speaker

Logitech LS21 2.1 Stereo Speaker System
$29.99
I was quite satisfied with my purchase once I got these speakers out of the box after they arrived. They looked expensive but I had picked them up for $20 or $25 which was more or less the reason for the purchase, that and my 10 year old Altec Lansing speaker set had a blown sub.

A few weeks down the line, the right satellite speaker starts shorting in and out. I think maybe it's the connection to the remote and the speaker. After playing with the remote volume control on the set the speaker starts to work again, then a few days later it just stops. Upon banging the volume remote on my desk, the speaker continues to short in and out while the left speaker still continuously works.

The right speaker seems to still be getting a signal as the speaker itself is vibrating but barely, if any, sound is coming out which forces me to listen to everything at max volume due to only one speaker working. Very disappointed.

Harman Kardon SoundSticks II 2.1 Plug and Play Multimedia Speaker System
$169.99
These speakers are awesome! The sound quality is amazing! Basically for the price, you are definitely getting a great deal !

Logitech S120 2.0 Multimedia Speakers (Black)
$11.99
I'm somewhat torn about what to rate the S120s at. On one hand, I'm not at all impressed with the sound quality (and I'm no audiophile), but then again, I really don't have a wealth of experience with budget speakers so these may actually be among the better sounding ones (I've definitely heard worse). On the other hand, they are brand-name units and are built like a tank. Ultimately, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and rated them four stars as opposed to the three I was leaning toward.

As usual with Amazon, they arrived in an acceptable amount of time in good condition. I was disappointed to find them packaged in an OEM-style brown box when they were clearly identified as "Retail" units on the website when I ordered(I suppose it's possible brown boxes are the retail packaging for these). They're small (expected for budget speakers), but are quite solid with good fit-and-finish and have respectable heft for their size. Fairly plain, styling-wise, they're appearance is unobtrusive and, given their size, all but vanish on the desktop. The power and audio cables are long enough for most applications, though, being AC-powered, some may have issues with the relatively thick power cord causing placement difficulties. The power/volume knob and headphone jack are well-enough placed on the outboard side of the right speaker. Set-up is about as simple as possible--connect to source, plug-in power and switch on.

Functionally, they're good enough. They're reliable with a brief warm-up time and produce a decent amount of volume. There's minimal hiss and static and they don't really distort until cranked way up. The problem is the dynamic range, the bass is extremely weak. I'm not just talking about a lack of boom, I'm talking about sound that's anemic (borderline hollow) and somewhat washed-out and tinny (though I wouldn't go as far as harsh). The S120s look to be S220s without a subwoofer, so I'm guessing these speakers were designed to be run with a sub and would likely sound very good with one.

I guess it comes down to how tight of a budget are you on? If you absolutely can't spend more than $10-15, then these speakers are a very good choice, as I seriously doubt you'll do much better for the money. If you can spend the extra 15 or so dollars more, then the S220s (or other 2.1 systems) would likely prove a much better sounding option. Either way, for the money, the S120s are pretty darn good. Qualified recommended.

Sony SS-B1000 5 1/8-Inch Bookshelf Speakers (Pair)
$80.00
I am completely satisfied with these speakers. I use them for my stero receiver and also thru my TV. The sound is great, very clear with no distortions.