The 10 Best Sony Speakers in 2023. Sony tower speaker
The 10 Best Sony Speakers in 2023
In this review we look at the best Sony speakers that deliver crystal clear sound quality with crisp highs, detailed midranges and deep bass. These speakers are designed to be portable and lightweight and have built-in batteries that deliver long hours of continuous music playtime. Our experts have tested over a hundred different Sony speakers to determine which ones are the best value for money. Furthermore, these Sony speakers are capable of delivering loud volume output without any distortion and have a portable design to make them easier to carry around. If you are looking for the best Sony speakers that will impress you with quality audio, be sure to check out our top picks below!
#1 Best Overall: Sony SRS-XB31 Bluetooth Speaker
Sound Quality: Extra bass response, deep lows
Battery Life: 24 hours
What we liked: Crystal clear sound, great for pop and rock
View full specs: Sony SRS-XB31 Speaker
The Sony SRS-XB31 is a powerful portable wireless bluetooth speaker. It has nice music quality and volume (it can go really loud) as well as powerful bass. The “extra bass” feature can be used to enhance the low end. Its live sound mode uses unique speakers to give a three-dimensional music festival atmosphere. It features both waterproof and dustproof IP67 design that protects it and allows for outdoor use under wet conditions. It has long battery life that can last for up to 24 hours. The sound quality of this Sony speaker is incredible, with rich highs, crisp midranges and deep bass that makes listening to electronic dance music and rock very enjoyable.
The Sony SRS-XB31 comes in plain black color and features lightweight and portable design. It is made out of high quality materials and has robust build quality. You can add an extra speaker for stereo sound. Additionally, there is the possibility for the user to connect and add more speakers (up to 100) using Wireless Party Chain in order to fill a big space with sound. A multicolour line light and flashing strobe is also featured, allowing you to create a party atmosphere. A USB cable to power the unit is included in the box. On the whole, the Sony SRS-XB31 is suitable for anyone who needs full and bass heavy sound and wanting to interact with the speaker.
#2 Most Compact: Sony XB10 Speaker
Sound Quality: Good volume, great frequency range
Battery Life: 16 hours
What we liked: Compact speaker that packs a punch
View full specs: Sony XB10 Speaker
The Sony XB10 is a portable wireless speaker that delivers premium sound quality with nice bass response. It allows you to connect and stream music from your smartphone, tablet or any Smart device both with Bluetooth connectivity and easy-to-use NFC. Its “extra bass” function enhances low-end response using a passive radiator that works with the internal speaker, allowing it to boost the bass frequencies despite its compact size. It covers the whole audio spectrum, ranging from 20 to 20.000 Hz and it has a sampling frequency of 44.1 Hz. There is the option to connect two wireless speakers for stereo sound. Its small and lightweight design makes it very easy to carry.
The Sony XB10 speaker is compatible with A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP profiles and delivers crystal clear sound that gets pretty loud despite its small size. The frequency range on this speaker is a wide 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Featuring water-resistant design, this Sony speaker is suitable for listening both indoors and outdoors. It comes in plain black color and has sleek and modern looking design. The long battery life that covers up to 16 hours allows you to listen to music all day. The materials that have been used ensure robust build quality and durability. Overall, the Sony XB10 wireless speaker is an easy to use and powerful portable speaker that can be used on every occasion and provide you with premium sound quality.
#3 Best Bass: Sony SRSXB30 Speaker
Sound Quality: Crisp highs, detailed midranges, deep bass
Battery Life: 24 hours
What we liked: Long battery life, vibrant stereo sound
View full specs: Sony SRSXB30 Speaker
The Sony SRSXB30 is a portable wireless speaker with a lightweight and portable design that can be carried everywhere, allowing you to enjoy listening to music in all conditions. It comes in plain blue color and has water-resistant design in order to use it everywhere It features both NFC and Bluetooth connectivity and the latter is enhanced with LDAC that offers a superior wireless listening experience. The speaker has up to 24 hours of battery life and the voice feedback function tells you the remaining battery level and when it’s time to recharge. It also features a multicolored line light and a flashing strobe to build a party atmosphere.
The sound quality of the Sony SRSXB30 is loud and crystal clear, with good bass beats that add lower-frequency range response. The Extra Bass button enhances the low end, giving bass a boost. Another feature of the SRSXB30 is the ClearAudio technology which automatically adjusts sound settings for an enriching listening experience.
There is also the option to add an extra speaker for stereo sound, or even connect and add more than one speaker with Wireless Party Chain technology that can sync all the connected speakers.You can control the speaker easily with the SongPal app through your smartphone and manage both the music and lights. Overall, the Sony SRSXB30 is highly recommended to anyone looking for a portable and powerful speaker.
#4 Most Portable: Sony XB20 Speaker
Sound Quality: HD sound quality, good bass response
Battery Life: 12 hours
What we liked: Portable speaker with great sound
View full specs: Sony XB20 Speaker
The Sony XB20 is a portable wireless speaker with both NFC and improved Bluetooth connectivity. It delivers premium audio quality and features a bass boost option thanks to dual passive radiators that work together with stereo full-range speakers to enhance the low-end response. Its ClearAudio technology makes it able to optimize audio to deliver a consistently clear, high-quality sound.
The XB20 speaker features lightweight design and thanks to its compact size and water-resistant design, you can carry it everywhere and enjoy your music in all conditions. It has up to 12 hours of battery life and the voice feedback function warns you about the time to recharge. It comes in blue color with a single-colored line light.This speaker supports and connects to devices with Bluetooth and NFC automatic pairing, with LDAC for high quality music transmission.
The sound quality on the Sony XB20 is excellent with decent stereo sound output and decent bass levels. The SongPal app lets you manage your music as well as the lights quickly and easily from your smartphone. If you need stereo sound, you can add an extra speaker and there is also the option to connect and add more speakers with Wireless Party Chain. This function allows you to connect up to 10 wireless speakers via Bluetooth and synchronize the music and lighting. Overall, the Sony XB20 is a highly recommendable portable speaker that is suitable for every occasion.
#5 Best Budget: Sony XB01 Bluetooth Speaker
Sound Quality: Vibrant vocals, clean performance, good bass
Battery Life: 6 hours
What we liked: Compact speaker with big sound, splash-proof
The Sony XB01 is a bluetooth compact portable speaker that is really small and can fit in your hand. It’s one of the best Sony speakers you can find on a budget. Despite its compact size, it can deliver really big sound and it also features an extra bass fuction, for audiophiles that prefer boosted low end. The speaker features splash proof design that protects it from any liquid that may fall on it. The battery life ensures up to 6 hours of playback on a single charge. It features sleek and modern looking design, while its materials ensure both sturdy build quality and portability.
