Amazon's $25 self-propelling speakers gave me the giggles as they tried to walk off the edge of my desk, and that's almost worth the price of entry alone

Budget Win or Recycle Bin?

Andy Edser is a man with a mission. It's a mission he didn't sign up for, or even want, but I'm his boss so he has to do what I say. And I'm making him test a ton of different cheap tech I might find on Amazon, AliExpress, TikTok Shop, or down the back of my sofa. Out of nowhere it will appear on his doorstep with no warning, and he has no choice but to use whatever it is like his life depends on it. Because it does.

Welcome to another episode of Budget Win or Recycle Bin, in which my editor sends me ultra-affordable products to review in an attempt to find decent PC gaming gear that costs less than the rest. Or to get his kicks by forcing me to test cheap rubbish, one of the two. This month, it's the turn of the Amazon Basics Stereo 2.0 desktop speakers—or as I like to call them, "the little speakers that almost could."

For a mere $25, you too could be the proud owner of a pair of surprisingly loud little desktop speakers. This miniature conical set is capable of an impressive amount of volume, in combination with some remarkably hefty bass given the diminutive driver size.

So much so, the units like to go for a little wander. All on their very own, as evidenced by my timelapse footage below:

Look at them go! Even when placed on a flat surface, I've found these speakers love to go running off on a little adventure. Crank the volume, turn your back, and you'll soon find them attempting to escape. Which is downright endearing if you ask me. I don't usually score these mini reviews by category, but for entertainment value? 10 out of 10, no notes.

Joking aside, I have plenty of positive things to say about this miniature set. As mentioned, the mere 2.4 Watt RMS figure is deceiving when it comes to actual perceived power output, and you could reasonably use them in a medium-sized room.

You'll want some double-sided sticky tape to keep them in place, lest you find them escaping out of your window...

They're also fairly weighty, which speaks well for build quality, although it still doesn't stop them from running for the hills when you put on a low-end heavy track.

Each unit also has some subtle blue LED lighting emerging from the bottom. I say subtle. What I mean is dim. But hey, it's better than "eye-searingly bright," like most cheap RGB-lit gaming gear. The split cable (you need to plug in both the USB Type-A and the 3.5 mm jack for the full lighting effect) is a reasonable length, and there's even a little in-line dial for adjusting the volume separately from your PC settings.

The real problem, unfortunately, comes in the form of frequency reproduction. There's an old (and slightly unfair) joke about Bose audio gear, which goes: "No highs, no lows, must be Bose." Well, the Amazon Basics set has highs and lows covered pretty comprehensively. It's the midrange, however, where these little speakers really fall off a cliff.

Listen to anything with distorted guitars, and this issue becomes immediately obvious. The midrange reproduction is pretty terrible, with a hollow, recessed valley of disappointment living bang in the centre of your tunes. The treble is a bit shrill and clattering, too, although the clarity is decent enough for gaming. If you keep the volume reasonable, and don't expect too much detail.

But combine the edgy top end with the barren wasteland of midrange, add a hefty whack of overblown bass, crank to taste, and what you end up with is a set of surprisingly powerful, but still pretty cheap-sounding speakers. And you'll want some double-sided sticky tape to keep them in place, lest you find them escaping out of your window.

In all honesty, this Amazon Basics set has more going for it than I expected. For a mere $25, I thought I'd be testing a pair of tin-pot units with all the audio quality of a 1950s telephone speaker. These little beasties are better than the price tag suggests, but I still wouldn't recommend you buy a pair.

A set of cheap Creative Pebble units will cost you roughly the same amount of cash, and the drivers are much better balanced, albeit with lesser bass. Still, I've not had a fit of giggles while reviewing something for a while—and for the entertainment value of watching these Amazon speakers vibrate their way across my desk alone, I think I've had my fun this month.

Nice try, Dave. But I might keep this set around just for the party trick. Now, if only I could find the little blighters. Anyone looked under the sofa?

What I got...

Amazon Basics Stereo 2.0
Impressive bass, but the missing midrange is a real issue. There are a surprising number of alternatives at this price.

What I'd recommend...

Creative Pebble 2.0
Creative's little speakers look cuter, cost the same amount, and won't go for a wander.