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When planning a gaming PC setup, it’s easy to think your audio options are limited to a pair of powered bookshelf speakers. Soundbars are associated with TVs and home theaters, but you can get one that’s designed to sit under your monitor while you play games — ultimately enhancing your experience.
At a Glance: The Best Computer Soundbars
- BEST OVERALL:Creative Stage Under-Monitor Soundbar
- BEST VALUE:Doss PC Soundbar
- BEST FOR LIMITED SPACES:Bluedee Computer Soundbar
- BEST FOR ENTERTAINMENT:Creative Store Sound BlasterX Katana
- BEST FOR PC GAMING:Razer Leviathan V2 Pro
- BEST FOR VIDEO CALLS:Dell Pro Stereo Soundbar
Computer soundbars are more compact than ones we’d recommend for home theater use, but they work the same way. A bunch of drivers (the part of a speaker responsible for producing sound) are placed next to one another in a single horizontal speaker. You lose some stereo separation, but don’t have to string wires around your computer desk. A computer soundbar also has a leg up over gaming headsets, which can get sweaty or start to feel heavy during a long gaming session.
If you prefer listening to your game audio through speakers, but don’t have a lot of space, we’ve done the research and found the best computer speakers and soundbars available right now, based on our own testing, consumer reviews, audio clarity, and price.
In This Article
What Are the Best Computer Soundbars?
How We Chose the Top Computer Soundbars
Computer Soundbar Buying Guide
What Are the Best Bluetooth Computer Soundbars?
If you’re looking to pick up a new computer soundbar, here are some of the best speakers and soundbars to get from brands like Dell, Logitech, and Razer. The bottom line: If you’re looking to boost your computer’s audio performance, it’s hard to go wrong with any of these below.
1. Creative Stage Under-Monitor Soundbar
Creative designed its Under-Monitor Soundbar to be used with your PC and home theater system. It’s 23.7 inches long, which makes this the longest soundbar we recommend, but it’s worth it. This is a 2.1 soundbar, which features a pair of drivers built into the bar, plus a subwoofer. The subwoofer is wired, so it has to be connected to the soundbar to work. Make sure you have enough extra space under your desk if you’re considering this option.
This soundbar’s best feature is its wide array of connectivity options. It has an aux input, so you can connect it to a computer, Bluetooth support for wireless streaming, and both HDMI Arc and Optical audio inputs, so you can connect it to a TV. Creative’s computer soundbar has more inputs than any other computer soundbar in our guide, and it’s the only one designed to be wall-mounted. This is a great feature if you hook your PC up to a large TV, or play titles on game consoles. It even has a USB port, so you can connect a flash drive to it and play music files directly from the soundbar. Creative Stage bundles this soundbar with a remote, so you can control its main functions (power, volume, play/pause) without having to physically touch it. If you need a computer soundbar that can pull double duty and work in your living room, Creative has you covered.
2. Doss PC Soundbar
Doss’s PC Soundbar is a great budget option that’ll still be a big improvement over the speakers in your laptop or desktop computer. It features a 16-watt stereo audio system. After our own testing, we like that Doss’ soundbar has physical play, pause, next track, and previous track buttons on top, so you can shuffle between songs on a playlist without looking down. This is a quality of life feature we didn’t expect from a soundbar under $40.
Doss’ PC Soundbar’s standout feature is its dearth of connectivity options. You can plug it into your computer using a USB cable, connect to it wirelessly over Bluetooth, or play audio off either a flash drive or MicroSD card. This soundbar’s ability to play songs off of external media means you can use it as a standalone audio device when you’re not at your computer. If you want a computer soundbar that’s also capable of replacing a Bluetooth speaker you have in another part of your home, Doss’ PC Soundbar should be your first choice.
3. Bluedee Computer Soundbar
If you want better sound from your computer, but don’t have a lot of room, Bluedee’s Computer Soundbar is the ideal choice. At 16.4 inches, it’s the smallest soundbar in this guide, but it’s loaded with modern features like Bluetooth support. We also like that Bluedee’s soundbar is bus powered, which means it draws electricity from your computer’s USB-A port. This means you won’t need to plug it into a wall, which saves you even more space.
This computer soundbar’s coolest feature is its RGB light strip, which is located on its front side. You can set the strip to switch between different lighting modes, including one that pulses with the music you’re listening to. If you’re entertaining friends, this is a very cool feature. The only potential downside to Bluedee’s Computer Soundbar is that it can only play music in stereo, which makes sense given its small size. If that doesn’t bother you, and your desk space is limited, Bluedee’s Computer Soundbar is the right pick.
4. Creative Store Sound BlasterX Katana
This sleek soundbar will fit right under your monitor or gaming setup and comes with its own wireless subwoofer for booming bass. It’s got five drivers and comes equipped with a Dolby Digital decoder, all designed to give you an immerse audio experience, according to the brand. Feel the tension during your action sequences and hear every in-game dialogue crisp and clear with this nifty soundbar.
