tl;dr framework laptop speakers are relatively good (top 20%), but not as good as mbp15 (top 1%) and not as good as x1c9 (top 7%). I am hoping for a speaker module that will make the speakers even better, the biggest con of the framework laptop speakers is the lack of bass and downward firing speakers.
Personally, I am not happy with the speakers. Notebookcheck did a review on the speakers, and they found the following:
Framework Laptop 13.5 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 13.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.1%)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6%)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.1%)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.6%)
Compared to same class
» 16% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 79% worse
» The best had a delta of 8%, average was 21%, worst was 51%
Compared to all devices tested
» 20% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 76% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 21%, worst was 65%
vs macbook pro 15" 2018:
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X) audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 4.7% away from median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.7%)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.7%)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.9%)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (6%)
Compared to same class
» 1% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 98% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 18%, worst was 41%
Compared to all devices tested
» 0% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 21%, worst was 65%
x1 carbon gen 9:
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.36 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 14% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.5%)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.2% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7%)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.9%)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.8%)
Compared to same class
» 9% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 86% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 19%, worst was 50%
Compared to all devices tested
» 7% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 92% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 21%, worst was 65%
Basically, the macbook pro is the gold standard currently for laptop speakers. It has good loudness, good bass, good mids, good highs. The framework laptop speakers have good (but not as good as mbp) loudness, average bass, good mids, good highs.
I was looking for a media consumption laptop but did not want to go the macbook pro route. I am hoping for (and am willing to pay) for a speaker module that has better bass, has upwards firing speakers, and is even better (say, top 5 percentile speakers).
I’m a weirdo though, I like listening to music on my laptop when I’m on the go and I don’t like wearing headphones unless I have to because my ears get tired.