For listening to music, watching films and videos etc. Also used occasionally for parties, so being able to crank them up fairly loud would be cool.

Any point spending more than £15 or so, say something like this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KWorld-5W-USB-Powered-PC-Speakers-Laptop-Netbook-Stylish-Design-/221061000896?pt=UK_Computing_Speakers&hash=item3378432ec0

…friend of mine had some of these which sounded surprisingly good, you can chain together a few of them to increase the volume…

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Generation-Capsule-iPhone-Laptop-Speaker/dp/B001UEBN42/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354998545&sr=8-1-fkmr0

X-mini – Cheap, portable, sound great (considering) & batteries last ages. Love mine.

Prob don’t quite go load enough for party’ though, but it’d be sceptical of a 5w speaker. To get proper ‘party’ I think you’d have to spend a little more.

Good luck

logitech 230s are great IMO, if you can find any – were about 25 or 30 quid though

(depends a bit what you mean by “laptop” speakers though – there’s a subwoofer as well as the 2 stereo bits)

Can’t see either of those going loud tbh. Consider going second hand, or for something slightly different? I’ve got a ghetto blaster from about 1995 that really packs a punch, yet would be available for peanuts on ebay. Lots of them have line inputs.

Just scored a pair of these from our French sister company. Don’t even need them really 😉

You could try these:
http://www.itproportal.com/hardware/audio/reviews/monitor-audio-airstream-ws100-wireless-speaker-review/
Top quality manufacturer, but be prepared to pay for them.

Ok £250 is a bit too much, don’t really want to go over £40-50. If it came with a USB connection that would be great too, the audio jack on my laptop is dead.

Quite like the look of the Logitech Audiohub too.. Less wires is cool.

The USB is usually just a power source for the speakers, the sound isn’t output through the USB cable.

Active speakers

Something like this?

I have some of these & the are very neat, sound ok compared to the standard speakers on a mac, but they ain’t cheap.
I thought I really wanted a big sound, but in reality I found I just wanted to get something half decent & take up as little desk space as possible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Bose lover, they are a lifestyle product, not the pinical of sound.

RP they look pretty good, will keep an eye on them, cheers.

I am really liking my Harman Kardon Soundstick speakers, even if they look more like Harman Kardon Dildo speakers

£100 in tesco.

EDIT – didn’t see about the 3.5mm jack not working. sorry