Audio streaming services - which is best?

We check out the best places to get your music…

As any sound-system buff will tell you, it’s no good having featurepacked audio equipment at your disposal if you haven’t got the music to make it worthwhile. In the past, that might have meant a wall full of CDs or even a killer MP3 collection. These days, though? It tends to mean an internet connection and a streaming music service with thousands of tracks available on demand.

Subscription-based streaming services have fast replaced audio downloads as the medium of choice for songsters everywhere. But with loads of different services to choose from, where do you even start? We’ve rounded up and compared some of the most popular so you don’t have to.

Getting into soundbars

They’re smaller than full speaker setups, but they still pack a punch…

You don’t have to be a diehard audiophile to know that the sound quality on integrated speakers, whether they’re in your monitor, TV, tablet or laptop, is pretty bad. The drive for slimmer devices means that more and more manufacturers are compromising on audio quality to squeeze out those extra millimetres.

In fairness, perhaps there’s a good reason for that. If you’re buying a high-end screen, maybe you want the chance to choose your own high-end sound system to go with it. Why rely on weak, tinny internal speakers that face in the wrong direction when you can choose your own, finely tuned drivers instead?

Bluetooth Speakers Guide

Cut the cord with these fantastic wireless speakers…

Portable devices are great for carrying your music out and about with you at all times, but even in the most expensive hardware, their built-in speakers tend not to be. If you want to listen to music while outside your house, whether it’s in your garden, at the park or even somewhere like a caravan or hotel room, you need to get hold of a good portable speaker. And that’s why we’ve put together a list for you.

Wireless Speakers Guide

Whether it’s wi-fi or Bluetooth, there are plenty of speakers that can help to free your house of wires…

Mobile devices might be improving all the time, but there’s at least one area where they never quite match up to their desk-bound equivalents: audio quality. Finding a laptop, tablet or smartphone with speakers that are truly worth using is virtually impossible, no matter what technology manufacturers claim they’re using. You don’t have to be the world’s most picky audiophile to be annoyed by the tinny, raspy sound most mobile hardware chucks out, and for the most part it’s not getting any better. The constraints aren’t cost so much as space, weight and power.

Of course, mobile devices do tend to have wireless compatibility – and that means you can always improve your situation with a pair of Bluetooth or even wi-fi networked speakers. Whether you want floor-shaking bass, fantastic portability or features not found in most wired speakers, there’s a speaker out there for you somewhere – and hopefully we’ve found it!

The best PC speakers under £100

How much audio quality can you get for your money?

Finding the best PC speakers can sometimes be a difficult task. Everyone has different needs for their audio, and that means the speaker system that’s best for one person might not be the best for another.

But getting the right sound out of your PC is essential for enjoying the experience of watching movies, playing games and listening to music – not to mention those helpful audio adverts that occasionally run themselves over a website when you open a tab.

So whether you wondering if your current speakers are up to the job, running a system that lacks decent speakers entirely or just in the market for a refresh, we’ve put together this guide to some of the best speaker models around no matter what you’re looking for.