I'd love to see a longer form video showing 'the ultimate pc audio setup' or just a how to guide for different audio options since there's a lot of them and it's not always clear what you can do with your motherboard and when you should look to invest in a sound card or if you can get an external amp instead etc.

Protip: Acoustically treating your room with sound absorbing foam and/or bass traps can be so significant in a small room, that it'll feel like you've upgraded whatever speakers you already have. The placement and angle of the speakers in relation to your listening position and the room's dimensions can improve things as well. It can actually be mathematically calculated for optimal performance.

Getting a pair of solid studio monitors for my PC was the best decision ever. And I've helped a couple of friends convert as well. All of them commented on the sound "it's like having headphones on, but without all the head pressure or wires". There also is another consideration for choosing speakers for PC that wasn't mentioned: the designed field distance (i.e. what is the intended distance from speaker to listener). Many bookshelf/home theater speakers are designed to be mid- or even far-field, making them suboptimal for use with PC, where listener is usually very close to the speakers. Studio monitors, on the other hand, are usually designed as near-field, with wider angles of accurate reproduction off the axis, meaning your sound will not be as affected by the position of your head as it would be with mid- or far-field speakers, whose sound cones are narrower.

Many great options out there, for every budget something. Jusy don't buy the gaming stuff, that's usually crap.

A longer video on this subject would be nice with some testing and showing some more speakers to choose from... etc etc I use pioneer S dj60X speaker for my music pc , and use a pioneer Pioneer DJm 700 as amp. Sounds great with gaming too. Greetings from The Netherlands.

17 year old Logitech Z-5000 represent. Works like a charm still. Only issue is the LCD backlight has gone dim.

1:55 people have no idea HOW FUCKING INSANE studio speakers sound, you literally have to stand in front of them and listen to understand it's not about the volume, it's not how low the bass goes, they sound so damn clean, a small pair of sudio speakers sound WAAAAAY BETTER than standard speakers, even better than quality bookshelf speakers on a good receiver doesn't matter if you listen to high quality flac files or watch this youtube video on it, they are just great

So I have been using my home theater receiver to power my audio from my PC since before HDMI existed. As such I'm fairly confused why we would completely ignore one of the most compelling use cases for HDMI 2.1's capabilities, that modern graphics cards provide. One of the few sources that can even take advantage of the high bitrate audio, Pre-amps, and recievers support, is the HDMI port on your video card! I understand most people are not gaming on their 75" tv from their PC, but some of us have been trying to unify our entertainment solution to a fewer devices, since the days of the "All In Wonder" cards of great antiquity... It's disappointing though, that the home theater HDMI option was left out of the video all together. Amplifies come in many forms also, and MOST actually use the XLR connector, in the audiophile world. I'm sure Linus and James are quite aware and familiar with this given their previous videos showing them utilizing these setups. So then why nyx the option entirely? Even still, love the video, and hope to see more audio related content in the future!

Glad to see you threw Edifier a mention - they are great!

I have these 20+ year old pc speakers from cambridge soundworks and they still work like a charm. Compact too, they fit right under my monitor, which is handy, as I don't have much useable deskspace.

ive been using the same altec lansing speakers for about 20 years and they're phenomenal, im able to angle them properly so that my mic audio doesn't pick up the speaker surround sound.

Been using Yamaha bookshelf speakers now for years, and recently upgraded my amp to an Audioengine N22 from an old Pioneer home theatre receiver. Paired with my Asus Xonar Essence STX soundcard, just lovely.

In regards to PC speakers, There are some that give you 5.1 surround, The back of a soundcard would have outputs for the front, surround, center and the back speakers, They also have outputs for using an optical cable to get 5.1 surround as well, It really depends on your setup, If your someone who watches movies or game in 5.1 surround sound.

I went through this whole rabbit hole recently. Ended up picking up some active Edifier speakers. I'm not an audiophile, I just wanted something better than the crappy PC speakers and an external amp was just too much additional crap I'd have to buy.

I really appreciate the audio coverage. I want to see a full blown high end audio set up and the tuning process! the auto calibration stuff is pretty cool now but I think people would love to see a manual tune, measuring corners for resonant frequencies and bass traps, *drool*

Nice to finally see some audio stuff here! I have an Atmos receiver for my PC audio, 5.1.2, connected with HDMI, but it's a pain to set up because you have to tell Windows that you have a second display connected, when you really don't; and so you end up with a second non-existent, but still existing, display at the side or the corner of your screen, and it can be a black hole for the mouse, or some files or folders if you end up moving them into the void accidently.

I remember my first pc speakers. Altec Lansing, they sound great and they're still alive after 20 years

Totally agree! That kind of things that I've always tell my clients. But I think external DAC + active speakers generally speaking will be better than passive speakers + amp plugged directly in motherboard.