Despite the XB01’s small and compact design, the sound quality is exceptionally clear and refined. It comes in light blue color and also has a handy matching strap that makes it easy to stay on the move. Additionally, the speaker features a built-in microphone that lets you take hands-free calls without the need to take your phone out of your Controlling your music is easy with the on-speaker buttons. Operation instructions, reference guide, card, warranty, a strap and a micro USB cable are all included in the package.
On the whole, the Sony XB01 Bluetooth Compact Portable Speaker is an easy to use speaker with a lightweight design that would be recommended to anyone looking for something light and small to carry around and enjoy loud music.
#6 Best for Parties: Sony XB40 Bluetooth Speaker
Sound Quality: Crystal clear stereo, crisp highs and trebles
Battery Life: 24 hours
What we liked: Great design, LED lights, stereo sound
View full specs: Sony XB40 Wireless Speaker
The Sony XB40 is a powerful wireless speaker with speaker lights that features both NFC and improved Bluetooth connectivity to connect and stream music easily. It features IPX5 water resistant design that allows it to be used both indoors and outdoors. An “extra bass” button is featured, in case you want to boost the low end. In addition to that, its ClearAudio technology is able to optimize audio to deliver a consistently clear, high-quality sound, whether you’re enjoying music, movies or games. A multicolored line light, speaker lights and a flashing strobe are included in the speaker and allow you to see and hear the beat.
The sound performance of the Sony XB40 impressive, clear and loud – it has enough volume to fill up a large party with music. The bass output is very strong and adds a good layer of lower-end frequencies to music performances including rock and pop genres. The speaker is able to pair easily with Bluetooth, NFC and LDAC for high-quality music transmission.
You can add an extra speaker for stereo sound or connect and add even more speakers with Wireless Party Chain technology, if you want to fill bigger spaces. The Sony XB40 has long battery life and can run up to 24 hours with a single charge. You can control it using both SongPal, that lets you take control of music, lights and more and Fiestable, with which you can take charge of playback, speaker lights and DJ sound effects all from your smartphone. Overall, the Sony XB40 is an easy-to-use and portable speaker with many useful features.
#7 Best Hi-Resolution: Sony SRSZR7 Hi-Resolution Speaker
Sound Quality: Clear stereo sound, good soundstage
Battery Life: 10 hours
What we liked: Crisp sound quality, easy streaming
View full specs: Sony SRSZR7 Speaker
The Sony SRSZR7 is a high resolution wireless speaker that features multiple options to stream your music. It provides various streaming options with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Google Cast and they are all easy to pair with your device. The speaker has Hi-Res Audio support that lets you enjoy your music in higher quality than MP3s and even CDs. It is also possible to enjoy Hi-Res Audio playback via USB.I f you want to have stereo sound, it is possible to pair two ZR7 speakers. In addition to that, you can pair two ZR7 speakers to a compatible Sony sound bar and enjoy wireless surround sound experience for movies and TV shows.
Apart from wireless Bluetooth streaming, you can also use the ZR7 speakers as front stereo speakers with your TV, and supports hi-resolution audio playback via USB connection. The ZR7 supports streaming options with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Google Cast.
We liked the Sony multi-room technology which allows you to enjoy music throughout your home, by grouping selected Sony soundbars and speakers together and controling the multiroom and streaming options through the SongPal app. The SongPal also allows you to access your favorite tracks, whether they’re stored on your PC, server or online music service and it can additionally be used to customize sound settings to ensure balanced audio. Overall, the Sony SRSZR7 is a portable wireless speaker with premium audio quality that can satisfy even the most demanding users with its variety of streaming options.
#8 Water-Resistant Design: Sony SRSXB2 Speaker
Sound Quality: Deep punchy bass, great vocals
Battery Life: 12 hours
What we liked: Water-resistant, compact design
View full specs: Sony SRSXB2 Speaker
The Sony SRSXB2 is a portable wireless speaker that comes in plain light blue color and allows you to stream sound easily wherever you go. It features a splash-proof and water-resistant design that allows you to carry the speaker around to pool parties or outdoor spaces. You can connect it to your smartphone, tablet or computer through Bluetooth connectivity or NFC. It has lightweight design and its compact size allows it to be carried everywhere as it is both suitable for indoors and outdoors. Its sound performance is also made to be enjoyed equally whether you are partying indoors or outdoors.
The sound quality of the Sony SRSXB2 is crystal clear, with crisp highs, detailed midranges and decent bass that feels punchy. It has long battery life, as it can run continuously for 12 hours on a single charge. In terms of sound quality, its “extra bass” technology delivers powerful, clear bass despite its size, resulting in full, deep, resonating sound. Its design is minimalist but beautiful and it demonstrates sturdy build quality. It is also very easy to set it up, pair it with your device and use it. Overall, the Sony SRSXB2 is a compact speaker that can deliver adequate volume output in order to party everywhere and it is particularly good at reproducing bass heavy music genres such as EDM and Hip-Hop.
Overall, the Sony SRSXB2 is an excellent Bluetooth speaker that’s great for outdoor parties and events with loud sound output, and we highly recommend them.
#9 Most Powerful: Sony GTKXB7BC Home Speaker
Sound Quality: Clean sound with good bass response
Battery Life: N/A
What we liked: Powerful sound, loud volume, no distortion
View full specs: Sony GTKXB7BC Speaker
The Sony GTKXB7BC is a high power home audio system that features both Bluetooth and NFC connectivity for easy pairing with your device. Its “extra bass” technology delivers powerful, clear bass sound despite its size. It is easy to use as you can plug and play with your favorite devices via USB. It features LED speaker illumination and the LED light speakers feature multicolor patterns, ranging from pure white to rainbow that synchronize with the rhythm of the beat. A flexible two-way design allows you to set it up horizontally or flip it upright and a built-in sensor optimizes how sound is processed to stereo sound, whichever setup you choose.
The sound performance of the Sony GTKXB7BC speaker is extremely powerful, with crystal clear highs, clean midranges and deep bass performance. They can literally transform your home into a disco party with punchy beats and loud volume notes with virtually no distortion. The speaker is very fun to listen to and the wireless Bluetooth streaming
Using its Party Chain technology, you can connect multiple stereos in a chain that can sync together for a higher sound output. You can activate one device to be the ‘Party Host’ and sync music with the other systems in the chain, allowing you to fill bigger spaces with music. You can also hook up to the speaker a TV, speaker or other audio-video equipment with audio input/output to give your home entertainment an audio boost. An AC cord, batteries (AAA), and a remote control are included in the package.
