Desktop speakers
From making the most of your music to presentations or gaming, you can’t beat a traditional set of desktop speakers
The phenomenal success of the iPod and iPhone has completely changed the audio industry, not to mention
our listening habits. Apple’s mobile devices gave rise to a new generation of mobile speakers that were compact and often portable, so that you could easily carry them from room to room at home, or even slip them into a backpack when you were travelling.
Extras and effects
Some of these compact speakers provide impressive sound quality, but there are still times when you really need a good old-fashioned set of stereo speakers sitting on the desk beside your Mac. Desktop speakers don’t have to go anywhere, so they’re generally larger and more powerful than their mobile counterparts. A pair of ‘bookshelf’ speakers can sit on either side of your monitor when you’re working, or go up on a shelf if you want to use your Mac as the centre of your home music system. And, with multiple inputs and connectors, you can use them with your TV or games console as well, or perhaps with a large display for presentations at work.
The other advantage of using stereo (also known as 2.0) speakers is that they can really separate the music, so you can hear Brian May’s twiddly guitar solo on A Kind Of Magic bouncing gleefully from left to right – the way that it’s really meant to be heard. And, of course, you could also take the next step, which is to opt for a 2.1 system that throws in a subwoofer as well. If you’re into bass-driven dance music then a subwoofer will have obvious appeal, as well as providing extra power for party time. A subwoofer can also beef up sound effects on games and action films, so gamers might want to consider the specialised Creative Katana, while movie buffs could opt for the THXcertified Z623 from Logitech. On the other hand, if you’re a musician or video editor you might prefer the carefully tuned sound that you get from a set of ‘monitor’ speakers, such as M-Audio’s affordable AV32.1.
So whatever your musical tastes, here’s our guide to the best desktop speakers currently available for you and your Mac.