Few people think too long and hard about their computer speakers, instead preferring to just use the ones that came with their computers. These speakers are often built-in and poor quality, especially on laptop systems, and do not do justice to the very good sound quality that most computers are capable of producing.

The price range in computer speakers is even greater than that in other electronic products – you can pay anywhere from the price of a pair of headphones to as much as the computer itself cost you. It is natural, therefore, to be unsure of exactly what your money is getting you, which is where this article can hopefully be of some help.

Perhaps the most important thing you should look for when choosing your speakers is their maximum output power, which is measured in watts. This number tells you how good the speakers will sound at different volumes – while almost all speakers can sound good at low volumes, only ones with very high maximum output power will sound good at higher volumes. The higher the volume you plan to use, the more power you need.

Another important consideration is whether the speakers can produce either 5-speaker or 7-speaker surround sound, which makes a big difference over traditional 2-speaker systems. You should also check whether the speakers come with a subwoofer, which is a special loudspeaker for bass, allowing you to better hear the beat of your music. However, many people actually consider subwoofers undesirable, as they are so large and don’t always fit in well with a computer setup.

It is only really worth splashing out on speakers if you often use your computer for gaming or for playing music. If you do, then you might consider that there’s nothing to say so-called ‘computer’ speakers are only for computers – with a little imaginative wiring, you can also hook them up to televisions, games consoles, mp3 players, and all sorts of other things besides. This works in reverse, too, so if you already have a good pair of speakers, it should be relatively simple to connect them up to your computer and get some very good sound that way.