As the owner of an electronics store specializing in audio equipment, I get asked all the time what the best computer speakers are. People are often surprised at my reply. I succeed in my business by trying to give honest answers and not automatically directing people to the most high-tech and sophisticated audio there is. As an honest salesman, I have to say there is no simple answer.

If you are an ordinary user, the best computer speakers for you might just be the ones your computer came with. Most laptops come with computer speakers that have a pretty high level of fidelity. What they don't have, however, is much bass. If you are only using your speakers for casually putting music on in the background, a little bit of gaming, or voice over IP, what you have is probably just about perfect. If you want a little bit more body, you can add a woofer to fill out the sound a little bit, but there's no need to spend a lot of money on a sophisticated audio setup.

Then again, different people have different tastes. In gamer magazines, the best multimedia computer speakers reviews consistently go to speakers with a lot of bass. It seems that gamers really like low-end power – no doubt to stimulate the sonic jar of explosions hitting nearby, or the growl of monsters in some underground dungeon. If you find big bass to be thrilling, by all means go out to your local audio store and invest in some bass. Don't make the mistake that most people do, however, of assuming that more powerful speakers are necessarily better. Having too much bass without enough mid and high range can actually distort the sound of music.

Of course, if you are a serious music listener, the way to find the best computer speakers Is to look them up in consumer reports. You can spend as much as you want on high quality audio components, and you are generally rewarded for the money you invest. Nonetheless, even if it is supposed to be the best computer speaker out there, don't buy it without listening to it first. Some speakers, for example, have too warm a sound for some users. Others feel a little bit tinny. Different audio speakers are geared towards different listeners, so there really is no one best choice. The best computer speakers, like the best music, is a matter of opinion.