Configuration: Since you need to decide what speaker configuration you want before anything else, we present a brief summary of our earlier descriptions, for convenience.

Power: This is an important consideration, since an underpowered amplifier won't deliver the needed oomph to a speaker set. Be careful when reading power ratings on PC speaker spec sheets; speaker manufacturers sometimes play a little fast and loose with these figures. For a 2.1 speaker configuration, total continuous power should be at least 15 watts. That may not sound like much, but for two-channel PC speakers, often that's enough. High-end 6.1 PC speaker systems typically have around 40 to 50 watts per satellite channel.

Controls: You'll want to make sure your set of speakers has all its controls either in one of the front-channel satellite speakers or a desktop control pod. Speaker systems of any type should include volume and bass controls, at the very least. Other useful controls include the center-channel volume level typically found on 5.1 systems, a surround-channel volume control, left/right balance, and a mute button for when you need to interrupt your listening session.

Headphone jack: This is a must-have if you want to enjoy your PC audio late at night while others are sleeping. The headphone jack should mute the speakers' outputs when you plug in headphones and should be located close to the controls. Most PC speakers use the 1/8-inch stereo headphone jack found on Walkman-type portable music devices and are compatible with any regular set of headphones for portable devices.

Remote control: A wireless remote is always nice, but not essential.

Power supply: Wall-mounted power supplies are often cheap for hardware makers but a royal pain for hardware buyers. A "line lump" or what some call a "soap on a rope" supply is better, because the bulky step-down transformer that would needlessly cover several outlets is somewhere in the line cord, and you connect a normal plug instead of a big brick to the power outlet. The best arrangement, though, hides the transformer in the subwoofer cabinet, so the power supply consumes neither power-outlet real estate nor extra floor space.

Dolby Digital/DTS decoder: Some higher end 5.1 speaker sets come with a Dolby Digital/DTS decoder—a handy feature for those who want to use their PC speakers with consumer audio gear. Most PC software DVD players can handle Dolby Digital decoding, and some will also accommodate DTS. This feature isn't essential, but it's a nice extra.

Size: Does size matter? With speakers, kind of, but decent speakers do not have to fill an entire living room. Most PC audio environments involve what's known as near-field listening, where you're sitting within three feet of the speakers and don't want to blast yourself into the next county.

Stereo doubling: Some multichannel speaker sets offer a feature that will split a two-channel stereo signal and mirror the stereo output in the two surround channels, giving you a kind of surround stereo effect. Whether this sounds good to your ears is a matter of taste, and while this feature will fill the listening environment with more sound, it can also muddy stereo imaging and cause listener fatigue.

Compatibility: You need to choose carefully here, because not all multichannel speaker systems will connect to all multichannel sound cards. This is especially true for 6.1 speaker sets. In general, 5.1 connections are pretty standard—one connector each for front left/front right, surround left/surround right, and center/subwoofer. Some speaker sets also have a digital audio input, which is convenient because you only have to connect a single cable from your sound card to your speakers. If you want to listen to DVD audio in all its 5.1 glory, however, you'll need to connect your PC to your 5.1 speakers using the three analog connectors. This is because high-resolution DVD audio material exceeds the bandwidth of the current-generation S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) digital audio connector.