I clearly remember my own Logitech speakers with a subwoofer that I got in my teenage bedroom for about €50 (call it $55, inflation wasn’t invited yet). I hooked up my first PC and—brace yourselves—my first smartphone to them… all through a humble jack. Some of the fancier models, better than my little teenage setup, could actually deliver high-fidelity sound, especially when paired with a decent sound card.
Are Your Old Computer Speakers Gathering Dust? Time for a Resurrection!
If you’re like me, your old computer speakers are probably tucked away at the bottom of some box, quietly gathering dust. But can these ‘treasures’ from the 2000s enjoy a second life? Absolutely! As the title already hinted, these relics can actually be a fun and handy addition to your modern TV.
The Awful Truth: Most 4K TVs Sound… Well, Awful
First, let’s face it: most modern 4K TVs have atrocious sound. Even in the expensive, high-end range, it’s rare to find a TV with truly satisfying audio. The reason is pretty simple: TVs today are engineered to be as thin as possible, but quality sound needs space to breathe. Physics, unfortunately, refuses to negotiate.
When it comes to improving your TV audio, you have several options. The obvious choice is to buy a soundbar, maybe even a full-blown home theater system. That makes perfect sense—and if you need help choosing a soundbar, there are plenty of buying guides out there. But if you don’t feel like spending a dime, it’s time to raid the closet and dust off those old PC speakers.
Advantages (and a Few Quirks) of Giving Your Speakers a Second Life
The first—and most obvious—advantage is the cost: it’s free! But they’re also super easy to set up. Just plug them into your TV, connect the speakers together (usually with a master-slave cable), and plug them into the wall. Some of the more advanced models even let you tweak the bass and treble, and may have special modes for gaming or boosting the bass. And honestly, even the entry-level speakers usually offer much-better stereo sound, more power, and better clarity than what’s built into any TV.
Of course, there are some drawbacks. Let’s be honest, this setup isn’t exactly a feast for the eyes. Depending on your furniture and space, it can be tricky to position the speakers on either side of your TV without a mess of visible wires. And needless to say, a pair of vintage PC speakers from the 2000s won’t give you 5.1 surround sound or Dolby Atmos.
Most of these computer speakers are probably over 20 years old by now, which means they don’t come with HDMI connectors, ARC (Audio Return Channel), digital coaxial, or TosLink optical inputs. You’ll need to use analog connections, either a good old 3.5mm audio jack or sometimes stereo RCA cables.
Make sure your TV can actually output sound through one of these analog connections. Usually, TVs have a ‘headphone jack.’ You can use that, but be a bit careful. These headphone outputs are slightly amplified—enough for a pair of headphones, but definitely not for passive speakers. Luckily, your old computer speakers are powered, so they’ll handle pumping up the volume.
Plugging It In and Making It Work
Now that everything’s plugged in, it’s time to set up both devices so they play nicely together. Start by selecting the right audio output (RCA, jack, or headphone) in your TV’s settings—just like picking the right input when you connect a games console. Then, select the appropriate audio input on your speakers if they have more than one.
Next, adjust the equalization and sound modes on both your TV and the speakers themselves. Don’t worry about fancy surround formats: your old speakers can’t decode Dolby Digital or DTS tracks. Instead, you’ll need your TV to send out stereo PCM audio—which usually just means telling your TV to handle all the sound decoding.
The guy who wrote this article talks about being a teenager when the first smartphones came out… How can anyone take tech news seriously from a journalist who was born when plasma screens hit the market? The only reason I visit this site is for the forums. Otherwise, I would’ve banned it from my browser ages ago! Jv. Com = trash.
