If you know the difference you will be well aware of which speakers to buy. The 2.1 consists of two speakers and a subwoofer, stereo consist of only two speakers and surround sound usually has 5,7 or more speaker system. For normal use like music and watching movies on laptops or TV, you can always use 2.1. However, if you like having theatrical experience then surround sound speaker system is the best. So, there is no right answer. It all depends on your needs.