Recommendations for Desktop Speakers with a Budget of Roughly $800

TurtleTrooper on 12/05/2025 - 14:09
Last edited 23/05/2025 - 20:47

I'm trying to find some desktop speakers which strike a nice balance between aesthetic and sound quality for my current setup though I am happy to move things around (https://imgur.com/a/NLA4an4)

I'm chasing something with these specifications:

  • Good for gaming & tv shows
  • Somewhere roughly in the $400 - $800 budget range
  • Decent lows (or option to upgrade with a subwoofer)
  • Similar or fitting aesthetic to my current setup
  • Available for purchase in WA

Speakers currently on my shortlist:

  • ($599) Audioengine A5+ Wireless
  • ($494) Edifier S2000MKIII
  • ($339) JBL 305P MKII

UPDATE: thank you all for the advice and recommendations I ended up settling on the Adams Audio D3V.

Computing Speakers

Comments

    • Boioioioi on 12/05/2025 - 14:43
      +13

      I feel like these ChatGPT lists do not contribute to the conversation. If someone wanted to know what Chatty G thought they could go ask it themself. Great thing of OzB and forums in general is to get the thoughts of the members, not the AI.

      I'd rather know what you think JV, not ChatGPT

    • TurtleTrooper on 12/05/2025 - 14:55
      +1

      I have 2 of these on my list already, the Kanto YU6 is $1000+ and the Vanatoo isn't available in Australia. I appreciate the reply but this doesn't help make a decision.

      • jv on 12/05/2025 - 16:14

        Vanatoo isn't available in Australia

        It's not hard to get it.

        • rumblytangara on 13/05/2025 - 11:22

          They are expensive to ship to Australia and any warranty repairs require you to keep the original boxes and pay international shipping again - twice. They are extremely upfront about this when contacted about international sales and almost try to talk you out of it because they don't want the hassle.

          But of course you don't know any of this because you just ripped that list off randomly.

    • 2esc on 13/05/2025 - 10:50

      Don't understand why do many negs for this post.

      • jv on 13/05/2025 - 10:51
        -2

        Some people are just jealous when other try and help…

      • rumblytangara on 13/05/2025 - 11:07
        +1

        Don't understand why do many negs for this post.

        Because JV regurgitates BS ChatGPT output that is irrelevant. And he does it as quickly as possible to make it first on a thread. The Vanatoo speakers in that list are:

        • a thousand dollars
        • probably not even available in Australia (last time I checked they only come with US plugs and they ship from the US) and
        • out of stock on the US website.

        100% irrelevant to the OP. If anything is relevant, it's purely by chance and clearly not from an ounce of personal knowledge.

        100% typical for a JV post. He did the same the other day when someone was asking for recommendations for a 20K car, and his ChatGTP list was for 50K cars.

  • MS Paint on 12/05/2025 - 15:09
    +3

    aesthetic

    Man, that AC unit outside the window, aesthetically, would do my head in.

    • TurtleTrooper on 12/05/2025 - 15:11
      +1

      Yeah the fun of renting. It's a horribly designed house because the owner decided to try their hand at architecture instead of letting professionals do it. It's on the list of things to ask them to fix.

      • MS Paint on 12/05/2025 - 15:13
        +1

        Is that a Herman Miller aeron I spot in the foreground?

        • TurtleTrooper on 12/05/2025 - 15:25
          +2

          Yeah good eye! Its the Aeron Remastered Size B - amazing chair. Actually bought from a previous deal way back for $1310 with the pre-covid prices.

  • sumyungguy on 12/05/2025 - 15:09
    -1

    If you can find one: pre-owned Bose Cinemate GS Series II

    • TurtleTrooper on 12/05/2025 - 15:26

      Will keep an eye out for it thanks!

      • sumyungguy on 12/05/2025 - 15:30
        -1

        Just realised the Acoustimass module was recalled back in 2012 due to an electrical design fault. I have an implicated serial number but Bose assures me it's not part of the recall.