#10 Most Well-Balanced: Sony SRSHG1 Wireless Speaker
Sound Quality: High-resolution sound, great volume
Battery Life: 12 hours
What we liked: Deep punchy bass, well-balanced tones
The Sony SRSHG1 is a high resolution wireless speaker that is capable of delivering premium quality sound. Its High-Resolution Audio support plays music in higher quality than MP3s or CDs. Its “extra bass” technology can boost the low end, delivering deep and full sound despite its compact size. Its lightweight and portable design allows it to be carried everywhere and it is made to deliver great sound quality both indoors and outdoors. It comes in charcoal black color, featuring simple but beautiful design and it is made with high quality materials that ensure sturdy build quality and durability.
The sound performance of the Sony SRSHG1 is crisp and deep, and delivers low-end notes with vibrant sound details and effects. The battery life is quite long, allowing it to play continuously for up to 12 hours on a single charge. It is easy to connect with your smartphone, tablet or any Smart device using NFC or Bluetooth connectivity.
The SongPal app is available to control the speaker and access your music collection through your device over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Additionally, SongPal can be used to customize sound settings to ensure balanced audio and control multi-room listening. Overall, the Sony SRSHG1 is a powerful speaker that is suitable for audiophiles that want to enjoy premium sound quality on the go.
The 6 Best Speakers For Parties. Spring 2023 Reviews
If you’re looking for a speaker to use at your next party, it’s important to have a speaker that can get loud enough to fill large, crowded spaces. Speakers designed for parties are often large and heavy since they tend to reproduce deeper and thumpier low-basses than smaller speakers. They also often come with RGB lights and inputs to connect external microphones and instruments to them. If you’re looking for the best Bluetooth speaker for outdoor parties, being battery-powered is a must, so you’re not limited by power outlets when placing it. It’s also good if it has an IP rating for water resistance to survive splashes and light rain.
We’ve tested over 110 speakers, and below are our recommendations for the best speakers we’ve tested to use at parties. See also our recommendations for the best Bluetooth speakers, the best Bluetooth speakers for bass, and the loudest Bluetooth speakers.
Best Speaker For Parties
JBL PartyBox 310
The best speaker for parties we’ve tested is the JBL PartyBox 310. It’s a great choice for your next big event, with many unique features designed to amp up the excitement as you rock out to your favorite tunes. Right out of the box, this speaker brings lots of thump and rumble in the bass, meaning you can rattle the dance floor with genres like EDM and hip-hop. Plus, it gets super loud, and its customizable RGB lights let you set the mood however you like. With a more than seventeen-hour battery life, you can keep dancing late into the night. Like many JBL party speakers, this device has some added tools to bring excitement to your next celebration. Karaoke lovers can plug their microphones and guitars right into the speaker to jam out with their favorite tunes, and the JBL PartyBox app brings some additional effects to adjust the microphone’s performance for the best possible sound. You’ll also find many sound customization tools in the app, so you can switch up the speaker’s sound across the range using its graphic EQ or bump up the bass with the aptly-named Bass Boost tool. Overall, this is a really powerful speaker that’s lots of fun.
Best Mid-Range Speaker For Parties
JBL PartyBox 110
If you’re shopping for a party speaker on a tighter budget, the JBL PartyBox 110 might be for you. It’s a smaller and more affordable cousin to the JBL PartyBox 310, with many of the same fun features and tools to amp up the energy at your next big event. Again, you get access to the JBL PartyBox app, where you’ll find customization tools to switch up the colors and patterns for the RGB lights, as well as a graphic EQ and Bass Boost preset to change up its sound. Plus, the DJ and karaoke effects let you make the most of the included microphone and guitar inputs if you want to host a sing-a-long at your next party. Given its smaller size, this speaker doesn’t get as loud as the PartyBox 310. It reproduces a little less low-bass, too, so you feel a touch less thump and rumble with bass-centric genres like EDM and hip-hop. That said, it’s a small difference overall, and this party speaker can easily fill larger and more open spaces. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two devices comes down to their portability—while the 110 is smaller, it doesn’t come with wheels or a telescopic handle for transport like the 310. Instead, you have to carry it with your hands. It’s not ideal for everyone, but depending on your preferences, you may still find that this speaker is a better value overall.
Best Budget Speaker For Parties
ION Pathfinder 280
The Best Bookshelf Speakers for Most Stereos
The price of the Triangle Borea BR03 has dropped, so we’re moving it from upgrade pick to top pick. The Q Acoustics 3020i is moving to runner-up.
A great pair of bookshelf speakers is one of the best investments a music lover can make. It should last for years and deliver better performance than you can get from the majority of all-in-one Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speakers that are all the rage now. The Q Acoustics 3020i is our favorite pair of passive bookshelf speakers to mate with your favorite stereo receiver, while the excellent Edifier S1000MKII pair is a more complete option with built-in amplifiers and Bluetooth.
How we picked and tested
To meet every reader’s needs, we tested traditional passive speakers as well as active (powered) speakers.
We cover everything from under-50 budget speakers up to audiophile-oriented models costing as much as 600 per pair.
We tested speakers with expert listeners, and we concealed the identities of the products to eliminate bias.
In addition to our subjective panel testing, we measured each system to get an unbiased “second opinion” and detect any anomalies.
The best passive bookshelf speakers
The 3020i speakers deliver great detail and a spacious sound, and their design and build quality are better than what you get from most speakers in their price range.
Buying Options
The Q Acoustics 3020i speakers sound and look fantastic, and they play music of all genres with great detail and clarity. In vocal reproduction, this pair ranked among the most natural-sounding of all the speakers we tested, and each 3020i speaker produces a solid amount of bass for its size—though fans of bass-heavy music may want more. The 3020i is also beautifully designed, with high-quality speaker-cable binding posts, nicely rounded corners that resist chipping, a magnetically attached grille, and four finish options.
Decent sound at an impressively low price
The B652 set isn’t handsome, but it’s surprisingly good for the price, making it perfect for workrooms, kids rooms, and other places where expensive speakers don’t make sense.
Buying Options
In the decade since its introduction, the Dayton Audio B652 has become synonymous with “good super-cheap speaker.” Despite its cost-slashed construction and parts, the B652 set manages to sound better than most under-100-per-pair speakers, with surprisingly clear sonics on male voices (though female singers can sound a bit harsh). Pair this set with an inexpensive amplifier, and it will give you better sound than most top-of-the-line wireless speakers produce, for a much lower price.
