We want to listen to the radio on a lap top without ear phones.

[Brent pigeon]

Which of the low cost ones are best for sound?

[Ethel]

They are all pretty poor, although you can buy laptop speakers that may improve sound quality

[Brent pigeon]

I am hoping to find a laptop that does not require any kind of aditional stuff as I want to carry it around. I have read about sound cards. Is that a way of improving sound level?

[ChuckFickens]

you can get laptops with reasonably good speakers, but you have to pay a premium for them

http://www.acer.com/gemstoneblue/eng/

[Brent pigeon]

I could not finf a price on this link, Chuck, but looking elsewhere I found that they start at �380. That would not be so much more if the sound was hearable without added speakers or earpieces. Are all the models good?

[Ethel]

The speakers on my Acer Aspire are pretty poor but it is a few years old now

[ChuckFickens]

Only the 18inch screen models have the 5.1 built in speakers, the 16inch models have 2.1 speakers.

Though the fact they have a built in "sub" should improve the sound.on all of them, as it's the low range that most laptops lack.

Your best bet would be to go to PCworld, take your own audio CD that you know well and ask for demonstrations of the audio quality on different models so you can compare them, and then when you find one you like go and find it cheaper online :)

[cancross]

There's also something like this:

http://www.product-reviews.net/2008/08/14/radi opaq-takes-internet-radio-from-computer-screen -to-comfy-chair/

and others

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/intro_wi-fi_ internet_radio.htm

These radios connect wirelessly to internet radio stations, have good sound quality and are cheaper than a laptop.

[fo3nix]

I'd agree with what's said above.

The cheaper models aren't intended to have great sound quality. In fact, no laptops are meant to have amazing sound quality --- it's simply not possible given the size of the speakers.

Apple MacBooks have good sound quality though. But they're higher-end laptops, with a higher price tag.

[Brent pigeon]

It is not good sound quality that I am looking for, just hearbable without having to cart speakers around with me. The two laptops I have had so far are so quiet that I have to wear headphones.
Thanks for all the information so far.