Desk Audio: Stereo Speakers or a Soundbar Under the Monitor?

Computer speakers are usually bought on wattage and returned on placement. Two speakers either side of a monitor sound completely different from two speakers pressed against it, and a soundbar under a monitor solves a problem that a pair of speakers does not.

We stock four options between 19,99 € and 43,99 €. This page is about choosing the shape, because at these prices the shape matters more than the specification.

What a stereo pair gives you

Two separated speakers create a stereo image: sounds appear to come from positions between and beyond them. That is why games and films have direction, and why music sounds wider.

The effect depends almost entirely on distance. Speakers 60 cm apart with you sitting 70 cm away produce a real image. The same speakers 20 cm apart produce something that sounds like one speaker.

A stereo pair also puts the volume control within reach of your hand rather than under your monitor.

What a soundbar gives you

One object, one cable, no desk space lost at the sides. Under a monitor or a small TV, a soundbar is the tidier answer, and it takes the place of the monitor's own speakers, which are usually the worst part of a monitor.

The trade-off is stereo separation: everything comes from one line. For calls, podcasts and casual video that is irrelevant. For games and music, it is the thing you give up.

The four we stock

Logitech Speakers S150 2.0 980-000029

19,99 €

2.0 pair · compact | 13 in stock | 2-year EU warranty | 14-day returns

Logitech Speakers Z150 6W 2.0 Black - 980-000814

28,99 €

2.0 pair · 6 W | 14 in stock | 2-year EU warranty | 14-day returns

Trust Soundbar PC Arys 12W 2.0

24,99 €

Soundbar · 12 W | 10 in stock | 2-year EU warranty | 14-day returns

Xiaomi Soundbar 2.0 Eu S22E

43,99 €

Soundbar · 2.0 | 25 in stock | 2-year EU warranty | 14-day returns

The 19,99 € pair

The Logitech S150 is the smallest sensible pair. It is the right answer for a desk where space is tight at the sides but you still want two sources, or for a second screen used mostly for calls and video.

What it will not do is fill a room. At this size and price, bass is a suggestion rather than a sensation, and that is normal.

The 28,99 € pair

The Logitech Z150 is the same idea with more cabinet and more power. The step is audible at moderate volume: less distortion when you turn it up, and a slightly fuller lower midrange.

If you listen to music while you work, that is the nine euros well spent. If you only need call audio, it is not.

The soundbars

The Trust Arys is the compact option: 12 W, horizontal, with a physical volume control on the body. It is the cheapest way to replace bad monitor speakers while keeping the desk clear.

The Xiaomi Soundbar 2.0 is the step up in the same shape — more cabinet, cleaner at higher volume, and the model to choose if the soundbar will also serve a small television.

The check before you buy

1. Measure the gap either side of your monitor. Under 8 cm and a pair will not fit without blocking the desk; a soundbar will.
2. Where is the volume control? On a speaker in front of you, or on a bar under the screen. Both are better than a software slider.
3. Do you use headphones half the time? Check for a headphone jack on the unit itself — switching in the operating system every time gets old.

Placement: where the money actually disappears

Two identical pairs, in two different rooms, sound different. The variables are position, distance and what is behind them — and all three are free to change.

• Height. Tweeters roughly at ear level when you sit. Speakers sitting on the desk below the monitor fire at your chest, and the high frequencies — where speech clarity lives — go past your ears.
• Distance from the wall. A speaker 3 cm from a wall gets a bass boost that makes everything sound muddy and boxy. Ten to fifteen centimetres behind them cleans it up more than any equaliser setting.
• Toe-in. Turn both speakers slightly towards you, not straight ahead. A small angle, roughly 15 to 20 degrees, tightens the image at a desk.
• What the desk reflects. A hard, empty desk bounces sound straight back at you. That is the "hollow" sound people blame on cheap speakers. A mouse mat, papers or a notebook between you and the speakers reduces it.
• Where the soundbar fires. A bar under a monitor points at you from below. That is fine at conversational volume and noticeably duller than a raised pair — which is the honest trade for the desk space it saves.

None of this requires buying anything. It does explain why the same 28,99 € pair can sound good on one desk and thin on another — and why moving them is usually a better investment than the next model up.

What you will not find on this page

No subwoofers, no 5.1 desk systems, no claims about "cinema sound". At this price the honest description is: clearer and louder than your monitor, with limited low end. Anything else is marketing.

We also do not publish frequency response figures for these models. Manufacturers quote them without stating the tolerance, which makes the number meaningless for comparison.

Delivery and returns

Delivery across the EU takes 3 to 7 business days, with shipping calculated at checkout by destination. Returns within 14 days. Every unit carries the 2-year EU legal warranty.

Frequently asked questions

Are speakers better than a soundbar for gaming?

For stereo positioning, yes, because two separated sources create an image a single bar cannot. For convenience and desk space, the bar wins.

Will these work without a separate sound card?

Yes. They connect to the standard audio output or USB of the computer and appear as a normal output device.

Can I use a soundbar with a television instead of a monitor?

Yes, if the television has a compatible audio output. Check the connections on the product page.

Why does my audio sound worse on one side?

Almost always the source file, the cable, or a speaker too close to a wall. Try moving both speakers 10 cm away from the wall before blaming the unit.

Do I need to install drivers?

No. The operating system recognises them with its standard driver.

Related guides

• Peripherals — monitors, keyboards and desk accessories.
• Keyboards and mice — the rest of the desk.
• All products — the full catalogue.

Where to place them, and why that matters more than the spec

Desktop speakers sit at ear height on either side of the screen, roughly an arm's length away. That geometry gives you a stereo image you can actually hear: instruments separate and dialogue stays centred. A soundbar under a monitor is a single narrow bar at desk level, so the image collapses unless you sit directly in front of it.

For video calls, placement matters even more than for music. Two speakers at ear height pick up a room more naturally than one bar reflecting off a hard desk, and the person on the other end notices it. If your desk is against a wall and the monitor sits close, a bar is easier to fit; if you have room on both sides of the screen, a pair of speakers wins every time.

What we do not sell, and why

We do not replace eartips beyond what ships in the box, and we do not claim a battery cycle count, a driver size or a codec that the manufacturer does not publish. Where a specification is missing from a listing, this page says so instead of filling the gap.

Delivery, returns and warranty

Orders leave our EU warehouse and arrive in 3 to 7 business days. Shipping is calculated at checkout by weight and destination — we do not offer free shipping, and the cost is shown before you pay.

You have 14 days from delivery to return an item under EU distance-selling rules, provided it comes back in the condition it arrived with its accessories. Every item carries a 2-year warranty against manufacturing defects, handled by us rather than by the manufacturer.