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However, especially among audiophiles, it has a much more important implication: Bookshelf speakers are small, unpowered stereo speakers. The term bookshelf speaker generally describe any speaker that can comfortably fit on a bookshelf and is intended for use in a stereo pair or other multiple speaker setups. Even portable Bluetooth speakers can serve as one-piece systems for your PC if they have a 3.5mm audio input or support a USB connection (or if your computer has Bluetooth). There are also one-piece solutions (or one-piece with a subwoofer) that offer plenty of power but don't provide the stereo imaging you get from multiple satellites. Some serious gamers and cinephiles might want to look for a 5.1-channel (or higher) surround sound system, but the extra cost and inconvenience of placing all those speakers around the room isn't worth it to most users.
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Some have accompanying subwoofers, but you won't likely have more than two or three satellites to deal with. The vast majority of desktop speakers are stereo pairs. Some stereo speaker pairs, however, sound great even without a subwoofer, primarily because their woofers (the drivers dedicated to low-mid and low frequencies below 1KHz) are perfectly capable of handling the bass response. A solid sub at a reasonable volume can add rumble to film explosions and depth to kick drums, bass guitars, analog synths, orchestras, and more. The role of the subwoofer is to cover deep bass frequencies, generally below 100Hz. Stereo speakers consist of only a left and a right speaker, "2.1" refers to a pair of speakers augmented by a subwoofer, and surround sound involves between five and seven speakers plus a subwoofer. Stereo, 2.1, or Surround Sound: What's the Difference? Here are things to consider when picking the best speaker system for your computer. Even if you're on a tight budget, low-cost speakers can noticeably improve your listening experience. And that's to say nothing of the tiny built-in drivers found in most laptops. Many PCs and Macs don't come with very good speakers. But as you've probably noticed, that music only sounds as good as the system it's playing through.
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