Onkyo, Ruark and Philips are all vying for desktop speaker supremacy – so which pair should you pick?

Desktop speakers aren’t what they used to be. Don’t worry, that’s no bad thing – this relatively unassuming corner of the audio world has come on leaps and bounds in the past few years, with many manufacturers now bringing potent performance and up-to-the-minute features to your humble desktop.

As a result, there are currently a healthy number of powered desktop speakers from which to suit your need, especially if you’re not keen on spending a huge amount to get hold of a pair.

The Ruark MR1 Mk3 (£399 / $579 / AU$899) are our established Award-winners at this budget end of the market, with the Onkyo GX-30ARC (£339 / $349 / AU$649) providing stern competition at a similar price and with a more comprehensive range of features and functions.

Then we have the Philips Fidelio FA3 (£349 / $399 / AU$499), which cost around the same money as their competitors but employ an active design – whereby each speaker takes power to amplify a separately powered drive unit, rather than the purely powered configuration of their counterparts.

Picking a winner

While these may ostensibly be a trio of ‘desktop’ speakers, their capabilities stretch far beyond the realms of dutifully flanking your laptop to give your daily YouTube scrolling a bit more pep. All are bolstered by Bluetooth streaming powers, and all – to a varying degree – offer a raft of physical connections to stretch their capabilities far beyond that of mere deskbound sound.

That can make your choice all the trickier, as the process is no longer as simple as finding the pair that sounds the best plonked in your office and wired up to your desktop PC (remember those?).

Here, then, we have assessed each of our three contenders as thoroughly as possible, judging them on their versatility, design and sonic talents across a broad spectrum of potential use cases.

Whether you’re seeking your next pair of purely on-desk sentinels, or you want a do-it-all pair that can even get your turntable sounding superb, we have covered all the bases to put you in the best position to make your selection.

What’s fascinating about this particular group test is how different our three rivals are. While they may all be active or powered desktop speakers in name, the divergent paths each brand has taken at this budget end of the market clearly demonstrates there’s more than one way to skin this particular cat.

Each pair is a different size, boasts a distinctive design, has a given array of features and offers its own unique sound signature. A certain degree of our recommendation, therefore, is naturally going to be based on users’ subjective needs and preferences, even if, ultimately, we know where we would put our money. We’ll get to that in a moment.

Philips' Fidelio FA3 go big and bold

If size without much subtlety is what you desire, the Philips Fidelio FA3 make that case with a loud, hearty shout. These are the largest speakers of our trio and the most assertive sounding, with the burly boxes dwarfing their Onkyo and Ruark rivals by a considerable margin.

They might be the biggest of the lot, but they’re not the best equipped on the features front. While the inclusion of Bluetooth plus RCA, optical, USB-C and HDMI ARC options isn’t stingy, a lack of a standalone 3.5mm auxiliary input, a subwoofer out or any phono stage means Philips lags behind its competitors.

The Fidelio FA3 are capable of going louder and prouder than most typical desktop speakers, with a muscular, bass-heavy signature which will offer some appeal for anyone who just wants to crank up the volume and fire out their tunes with vigour.

For subtlety and nuance, however, they are outmatched here, with that ill-disciplined bass and route-one approach leaving us disappointed in their sonic capabilities when put up against their rivals.

Onyko's GX-30ARC are stunningly versatile

By contrast, subtlety and nuance aren’t lacking from the Onkyo GX-30ARC. While the Philips go big at the lower end, the Onkyo pair prioritise clarity, detail and organisation. They are, perhaps, a touch light in the bass, but that’s a minor niggle that can’t spoil a very positive sonic picture.

They are the most versatile of our trio, too, offering Bluetooth streaming alongside a bulging arsenal of physical connections, including optical, 3.5mm aux and a pair of RCA inputs, as well as USB-C, a moving-magnet phono stage and HDMI ARC.

That phono stage is great, and if you’re planning on grabbing a pair, we recommend using some form of wired connection to get the most out of them. Bluetooth audio is capable, but when your source is connected via the likes of USB-C or RCA, the GX-30ARC shine via a clearer, nimbler and more balanced reproduction.

Ruark continues its sonic supremacy

The Onkyos are clearly multi-talented, but for pure sonic excellence, the Ruark MR1 Mk3 still lead the way.

They may be the smallest of our trio, but they are also the most musically involving. They offer a powerful, punchy and dynamic sound that picks up on emotional subtleties with a far keener ear. For us, this is still the best-sounding pair of powered desktop speakers we have heard at this price.

They are also some of the best looking, and thanks to their compact, stylish footprint, a great option for anyone short on space. They will slot neatly into a desktop setup, perched on a bookshelf or, if you like, flanking your precious turntable.

That last option is one we recommend. The MR1 Mk3s’ phono stage is the party piece here, sounding well-defined, clear and confident beyond the speakers’ meagre dimensions. Add to that Bluetooth streaming, a USB-C input, a combined optical and 3.5mm auxiliary input and a sub out, and you have a superb all-around package.

They may not be quite as feature-laden as the Onkyo GX-30ARC, nor as burly-sounding as the Fidelio FA3, but for their deeply musical sound and lovely design, the Ruark MR1 Mk3 stand alone in riding that tricky balance of style and substance.

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