Compact convenience with a teeny-tiny footprint. That’s what you want from your desktop speakers – a way of playing audio from your laptop or PC with minimal fuss and plenty of remaining deskspace. It’s quite simple really. But is sound quality high of your priority list when selecting your perfect desk companions?
If it isn’t, it should be. There are a myriad of ‘PC Speakers’ options out there that, in our opinion, skimp on the sound quality in favour of being small or stylish. And we should know – we have auditioned enough of them to know that they simply can’t be sold to the discerning audiophile, not when we have the following five – and others like them – to offer up as sizeable alternatives.
So we say don’t skimp of sound quality. You can have it all – compact convenience (and that all important teeny-tiny footprint!) and exceptional sound quality for your home-office/work/game/media station – whatever it is that you call the place you put your ‘puter. Of course, a full blown hi-fi system is going to sound better, but considering that there is no need for a separate amplifier – or any other separate ‘units’ – there is much to be said for a simple yet effective desktop set-up. And we can help make that a reality.
Remember, all prices stated were correct at the time of publishing and may be subject to change.
1. Yamaha NX-50 – £74.95
As always, we’re starting from the bottom (of the budget) up. The Yamaha NX-50s are a cheeky favourite of ours – and probably always will be! A pair of these tiny little speakers in one of its five funky finishes will put an end to any of your desktop audio miseries in a flash. Don’t let the price tag put you off – these sound twice the price, owed to a unique cabinet design which prevents sound loss and a bass port in the front which helps push the deeper tones forward – eliminating the problems that speakers of this size usually cause. Perfect for your PC, TV, MP3 player and even your phone – the two mini jacks on the front panel means that you can hook up two devices at any one time. Pretty handy huh? And yet – there’s more! A built in amp means you can control the volume from the speaker itself and auto standby means you don’t have to continuously switch the things on and off. Best of all, the NX-50s can double as wireless speakers with the addition of an YIT-W12 transmitter so you can stream seamlessly from iPad, iPhone or iPod, and even from your PC/Mac, if you can’t bring yourself to wire it up!
Why do we like them?
Want to know a secret? These are the speakers we use in the office. Can’t get a much higher endorsement than that. We have Pink Floyd playing through them right now. Shine on you crazy diamond!
2. Wharfedale DS-1 Bluetooth Active – £149
Everyone knows about Wharfedale. They have a particularly rich heritage in producing hi-end, high quality speakers time and time again. And their little desktop speakers are no exception. Available in both black and white finishes, these speakers are wireless and Bluetooth AtpX If you haven’t heard of (or simply heard) AtpX yet – let us tell you, we’re huge fans. Streaming via an AtpX enabled device to another AptX enabled device ensures lossless, CD quality streaming. Yep, Bluetooth’s tendancy to compress is a thing of the past. Add this to a high quality DSP digital amplifier built in, you are left with extremely compact – yet extremely powerful – little speakers that sound as good wired as they do wireless. Perfect for the desktop and shelves alike.
Why do we like them?
A complete, wireless speaker system that could rival the power of it’s loudspeaker brothers. Wharfedale are always a good bet, even when scaled-down.
3. Aktimate Micro Active Bluetooth – £197
Akitmate Micro by name and Aktimate Micro by nature. These cute little speakers are fully active, award winning and loved by many. Smart and glossy, the three finishes allow these to lend themselves nicely to any desktop set up, with built-in Bluetooth for that all-important wireless streaming and a range of inputs allowing for any device you can throw at it to work. Just add the necessary cable (or Bluetooth communication) and away you go. There’s even an iPod dock, for simultaneous charging and playback. Plentiful features aside, they sound amazing. They sound even better when you notice the price too – which is still suitable for a budget.
Why do we like them?
They’re bloody gorgeous. And they sound excellent. Lush, full and with just the right amount of bass. You won’t get so much as the tiniest of crackles with these cuties.
Why do they like them?
‘So what’s the catch? Well, there isn’t one really. If you want a pair of speakers to sit either side of your laptop, these are a brilliant performance-per-pound option and the best-sounding here.’ (What Hi-Fi? Magazine)
4. Ruark Audio MR1 Bluetooth Active- £299
Ruark are best known for their hi-end (and top notch) digital radios which are repeatedly praised for the sound quality of their in-built speakers. They have passed this knowledge and experience onto a lovely pair of speakers – featuring their iconic contemporary-meets-retro styling – which sound just as good as they should (considering they’re Ruark’s babies). Yes, they have the features: Bluetooth AptX, auto standby, a host of inputs for a plethora of devices, a loudness function (to assist with high sound quality at low volume levels), an LED display and even outputs for additional active subwoofer – if you fancy it. There’s even a handy remote control, for when you’re away from the desk, and operation is as easy as it could possibly be.
Why do we like them?
These little speakers are incredibly versatile. They pack enough of a punch that they could function beautifully as loudspeakers in their own right, and the output means a little extra oomph is a possibility.
Why do they like them?
Overall they’re a very musical listen, portraying the full extension of every note from the low-end, all the way up through the treble, so you feel like you’re getting every bit of what a piece of music has to offer…we’re seriously impressed with the Ruark MR1s (What Hi-Fi Magazine)
5. Q Acoustics BT3 Wireless Active – £349
Once again, the last are by far the least. If superb sound, superior build quality and high grade components are important to you, then it’s worth digging just a little bit deeper for a pair of Q Acoustics’ BT3s, from the very same company that gave us both the 2020i speakers and Concept 20 speakers – which have scooped so many awards we’ve lost count. These are the first active speakers from Q, but they’ve definitely hit the nail on the head. Yes they are AtpX enabled, yes they have all of the input you could possibly need (they even include the cables. Isn’t that nice?). These are just as compact as their competitors, but the sound quality has the edge – these are real hi-fi speakers in a bite size form. And yes, they bite back.
Why do we like them?
They will blow your mind time and time again with their power, their sound quality and their overall stance. They may be small – but they’re mighty. By far the best you can get for this price.
Why do they like them?
‘Proper hi-fi sound from a feature-rich package that will boost TV, computer and streaming sound? Sounds like a winner to us.’ (What Hi-Fi? Magazine)
Taking it higher…
You can always take it higher with real hi-fi. The sky is the limit. If the offerings above don’t quite cut it, we suggest these three. All real-hi-fi, all hi-end and all compact alternatives to a full hi-fi amplifier and speaker set-up.
KEF X300A Active – £599
… and its wireless counterpart.
Why do they like them?
’In terms of sound quality, the X300As are the match of any speaker system we’ve heard at the price. We compared them with our reference pair of £800 Adam Audio A7x’s, and in some respects we preferred the smaller KEFs – less deep bass, perhaps, but a more forward, appealing mid-range. (PC Pro Magazine)
Dali Kubik Free + Xtra Wireless Active – £899
Why do they like them?
‘The engineers at Dali have struck gold with the Kubik Free, and have used their speaker expertise to great effect. It’s another five-star product to add to their collection’ (What Hi-Fi? Magazine)
Elipson Planet LW Powered Wireless – £1199
Why do they like them?
It’s a closed system because that ensures it works exactly as it should. Combine the high-end drivers and considered design with the dual-B&O amplifiers and wireless, non-compressed audio technology and it’s pretty clear where all that cash goes. A lot of buck, yes; but, by golly, plenty of bang. (T3)
So there you have it. Five excellent options for your desktop… and even three hi-end bonuses thrown in for good measure. Are we spoiling you? Maybe a little bit, but we simply couldn’t sign-off without mentioning the top end of the trade. The only question left to ask… which are your favourites… and which would suit your workstation the best?