A step up in sound quality
The Borea BR03 is one of the best bookshelf speaker sets we’ve heard, with extraordinary clarity and spaciousness plus plenty of bass.
Buying Options
The Triangle Borea BR03 pair is a great buy for serious music lovers who want the enveloping, captivating sound of real audiophile-grade speakers but don’t want to spend thousands of dollars or sacrifice a lot of floor space on tower speakers. The looks are refined (four finish options are available), and the engineering is outstanding. The Borea BR03 largely eliminates the unnatural sonic colorations—such as boomy, thin, or harsh sound—that come from almost all less-expensive speakers, and it produces a fuller, more satisfying sound than most bookshelf speakers do.
The best powered bookshelf speakers
The S1000MKII powered-speaker pair delivers best-in-class sound, looks nice, and comes with useful features such as built-in Bluetooth, bass and treble controls, and a remote.
Buying Options
The Edifier S1000MKII is the best affordable powered speaker system we’ve heard—as was its predecessor, the S1000DB, the former top pick in our now-retired guide to the best wireless powered bookshelf speakers. Among all the powered speakers we tested, the S1000MKII pair produced the most enveloping sound; its vocal reproduction was realistic, too, and its bass was impressively full. It also looks nicer than most powered speakers do, although its styling is decidedly old-school. It includes bass and treble controls for you to fine-tune the sound to your liking, as well as a remote, a variety of input options, and built-in Bluetooth.
Great powered speakers for vinyl enthusiasts
These versatile, good-sounding speakers offer the widest variety of connection options, including a phono input for a record player.
Buying Options
At the time of publishing, the price was 330.
The Klipsch R-51PM set is a great choice for vinyl-record enthusiasts because it includes a phono input, so you can easily connect most record players without having to buy a separate phono preamp. (What’s a phono preamp? Learn more about it in our blog post.) The addition of USB and optical digital audio inputs, a subwoofer output to connect a powered subwoofer, and a nice remote control give the system excellent versatility. The R-51PM’s audio performance isn’t quite as good as that of the Edifier S1000MKII, but the 5.25-inch woofer in this speaker does allow the system to produce a reasonable amount of bass.
The best passive bookshelf speakers
The 3020i speakers deliver great detail and a spacious sound, and their design and build quality are better than what you get from most speakers in their price range.
Decent sound at an impressively low price
The B652 set isn’t handsome, but it’s surprisingly good for the price, making it perfect for workrooms, kids rooms, and other places where expensive speakers don’t make sense.
A step up in sound quality
The Borea BR03 is one of the best bookshelf speaker sets we’ve heard, with extraordinary clarity and spaciousness plus plenty of bass.
Sony Bluetooth Speaker #bluetooth #sony #unboxing #soundsystem
The best powered bookshelf speakers
The S1000MKII powered-speaker pair delivers best-in-class sound, looks nice, and comes with useful features such as built-in Bluetooth, bass and treble controls, and a remote.
Great powered speakers for vinyl enthusiasts
These versatile, good-sounding speakers offer the widest variety of connection options, including a phono input for a record player.
Buying Options
At the time of publishing, the price was 330.
Why you should trust us
I started reviewing speakers professionally in 1991 as senior editor of Video magazine, and I’ve since served as an editor or writer at audio-focused publications such as Home Theater, Sound Vision, SoundStage, and HomeTheaterReview.com. In that time, I’ve written reviews of at least 1,000 speaker systems ranging in price from 5 to more than 500,000, and I’ve published more brand-concealed, multiple-listener speaker evaluations than any other audio journalist in the world. I began measuring speaker performance in 1997 and have worked as a consultant on speaker tuning and measurement for some of the world’s biggest tech companies. I’m mentioned in the most popular text on speaker design, Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, and I have written for Voice Coil, the leading trade magazine for the speaker industry. I regularly attend audio-measurement clinics and conferences, and I’m a member of the Audio Engineering Society, which publishes most of the leading research on audio.
We’ve employed various listening panelists over the history of this guide, most recently including Wirecutter updates writer Nena Farrell, Wirecutter senior staff writer and headphone expert Lauren Dragan, and John Higgins (Lauren’s spouse), a professional musician and composer who has also written for Wirecutter and Home Theater.
Who should get this
Bookshelf speakers are great for the music lover who wants better performance than anyone can get from the vast majority of one-piece, wireless tabletop speakers that dominate the scene right now. As the name suggests, these speakers are sized to fit on a shelf or to be mounted in a stand. They don’t take up as much visual or physical space as larger tower speakers do—and they don’t put out as much bass, either. But for most people and most music styles, a good pair of bookshelf speakers will deliver a satisfyingly complete sound. (And if you really want more bass, you can often add a subwoofer.)
This guide combines two previous guides and thus covers two product categories: passive bookshelf speakers, which you must pair with a stereo receiver, stereo amplifier, or AV receiver, and powered bookshelf speakers, which have built-in amplifiers and inputs for analog audio sources and may incorporate a Bluetooth receiver, digital audio inputs, and/or a phono input to connect a record player.
Top 5: Best Portable Sony Speakers in 2023
A good set of passive bookshelf speakers is an investment that will last longer than most other audio gear you can buy today and will never become obsolete. You can pair passive bookshelf speakers with a Bluetooth-equipped stereo receiver (such as the Sony STR-DH190) or with a streaming amplifier (such as the Sonos Amp) to get the latest music-streaming technologies, and if you decide to upgrade your system as new technologies arise, the passive speakers will still work fine. It’s fairly common to see audio enthusiasts using refurbished 50-year-old speakers with modern amplifiers and sources.
Compared with passive speakers, powered models are a more plug-and-play, all-in-one option. They eliminate at least one component (the receiver/amplifier) and at least one cable. Some powered speakers (including one of our picks) even incorporate a phono preamp so you can plug a turntable straight into them. High-end powered speaker systems can offer technical advantages—such as separate amplifiers and digital signal processing for each speaker driver to precisely tune the sound—but in the price ranges we’re covering here, neither type of speaker can claim a clear sonic advantage.
Bookshelf speakers aren’t just for music, either. For movie and TV watching, a pair of good bookshelf speakers can deliver much better dynamics and vocal clarity than the speakers built into any TV, and many of our recommendations have a matching center speaker designed more specifically for dialogue reproduction. However, if you know from the start that you want to build a multichannel home theater system, check out our guide to the best surround-sound speakers for most people, where we review complete systems that include a center speaker, surround speakers, and a subwoofer. Our picks in that guide are tailored more for use in a home theater setup, where the speakers don’t need as much bass (because the use of a subwoofer is assumed) and high volumes are more common.
