Bottom line

volume output is a little low. Even with the source volume maxed, I had to push the speakers’ volume knob past the halfway point to get to a listenable level when I was sitting in front of them. When I wanted to listen to music while moving about the room, I’d have to turn them up all the way. The good news is, they didn’t distort even at the highest volume. Put the Edifier RU19 on the shortlist of sub$50 speakers worth buying. I found they generally brought the best out of any given audio, whether it was an album, a film, or a Youtube video. And the subtle design nod to the wood floor-standing speakers of home audio’s golden age was kind of endearing. If you can live with the bass and volume limitations inherent in Usb-powered speakers, you won’t be disappointed. measly $25. Turns out, quite a bit, even compared to pricier budget PC speakers we’ve tested.

Available in black or white (the price for white may differ slightly on Amazon [ go. pcworld.com/cpwh]), each speaker measures 4.5 by 4.4 by 4.6 inches (HWD)— about the size of an average grapefruit. The space-saving size makes it easy to find room for them on even the smallest or most cluttered desk. The rubber ring on the flattened bottom of each enclosure keeps it from slipping on your desktop.

Pebble’s two-inch far-field drivers—which combine for an RMS of 4.4 watts— are angled at 45 degrees. This design is optimal for directing the audio at your ears when you’re sitting in front of your computer. Built-in passive radiators extend the low-frequency response for beefier bass. A power/volume knob on the front panel of the right speaker works in conjunction with your PC’S audio controls to manage the Pebble’s volume.