    • Namesareapain on 13/05/2025 - 16:56

      Don't recommend junk

  • garetz on 12/05/2025 - 15:55
    +2

    I've had my aktimates since 2012, its a shame they went out of business, the best sounding small 2.0 speakers ive ever heard.

    • Rockets84 on 13/05/2025 - 10:37
      +2

      I have the original Aktimates (original iPod dock connector on top) which I bought in 2005 or so and I love them, one of the best bang for your buck powered speakers I've ever heard. The amp died last year and is unrepairable according to the audio electronics guy I had look at them, the failed IC's aren't made any more. I replaced them with some Klipsch R-51M's which are decent but the Aktimates were better.

  • frondono on 12/05/2025 - 16:00
    -1

    If you want decent lows get something with an 8 inch driver. I have the jbl305s and they're very decent for the price, lows can be good in some tracks, but nothing like my hifiman he6se headphones, or my old z2300 logitechs. Do some research on reddit, or some of the forums. None of those listed would be a condsideration if I was spending those amounts.

  • Guybrush57 on 12/05/2025 - 16:27

    E-MU XM7

  • rumblytangara on 12/05/2025 - 18:03
    +1

    They're all back ported speakers, right up against a wall. And with a monitor in the way? There doesn't even look like enough space for speakers on the table.

    Why not just get headphones?

    • TurtleTrooper on 12/05/2025 - 20:02
      +1

      Im planning on positioning the speakers on the left and right of primary monitor. I'll likely find a monitor/screen I can place vertically below the primary monitor and if I need more space I can mount the PC case below the desk on the frame.

      I could invest in better headphones however wanted the option to share media with my partner who occasionally likes to watch me game. So not something I've probably considered properly.

    • Bystander on 12/05/2025 - 22:27

      Are there any decent front ported speakers similar to those that OP lists?

  • Blazing147 on 12/05/2025 - 18:12
    +2

    Q Acoustics 3010i/3020i/3030i
    Passive though so you need an amp.

  • Boop Doucha on 12/05/2025 - 19:56
    +2

    What's the furthest distance you intend to listen from? Do they need to get really loud? The Adam Audio D3V performs really well with a smallish footprint. I use to own a pair of JBL 305s. They were quite big for a desk setup but plenty powerful and sounded really good.

    • TurtleTrooper on 12/05/2025 - 20:05

      I don't intend to listen at a distance further than where I'm sitting at the desk so they don't need to get really loud.

      How did you like the D3V compared to the 305s?

      • Boop Doucha on 19/05/2025 - 16:53

        I've haven't heard the D3v's in person, I only know that they have been getting lots of praise. The JBL 305s are a safe bet but turning them off and on kind sucks as they are decently large (and the switch is on the back of one of the speakers). Unsure how easy the D3Vs are to turn off and on but the settings on the back are a bit more fine grained than the 305s.

        Just saw the photo. I wouldn't get the jbls for that space, they'd end up too close to the wall which would probably cause bass build up resulting in poor audio quality.

  • decryption on 13/05/2025 - 07:04
    +1

    Check out https://www.spinorama.org/ - compare the in-room frequency response of a bunch of speakers you're interested in. General rule is the bigger the drivers (6"-8") the better the bass is going to be before you need a subwoofer to take over the lower frequencies.

    Personally I'd go for the Adam D3V for a nearfield listening setup. Hard to beat for size, quality and price (no DAC or amp needed, just plug it in over USB-C and off you go!). The bass isn't huge but you can't beat it for the size and unless you're into music genres that are bass heavy or watching action movies, you won't miss much without a subwoofer.

    I own a pair of Kali LP-8v2 and while they're very large, if you have the space they're awesome bang for buck and can go quite low. I haven't needed a subwoofer for them for my usual listening.

    • TurtleTrooper on 13/05/2025 - 12:48

      Awesome, thanks for sharing that website - very useful! The D3V is definitely my top contender currently and I'm just making sure I do my due diligence before pulling the trigger. If you decided to upgrade the D3V with a sub, what would you opt for?

  • trankillity on 13/05/2025 - 09:03

    I actually went through pretty much exactly the same process/search 2 years ago when I started working from home - so feel like I'm pretty well positioned to answer this. I even had the same requirement of upgrading to sub in future! Here's a photo of my setup to get an idea of the aesthetic.