The Best Surround-Sound Systems Under 2,500
Stylish design and great sound make the Polk Signature Elite ES15. ES10. and ES30 combo our pick for the best surround-sound system.
How we picked
Because this guide combines two previous guides—covering passive bookshelf speakers and powered speakers—we had to consider many speaker types and the needs of many different types of listeners. Here are the criteria we considered when deciding which models to test:
- Size and styling: These speakers are all styled to suit a typical living room or den. If you need something to use with a computer, for gaming or audio production, check out our best computer speakers guide. We looked only at speakers that are small enough to actually fit on a large, sturdy shelf or perhaps on a credenza or table—but also large enough to produce sufficient bass on their own without a subwoofer. Note that you can get better sound from these speakers by placing them on stands (such as the Sanus BF24B or Monoprice 39494) rather than on a shelf; reflections off a shelf can alter the sound, a speaker on a shelf is positioned close to the wall (which is likely to make it sound boomy), and the shelf and whatever else is on it may rattle.
- Cost: Our price limit for both the passive and powered categories was 600 per pair. Above that price, you’re getting into models for serious audio enthusiasts, who have probably already developed strong ideas about the kinds of speakers they want. Previously we had set a floor of 100 per pair, but readers have requested something practical to use with an inexpensive mini stereo amplifier, so we eliminated that criterion.
- Configuration: All of the models we looked at are two-way designs, with one tweeter (for high frequencies) positioned above one woofer (for low frequencies) or vice versa. The addition of a mid-range driver or extra woofers generally pushed a speaker above our price range. We didn’t consider single-driver models because good, affordable two-way models can easily outperform them.
- Wireless connectivity: Among powered speakers, we looked only at models that include Bluetooth. Some of the models we tested offered support for more advanced Bluetooth codecs, such as aptX or aptX HD, but we didn’t require those.
- Extra features: All powered speakers include at least one analog audio input, but we tried to find models with other useful features, such as a phono input, digital audio inputs, and a remote control.
What Do You Get When You Spend for Speakers?
A pair of speakers can cost anywhere from two to seven figures. Brent Butterworth explains what improvements you might get when you spend more.
With the above criteria in mind, we scanned sites such as Amazon, Audio Advisor, Best Buy, and Crutchfield to see what new models were available, and we reached out to manufacturers we thought might be introducing new models in these categories. Our most recent round of testing, completed in January 2022, included nine new passive models and two new powered models.
How we tested
Before conducting listening tests, I broke in each speaker pair for 10 hours with music. I then listened to each system casually for a couple of days, getting a rough idea of its pros and cons and looking for any difficulties a listener might experience during setup and everyday use.
I then moved on to more formal testing, in which I concealed all the speakers behind a sheet of thin, black fabric in my acoustically treated listening room. As research shows, reliable, unbiased comparison tests of audio products can occur only if the identities of the products are concealed from the listener and if the volume levels are matched.
I used two different switchers to move between systems: an Audio by Van Alstine AVA ABX (with two Outlaw Audio Model 2200 amplifiers) for the passive speakers and a switcher I built myself to test the active speakers. These switchers allowed me to match the levels of all the speakers within ±0.5 decibel, using channel-level calibration tones recorded from a Dolby Digital receiver along with an NTi Minilyzer audio analyzer and a Mini SPL measurement microphone set for flat response (that is, no A- or C-weighting). The switchers also let me move among the speakers (labeled only by number) without knowing which one I was hearing.
I then conducted several rounds of brand-concealed tests with a listening panel, comparing speakers within categories such as small and large or affordable and expensive, and sometimes also compared speakers across price categories to get an idea of what improvements you might hear by spending more. We used a wide variety of music for testing, including Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” (found by audio testing experts at Harman International to be the all-around best overall choice for speaker listening tests), Lil Baby’s “Woah,” Cécile McLorin Salvant’s version of “Wives and Lovers,” and the live version of James Taylor’s “Shower the People” digitally dubbed from the Live at the Beacon Theatre DVD. Except for the James Taylor tune, which was a 256 kbps MP3, I streamed all the tracks losslessly via the Qobuz streaming service so that I could be sure any flaws we heard weren’t due to a Bluetooth codec.
In these tests, we listened mostly for the following:
- Voice clarity: Unless you’re testing subwoofers, any evaluation of an audio device should FOCUS heavily on its voice reproduction. Because humans hear other people’s voices so much, people are especially sensitive to the naturalness of voice reproduction, and the human ear is most sensitive to the frequency range where the human voice resides. Many musical instruments, such as saxophone and guitar, cover a similar frequency range. Voice reproduction is the toughest thing to get right on a speaker, and all of our picks performed better in this area than their competitors did.
- Imaging and spaciousness: Imaging is the ability of stereo speakers to produce focused sonic “images” of the various singers and instruments positioned between the speakers, and sometimes even outside the speakers. Spaciousness, or soundstaging, is the feeling of envelopment that stereo speakers can produce, with the sound seeming to wrap around the listener and reach far beyond the wall behind the speakers; ideally, this characteristic gives some sense of the space where the recording was made (or of the reverb added during mixing). Often, a speaker system does imaging well but doesn’t sound spacious, or vice versa; we preferred speakers that did at least a pretty good job on both.
- Bass: Research shows that listeners prefer speakers that can play deep bass notes cleanly and loudly. The bass must also be reproduced at a level consistent with the mid range and treble, otherwise the sound becomes boomy or thin. We tested the speakers’ bass by playing bass-heavy tunes such as Lil Baby’s “Woah” at loud volume, listening for the “tearing” sound of distortion, as well as the “chuffing” sound when a speaker is trying to push too much air through its bass port; both of those noises can make listening intolerable. We also listened to typical pop tunes, such as Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” to make sure the bass didn’t drown out voices and other instruments.
Finally, I did lab measurements to compare the speakers’ performance, a process that effectively gave me an unbiased “second opinion”; you can read more about this process and see the results in the Measurements section.
Note that we didn’t make a budget pick for powered speakers because we didn’t like any of the inexpensive ones we tried. If you’re looking for powered speakers that cost less and sound good, check out our best computer speakers guide.
The Best Computer Speakers
The Pioneer DJ DM-50D-BT is the best-sounding pair of computer speakers we’ve heard in the 200 price range.
