Streamers use speakers to increase the volume of their voices. Also, some streamers, mostly those partnered with Twitch, use speakers even though their microphone is good enough for viewers to hear them clearly.
This is because they need to be loud and clear so their fans can hear them from far away.
Best speakers for streamers are determined by frequency response, sensitivity, and power handling. Many other factors may help you make the right decision on which speakers to purchase, but they’ll get you nowhere without knowing the basics.
In this article I’ll explain what to look for when choosing speakers for streaming, which are the best, and how to use them.
What to Look for When Choosing Speakers for Streaming?
Frequency Response
The frequency response is the range of frequencies (in hertz) that a speaker can reproduce. For example, 20 Hz to 20 kHz means that the speaker can play from the lowest to the highest note at full speed without any distortion or reverberation.
Speakers with a wide frequency response are better suited for live streaming since they do not distort and produce a clear sound for your followers, who will be listening in real-time.
Of course, the quality of sound produced by a speaker has to match what kind of content you are streaming. A song with bass guitars will not produce the same effect coming through a high-frequency speaker.
But for smooth music, speeches, and any other talking content, there is no need for additional hardware that can distort your voice or change the way you sound.
Speaker Sensitivity
Sensitivity measures how much power a speaker needs to produce a volume equal to 1 watt of the input signal at a distance of 1 meter. It is measured in decibels (dB). The higher the number, the more efficient or sensitive the speaker will be. Speakers with higher sensitivity ratings will require a smaller amperage of power to produce the same volume as speakers with lower ones.
Speakers used for live streaming should have an efficiency rating of 94 dB and above. Speakers with less than 94 dB or so can be used but, because of their low efficiency, they may require more power and generate more noise than speakers with higher ratings.
Power Handling of a Speaker
Power handling is how much power can be drawn from a speaker to provide enough volume without any distortion in the sound quality. This rating goes hand-in-hand with Sensitivity since higher sensitivity usually means that the speaker can handle more power.
For any live-streaming content, the speakers must be able to handle continuous power of over 500 watts. If you are planning on using Hi-Fi speakers for your stream, make sure that they have high input impedance (about 100,000 ohms) so that you won’t have to buy another amplifier.
Best Speakers for Streaming
These are the best speakers for streamers currently on the market.
1. JBL Professional Studio Monitor, Black, 5-Inch (305PMKII)
My rating: 10/10
These are the best speakers you can get for around $150. They’re of amazing quality, and there’s nothing wrong with them. The sound is very detailed and clean. They have a frequency response of 49 Hz to 20 kHz, which means they can handle a full range of audio frequencies at high volume levels with perfect clarity.
These speakers will give you a more accurate representation of your audio tracks than any other brand.
2. Yamaha HS8 | Active Studio Monitor Speaker
My Rating: 10/10
The Yamaha HS8s are the best studio monitor speakers you can get. They have a frequency response of 38 Hz to 30 kHz, meaning they’re good for everything from hip-hop, rock, and electronic music to podcasts. These are just as great for streaming because they’ll give you perfect clarity on your audio.
If you have the money, I would go for these over anything else because they are versatile and will do everything you ask of them, including streaming audio at high volume with perfect sound clarity.
These monitors are fantastic in every area of their design, from the bass down to the treble. The frequency response is impressive, and the responsiveness is second to none. The only other thing I could ask for is a touch more bass, but that would take away from everything else, so it’s fine the way it is.
They’re expensive but pretty much worth it.
3. Mackie CR Series CR3 3″ Creative Reference Multimedia Monitors – Pair
My Rating: 7/10
I gave them a 7 out of 10 because they are good for the price range, but only suitable for casual use.
The clarity isn’t very great, and it’ll start to break up if you turn up the volume. They’re fine for streaming, although I’d recommend using them with an external audio interface (it comes with some models), which you’ll need to buy anyway.
For the price tag, they’re pretty great, especially for gamers who just want a nice speaker system that they can use for gaming and casual music listening. They’re very convenient and easy to set up as well.
4. Yamaha HS5 | Active Studio Monitor Speakers – Black (Pair)
My Rating: 8/10
The Yamaha HS5s are what I’d recommend if you’re looking for a good set of speakers to do some casual streaming. They have a frequency response of 54 Hz to 30 kHz, meaning they’ll give you perfect clarity.
They don’t look very fancy or cool, which is a downside, but that doesn’t matter if you’re just streaming your gameplay. I wouldn’t recommend them if you want to produce music because the bass response isn’t that great, but then again, they weren’t made for that purpose, so it’s fine the way it is.
They’re good speakers at a good price, so I would definitely recommend them to anyone who wants to start streaming.
5. Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers
My Rating: 7/10
They’re okay for casual use, but I wouldn’t use them for anything serious because the sound quality isn’t very good. They have a decent bass response, but it’s lacking in clarity.
If you’re planning on streaming games, go for the Yamaha HS5 because that would be better. The Edifier is more suitable for casual music listening and gamers who just want some cool speakers to download their favorite music tracks to listen to while playing games.
They do look pretty neat, though, and I’m sure many gamers would love to have them as they’re still good speakers for the price range.
Check the reviews on Amazon if you want something under $120.
How to Stream With Speakers?
I’ve seen a lot of people asking the question, ‘Is it bad to use speakers when streaming?’ and I would like to answer that as well as I can. We need to first understand what the PC does with the soundcard and how it interferes with your microphone. Basically, there are two ways to use speakers when streaming:
1) Using the soundcard’s speakers together with the microphone (worst way)
2) Using external, independent speakers and keeping your microphone disconnected from your PC while streaming (best way).
The first option is bad because your microphone will pick up all kinds of sounds/interference from your speakers, and not only that, but it’s going to make a lot of noise. If you chose this method anyway, I recommend you use a website called Audio Pron, where you can visualize how audio signals work and make a little ‘click’ sound to see how horrible it sounds.
Also, another good option is to invest a little bit of money and get a headphone splitter box, which you can find on eBay or Amazon for anywhere between 10 and 40 dollars. Here’s an example – a 5-way splitter I bought recently.
The problem with this method is that your microphone won’t record the game’s audio but only your voice, so if there’s a lot of people talking or you’re playing with music on in the background, it’ll pick up more of your surroundings than if you used external speakers.
Also, I’ve seen people using one single speaker (let’s say their headphones) and putting them up to their microphone, while they also use the soundcard’s speakers together with the microphone, and that’s a pretty bad idea as well. It picks up a lot of interference from your speakers and all kinds of sounds, mostly because it doesn’t have a direct line to the microphone.