Whether you want to listen to some music on your computer, or play a video game or watch a movie you will also need some speakers. You could stay with the stereo speakers that your computer came with, but they are usually not so good and powerful. And that’s why many people are choosing to buy a new set of speakers.



There are many producers on the audio market, and each one is offering a lot of good models of speakers. Here are just some example of big audio producers: Harman Kardon, Creative, JBL, Altec Lansing, Bose, Boston Acoustics, Logitech and so on. Each of the companies has a wide diversity of speakers such as: stereo speakers, 2.1 systems, 5.1 systems, wireless speakers, outdoor speakers, in-wall and in-ceilling speakers, floorstanding speakers and so on. Each of these has its own size, shape and characteristics.



So if you are not sure what to buy between some stereo speakers and a 5.1 system, we’ll present a model from each category, so that you can make an idea. Let’s begin with some stereo speakers and we’ll choose the Logitech X 140 speakers. As you can see these are some pretty small speakers that are looking quite simple but also elegant. They have dimensions of 24 cm in H, 9.9 cm in W and 12.4 cm in D…they are not tiny, but they are not huge either, so they will easily fit on your desk.

They can be connected to a computer, but also to other music sources such as CD, DVD or MP3 player. One speaker has the controls, and also a headphones jack for the times when you want to enjoy some music on your own. Among the controls there is also a volume knob for the bass, meaning that these are not like the regular stereo speakers, but they also have quite a good bass. The total power is 5 watts RMS, so each speaker has a power of 2.5 watts RMS. This is not much, but it can be ok for the day to day music. . The frequency response is from 80 hertz to 18.000 hertz and last of all the price is 30 dollars. So after all they are quite good stereo speakers, with a price and sound quality above average.

Now let’s discuss about a 5.1 surround sound system, and we’ll choose the Genius 5.1 SW-HF 5000. In terms of design, this one also has a simple but elegant design. The speakers are made out of brown wood, meaning that they fit  perfectly with your furniture. The system is composed of 4 satellite speakers, a center channel and a subwoofer. Just a satellite speaker has the dimensions of one of the stereo speakers that we presented above.



But the center channel is bigger, and the subwoofer is even bigger and heavier. So in terms of dimensions, a 5.1 system is much bigger than some stereo speakers. But the system also sound a lot better. For example the Genius 5.1 SW-HF 5000 has 5 times the power of the Logitech X 140 – 150 watts RMS. Even though the stereo speakers we discussed about had some bass, the 5.1 system has a much more powerful bass, thanks to the subwoofer. Also the whole sound is much better, and spread in all the directions thanks to the placement of the satellite speakers. So, after all, if you are looking for some small speakers that are not so powerful, for the day to day music, then you should choose some stereo speakers. But if you want some more powerful speakers, and the space is not a problem for you, then you should definitely choose a 5.1 surround sound system.