I am still using a set of Cambridge SoundWorks 2.1 speakers made in 2000..i bought at a garage sale for 15 bucks.....in 2006.....quite happy and have tried different sound systems and keep coming back to these ..

My first step was getting active edifier speakers which was a huge upgrade. Now i have a speaker amp with two tower speakers and a sub for TV + couch and two bookshelf speakers for when i want to use the desk. Theres also a headphone amp and hifiman edition xs headphones when i don't want to piss off my neighbours.

I decided to try those Edifier 1280db last year... now, I have one pair for my gaming PC, one pair for my working PC and one pair in the dinning room! Love them!!

One thing not completely mentioned is, If you get Active Studio monitors, (like Yamaha HS, JBL PRO LSR and KRK ROKITs) you should also get an interface and decent quality balanced cables relevant to your hardware. While there are cables that convert 3.5mm headphone jack to XLR/Balanced TRS which technically "work", they pick up interference. I believe the bookshelf speaker varieties that have RCA inputs are different and dont have this issue. Having a decent interface also would give you better power to drive headphones and also allow you to use XLR microphones.

I love my Soundsticks III, other than the power switch breaking they've been amazing.

You rock James! Clear and concise info with just a dash of comic relief.

My old speaker would pickup Spanish can drivers radios. Do you know how creepy it is to hear voices come out of your speakers at 3 A.M.

Still rocking the Logitech Z-5500’s, best PC speakers I ever had. Though volume is randomly going down and back up, no idea why. 😤

I use fxsound on my Windows 11 and it doubled my audio volume, and cleared up my sound. I never realized how bad my audio was until I could hear the lead singers clearly. I don't use PC speakers, I connect the speakers you recommended and plug into the green port. You can hear my music a block away. I have 4 tower speakers in my setup and a subwoofer, but I really need to upgrade.

what about 5.1 or 7.1 surround systems or even something with dual subwoofers like a 5.2 surround or even something Dolby Atmos like with a 7.2.2 setup?

For tight and "exact" sound make sure you overspec your amp to your speakers.

Here's a tip on PC speakers: Logitech doesn't have a single good set in their entire lineup. The Z-2300 was the last time they tried to go for quality and that was 20 years ago.

For my computer setup, I use a Scarlett Solo and M-Audio studio speakers. Seems to work just fine for me!

Back in March, I bought my "dream PC" for gaming, but neither it nor the monitor came with a speaker. I've been using a cheap $15 bluetooth speaker for the time being, but finally got around to buying the SoundBlaster Katana V2 soundbar. So excited to hear audio from a decent speaker system.

Im only 2 minutes in and I just gotta commend you for your editing! Just the right amount of everything if that makes sense.

0:10 - to be fair those 'head clamps' don't necessarily have to be uncomfortable. There are enormous difference between models and manufacturers.

I'm using some re purposed old Polk RT3 ((1996 Vintage) book shelf speakers , these are powered by a small SMSL Q5 pro class D amp sitting on top of my tower case.The signal is coming straight out of the USB on the motherboard into the back of the Amp.Some Old Oxygen free Speaker cabling completes the job...Sounds really great...and did not cost me a lot.

I connected a receiver via hdmi to graphics card. 5.1 surround sound system sounds amazing!

My suggestion is a video with Linus and 50 Alexas all talking to him at once, then they begin to talk to each other, then they become sentient and they take over the world. But then after they take over the world it actually turns out pretty nice once the apocalypse enthusiasts stop freaking out.

Good Audio is a very important part of the PC experience. I just bought a presonus eres 3.5 and it blew my mind.

Still rocking my legendary Logitech Z-5500 system, owend them 16 years and still awesome.

I just recently found and connected an old Cambridge Soundworks 5.1 speaker setup I had for my home theater when I was living single... I connected it to my PC and absolutely love the sound!!! I got in trouble with the wifey for playing my music and games through my PC...

Am i the only one who uses a 5.1 home theatre system as PC speakers? A little overkill but in my opinion great sound is even more important than good image quality...

I been running a set of G20 speakers from Logitech for 12 years and they still sound just great. Might eventually need to replace them. A longer video pertaining to budget setups and higher would be much appreciated.

I got the Nommo Pro, which are no audiophile product, but still do an amazing job and have a ton of connectivity - which was one of the main features I needed. One button to switch between pc, phone and Xbox . Then Microsoft removed toslink but that's another story

You're really good at making an expensive setup sound like it's not actually that expensive

I've been using a regular stereo receiver out to big ol' hifi floor speakers from my old stereo for yeaaaars. Audio interface -> receiver -> speakers

I've been using a bluetooth speaker (Anker Motion+) with an AUX connection to the USB dongle that came with my Corsair HS60's. I can easily swap over to my fancy Audio Technica's with that setup when I need to, and the form factor of BT speakers make them easy to fit under your monitor like a sound bar for a TV.

