Best Monitors with Soundbars for Work, Gaming and Streaming (2026)

A monitor with decent built-in sound removes a box from the desk and a cable from the tangle. This guide compares eight best monitors with soundbars for work, gaming and streaming, from a 27-inch 4K panel with dual 5-watt speakers to a premium six-speaker display, and explains which built-in sound is usable and when a compact bar still wins.

Quick verdict: the best monitors with soundbars at a glance

If you want one short answer, start with the Dell 27 Plus S2725QS for most desks, because it pairs a 27-inch 4K panel running at 120 Hz with dual 5-watt speakers that handle calls and video. The Apple Studio Display has the best built-in sound here by a clear margin, while the BenQ MOBIUZ EX2710Q is the gaming pick, thanks to a dedicated woofer.

The table above is a starting point, not a ranking by loudness alone. A 5-watt stereo pair suits calls and everyday video, a 2.1 system with a woofer adds the bass that games and films need, and only the Apple display replaces desktop speakers outright. Read the section that matches your desk before you decide.

Quick comparison table

The table gives the facts that decide most purchases in one place: speaker output, panel size and resolution, refresh rate and connections. Speaker wattage matters because a 2-watt pair is a checklist feature, while a 5-watt pair with tuning can carry a working day, and a built-in woofer is the only design here that adds real bass.

How we selected the monitors in this guide

Every monitor in this guide is a real product sold in the United States, with published specifications from its manufacturer. We compared built-in speaker output and layout, panel size and resolution, refresh rate and connection options, and we left out monitors that could not be verified or that duplicated a stronger pick at the same screen size.

This guide is based on published manufacturer specifications and independent review coverage. It does not claim testing of its own, and it does not rank products by review scores, because scores use different methods and change with each update. Most monitors in this class ship with speakers as an afterthought, so each pick earns its place for a clear reason: the strongest all-round panel, the best sound, the smartest all-in-one, the best film sound, the widest workspace, the best gaming audio, the most accurate colour, or the fastest 4K gaming panel.

The best monitors with soundbars for work, gaming and streaming

Eight monitors cover very different desks and budgets, so the order below follows the decision most buyers face first: a strong all-rounder, the best sound, a screen that works without a computer, or a focused pick for films, ultrawide work, gaming or colour. Each section states the speaker layout, the panel and the trade-off that matters most.

Dell 27 Plus S2725QS: the best all-round pick for most desks

The Dell 27 Plus S2725QS is the pick for most desks because it gets the balance right: a 27-inch 4K IPS panel running at up to 120 Hz, with dual 5-watt speakers that are loud enough for calls, video and casual music. Dell lists 99 percent sRGB coverage, a 1,500:1 contrast ratio and 350 nits, plus AMD FreeSync Premium for smoother casual gaming.

The connections are two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4, which suit a desktop PC and a console, but there is no USB-C port, so a laptop needs its own charger and a separate video cable. The stand adjusts for height and rotates, and the panel is a sensible match for a desk where one screen does work, streaming and light gaming. Buy it if you want a sharp 4K screen with usable sound and no extra boxes; skip it if you need single-cable laptop docking, because that job belongs to a USB-C monitor instead.

Apple Studio Display: the best built-in sound in this guide

The Apple Studio Display is the only monitor here whose speakers reviewers genuinely praise, and that is why it leads on sound. Apple lists a high-fidelity six-speaker system with four force-cancelling woofers and two high-performance tweeters, with wide stereo sound and Spatial Audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos.

The panel is a 27-inch 5K Retina display at 5120 by 2880, with 600 nits of brightness and P3 wide colour, and the monitor also carries a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera and a studio-quality three-microphone array. It connects over Thunderbolt and is built for a Mac, so Windows users get a screen and speakers but lose some of the camera and integration features. Buy it if you work on a Mac and want the best sound a monitor can offer; skip it if you need a high refresh rate or a Windows-first setup, because the panel runs at 60 Hz.

Samsung Smart Monitor M8 (M80D): the smart monitor that doubles as a TV

The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 (M80D) answers a different question: what if the monitor did not need a computer at all. It is a 32-inch 4K VA panel running at 60 Hz, with dual 5-watt speakers rated at 10 watts in total, and it runs Samsung Tizen software with streaming apps, a remote and a detachable SlimFit camera.

The speakers are adequate for news, sitcoms and video calls rather than impressive, and the 60 Hz VA panel is built for content rather than competitive gaming. HDR10+ support and AI upscaling suit streaming, while HDMI and USB-C connections cover a PC or laptop when one is connected. Buy it if you want one screen that works as a monitor, a streaming TV and a video-call station; skip it if films are your main use and you want deep bass, because a compact soundbar still improves movie night here.