The Creative Store soundbar even has a stellar built-in lighting system with programmable LED lights. Whether you want your new soundbar to blend into your gaming setup or you’re looking for some ambient lighting during your all-night gaming sessions, you’ll be able to customize the lighting as you see fit. As for connectivity options, there is an optical input, AUX input, USB, as well as built-in Bluetooth meaning you can connect it to multiple devices and integrate it into your gaming setup.
5. Razer Leviathan V2 Pro
At $499.99 at Amazon, the editor-approved Razer Leviathan V2 Pro is designed to take your gaming experiences to the next level with premium and immersive audio. It uses advanced Audioscenic technology to track your movements to deliver the best personalized sound quality to your ears no matter where you are in the room, while it remembers where you’re standing or sitting to give you precise audio.
Meanwhile, the computer soundbar is THX-tuned for 3D spatial audio for virtual surround sound, as well as fuller and richer sound for a movie theater-like experience. It has RGB lighting with 30 zones for effects and patterns that’s customizable via the Razer mobile app for even more immersion. The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro comes with a subwoofer too for deep bass and rumble.
6. Dell Pro Stereo Soundbar
Looking for better sounding video calls? The Dell Pro Stereo Soundbar — which goes for $71.99 on Amazon — offers exceptional audio clarity for video calls, thanks to its 5-watt RMS front-firing speaker system for robust and rich sound. It’s noise-canceling with a line of microphones built-in to reduce background noise and echoes in your home or office. The soundbar is even certified for Microsoft Skype for Business, so calls taken on this platform will sound their best.
At just under 18 inches in length, the Dell Pro Stereo Soundbar attaches at the bottom of just about any standard monitor with interfering with adjustability, while its simple plug-and-play function will have you receiving better audio quality in no time. Just plug it in to your computer’s USB-A port for instant sound clarity.
Best of the Rest: Top Computer Soundbars
Soulion R30 Computer Soundbar Speaker
If you’re looking for a well-designed, sleek computer soundbar, this Solution R30 pick gets the job done. It features a couple of full-range speakers for immersive sound, along with a 3.5mm aux jack to connect to your desktop. On its side you’ll find an easy-to-control volume dial, while its built-in USB is used for power.
Positive Customer Feedback: “I want to start off by saying I’m not a audiophile, I wasn’t looking for speakers that have a ton of bass for music or anything like that. All I was looking for was speakers that sounded good for everyday use, like watching videos and gaming. As soon as I plugged this sound bar in, I was impressed. For $20 this is a steal, good sound for videos and games alike. The lights are not overwhelming at all, very soft and pretty. Overall I recommend this sound bar for people who are looking for something decent for cheap!” — Alliethealligator
Nylavee Computer Soundbar Speaker
Whether you’re a gamer or a music lover, this under-$60 Nylavee computer soundbar is a good option to consider. We like that it features Bluetooth connectivity, so you can use it to listen to your tunes from your wireless devices. It’s easy to connect to your desktop with its USB cable, and works with everything from PCs to gaming systems alike.
Positive Customer Feedback: “I recently purchased the Nylavee Computer Soundbar, and it has been an absolute game-changer for my audio setup! This compact soundbar is perfect for my limited desk space, and I’m amazed by the quality sound it produces.
One of the key highlights of the Nylavee soundbar is its small size. It fits perfectly on my computer desk without taking up much room, making it an ideal choice for anyone looking to save space. Despite its size, the sound quality is truly impressive. The soundbar delivers crisp and clear audio, adding depth to my music, movies, and online video calls. I can now enjoy a more immersive experience without the need for bulky speakers.” — Darren
Editor’s Note: Customer reviews have been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
How We Chose the Best Computer Soundbars
Our editors and writers tested a variety of top-rated computer soundbars from well-known brands, including Razer, Dell, and Creative Stage, to come up with our top picks of the best computer soundbars to buy right now. We also considered sound quality, size, and connectivity, along with positive customer feedback and reviews with 4/5-star ratings.
Buying Guide: Bluetooth Computer Soundbars
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best computer soundbars for you; below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list.
Size: As we mentioned earlier, one of the big advantages of using a computer soundbar is saving space. All of our picks range between 16.4 and 23.7 inches long, so you’ll be able to find one that can fit comfortably on your desk.
Connectivity: All of our computer soundbar recommendations can be plugged into your computer via a 3.5mm audio cable, but support other connectivity options like Bluetooth, so you can stream music to them wirelessly.
Compatibility: Any computer soundbar in our guide can be used with both a PC and Mac.
Stereo or Surround Sound: Soundbars can never fully replicate the experience of a 5.1 surround sound system, but some can do a pretty good job at recreating by pointing multiple drivers in different directions and using a subwoofer. Our guide features stereo and surround sound options.