The best passive bookshelf speakers: Q Acoustics 3020i
The best passive bookshelf speakers
The 3020i speakers deliver great detail and a spacious sound, and their design and build quality are better than what you get from most speakers in their price range.
Buying Options
The Q Acoustics 3020i set has pretty much everything most people could ask for in a pair of passive bookshelf speakers. First and foremost, the 3020i performs beautifully, offering a clear, spacious sound on vocals and instruments that’s at least as good as anything we’ve heard in its price range. The speakers are also nicely designed for the price, with custom binding posts, magnetically attached grilles, a decor-friendly 10.875-inch height, and nicely rounded corners that resist chipping. The 3020i pair comes in a variety of finishes to match your decor.
What stands out in the 3020i’s performance is the detail and clarity that these speakers bring out in every recording. In our tests with Holly Cole’s version of “Train Song,” the sound sparkled, filling the room with the jingle of percussion instruments and the subtle sounds of fingers scraping the strings of the double bass. This impressive level of detail should be just as beneficial with the drum machine and electronic effects on hip-hop tunes, as well as the dozens of interwoven instrumental sounds on orchestral recordings. On more mainstream pop recordings in our tests, the 3020i set performed equally impressively, presenting a natural and detailed sound on voices and guitars.
Part of this clarity comes from the 3020i’s slightly bright tonal balance, which means the treble seems subtly emphasized. This effect may be a perception created by the modest bass output of the 3020i’s relatively small 5-inch woofer. It’s a tonal balance that audiophiles tend to love because it makes music seem a little more exciting and captivating.
It’s obvious that a great deal of thought went into the 3020i’s industrial design—something we wouldn’t say about most bookshelf speaker pairs priced under 500, which are usually plain-looking black boxes. Each speaker’s cabinet is finished in a vinyl wrap that looks far better than the faux wood grain you usually see at this price. The availability of four different finishes (white, black, gray, and walnut) makes this speaker easier to match with your room. The grille uses magnets instead of plastic tabs and grommets, which gives the front of each speaker a clean look when you remove the grille.
The frequency response measurements for the 3020i looked very good, with a variance of only about ±2.6 decibels through most of the audio range. That means voices and instruments will sound pretty much like they’re supposed to. Measured bass output from a pair of 3020i speakers was 107.6 dB.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The Q Acoustics 3020i set has enough bass for most music styles, but with just a 5-inch woofer, it’s no low-end powerhouse. In our measurements, the 3020i pair had roughly 8 to 9 decibels less bass output than what larger speakers like the Triangle Borea BR03 and ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 sets could produce, so fans of bass-heavy music might prefer one of those options. The 3020i also has a slightly bright tonal balance that may leave some listeners craving a fuller sound or yearning to add a subwoofer.
The binding posts are short, which makes it somewhat challenging to fit in bare speaker wire larger than 14 gauge. The 3020i cabinet is ported to help improve bass output, but because the port is rear-facing instead of front-facing, the speakers will sound boomy if you push them against a wall—and the fact that they’re rather deep, at 10.5 inches, makes it more likely you’ll need to push them back against the wall. The speakers come with foam plugs for those ports if you do place them next to the wall, but that will reduce the bass output. Using speaker stands like the Sanus BF24B or Monoprice 39494 can also solve this problem.
Budget pick: Dayton Audio B652
Decent sound at an impressively low price
The B652 set isn’t handsome, but it’s surprisingly good for the price, making it perfect for workrooms, kids rooms, and other places where expensive speakers don’t make sense.
Buying Options
The under-50 Dayton Audio B652 passive-speaker pair is the ideal complement to an inexpensive mini stereo amplifier or an old receiver you’d like to put to good use. This pair costs little more than you might expect to pay to ship them, yet they’re fully functional speakers that sound good enough for background music in settings you might deem too hazardous for a nice set of speakers, such as a workshop or a child’s playroom. Their dull black vinyl covering and plain design won’t suit high-style living spaces (unless you want to add an ironic touch), but they’ll probably sound better than all but the best one-piece wireless speakers. I’ve owned a pair for about a decade, and I’ve found many uses for them.
The B652’s 6.5-inch woofer covers most of the audio Band, from the bass to the mid-treble. In our tests it did a reasonable job with the bass notes in most light rock and pop music. The 0.5-inch tweeter is really there only to add a little sparkle to the sound—although that “sparkle” might be more accurately described as glare. We found that the more high-frequency sounds the music contained, the harsher the B652 sounded. With most male voices, such as John Legend or James Taylor, the tweeter is barely in the mix because a filter capacitor inside the speaker limits the tweeter to frequencies above about 6 kHz (almost 2 kHz above the highest note on a piano). With most female voices and higher-pitched instruments, such as cymbals and acoustic guitars, the tweeter is more active, and the sound can become harsh and fatiguing if you play it loud.
From the front, the B652 speakers are close in size to the 3020i set, but they have a more basic look, with a dull black vinyl covering. Photo: Michael Hession
The B652 uses spring-clip connectors, not binding posts, to hold the speaker wire. Photo: Michael Hession
Cautious as my recommendation may seem, the B652 did sound clearly better than every other inexpensive speaker I compared it with, including models from Micca and OSD as well as Dayton Audio’s B652-AIR, a costlier and supposedly better version of the B652 that uses a fancier tweeter.
The B652 is a sealed-box design with no bass ports, so you can place the speakers against a wall without making the bass sound too boomy. A keyhole mounting bracket on the back makes it easy to hang each speaker from a drywall screw; in my lab, I have a set hanging this way, which I use to produce noise for headphone measurements. At just 11.875 inches high, 6.5 inches deep, and 7 inches wide, each B652 speaker is compact enough to fit on most bookshelves, and because each speaker weighs only 4.7 pounds, most shelves can support them both easily. A removable grille is included.
The B652 has two real downsides. One is that you’ll probably have to pay for shipping, although that was only 8 last time we checked. The other is that the speaker-cable connectors are the cheap spring-clip type, which tend to produce a looser connection than good binding posts do—but for inexpensive spring clips, they keep a pretty firm grip on the speaker cable.
The B652’s frequency response measurements weren’t impressive, although any attempt on Dayton Audio’s part to make them better would almost certainly involve increasing the cost. The mid range looked quite flat, but there was a big peak at 3.6 kHz—a frequency often reached by the upper harmonics of female vocals, but not so often by male vocals. Despite the use of a relatively large, 6.5-inch woofer, the B652’s compact enclosure limited its bass output to an average of 102.2 dB for two speakers from 40 to 63 Hz—noticeably below that of any of our other picks—although this set had fairly decent output of 89.2 dB all the way down to 31.5 Hz. If you really want bass for a B652-based garage sound system, you’d better add an inexpensive subwoofer.
