Best Monitor with Speakers 2026: Picks That Actually Sound Good

Last updated: August 2026 — prices and current speaker configurations re-checked for every pick.

Quick Answer: The best monitor with speakers in 2026 is the Dell 27 Plus S2725QS — a 27-inch 4K 120Hz IPS panel whose dual 5W speakers actually hold up for calls, video, and casual music, at around $279 (street dips to $239.99). The Apple Studio Display is the audio king with its six-speaker system (four woofers, two tweeters — 30% deeper bass in the 2026 model, per Apple); the BenQ MOBIUZ EX2710Q brings a real 2.1 system with a woofer to gaming; the Samsung Smart Monitor M8 doubles as a TV; and the Dell S2725HS gets you honest dual 5W audio for $189.99.

Here’s the problem this guide solves: “built-in speakers” on a spec sheet usually means two 2W drivers firing at your desk — fine for a Windows chime, hopeless for music. The difference between a checkbox and a feature is measured in drivers and watts: dual 5W is where speech and video get comfortable, a 2.1 system with a dedicated woofer is where bass appears, and a six-driver array is where a monitor starts replacing desktop speakers entirely. We ranked the 2026 monitors that treat audio as engineering rather than marketing — and we flag exactly what each one’s speakers can and can’t do.

Best monitors with speakers at a glance

1. Dell 27 Plus S2725QS — Best Overall

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The S2725QS wins because it refuses to trade the panel for the speakers or vice versa. The dual 5W drivers are the real story: at 10W total they play clearly louder and fuller than the 2W pairs most monitors hide behind the “built-in speakers” bullet point, and they comfortably carry video calls, YouTube, and background music. Around them Dell built a legitimately good display — 4K at 120Hz with FreeSync Premium, 99% sRGB, and a 1500:1 contrast ratio — at a list price of about $279 that deal trackers like Slickdeals have seen fall to $239.99. If you want one cable-tidy monitor that covers work, media, and casual gaming with no desk clutter, this is it. See how it compares to other UHD panels in our best 4K monitor rankings, or the USB-C sibling S2725QC in our best USB-C monitor guide.

2. Apple Studio Display — Best Audio, Period

No monitor sounds like the Studio Display. Where rivals bolt on a driver pair, Apple engineered a six-speaker array — four force-cancelling woofers and two tweeters — and the refreshed 2026 model pushes it further with what Apple specs as 30% deeper bass than the 2022 original. Reviewers back the claim up: Macworld notes the speakers are far better than what you find in most monitors, and CGMagazine describes surprising bass response and wide stereo imaging with no cabinet rattle at volume. The 5K panel’s 218 PPI is the same text-sharpness class as our best 5K monitor picks, and for Mac owners it’s the natural endgame display — see our best monitor for MacBook Pro guide. At $1,599 you’re paying Apple money, but it’s the only pick here that genuinely retires a set of desktop speakers.

3. BenQ MOBIUZ EX2710Q — Best Gaming Audio

BenQ is the one gaming brand that treats monitor audio as a discipline — its treVolo team builds the 2.1-channel system in the EX2710Q with two 2W drivers up front and a dedicated 5W woofer around back, plus DSP modes that re-tune the sound for games, films, or music. The woofer is the difference-maker: explosions and soundtracks get low-end weight that no stereo driver pair can fake, and Gaming Nexus rated it the best integrated audio on any display it had tested. Underneath sits a legitimate 27-inch 1440p 165Hz IPS gaming panel with 1ms response. The $599.99 list price is the catch — but street prices drop steeply and often land in the $300–$450 range, where it’s an easy pick. For BenQ’s full line decoder (MOBIUZ vs ZOWIE vs designer PD), read our best BenQ monitor roundup, and compare other 1440p options in our best 1440p gaming monitor guide.

4. Samsung Smart Monitor M8 (M80D) — Best TV Replacement

The M80D answers a different question: what if the monitor didn’t need a computer at all? It runs Samsung’s TV platform with Netflix, YouTube, and the rest built in, ships with a remote, streams via AirPlay, and plays everything through its integrated speakers — which makes it a studio-apartment TV, a dorm screen, and a work monitor in one 32-inch 4K package. Expert Reviews calls it a top TV-and- monitor combo at its $549.99 list price, and deal trackers logged it at $399.99 on sale. Honest caveat: the speakers are adequate rather than impressive — fine for news and sitcoms, worth supplementing with a soundbar for movie nights — and the 60Hz VA panel is built for content, not competitive gaming. Worth knowing before you buy: Samsung’s own site now lists the M80D’s successor, the M80F, with an added Vision AI feature set — the M80D itself is still sold and still the better-discounted pick of the two, but treat it as the outgoing model rather than Samsung’s current flagship smart monitor. For the rest of Samsung’s lineup, including its OLED gaming flagships, see our best Samsung monitor roundup.

5. BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX — Best High-End Gaming with Audio

The EX321UX is the pick for people who want great built-in sound today and a path to serious audio tomorrow. Out of the box you get BenQ’s treVolo-tuned 2.1 speakers; when you upgrade, its HDMI eARC port sends multichannel surround from a console or streaming box straight to a soundbar or AV receiver over one cable — a home-theater feature almost no monitor offers. The display itself is the flagship of BenQ’s 2026 gaming line: 32-inch 4K at 144Hz with a 1,152-zone mini-LED backlight rated at 1,000 nits and 99% DCI-P3, which Tom’s Hardware summed up as “bright, colorful and stylish.” DisplayNinja’s caveats — PWM dimming and some blooming in high-contrast scenes — are worth knowing at $1,199. See how mini-LED stacks up against other backlight tech in our best mini-LED monitor guide.

6. Dell S2725HS — Best Budget

Under $200, almost every monitor’s speakers are an afterthought — the S2725HS is the exception because Dell fitted the same dual 5W speaker setup as its pricier siblings. PCVarge rates it one of the best 27-inch home-office monitors of the year, and the formula is simple: a 1080p IPS panel at 100Hz, 99% sRGB, a 1500:1 contrast ratio, and a fully adjustable stand with height, tilt, swivel, and pivot — a combination that usually costs more before you even count the audio. At Dell’s $189.99 price it’s the clear pick for a home-office or dorm setup where the monitor’s speakers will be the only speakers. More sub-$200 picks live in our best budget monitor and best monitor under $300 guides.

How to choose a monitor with speakers

• Read the wattage, not the checkbox. “Built-in speakers” alone usually means 2× 2W — notification grade. Dual 5W (both Dell picks) is where calls and video get comfortable; a 2.1 system with a woofer (BenQ treVolo) is where bass starts; a multi-driver array (Studio Display) is where monitor audio genuinely competes with desktop speakers.
• Match the audio to the use. Video calls and podcasts are easy — any 5W pair handles them. Music and games expose thin drivers immediately; prioritize a woofer or plan on headphones.
• Think about the upgrade path. A monitor with HDMI eARC (BenQ EX321UX) can feed a future soundbar losslessly over one cable — the built-in speakers become a starting point, not a ceiling.
• A smart monitor is a different product. The Samsung M80D plays audio and video with no PC attached — if “monitor with speakers” for you means “small TV that’s also a monitor,” that’s the category you want.
• Don’t sacrifice the panel. Every pick here is a good display first. If you’re weighing panel tech itself, our OLED vs IPS monitor breakdown covers the trade-offs.

Monitors with speakers by the numbers

• 10W vs 4W is the audible line. The dual 5W systems in Dell’s S2725QS and S2725HS total 10W of amplification — more than double the 2× 2W pairs that pass for speakers on most monitors, which is exactly why buying guides like WePC treat dual 3W–5W as the minimum worth having.
• 30% deeper bass, six drivers. Apple specs the 2026 Studio Display’s four force-cancelling woofers as delivering 30 percent deeper bass than the 2022 model — on top of what was already the most elaborate speaker system ever fitted to a mainstream monitor.
• A 5W woofer changes the math. BenQ’s treVolo 2.1 system in the EX2710Q dedicates a separate 5W woofer to low frequencies alongside its two 2W drivers — the configuration Gaming Nexus called the best sound from integrated display speakers.
• $239.99 for 4K 120Hz with real audio. Deal trackers at Slickdeals have logged the Dell S2725QS at $239.99 against its ~$279 list — meaning the best-sounding mainstream 4K monitor is also one of the cheapest 4K 120Hz panels, period. More budget-first options are in our best budget gaming monitor rankings.
• $399.99 for a TV you can work on. The Samsung M80D’s $549.99 list price fell to $399.99 in tracked sales (per Slickdeals/Woot) — under $400 for a 4K screen with streaming apps, a remote, speakers, and a webcam built in.

The bottom line

The Dell 27 Plus S2725QS is the best monitor with speakers in 2026 — dual 5W audio that actually does the job, on a 4K 120Hz panel, at a price that regularly dips to $239.99. Choose the Apple Studio Display if you want the best audio ever fitted to a monitor, the BenQ EX2710Q for gaming with real bass, the Samsung M80D if it also needs to be your TV, the BenQ EX321UX for high-end gaming with an eARC upgrade path, or the Dell S2725HS to get honest speakers for $189.99. Building out a full desk? Our best monitor for working from home and best monitor for productivity guides cover the rest of the setup.