Can speakers that are normally hooked up to stereoes be connected to a laptop?

Generally that will not provide enough output to make the sound hearable.

You need powered/amplified speakers.

Your stereo has a built in amplifier, the volume control is on the stereo not the speaker.

On computer speakers, the volume control is on the speaker and the amplifier is in the speaker not in the computer. The Windows volume control helps a little, but a sound card will not power stereo speakers.

Computer speakers must have an amplification device, just hooking up a speakers will have such a low volume you may not be able to hear them at all.

yes, but the sound will be very soft because the stereo works as an amplifier for the sound and the laptop headphone port does not.

You can do it, but you should have a receiver in-between so the sound is loud enough.

if it has a cd jack, like it can be hooked up to an ipod, mp3player or cd player then yes. just put it in the headset jack.