BenQ EW2780U: the entertainment pick with treVolo sound

The BenQ EW2780U is the entertainment pick because its sound was designed as a feature, not a checkbox. BenQ lists dual 5-watt speakers with treVolo TrueSound, a 2.1-channel design with digital signal processing and selectable audio modes, in a 27-inch 4K IPS panel with HDRi picture processing.

Connections include USB-C with 60 watts of power delivery, two HDMI 2.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.4 and a headphone jack, so a laptop can connect with one cable and a console can stay plugged in beside it. The panel runs at 60 Hz, which suits films and streaming rather than fast competitive games, and the speakers get loud with decent clarity, although bass stays limited without a separate subwoofer. Buy it if films and streaming matter most and you want one-cable laptop charging; skip it if you play fast games, because the 60 Hz panel is the trade-off.

Dell UltraSharp U3425WE: the ultrawide pick for serious work

The Dell UltraSharp U3425WE is the pick for a desk where one wide screen replaces two monitors. It is a 34.14-inch curved ultrawide with a 3440 by 1440 IPS Black panel running at 120 Hz, 98 percent DCI-P3 coverage, a 2000:1 contrast ratio and dual 5-watt built-in speakers.

The Thunderbolt 4 hub is the other half of the appeal: a single cable carries video, data and up to 90 watts of power to a laptop, with a second Thunderbolt port for daisy-chaining, a built-in KVM switch and a 2.5-gigabit Ethernet port. That makes it a docking station that happens to be a monitor, and the curved 21:9 screen suits timelines, spreadsheets and side-by-side windows. Buy it if you want a wide workspace with one-cable docking and usable sound; skip it if you want deep bass or a high-refresh gaming panel, because neither is what this monitor is built for.

BenQ MOBIUZ EX2710Q: the gaming pick with a built-in woofer

The BenQ MOBIUZ EX2710Q is the only gaming monitor here with a real bass driver built in, and that is why it leads for games. BenQ lists a 2.1-channel treVolo system with two 2-watt speakers and a 5-watt woofer, plus five audio modes tuned for different game types, in a 27-inch QHD IPS panel running at 165 Hz.

The panel also carries AMD FreeSync Premium, a 1 ms MPRT response time, HDR400 support and 95 percent P3 colour coverage, so the screen keeps up with the sound. Connections are two HDMI 2.0 ports and DisplayPort 1.4, with a headphone jack for late-night play. Independent review coverage has called this the best sound heard from integrated computer display speakers, which is a fair summary of what the extra woofer buys. Buy it if you game without a headset and want bass without a subwoofer on the floor; skip it if you need 4K resolution, because this panel is QHD.

ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV: the colour-accurate pick for creative work

The ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV is the pick for photo and video editing, where colour matters more than loudness. ASUS lists a 27-inch QHD IPS panel with 100 percent sRGB and 100 percent Rec. 709 coverage, factory calibration with a Delta E below 2, and Calman verification, alongside dual 2-watt built-in speakers.

The speakers are the weakest in this guide by output, so they suit system sounds, calls and reference checks rather than music or films. What the monitor does offer is a USB-C port with 65 watts of power delivery, DisplayPort daisy-chaining, two DisplayPort inputs, HDMI and a four-port USB hub, which makes it a tidy single-cable dock for a laptop. Buy it if accurate colour and one-cable laptop charging matter most; skip it if built-in sound is a priority, because the 2-watt pair is a convenience, not a feature.

Gigabyte M27U: the 4K gaming pick with speakers included

The Gigabyte M27U is the pick for buyers who want a fast 4K gaming panel that still makes its own sound. It pairs a 27-inch 4K SuperSpeed IPS panel running at up to 160 Hz with dual 3-watt built-in speakers, a 1 ms MPRT response time and 400 nits of typical brightness.

Connections include two HDMI 2.1 ports, DisplayPort 1.4, a USB-C port with up to 18 watts of power delivery, a USB hub and a built-in KVM switch, so two machines can share one keyboard, mouse and screen. The 18-watt USB-C charging is too low for most laptops under load, so treat it as a data and video port rather than a dock. Buy it if you want 4K at 160 Hz with sound included for casual play; skip it if you expect the speakers to carry films or music, because the 3-watt pair is modest and a compact soundbar is the better upgrade.

