What is a desktop speaker and what advantages does it have?

Tabletop speakers have found their place within the active or self-powered speaker market, thanks to their particular proposal, not only in terms of sound components, but also in connection possibilities, versatility of use and design.

But what are they and what are the differences between desktop speakers and traditional stereo speakers? Do they have the same sound quality as regular speakers? Are they recommended for all types of scenarios? At VULKKANO we solve all your doubts. Go for it!

What is a Tabletop speaker?

A desktop speaker is the type of speaker that collects all its internal and external components in a single assembly . The main difference with the 2.0 speakers is that although these are presented in pairs, the tabletop speakers do so individually with the same components as traditional speakers, but with a different aesthetic proposal.

In technical terms, these devices are classified within the family of self-powered speakers , since they do not need external electronics to function, thanks to the incorporation of a digital amplifier responsible for making the speaker sound. In fact, and to seek a simile with passive speakers, desktop speakers resemble in design what a center channel speaker would be, with a woofer, tweeter and other elements on the front of the set presented in a single block, but oriented to let all the sound pass through it.

Difference between desktop speakers and portable speakers

One of the doubts that may arise when considering the purchase of a desktop speaker is its differences compared to portable Bluetooth speakers.

The first and foremost thing is that portable speakers incorporate a battery, while Bluetooth desktop speakers work connected to the electrical current . Although some of them have a battery and can be used autonomously, the main objective of this type of speakers is to be part of your home audio system; while Bluetooth speakers, due to their characteristics, are designed to be used in outdoor and moving environments.

With this, although autonomy is the most notable difference between one and the other, there are other aspects such as connectivity, the size of the components or the design, which will also be important to identify.

"A desktop speaker is the type of speaker that collects all its internal and external components in a single set."

Advantages of desktop speakers

As we have mentioned, the desktop speaker stands out for three aspects: its components , connectivity and design . Let's analyze each of them.

Components

In this type of speakers the components are presented in the same space. Elements such as the woofer and the tweeter coexist on the front of the speaker twice. If in stereo speakers we find a woofer and a tweeter for each channel, in tabletop speakers we find two components of each placed in the front, precisely to achieve that stereo image, and generally protected with a removable anti-dust grille, which, if removed, will allow us to see the skeleton of our speaker.

With this and depending on the dimensions of the speaker, woofers can reach sizes of up to 4", while tweeters are usually around 1". At the rear, the bass reflex acts as an air exhaust to avoid distortions and achieve a clear and forceful sound.

Uses and connectivity

The objective of any speaker is to make us enjoy our favorite music and content in good quality and with a power that makes us vibrate without leaving the sofa at home. Now, it is interesting, when considering the purchase, to understand what we can use our desktop speaker with to get the most out of its performance.

Desktop PC Speakers

Desktop computer speakers improve the output sound of the PC, which is generally of very low quality, as is the case with television. Both the monitors that are part of a complete setup and the laptops integrate very small speakers that do not reach the desired volume or sound definition; Therefore, it is advisable to add an external speaker to be able to hear every detail of our favorite content, preferably through an HDMI connection - Audio Return Channel -, present in our VULKKANO desktop speakers, with a USB cable or via Bluetooth.

Whether to play, work or directly take advantage of every note that comes out of your computer, desktop PC speakers are a safe bet.

Tabletop speakers for TV

Can you imagine not having a good sound system in the era of home theater? As we already mentioned in previous posts , adding external speakers to our TV is almost an obligation to obtain all the sound juice of that series or movie that we cannot stop watching.

Although active stereo speakers are a great option to combine with our “TV”, there are users who choose to add a more compact device , either due to lack of space or aesthetic taste. This is where desktop speakers come into play with their hybrid proposal between a set of 2.0 speakers and a sound bar.

The TV table speakers incorporate all the necessary connections to connect them quickly and easily to the television in order to immediately improve the sound. Again, HDMI plays a very important role in the configuration , because it will allow us to manage everything related to audio directly from the TV remote, which is an advantage when relaxing while we are at home. If you have an older television, we can choose to use the optical connection to reproduce our content without loss and avoid possible latencies or cuts between the audio and the image.

Another of the keys to this type of speakers when choosing them over self-powered stereo speakers is their size and ease of placement . Being designed in a single block, we can place them directly under the TV like a sound bar, so that the audio reaches us directly to our ears with a defined sound image, without needing to have space on the sides of the furniture or in the living room to add additional stands on which to place the active speakers. Furthermore, and whenever we have the option as in the case of our VULKKANO T50 ARC desktops , it is advisable to add an external subwoofer to emphasize the low frequency response and complete an authentic home theater experience.

Other sound sources: turntables, CD players, streamers and more

We said at the beginning that the objective of every speaker is to be part of your home as one more element, and therefore, tabletop speakers for home are compatible with all the sound sources you can imagine.

Through an RCA connection we can combine our speaker with a turntable and create that much desired HiFi corner. We can also dust off our music collection in physical format and take advantage of the alliance with a CD player, and even take a leap into the future and design a 100% digital system by connecting the desktop speaker to a streamer to access our favorite playlists in a single touch. .

Whether with the TV, the smartphone, a turntable or the PC, it is clear that desktop speakers open a world of infinite possibilities in terms of their use.

Design

After reviewing the advantages of desktop speakers in terms of connectivity and use, we come to the design section.

We emphasize that from the outset, the aesthetics of desktop speakers are very different from traditional pairs of speakers since they are presented in an individual set. Furthermore, in this type of devices, the use of retro-vintage aesthetics has become widespread , following in the wake of the design that we found in the old transistors, not only because of its “block” format, but also because of the incorporation of dials. control in the form of a wheel or an on/off lever, as in the case of our compact T40 ARC speaker .

Why buy a desktop speaker?

the best desktop speakers at VULKKANO. As you may have seen, there are many reasons to buy desktop speakers, however, and to end this article as a summary, we are going to list the most important ones:

• As part of the active speaker family, they do not need external electronics to operate thanks to their internal amplifier.

• They can be used with all types of sound sources: TV, PC, turntables, Hi-Res players, streamers and more.

• They have connections such as HDMI ARC, Optical, Bluetooth or RCA.

• Unlike portable speakers, they work directly connected to the light.

• Due to their design, they are more compact and easier to install than stereo speakers.

As always, at VULKKANO we have a wide catalog of self-powered speakers, subwoofers and accessories , ready to make your sound experience a great event. See you in future posts!