If you play graphics-oriented games or use multimedia CDs on your computer, good external stereo speakers can greatly enhance your experience.
Instruction Guide
1.
Step 1
Buy inexpensive, magnetically shielded, powered speakers if you want basic speakers for speech and computer sounds.
2.
Step 2
Choose a three-piece system with a ported sub-woofer if you want lots of boom to accompany action games.
3.
Step 3
Buy a two-way, two-piece, powered speaker system in sealed enclosures with no port if you want to use your CD drive as a boom box.
4.
Step 4
Decide where you’ll put speakers, especially a sub-woofer, to determine which size speakers to consider.
5.
Step 5
Decide which external controls you want, such as on/off, volume, tone, mute and balance.
6.
Step 6
Bring a favorite CD along when you audition the speakers. Make sure the CD includes a wide range of sounds, from bass to treble.
Tips
- Speakers priced between $20 and $70 are usually about the same quality as the generic ones that come with computers.
- Plan to spend at least $100 if you want to upgrade from stock speakers.
- Avoid very inexpensive computer speakers that are battery powered.
- Early-model speakers made to connect to a USB port are inferior to speakers that connect to the analog output on your sound card.
- Your sound card, or the sound chip on your motherboard, will be a limiting factor for any speakers you buy. Check the specifications that came with your card or computer for its limitations.
- You must buy magnetically shielded speakers, as unshielded speakers will cause interference on your monitor.
- The inside of a computer is a very noisy environment with conflicting magnetic fields, which degrade sound quality.
- Power and frequency-response specifications are extremely misleading and inaccurate. For example, a powered speaker system rated at 30 watts may exhibit severe distortion beyond 10 watts.
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Good one. Will check it out.