Also a lot of pc's offer a optical output. Purchasing a set of speakers that offer a optical (digital) input will add to the sound quality. Those Edifier speakers shown in this video are a great all in one solution. Also more home stereo amplifiers also have optical inputs to accommodate that solution.

One suggestion: use optical audio cables, that's the only way to really get rid of the hissing and it just sounds best in general, if your amp supports USB audio that's also just as good, but most don't support it

Me, a sound engineer, wondering why im even watching this vid. Good vid tho. :D

For years, I've used a surround receiver to power studio monitor speakers. This transfers the signal from the computer over HDMI. ( I use an Onkyo receiver.) This is the best option for creating a home entertainment environment (over time, considering the extra costs). Another option is a good external audio interface that gets its computer signal from USB. It acts as an external sound card. (I recommend the Minifuse 2 from Arturia.) It sends the audio to a pair of self-powered studio monitors. Finally, the easiest option is to just buy active studio monitors, as the video suggests, that create the audio and power themselves straight from a digital connection.

I have run with an amp and passive speakers for years. Once I went there I was never able to go back

I still use the old speakers my dad bought for the first family pc in the late 90s. "Trust Soundwave 20" they sound good even after all these years.

0:18 My parents have exactly(look) these since 2009 😂

I have a little old Philips stereo system (5 CDs and MP3/WMA support) that has a glorious USB B connection for PCs. No PC audio or soundcard required, Windows will detect it directly as a digital audio output. Its controls (remote or in system) even allow you to skip, play, pause or stop songs. I love it, and I never saw anything similar in all these years since I bought it back in 2002.

audiophiles: ive spent everything on sound system, i forgor to buy the pc

Love that you guys are covering more audio stuff. I love my Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 passive speakers! As others have mentioned, absorption treatment is HUGE...I have 8 GIK acoustic panels myself. Helps a ton, though the price and bulk aren't for everyone...

Really wish LTT would do more reviews about computer speakers from an audiophile stand point. The side by side comparisons of desktop speakers would be awesome!

I have been using those pebble speakers they showed as an example for awhile. I actually really like them.

I have a sound bar above my monitor about 5 inches on the top shelf of my desk and the 6inch wireless sub under my desk and it works really well even for positional audio. its a 38inch vizio sound bar so left and right audio is great, and with dts vitrual x when it rains in game or battle field and bullets fly past it sounds like its around and over my head

or you could use the onboard motherboard speaker for all audio. enjoy.

Been using Presonus Studio Monitors for a long time now, great sound

I kinda wish they added a little segment about how on-board audio is relatively new as it wasn’t that long ago you needed a sound card to get audio out of your pc and the crazy market section that was dedicated to it

underated move btw: one of those dvd-player integrated home theater setups packaged all in one. so long as it's a solid brand and a decent model, the tuning is done for you, the form factor for the amp/dac is reasonable, and it'll take at least one standard input, usually 1-2 analog and digital options. Often, you can even find them with very small surround setups. I myself have a philips 5.1 setup, takes optical. since I don't use the dvd player, the box is on its side leaning on the rear side of my PC tower, and each speaker is small enough to sit on my desk, with the appropriate positioning and everything. these things have full enthusiast grade DACs, and amps that, while not particularly stellar, are *very* well tuned for their included speakers. Picked it up for 10 bucks at a thrift store.

I'm still using Altec Lansing speakers from the mid-90s I actually like the quite a lot, they're pretty solid, ACS90s

Great video. Can't stand headphones for too long, unless I have to when playing games in multiplayer. Have had PC speakers and subwoofer for as long as they've been around. Great for music, movies and streaming vids. Just got the new Klipsch Heritage ProMedia 2.1 from Costco (about $100 cheaper than Amazon with recent Costco promotion). Had the old ProMedia 2.1, but these sound much better.

>10 years ago I paid $4500 for a refurbished set of Wilson Audio Duette bookshelf speakers for my main PC, and even though they're massive overkill, I've never regretted it.

And if you really want the most accurate sound, it might also be worth considering a dedicated DAC (digital to analog converter). I used one of Audioquest's USB DACs with my laptop and it really made an audible difference in the sound quality. Essentially it bypasses the DAC on your computer's motherboard to convert the digital signal directly.

Seems like I've got active speakers, that I bought nearly 30 years ago. Yes, its the oldest part of my computer setup. Had it not been for the mobo not accepting the floppy disk drive, the speakers wouldn't have been the oldest

I didn't feel like I gained a whole lot by watching this video. My main takeaway is: some PC speakers are bad and they are mostly tuned in a very specific way. So to get better speakers pay more.

My PC is hooked up to an old bargain bin 5 points Dolby Surround from the mid-90s, costed me like 20 bucks and sounds really impressive

Very cool video , I was just thinking I need a speaker buying guide since I’m still using pc speakers from about 08 new pc old speakers 😂 but your series on wireless ear buds was very helpful.

