I'm giving these 2 stars because the sound is not horrible, although you certainly should not expect deep sub-bass or high-quality sound.The real problem is the lack of shielding. As others have noted, the speakers pick up radio frequency interference. Mine make a -loud- and very alarming noise a fraction of a second before my cell phone rings or gets a text message. They also make a strange sound when airplanes fly overhead. Additionally, I get a low hum from them when music is not playing.Since these are not sheilded, they may also cause problems (interference) with CRT monitors, but I cannot verify this as I have LCD's.All in all, I would definitely NOT recommend these.