If you've been asking yourself, do monitors have speakers, the answer is not all of them do. Built-in speakers are not a standard feature on all computer monitors. Most people will choose to connect external speakers to their computer for sound, but if you really want built-in speakers in your monitor, it isn't too hard to find a model that has them.
People who want to build a budget desktop setup might wonder whether they need to get an external speaker to go with it, especially if they're unsure whether monitors have speakers. This was the case with a friend of mine who was building his first computer. He came to me to find out whether he needed to get speakers.
If you've been asking yourself, do monitors have speakers, here is the complete guide for you. You'll find all the answers here, so let's jump right into it.
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If you're not too familiar with computers, you might not know too much about monitors. For instance, you might be unsure of whether these displays come with speakers of their own. So, do monitors have speakers?
To answer your question, not all monitors have speakers. However, these days, you'll find that many monitors have speakers and you won't necessarily need to connect external speakers to enjoy music and movies.
It's not hard to find models that have built-in speakers because most brands offer options that support their own audio output. Whether you're a fan of Samsung, MSI, LG, or Dell monitors, there will be a model for you.
Whether or not it's the right move to get a monitor with built-in speakers depends on your specific needs.
It's a better option to rely on monitor speakers if you're not too picky about sound quality, don't have space for an external sound system, or simply don't have the budget for external speakers.
In these cases, you'll find that going with built-in speakers can easily save the day.
Now that you know that it's a relatively common thing for monitors to have built-in speakers, it's important to confirm whether your model has speakers too.
The best way to know whether you have built-in speakers in your display is to either search for its model name and take a look at its technical specifications online or check the manual that came with it.
However, if these don't work, another way to find out is to look behind, in front of, and under the monitor to see if there is a mesh or grill covering the integrated speakers. However, sometimes this might just be a vent, so it's not the best method to use.
Finally, you can choose to plug your monitor into your computer or device using an HDMI cable or DisplayPort and see whether sound plays out of the built-in speakers.
You know that monitors have speakers, but you may still be on the fence about whether to buy external speakers or stick to the built-in speakers on the monitor or the one you're planning to get.
If you've been wondering how external speakers and internal speakers compare, the next section will tell you everything you need to know.
When it comes to the sound quality that a monitor's built-in speakers produce, it certainly goes without saying that they can't be any better than a dedicated set of external speakers.
Well, that's certainly true. If you like your music as loud as possible, or you're a fan of bass in your tracks, you should stick with external speakers.
They offer the best sound quality, and thanks to their larger build, produce much better-sounding audio output. These are the way to go if you really care about your sound.
When putting together your desktop setup, you might prioritize staying within budget. If that's the case, you might find that you can save a considerable amount of money by going for a monitor that has speakers of its own.
Since these speakers come bundled with the monitor, you can kill two birds with one stone.
As good as external speakers might sound, if you're setting up your PC in a location where you're pressed for space, you might find it tough to set up a sound system.
Since some monitors have speakers, you don't need to worry about where you need to put your subwoofer and tweeters. Just find a spot for the display, set it up like you'd set up most monitors, and start enjoying your music.
When you have an audio output device built into your monitor, you don't need to worry about your audio input port, a mess of cables, or troubleshooting.
For people who are less familiar with setting up computer hardware and peripherals, one of these monitors will make things easier. When they have speakers, you can usually just plug them in and they'll be able to play sound right off the bat.
If you have set up speakers before, you'll know the kind of audio input port you use to jack them up to your device of choice.
However, most monitors don't have any ports apart from those that receive video signals. There's no dedicated port for an audio cable.
When you choose modern displays like applicable gaming monitors, Dell monitors, LG monitors, Samsung curved monitors, and more, you can easily get sound output through an HDMI cable or a DisplayPort one.
The reason for this is that when you play sound, HDMI or DisplayPort carry high-quality audio data through the same cable that takes the images to your computer monitor.
If you're not sure which direction to look if you want a monitor that can also serve as a playback device, don't worry.
I've put together a list of some of the most popular manufacturers of external monitors. I'll include at least one model they manufacture that comes with its own speakers.
There are a lot of modern Dell monitors that come with dedicated speakers, though most Dell monitors do not. This is because the manufacturer knows that most people want good sound quality and will opt for external speakers anyway.
HP makes most types of computer peripherals out there, including PC monitors that can help you carry audio files.
LG is one of the most popular manufacturers of televisions and they bring that expertise into the PC space as well. You can rely on your LG monitor's speakers to watch movies, but don't expect very high-quality sound.
Acer is one of the few brands that offer gaming monitors with speakers built into them, which is pretty cool. While gamers tend to use headsets, it's nice to know there are Acer monitors that give you options.
Asus gives you a wide variety when choosing a PC monitor that can double as an audio device. You can get their TUF series gaming monitor or their professional grade ProArt model, and be able to listen to music straightaway.
MSI is a well-known brand for gaming hardware, but if you're looking for MSI monitors geared towards gamers that also pack sound technology, you won't find them. However, their Modern series at least have several options with one or more speakers.
Samsung makes some of the most coveted curved monitors in the industry. It's awesome to know that these ultra-wide monitors also have in-built speakers and can play music.
AOC is a brand that has been around for a long time but is not a popular competitor. Yet, you can find many AOC monitors with in-built speakers.
If you're looking for a cost-effective monitor option that comes with powered speakers, take a look at what Sceptre has to offer.
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While not all monitors have speakers, it's quite easy to find models from different brands that come with internal speakers. Whether you're looking at Dell monitors, an MSI gaming monitor, or other brands, you can find one that doesn't require you to connect speakers to hear audio.
Most monitors that have speakers will simply require you to plug your cable into the HDMI port or DisplayPort as usual. These will handle processing the audio channels. You don't need to grab an audio cable or anything.
