As laptops shrink in size, their speakers can seem like an afterthought, quiet and mediocre at best and tinny at worst. Fortunately, a couple manufacturers have released clip-on speakers for those times when you need a more powerful audio punch.
Today, Advent has released the Soundbar PC Speaker, which accommodates screens of up to 15 inches. A clip, running down the back of the laptop, holds the speaker in place as it rests on top of the computer's display, with two tabs stabilizing the speaker in front. A USB cable powers the device and acts as the audio connection, so there's no need for an additional audio plug. Advent also released smaller clip-on speakers for netbooks, which do use a 3.5 mm jack in addition to a USB cable for power. Both models are sold through PC World (the U.K. retailer), but aren't yet available in the United States.
Also, AQ Amigo recently released a similar clip-on speaker, using the same thin form factor technology from NXT. Geeky Gadgets got the speaker for review, and found that "it was quite an improvement over the built in speakers on the laptop we tested it with." Both speakers cost roughly 20 pounds.
In the United States, Best Buy sells a USB Soundbar from Insignia for $30. Customers seem pleased, so I imagine this is at least a step up from most laptop speakers.
There are definitely times where I wish my laptop could be a bit louder, especially on trips when I'm away from my desktop speakers, and a Soundbar would fit nicely into a travel bag. Might be a good gift for someone who complains about their notebook's cheap speakers. And who doesn't?
