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Mo<\/span>st of us spend a disproportionately large amount of time in front of a computer. There\u2019s the nine-to-five, the online searching, reading, shopping and binge-watching, but one thing many music lovers forget is the fact your laptop has the power to be a high-quality music system.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, your computer may have woeful built-in speakers, but with a few simple upgrades you can enjoy audiophile quality hi-res recordings. If you don\u2019t need to worry about disturbing co-workers, a pair of desktop speakers will let your computer sing. Ruark\u2019s superb-value MR1 Mk2<\/a> <\/strong>\u00a0(\u00a3349) connects over your computer\u2019s Bluetooth, optical or 3.5mm inputs. <\/span>Alternatively, KEF\u2019s all-in-one LSX (\u00a3999) offers wireless hi-res streaming support and sensational performance.<\/span><\/p>\n Unlike many smartphones, most computers and laptops still have a 3.5mm socket, which gives you the chance to plug in and enjoy a really good pair of wired over-ear headphones. Your computer\u2019s built-in DAC (digital analogue converter) might not be brilliant \u2013 more on that below \u2013 but quality headphones from brands such as Audeze, Audio Technica and Grado will pull out as much detail as possible from whatever you\u2019re listening to.<\/span><\/p>\n Wireless headphones can sound great too \u2013 especially if you\u2019re in a noisy office and they have active noise cancellation \u2013 though audio quality will only ever be as good as the Bluetooth connection. Combining a great pair of wired over-ear headphones with an external DAC or headphone amp is the easiest way to enjoy good quality audio without investing in a high-end hi-fi. There\u2019s something for every budget, from the iFi Zen DAC V2 (\u00a0\u00a3140) to the desktop Audiolab M-DAC+ (\u00a3700) and the class-apart collection from Chord<\/a><\/strong> including the \u00a3500 Mojo and \u00a31200 Qutest.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> The quality of the recordings you\u2019re playing will also have an impact on the final sound you hear, with compressed MP3 songs streamed over the internet sounding positively filthy \u2013 if you\u2019re listening using good headphones and a DAC \u2013 compared to a CD-quality or better hi-res recording like FLAC, AAC or MQA. Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz, Amazon<\/a> and Apple<\/a><\/strong> all now offer lossless recordings \u2013 with Spotify Hi-Fi also coming soon \u2013 but if you had the foresight to burn all your CDs, or download hi-res digital copies to a hard drive, you\u2019ve got superb-quality recordings ready to play, without the pressure of needing a strong internet connection.<\/span><\/p>\n
What we recommend to improve your PC and laptop sound quality<\/h2>\n
Audioengine A2+\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n