Laptop with really good sound


D

ddiehl

Well-known member
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Windows 11
I currently have an HP Spectre x360 which is beginning to show it's age. Looking for a replacement Windows laptop with really good external speakers.

Any good solid recommendations? Looking to spend between 1000 - 1500.

Thanks, and hope this is the appropriate forum.
 

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Windows 11Intel Arc A370M16gb
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
HP - Spectre 2-in-1 16"
CPU
Intel Arc A370M
Memory
16gb
Suspect you meant good internal speakers.

I also have an X360 and have twice replaced the battery. It is my travel laptop and is still going strong. My daily driver is an ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED. It is available in a few different configurations, with or without touchscreen. The latter is cheaper, but they should be in your price range. The sound is reasonable, but you are never going to get good from a thin laptop.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProIntel Core Ultra16GBIntel(R) Arc Graphics
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED
CPU
Intel Core Ultra
Memory
16GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel(R) Arc Graphics
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio(SST)
Screen Resolution
2880 x 1800
Hard Drives
500 GB NVMe SSD
Internet Speed
1,500Mbps
Browser
Firefox, Edge
Antivirus
Windows Defender
@ddiehl, hi.
Laptops due to their design are almost restricted to provide good sound.
You basically trade portability for sound performance among other things.
You better off using external speakers when you are not roaming.

BTW: Make sure to specify your currency as we have members from around the world and you do not specify your location in your profile.
 

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    All Branches but ReleaseAMD Ryzen 7 7735HS 3200-4500 Mhz 8 cores x 232 GB DDR5Radeon Graphic / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB...
    OS
    All Branches but Release
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Nitro ANV15-51
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS 3200-4500 Mhz 8 cores x 2
    Motherboard
    Sportage_RBH
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    32 GB DDR5
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    Windows 11 BetaAMD A9-94208 GB of DDR4AMD Radeon R5
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Beta
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus X751BP
    CPU
    AMD A9-9420
    Memory
    8 GB of DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R5
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1 TB
Download this:
equalizerapo.com

Download Equalizer APO | Free Audio Equalizer for Windows

Download the latest version of Equalizer APO for free. Compatible with Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11.
equalizerapo.com equalizerapo.com

All you need to do is raise the Gain knob at the top.
Play some music and turn the gain to just before the clipping point.
Mine is set to +43.
 

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Win 10 Pro 19045.6937 Win 11 25H2 VMXeon W-10885M64GB ECC DDR4 128GB maxIntel 1080p + Quadro RTX 5000 Max-Q 16GB 4K
OS
Win 10 Pro 19045.6937 Win 11 25H2 VM
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
Dell Precicion 15 Workstation
CPU
Xeon W-10885M
Motherboard
Dell
Memory
64GB ECC DDR4 128GB max
Graphics Card(s)
Intel 1080p + Quadro RTX 5000 Max-Q 16GB 4K
Sound Card
onboard Realtec
Monitor(s) Displays
NA
Screen Resolution
1080p to 4k
Hard Drives
1 TB Samsung 9100 M2 SSD main
2 TB Samsung 9100 M2 SSD storage
500 GB Corsair T500 storage M2 SSD (6 TB max)
PSU
NA
Case
NA
Cooling
NA
Keyboard
backlit
Mouse
Logitec M720 Bluetooth Free scroll
Internet Speed
slow
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Windows Defender
My ZBook G4 obtained for $400 back in the day, came with premium Bang and Olufsen.
 

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    Windows 11 Education For 25H2Intel® Core i7 5500u8 GBIntel HD Family Graphics 5500 AMD Firepro 4150M
    OS
    Windows 11 Education For 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP ZBook G2
    CPU
    Intel® Core i7 5500u
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Family Graphics 5500 AMD Firepro 4150M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Audio
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Mouse
    HP USB Mouse
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender

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    Windows 11 Pro For Workstations 25H2Xeon 1535m v632 GBAMD Quadro Pro 4100
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro For Workstations 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Zbook G4
    CPU
    Xeon 1535m v6
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Quadro Pro 4100
    Sound Card
    Bang and Olufson Audio
    Hard Drives
    1TB SSD
    Mouse
    HP USB Mouse
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Laptop speakers in a thin Laptop box means there is never good sound quality(whatever the advertising, name, audio 'enhancements', or price says).

You have to use external good quality Headphones or Speakers.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11
OS
Windows 11
Helmut said:
Laptop speakers in a thin Laptop box means there is never good sound quality(whatever the advertising, name, audio 'enhancements', or price says).

You have to use external good quality Headphones or Speakers.
Click to expand...
And even better if you use an external DAC which is what I've done with my old Asus laptop that I use when in holidays or when I travel.
 

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    W11, always updated with latest buildsAMD Ryzen 9 9900XG.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB 32GB Kit DDR5-6000...ASUS Dual GeForce RTX™ 3060 V2 OC Edition 12G...
    OS
    W11, always updated with latest builds
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self-made
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF Gaming B850-Plus WiFi
    Memory
    G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB 32GB Kit DDR5-6000 CL30 (F5-6000J3038F16GX2-TZ5NR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS Dual GeForce RTX™ 3060 V2 OC Edition 12GB GDDR6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Eizo CS240, Calibrated with Datacolr SpyderX
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1200
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T705 SSD 1TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe M.2- SO+Archive
    Lexar EQ790 1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe 1.4- LR& PS Workspace
    PHIXERO SSD P5000-512GB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4- Backups
    Seagate ST8000DM04- Photo Archive, SATA HD
    Western Digital WD2002FAEX- Generic archive, SATA HD
    PSU
    Be Quiet 850W Pure Power 12M per Pc ATX
    Case
    Phanteks XT Pro
    Cooling
    Be quiet Pure loop 2 360mm
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    D/L-700/800 Mbps; U/L 250/300 Mbps WiFi 7 from motherboard
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Avast
    Other Info
    Mostly used for photo retouching software & some video slideshows.

