If you don't mind/care about the delay then it's perfeclty fine. Nothing like audio coming out 1/4th of a second after the video feed...

If you are looking for a child perspective: I have no speakers, instead, a small 24" tv led screen is hanging from the far end of a high frame bed, connected to the laptop through HDMI. It has a 3.5mm hole for a headphones with 3m cable for nighttime too. You can use any 4 wooden posts, like fence posts or bamboo posts, preferably pine, and a top frame made of thinner timbers building a sort of table without a top over your bed. Tv speakers (stereo 2 x 3W within tv sound modes and little equalizer) are doing great work and on a very few occasions it goes 70% and it`s losing quality only above 90% volume. Cheap second-hand standless still all right even without remote lol Those four posts are a future project of 4 speakers on each, so a whole... structure, can be good for movies and newer games.

I too recommend some Edifier 2.0 speakers. Many of them have 2 pairs of RCA inputs, so connecting 2 devices at the same time is not a problem (I have a PC and laptop connected to them). Just get a system with remote control.
In my opinion, 2.1 are worth only if you need/want to have small satellites on your desk. For good bookshelf speakers the bass is more than enough, I'd say. On my Edifier R2000DB I had to turn down the bass knob a little.

For real? I had one of those. I feel old.

Yeah, fo' real. Isn't even that severely in need of a Retrobrite. The pots probably need some contact cleaner though.

Right, excellent suggestion. Get a creative soundcard! Strix owners might consider asus own line

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards-Components/Sound-Cards/Gaming/STRIX-SOAR/

I'm using a Sound BlasterX Kratos S5 set and it works well in a small office/workspace kind of setup. I'd still recommend getting headsets for the best audio experience, but if you need a 2.1 system then it's not a bad option (assuming you can still get one).

There's definitely no buzzing sound coming out of them... but the builtin amp could have a lower noise floor or better filtering - there's some barely perceptible static/noise noticeable especially when you use the audio jack to plug in headsets through the amp, but that's mostly just me being a snob. They're fine for the price range and come with a USB option for digital sound.

are there quietspeakers too?

Thanks a lot for your suggestions and ideas, it's very much appreciated!

I'd never thought of trying hi-fi devices, a soundbar, and I thought Creative was making only sound cards. The Adafruit suggestion was funny, if I were building a robot, I'd use that!

There's definitely a trend to more Bluetooth PC loudspeakers that I will avoid like the plague, I always choose wired devices out of bad experience with Bluetooth.

I'm surprised that USB loudspeakers are basically weak and made for laptops and are actually powered by USB, I was expecting on them a normal electric cable plus a USB connector dedicated to data transmission.

Also, Edifier for instance has 2.0 systems with rather big loudspeakers, so can you tune up the bass on both loudspeakers and you don't need an extra bass box?

A subwoofer is not for bass, it's for sub bass (the lowest frequencies, more felt than heard).

I'm by no means a speaker connoisseur, but I'm pretty happy with these shelf speakers:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016P9HJIA/ Oops, you were already in here sharing that which I just shared. I guess "great minds" or something like that.

I use Sony XRS-SB30. I can recommend it. Fits unter montor, small, does more than just speakers if needed (its boombox), low price.

That particular speaker works on any computer that supports USB audio, which is basically any modern computer. In particular, the desktop I use for gaming (specifically Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited) is the computer I've attached these speakers to, and it sounds pretty good (better than HDMI audio). (Oddly, I haven't actually tried it with my Raspberry Pi, but I would be very surprised if it didn't work.)

(On the other hand, I have a feeling that USB speakers might not be the best choice for a microcontroller.)

Probably the same reason why so few headphones have USB connectors either, but are either with the 3.5mm jack or wireless Bluetooth:

The USB speakers/headphones are usable only with PCs and similar computers, while those others, especially wireless BT, can be used also with phones, tablets etc. So a wider target audience.

Also, it seems many manufacturers really love to make everything wireless (with a battery) because they know the device will stop working when the battery eventually dies, and the user has to buy a new one. Goes also to battery-powered vacuum cleaners, shaving machines etc. etc. etc.

I personally also prefer USB connectors with my (laptop) speakers and headphones, but it is increasingly harder to find such. There are more and more of wireless Bluetooth ones, and then there are those 3.5mm jack "gaming headphones".