    Where I landed was with the Q Acoustics 3020is. The 3030is were recommended for the better bass, but they are quite a bit larger than the 3020is and desk space was a premium plus the 3030is would have been a bit of a waste to eventually pair with a sub. I got them from Addicted to Audio who currently have them on sale for $384 (well within your range).

    As mentioned in another comment, these are passive speakers, so you need to pair them with an amp. I went with the Topping MX3S because it had everything I needed; dedicated LFE out, USB/Optical/BT input, IR control (to automate stuff). It looks like this has since been replaced by the Topping DX3 Pro+ however it no longer has the dedicated LFE out so you might need to investigate other options.

    When I eventually got a subwoofer, I went for the Voll S8 which also appears to be discontinued. It's definitely not as punchy as a 12" sub, but certainly don't need anything more for my small home office.

    I'm incredibly happy with the setup and have used it for 8-12 hours a day while working, gaming and watching media for the last 2 years. I use a headless Raspberry Pi running Plexamp for my work day and have it connected via optical to the MX3S so that I can play whatever I want without needing permissions on my work laptop. Then at night I switch over to the PC and the amp automatically changes inputs to USB. Super simple, zero hassle.

    • TurtleTrooper on 13/05/2025 - 12:56

      Thanks for giving such a detailed response, your setup looks awesome. I'm torn between the Q3020i and D3V options. Out of the box the D3V looks to have the edge but the Q3020i being passive gives so many options for customisation and expansion at a later date.

      • trankillity on 13/05/2025 - 13:00

        For sure. My only steer would be that if you're used to listening to anything with a subwoofer/with headphones already, then you will likely end up missing the subwoofer pretty quickly. There's only so much work that smaller drivers can do. If you suspect that this sounds like you - then I would say that the 3020is win out due to being able to add a sub and have the flexibility of different configurations.

        Plus, they have a Walnut option which fits your natural wood aesthetic pretty well.

  • greyeye on 13/05/2025 - 09:06

    how about just DAC amp and bookshelf speakers?

    not recommending this particular amp, but something similar to
    https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/collections/power-amplifiers/…

    and decent bookshelf speakers can be found around $500 for sure.

    I have KEF Q100 (discontinued?) connected to Yamaha RX-V483, dont use it for games or movies, but mostly for music.

    • TurtleTrooper on 13/05/2025 - 13:00

      I think I was shying away from the bookshelf options a bit more because of their size and wasn't so sure about the capabilities of smaller speakers to deliver the sound I'm looking for.

      • rumblytangara on 13/05/2025 - 14:57

        All the speakers in the original list… are bookshelf speakers?

  • Drpepper666 on 13/05/2025 - 14:38

    Do you already have an audio interface if you are considering JBL 305P MKII?
    If so check out Kali LP-6

    Stay away from edifier. JBL will poo on them

    Edit I see someone also recommended Kali albeit the 8 inch version, nice

  • ozbjunkie on 13/05/2025 - 22:33
    -1

    Get the JBL 308 as the 5 inch is really light on the bass

  • cerealJay on 19/05/2025 - 21:00

    IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitors

    If I were buying PC desktop speakers, I'd give these serious consideration, or the next ones up. I went through a phase of almost buying these, did heaps of research. Watch a few reviews, these speakers are built for the task and have a lot of unique features. I like that they have a tripod mount on the bottom, and…

    "The smallest footprint of any reference quality studio monitor system"

    https://www.mannys.com.au/products/ik-multimedia-iloud-micro…

  • riyaroy on 23/05/2025 - 16:55

    Dear speaker, did you become silent out of anger? Before, your voice would fill the room, now it's just a dead body. Today, suddenly, I see that you have dust on you, like a sheet of pride. I started wiping it slowly with speaker cleaner. I felt like I found myself by placing my hand on you. Just as we used to listen to music together that day, I started playing the song again. And you? I started singing from my throat! Then I realized that not only humans understand love, machines also understand care. webpage score https://fixmyspeaker.org/

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join