Upgrade pick: Triangle Borea BR03
A step up in sound quality
The Borea BR03 is one of the best bookshelf speaker sets we’ve heard, with extraordinary clarity and spaciousness plus plenty of bass.
Buying Options
Audio enthusiasts might think they should spend more on speakers than the cost of the Triangle Borea BR03 pair, but this is such a satisfying set of passive speakers that I’m not sure you really need to spend more. The BR03 provides a clear step up in sound quality over the lower-cost models we recommend, offering the most natural, balanced sound we’ve heard from a bookshelf speaker priced under 1,000 per pair—and there’s no real need for a subwoofer unless you’re a deep-bass fanatic. Its performance is bound to please practically any listener, and we like the sophisticated, minimalist design, which should suit almost any space.
Most audio reviewers quickly notice what they don’t like about a speaker, but even after hours of listening to the BR03, I can’t think of a significant complaint. Even when we played Lil Baby’s ultra-bass-intensive “Woah” at a loud volume, the BR03 didn’t distort, and it produced only a barely perceptible amount of “chuffing” from its front ports. Every part of the audio spectrum, from deep bass to mid range to treble, sounded natural, and we noticed no sonic flaws that distracted from the music. Voices, in particular, sounded smooth, with no harshness, boominess, or chestiness, no matter the gender or range of the singer. We especially loved that the treble had a just-right character; it always had enough detail and sparkle to hold our attention but never veered into sounding bright, thin, or harsh. Speakers with boosted treble can sound more exciting than the BR03, but to us they don’t sound as natural.
The Borea BR03 is larger than our other passive-speaker picks, but its just-right proportions keep it from looking intrusive. Photo: Michael Hession
We also think few would complain about the BR03’s design and shape. It’s available in a black or walnut finish with a black front panel, or in a white or light oak finish with a white baffle. A magnetically attached grille is included to protect the speaker drivers. At 15 inches high, 8.125 inches wide, and 12.5 inches deep, it’s the tallest of our picks, but its just-right proportions make it seem less visually intrusive.
The BR03 cabinet features a front-facing port, so pushing the speakers back close to a wall is less of a concern than it is with rear-ported models like the Q Acoustics 3020i. Front ports can make chuffing noises more audible, but the noises are so low with the BR03 that this isn’t a concern for us.
Frequency response measurements for the BR03 were excellent, with a variation of about ±2.5 decibels through most of the audio range and an even balance of bass to mid range to treble. This means that voices and instruments sound natural, and the speakers don’t add much coloration of their own. In our tests, a pair of BR03 speakers put out an impressive 116.7 dB average bass between 40 and 63 Hz, with 90.9 dB at 31.5 Hz—slightly more than the Q Acoustics 3020i could manage at the less-demanding frequency of 40 Hz. So even though this speaker set seems intended for audiophiles, who tend to prefer acoustic music, it’s also a great choice for hip-hop, RB, and electronic music.
The best powered bookshelf speakers: Edifier S1000MKII
The best powered bookshelf speakers
The S1000MKII powered-speaker pair delivers best-in-class sound, looks nice, and comes with useful features such as built-in Bluetooth, bass and treble controls, and a remote.
Buying Options
The Edifier S1000MKII is an updated version of the S1000DB set, which was the top pick in our guide to the best wireless powered bookshelf speakers (which we’ve now rolled into this guide), and in our brand-concealed tests it was every bit as excellent as its predecessor was. The new model appears almost identical but has a nicer remote and adds support for the aptX HD Bluetooth codec, which can deliver somewhat better sound from PCs and Android devices. It’s a well-tuned system that delivers fuller, more natural sound than almost all of its competitors, and it has more refined (if old-fashioned) looks and sturdier construction than most of them.
Among the powered speakers we tested, the S1000MKII set is the least expensive of our three clear favorites, the others being the Monoprice MM-5R and PSB Alpha AM5. Perhaps the most distinctive thing about the S1000MKII pair’s performance is that it produced such a huge soundstage—the instruments seemed to spread across the entire width of the room, well beyond the speakers themselves. Otherwise, the S1000MKII set just does its job well without many noticeable sonic flaws, something that we can’t say about most powered speakers in its price range. Voices sounded natural, with perhaps a slightly exaggerated treble, and the bass, while a bit too punchy on occasion, was loud, full, and clear. Also, we’d guess that many people would prefer the S1000MKII’s styling to the “plain black box” look of the Monoprice and PSB models, but that’s a matter of individual taste.
The right speaker houses the amplifier and inputs, including optical and coaxial digital inputs and two stereo analog inputs. A proprietary 16-foot cable connects the two speakers. Photo: Michael Hession
The S1000MKII is the first powered speaker system we’ve tried that supports the aptX HD Bluetooth codec, a newer version of the aptX codec that runs at a higher data rate. As I discovered when putting together the Bluetooth codec comparison on my personal website, aptX HD does sound better than aptX and the standard SBC Bluetooth codec, although the difference isn’t dramatic. To use aptX HD, you need an Android device that supports it or a PC with an aptX HD Bluetooth dongle. For more details, read our blog post about Bluetooth codecs.
The back panel has two stereo analog inputs plus optical and coaxial digital inputs, as well as bass and treble controls and a volume control that doubles as an input-selector button. The amplifier is located in the right speaker, and the two speakers connect with a proprietary cable that’s 16 feet long—you’re unlikely to need anything longer. The package includes a remote that controls volume, source selection, and play/pause/track-skip for Bluetooth devices.
The S1000MKII lacks some features found on competing models, such as the Klipsch R-51PM. For starters, it doesn’t include a phono input to connect a turntable, so you’d need to pair these speakers with an external phono preamp or a turntable that has one built in. It also has no output to connect a subwoofer, if you want more bass.
At 13.3 inches high, 11.5 inches deep, and 7.9 inches wide for each speaker, the S1000MKII pair is a little large, but the system is beautifully made, with real wood sides. That said, the styling is definitely old-school, more suited for a wood-paneled study than a contemporary living room. The rear-facing bass ports make it unwise to push these speakers up against a wall because blocking the ports reduces the bass. The grille attaches to the speaker via steel posts that stick out from the front baffle, so the pair looks much better with the grille on, but the grille is extra-thin and has little effect on the sound.