What to check before you buy a monitor with built-in sound

A monitor is a screen purchase first and a speaker purchase second, so check the panel, the ports and the desk before you compare wattage figures. The picks above differ mainly in speaker output, refresh rate and whether they dock a laptop, and those three facts rule out most wrong choices before price enters the decision.

Speaker power in the best monitors with soundbars

Speaker wattage on a monitor is a useful guide, but only when read with the layout behind it. A 2-watt pair is there for system sounds and calls, a 5-watt pair with tuning can carry a working day of video and music, and a 2.1 system with a woofer is the only built-in design here that adds bass you can feel.

For the best monitors with soundbars built in, the number to trust is the per-speaker figure plus the driver layout, not a combined total on a retail listing. The Apple Studio Display shows why: six drivers with four woofers beat a louder-sounding wattage claim from a two-driver panel. If music and films matter, treat 5 watts per speaker as the floor and a woofer as the real upgrade.

Panel, refresh rate and resolution: what the screen gives up

Built-in sound is only half the purchase, so match the panel to the work before the speakers. A 4K panel at 27 inches makes text sharp, a 120 Hz or faster panel makes scrolling and games smoother, and an ultrawide panel replaces a second screen, but no monitor here wins on every measure at once.

The Dell S2725QS and the Gigabyte M27U both offer 4K at 120 Hz or faster, while the Apple Studio Display trades refresh rate for 5K sharpness and the BenQ EW2780U trades it for entertainment sound. A 60 Hz panel is fine for office work and streaming, but it is a real limit for fast games, so decide the refresh rate first and let the speakers follow.

USB-C, Thunderbolt and HDMI: which connection suits your computer

The connection decides whether the monitor docks a laptop or only shows its picture, so check the ports on your computer first. USB-C with 65 watts or more charges most laptops while carrying video, Thunderbolt 4 at 90 watts does the same with more bandwidth, and HDMI suits desktops and consoles that never need charging.

The Dell U3425WE and the ASUS PA278CV both dock a laptop over one cable, the BenQ EW2780U does the same at 60 watts, and the Dell S2725QS has no USB-C at all, so a laptop needs its own charger. The Gigabyte M27U offers USB-C at only 18 watts, which is too low to charge a laptop under load. Match the wattage to the laptop, not just the shape of the port.

When a compact soundbar still beats built-in speakers

Built-in speakers have a hard limit: thin cabinets, small drivers and no room for bass. A compact USB soundbar under the monitor is the simplest upgrade: the Creative Sound Blaster GS3 is a 410 mm bar rated at 12 watts RMS over one USB-C cable, and the Razer Leviathan V2 X is a 400 mm bar that runs from a single USB-C cable.

Add a bar when films, music or games are the main use and the monitor has only a 2-watt or 3-watt pair, or when the screen sits far from the listener. Keep the built-in speakers when calls and everyday video are the job, because a bar adds a cable and a box for little gain there. Check the width under the monitor first: a 400 mm bar fits under most 24-inch and 27-inch screens without blocking the stand.

Frequently asked questions about monitors with built-in sound

The questions below cover the doubts that come up most often before a purchase, from whether built-in speakers are good enough to which monitor pairs best with a soundbar. Each answer follows the same rule as the rest of this guide: it states what the specifications support, and it names the case where the answer changes.

Are built-in monitor speakers good enough for everyday use?

Yes, for calls, video and background music, provided the monitor has at least a 5-watt stereo pair or a tuned 2.1 system. The Dell S2725QS, the BenQ EW2780U and the Dell U3425WE all meet that bar, while the 2-watt pair in the ASUS PA278CV is best treated as a convenience for system sounds and calls only.

Can a monitor with built-in speakers replace a soundbar?

Only the Apple Studio Display comes close, with six drivers and four woofers that produce real bass and a wide stereo image. The BenQ MOBIUZ EX2710Q is the next best, because its built-in woofer adds low end no other monitor here offers. For films and music on any other pick, a compact soundbar under the screen is still a clear step up.

What size monitor fits a compact soundbar underneath?

A 27-inch monitor is about 610 mm wide, so a bar between 400 mm and 500 mm wide fits comfortably underneath it without overhanging the stand. The Creative Sound Blaster GS3 at 410 mm and the Razer Leviathan V2 X at 400 mm both suit that size, while a wider bar needs an ultrawide monitor or a deeper desk to look balanced.

Conclusion

Start with the Dell 27 Plus S2725QS for most desks, the Apple Studio Display if built-in sound matters most, or the BenQ MOBIUZ EX2710Q if you game without a headset. Measure the desk, check the USB-C wattage against your laptop, and add a compact soundbar only when films or music expose what the built-in speakers cannot do.