  • At a glance

    W11, always updated with latest buildsAMD Ryzen 9 9900XG.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB 32GB Kit DDR5-6000...ASUS Dual GeForce RTX™ 3060 V2 OC Edition 12G...
    Operating System
    W11, always updated with latest builds
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self built
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF Gaming B850-Plus WiFi
    Memory
    G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB 32GB Kit DDR5-6000 CL30 (F5-6000J3038F16GX2-TZ5NR)
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS Dual GeForce RTX™ 3060 V2 OC Edition 12GB GDDR6- From System 1
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Eizo CS240, Calibrated with Datacolr SpyderX
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1200
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T705 SSD 1TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe M.2- SO+Archive
    Lexar EQ790 1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe 1.4- LR& PS Workspace
    PHIXERO SSD P5000-512GB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4- Backups
    Seagate ST8000DM04- Photo Archive, SATA HD - From System 1
    Western Digital WD2002FAEX- Generic archive, SATA HD - From System 1
    PSU
    Be Quiet 850W Pure Power 12M per Pc ATX
    Case
    Phanteks XT Pro
    Cooling
    Be quiet Pure loop 2 360mm
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    D/L-700/800 Mbps; U/L 250/300 Mbps WiFi 7 from motherboard
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Avast
    Other Info
    Mostly used for photo retouching software, some video slideshows.
I use Bluetooth speakers on mine.
 

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Windows XP (Stable, iconic) 7/8.1/10/ Tiny11 ...Intel i7 4790K32GB DDR3 1600 MHzATI Radeon HD 7770 2GB GDDR5
OS
Windows XP (Stable, iconic) 7/8.1/10/ Tiny11 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Alienware PC
CPU
Intel i7 4790K
Motherboard
ASROCK Z97 EXTREME4
Memory
32GB DDR3 1600 MHz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 7770 2GB GDDR5
Sound Card
Onboard
Monitor(s) Displays
SAMSUNG UE57 Series 28-Inch 4K UHD
Hard Drives
SAMSUNG 860 EVO 250 gigabyte SSD
PSU
EVGA 850 watt
Case
Alienware Area 51 Black Tower Case
Keyboard
HyperX - Alloy Elite 2 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard.
Mouse
Microsoft Wireless
Internet Speed
1.2 GHz
Browser
Chrome..Edge..Firefox
There's no such thing as good speakers on a laptop.. get a good set of external speakers and if the laptop has a decent audio processor you're set
 

My Computer My Computer

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Windows 11 Home(RP) - 25H2 -26200.8728AMD Ryzen 5 5600GG.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16Nvidia geforce gtx titan x
OS
Windows 11 Home(RP) - 25H2 -26200.8728
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Banana Junior 5600-G Series
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard
Asus ROG Strix B550-F
Memory
G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia geforce gtx titan x
Monitor(s) Displays
28" ASUS VP28U 4k
Screen Resolution
4K
Hard Drives
Primary SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus
PSU
EVGA BQ 700w 80+ Bronze
Case
Zalman i3 NEO
Cooling
ARCTIC Freezer 7 X
Keyboard
Corsair
Mouse
Amazon Generic with Cord
Internet Speed
Download: 295.11 mbps Upload: 65.35 mbps T-Mobile Internet
Browser
Firefox and Edge
Antivirus
MS - Defender
Other Info
Speakers: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
Sound quality is subjective, obviously and I agree with those saying it is difficult to get 'good' sound out of a laptop. Lack of space is the main reason. You cannot get decent bass response out of a thin confined space like a laptop. Regardless of what Bose tells you. ;-) I have no personal experience with this, but my Google Fu and some reading tells me Dell XPS 14 are praised for their sound quality. They are at the top of your price range.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 25H2Broadwell-e 6850K 4.5ghz @1.36v32GB Corsair LPM 3600 C16EVGA RTX 3080Ti FTW
OS
Windows 11 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
EVGA home brew
CPU
Broadwell-e 6850K 4.5ghz @1.36v
Motherboard
EVGA X99 FTW K
Memory
32GB Corsair LPM 3600 C16
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA RTX 3080Ti FTW
Sound Card
Asus Centurion true 7.1 headset. (5 speakers in each earpeice)
Monitor(s) Displays
LG C4 55"
Screen Resolution
4K 144hz
Hard Drives
Various models of SSDs ~10TB No HDDs installed.
PSU
be quiet! BN516 Straight Power 12-1000w 80 Plus Platinum
Case
Corsair 780T modified to dual 200mm intake fans
Cooling
Corsair H110i
Keyboard
Corsair K95 Platinum
Mouse
Corsair M65 RGB Elite
Internet Speed
50Mbs
I can honestly say that I have been impressed by the sound quality coming out of my ASUS Zenbook 14. Well impressed.

Having said that there is no way a laptop sound can equal external speakers and audiophiles would probably not be happy with it on the ASUS. It all depends on your own judgement but if you are able to listen to an ASUS Zenbook laptop in a shop you can decide for yourself if it's good enough.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProAMD Ryzen 9 8945HS32GB DDR5 SO-DIMMIntegrated AMD Radeon 780M (4.00 GHz)
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    GMKtec K11
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 SO-DIMM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated AMD Radeon 780M (4.00 GHz)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 2250HM
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeIntel® Core™ Ultra 7 - 255H processor16 GB LPDDR5 SDRAMIntel Arc 140T onboard graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED 14" Laptop - UX3405CA-QL192W
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 - 255H processor
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Arc 140T onboard graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200 (16:10 WUXGA resolution) OLED Touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    1TB SSD
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