Id love to see more home theater related content of projector technology or home theater rack equipment.

This sounds so much more complicated, especially when I’m usually wearing headphones if I really want to hear with any sort of fidelity. I think for convenience sake, the cheapest speakers will work fine for a lot of people.

I got a home theater setup in my home using Martin Logan speakers (and sub) with a denon amp. The whole thing set me back like $3k and I could easily get a PC hooked up to it.

i have klipsch thx 2.1 had them since 2009 still sound great had to replace the volume control thing once few years ago

One of the best choices for pc speakers for the price is the brand edifier

Been loving my audioengine a2's. Work great with my turntable and got built in Bluetooth

That was a very good video i learnt a lot and now i wanna a nice proper studio monitor with big nice clear drivers.

Still using my audioengine a5+ bamboo's paired with their AE D1 DAC for the last 10 (or so) years and though I was fortunate to snag them at 1\2 off @ Canada Computers back then for about $250, they are to this day IMO still worth the asking price. They are by far my favorite "studio" speakers I've ever used. On my sim PC, the $99 EDIFER from Amazon are incredible as well for what you get, but they don't hold a candle to these A5+'s. I'd still go out and pay the full asking price if mine died and the bamboo look is sweet not to mention you get a fuller sound from what I've heard compared to the standards.

The Presonus Eris 3.5 are small, cheap and sound great. A great choice for anyone looking for speakers, pairing with a good subwoofer is a killer combo

I've been happy with my Logitech Z506 5.1 surround sound speakers. It's especially nice with games that use 5.1 surround sound (Finding owls in Tales of Arise is so much easier.)

Audio is one of those things that the older I get the more I have come to appreciate.

It's good to hear that i got the better variant. I use philips 5.1 home theatre setup as my speakers. Ofcourse i don't get the 5.1 sound experience because of the rca cable but using dolby atmos with. That makes them pretty good. (i got the setup for free)

I just got an expensive soundbar and called it a day. (Klipsch Cinema 600) Sounds great and rumbles my floor!

To whoever edited the sound of this video. 10/10

i got a sound card for my pc and it changed the output of my audio so much - now that i've switched to a mac mini obviously its not as good however it made me realise that i can also get a different type of speaker so it will be nice to try something new

I have a stereo system that has two AUX In connectors - one is connected to a PC, the other is connected to my TV/monitor so you can hear TV _or_ another PC (I have a desktop PC and several laptops) with HDMI through the stereo speakers - it works great and allows me to switch between different devices, including just listening music from the stereo system (although as CD's can be played from my desktop PC, I only use them for old C-casettes). PC's, TV and stereos, all with one set of speakers - it's great, especially in small apartment like mine.

not first

I am pretty sure that every gamer wants the beautiful speakers, but you forgot one BIG thing: gamers are BROKE

Running Kef Q150s and a Kef Subwoofer with Adcom Amplifier and Schiit DAC at my workstation. Good stuff, great experience.

One thing worth adding to this is the upside to using speakers/ amps with optical audio connections. I have with all my sound setups over the years always had a bit of unwanted noise get from my pc and to my speakers. I tried grounding pc to amp, not having ground, separate power sources, external sound card with separate power source, all I could think of. One day I said enough is enough, got an amp with optical, and grabbed a sound card with optical out. Since then, never had any issues with unwanted noise.

I don't have speakers and I don't want them

Oh my days, i'm first

I don't remember my first pair of PC speakers as it was almost 30 years ago, but my fondest memories come from Cambridge soundworks 5.1, the original beige coloured ones lol

I use a pair of the jamo bookshelves speakers you showed. They are fantastic. Craigslist can be a great place to pick up a home theater receiver super cheap. I spent twice as much on my sub as I did on the jamo bookshelves. Good sound is a great thing.

Headphone only gang ;)

nice and simple video with lots of helpful information, thanks

I have a good set of active studio speakers but my tip is to look at your closest goodwill and see if they have an old stereo amp to pickup. Sure it will be a bit bigger but the sound can be great if you find one. I have picked up two 80's amps from pioneer and Onkyo for 10-15 $ a piece. Together with a pair of used high end hifi stereo speakers (maybe from the same place) it could be a bargain setup for 50-150$

Oooo i reused a 5.1 Yamaha receiver since I upgraded my home theater one. Been running it in 2 channel for a set of bookshelf speakers with my pc set. Sounds fantastic!

I am running the Edifier s2000db, coming from creative t3, the soundstage is wider but lacking of a delicate subwoofer, just lacks the bass thumping when you are watching movie or even playing game. You can use a dac to enhance the sound to a certain extent or be like me, get a topping d10 and leave it in your desk so that it would look more 'Professional and Neat' and showoff your set-up to your friends. :)