While soundbars have replaced traditional TV speakers in many living rooms, they still don’t make as much sense in a PC desktop setup. It’s a design challenge, as the standard design for a soundbar would shoot audio at your shoulders due to how close we typically sit to the monitor.
But a YouTuber recently took on the challenge of building a soundbar that would be more suitable for use with a PC. His own design is meant to be an at-home rig that is both stylish and functional for a PC setup, which is where it differs from other PC soundbars.
The video gives a general rundown of how he designed and built a DIY soundbar that is ideal for a computer setup, with speakers located on opposite sides of the rig, and angled slightly upward, directed toward the head and ears.
The YouTuber noted that a soundbar set on a desk would fire audio into the chest, which wouldn’t make for the best sound experience. Meanwhile, the subwoofer is located lengthwise, in the shelf that connects the two stereos.
The soundbar, which is made of reclaimed wooden flooring, also doubles as a monitor stand and enclosure for storing the keyboard and other peripherals. The setup also features LED lights in the hutch, in addition to a USB hub for port inclusion.
With the mostly low-priced materials used, this DIY computer-friendly soundbar costs between £180 and £250 ($230 and $320) to build. While soundbars can vary in price, Matt from DIY Perks notes that a professional sound system can cost in the range of $1,200.
Many of the components for this project, including the subwoofer, tweeters, drivers, amplifier, LEDs, LED channeling, and DAC, were purchased at Amazon.com and Ebay.com.
DIY Perks plans to soon share an extended version of the project where he will go into detail on exactly how he put together the PC-friendly soundbar.