be on a tight budget, but want better sound quality than they built in speakers of their laptops and desk top computers. These are idea speakers for college students and people who are on the go and travelling.
Logitech S150 USB Speakers with Digital Sound
This is a real bargain pair of speakers. The quality of sound you get for under $20 is nothing short of a miracle. On the market today you have access to speakers that have more features than you’ll ever know what to do with them. With these features come a hefty price tag as well. With the Logitech S150 you’re getting aan amazing pair of computer speakers for under $15!!!!
Logitech really does know how to build a good basic set of speakers. They deliver exactly what you need from a set of cheap computer speakers, which is acoustic quality stereo sound that you can control easily and power via a USB.
Pros & Cons of the Logitech S150 Computer Speakers
Pros
- Decent sound quality for the price.
- Simple and quick set up.
Cons
- No headphone jack.
Logitech Z130 Budget Computer Speakers
It’s hard to believe these computer speakers are below $15! They give a super rich sound which quite frankly sounds a lot more than the advertised 5 watts it says it pumps out.
“I was expecting some sort of reduction in quality, but it just never happened!”
If you’re a student and require a cheap and cheerful pair of portable laptop computer speakers to enjoy music, gaming and films on, then you’ve found exactly the right speaker for you! There’s easy to access on-speaker volume and power controls, as well as a headphone jack if you want to personalise the audio. You also get a 3.5mm jack input for your MP3, DVD or CD player. The z130 really is a plug in and play solution for computer audio. It works with both Mac OS and Windows and is a really simple set up.
Because they are quite low profile speakers, they fit neatly onto the smallest of desk space, which makes them idea to carry around with you on your travels. They are sleek in design and will survive a few drops should you accidentally knock one off your desk.
Mark my words, the sound on these speakers is unreal for the price. I haven’t even had these on full blast yet and it’s already too loud for me. The sound quality does not diminish at all when you turn the volume up. I was expecting some sort of reduction in quality, but it just never happened. Amazing speakers!
That concludes our guide on the best budget computer speakers for under $50. If you think I have missed anything out then do feel free to leave me a comment with your suggestion and I will see if it warrants a new entry. The ones I have reviewed I think are the very best options for budget speakers, but things do keep changing in this product niche very quickly, so I will make sure I update this post at least once every other month.
Thanks for reading. If you have any questions on any of the speakers budget computer speakers above, then please do leave a comment.