Does anyone have any recommendations for good budget / value speakers?
Our 2015 iMac died a couple weeks ago and that’s what I’d been listening to music on since we got it in 2016 or so. The sound from our laptop (an old 2015 MacBook) is tinnitus inducing so lately I’ve only been able to listen on my wife’s work iPad when she’s not using it. I’ve only been listening to music that’s new to me so I thought it was passable, but yesterday I listened to Pisces Iscariot and realized instantly I need speakers for the laptop. Can’t do headphones.
I’m not an audiophile or anything, I just want to get something that sounds at least as good as the iMac and doesn’t fill me with regret. The cheaper the better as I’m incapable of spending money on myself without guilt, but if there’s like a significantly better value one in the $70 range than the super cheap ones then I’m willing to push myself.
Here are a few options I’ve seen floating out there, but who knows, I know nothing about speakers.
Gotta say that iPad speakers are too tinny for me so it’s hard to judge. I’d reckon any of these will be like night and day compared to even the old iMac unless we’re talking the original tube TV type one?
Honestly I have a little Bose USB Bluetooth speaker and it’s mint.
If you are prepared to go bigger then Kanto YU4s will really have a kick but they’re not budget really.
Thanks, yeah, the iPad is a brand new one so the speakers are much better than those of older iPads, but yeah, still too tinny and a huge, huge step down from the iMac (not one of the tube tv ones).
As good as an iMac is a (fairly) low bar really, so anything halfway decent should feel like an upgrade.
Anker are my brand for well made and reasonably priced tech peripherals (ear buds, Bluetooth speaker, all kinds of cables) but they don’t seem to do standard PC speakers.
I’d say anything Logitech in your price range is going to be good, but don’t have any personal experience.
I grabbed a Wonderboom a while back, and was pleasantly surprised by the sound quality and handiness of it. Mine is the first version but the 3 looks better:
Works nicely as part of my WFH setup and mobile disco alike
@hexagram eah these are good too. I had this and my little Bose and I reckoned the Bose was only a little better so that’s the one I brought back from Aus @TAFH33
I cannot vouch for Edifier R1280BT enough, and they should run you about £60 new or maybe get a good deal second hand. The non-bluetooth model should be cheaper as well
This is probably a stupid question, but is just having one good enough? Like, will there be something noticeably off compared to the standard two speaker setup? I should probably know more about this kind of stuff considering all I do is sit here and listen to music.
A few songs in and I think this might be better than any setup I’ve had for the past 10 years at least. Hearing some details in Drown by the Pumpkins that I probably haven’t heard since the 00s. Thanks again for the recommendation, so far it seems pretty much exactly what I was looking for, especially at $30. The bluetooth / portability is really convenient too.
It’s making me realize how much sound I’ve been missing though - if I’m able to fix the iMac (probably not) or get a new desktop, it’ll be tempting to also get a fixed setup like @daggers and @colon_closed_bracket mentioned. @daggers, do you have a link to that model by any chance? Maybe it’s because I’m in the US but I can’t seem to find it, even on their website.
Such a good price and it is really robust. Had ours maybe three years and my toddler son is always flinging it around and dribbling on it, still going strong.