The frequency response measurements for the S1000MKII were a little shocking in that they were the best of any of the speakers we tested. The mid range, especially, looked extremely flat, varying by only ±2 decibels, which is why voices sounded so natural. We suggest keeping the tone controls centered because this speaker sounds its best right out of the box. Measured bass output was impressive, at 106.3 dB from 40 to 63 Hz, and it stayed strong all the way down to 31.5 Hz, where the system output 84.7 dB. That makes the S1000MKII pair a good choice for hip-hop, pop, and RB, which tend to have a lot of deep bass.
Also great: Klipsch R-51PM
Great powered speakers for vinyl enthusiasts
These versatile, good-sounding speakers offer the widest variety of connection options, including a phono input for a record player.
Buying Options
At the time of publishing, the price was 330.
Klipsch’s R-51PM, which was another pick in our previously separate guide to the best wireless powered bookshelf speakers, is one of the most versatile powered speakers we’ve encountered because it has almost every type of audio input we can think of, including a phono input for connecting a turntable, a USB input for a computer, an optical digital connection for TVs, Bluetooth, and a standard analog line input. This set produces a generally full and natural sound, though we think it could use a little more bass—but there is a subwoofer output, so adding a sub is easy. To our ears, it didn’t sound quite as good as the Edifier S1000MKII pair, but our eyes appreciated the R-51PM’s more compact form and contemporary look.
In my current tests and in the original panel tests we conducted for the previous wireless powered speaker guide, we gave the R-15PM speakers positive feedback for their sound quality, but everyone concluded that voices sounded a bit bright and trebly, which suggests this set could use a little more bass (although some audiophiles may disagree). This system does have a defeatable dynamic bass control that boosts the bass at low volumes, but in our experience it didn’t seem to help, especially considering we did most of our testing at moderately loud levels. However, the inclusion of a subwoofer output does allow you to add your own subwoofer, and the R-51PM’s remote control includes subwoofer output-level controls, so you can fine-tune the bass level without adjusting your subwoofer’s controls.
Although many inexpensive turntables have a phono preamp or Bluetooth support built in and thus don’t need to be connected to powered speakers with a dedicated phono input, higher-quality turntables and older turntables do need a phono input—so its inclusion on the R-51PM makes for a clean, easy setup. You could adapt any powered stereo speaker system for use with such turntables through the addition of an outboard phono preamp, but that’s more money to spend, plus an extra set of cables to connect and an extra power supply to plug in.
The R-51PM has an unusually versatile set of connection options, including a phono input and an optical digital audio input. It offers standard speaker-cable connectors to join the speakers, so you can sub in a longer cable if you need it. Photo: Michael Hession
The Line/Phono switch sets the red and white RCA jacks to the right to work with a turntable output or a standard line audio source. Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald
The Klipsch R-51PM comes with a nice remote that includes subwoofer output-level controls, so you can fine-tune the bass level without having to make adjustments on the subwoofer itself (if you add one). Photo: Michael Hession
The R-51PM has an unusually versatile set of connection options, including a phono input and an optical digital audio input. It offers standard speaker-cable connectors to join the speakers, so you can sub in a longer cable if you need it. Photo: Michael Hession
The R-51PM set is especially suitable for use with a TV not only because of its optical digital input, but also because the manual provides codes for programming remotes from DirecTV and RCA satellite receivers and ATT, Bright House, and Xfinity cable boxes to control the R-51PM’s volume and mute functions.
Each R-51PM speaker measures 13.3 inches high by 9.1 inches deep by 7 inches wide, so a pair isn’t quite as bulky as the Edifier S1000MKII set. But like the S1000MKII, the R-51PM has rear bass ports, which means you can’t back the speakers up tight against a wall without affecting the sound quality. Klipsch also offers a smaller model with the same inputs and features, the R-41PM; we haven’t listened to it, but considering that the larger R-51PM could use a bit more bass, we expect we’d feel the need for more low end to an even greater extent with the smaller model.
In the R-51PM’s frequency response measurements, we did see a rise of a couple of decibels in the treble, specifically between 3.5 and 7.5 kHz, which is where cymbals and the upper harmonics of the human voice, snare drum, acoustic guitar, and flute reside. That’s why this speaker sounded a little trebly. Measured bass output of the total system was 105.4 dB from 40 to 63 Hz, just 0.9 decibel below the result from the Edified S1000MKII, but at 31.5 Hz the Klipsch set’s output was 7 decibels lower, a difference you’d notice when playing hip-hop and recent RB recordings.
Other good bookshelf speakers
If you want more bass than the Q Acoustics 3020i delivers: Our former runner-up pick in this guide, the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 is a great speaker pair that comes close to the Q Acoustics 3020i in sound quality. The 3020i set sounds more detailed and spacious, but the B6.2 pair plays louder and puts out more bass—an average of 7.7 decibels more between 40 and 63 Hz—so it might be the better choice for fans of bass-heavy music. However, the B6.2 is much larger and sports the plain, vinyl-wrapped black-box look for which speakers are often loathed. This is also our runner-up pick in our guide to the best surround-sound speakers for most people.
If you want a slightly smaller, more affordable upgrade option than the Triangle Borea BR03: The KEF Q150 bookshelf speaker pair was our previous upgrade pick in this guide because it sounds even clearer and more detailed than the Q Acoustics 3020i—but the Triangle Borea BR03 equals the Q150 in performance while offering roughly double the maximum bass output (10 decibels more). However, the Q150 is 3 inches shorter and 1 inch narrower than the BR03, and it often goes on sale for about half off the list price, in which case it’s a fantastic buy.
If you want smaller active speakers for an office or bedroom where you may not need or want loud volumes and deep bass: Even though the Audioengine HD3 powered speakers measure only 7 inches high, they put out a surprisingly full sound that our listeners liked in previous panel tests. The system can’t pump out low bass, but it doesn’t sound thin, either—and adding a subwoofer is easy, thanks to an analog audio output whose level you control with the HD3’s volume knob. The HD3 offers a rich array of features, including aptX HD Bluetooth, a USB digital input, and a front headphone output.
If you want a step up in sound quality from the Edifier S1000MKII and don’t mind paying more: In our tests, the Monoprice MM-5R and PSB Alpha AM5 powered-speaker pairs sounded a little clearer with voices than the Edifier S1000MKII set did. The Polk Alpha AM5 has a more focused and intimate sound that fans of jazz, classical, and acoustic pop may find appealing, but it distorts more with bass-heavy music. It has a phono input and a convenient front volume/input-selector knob, which the S1000MKII lacks. The Monoprice MM-5R offers deeper and more powerful bass than either the PSB or the Edifier sets, and it includes a USB digital input and a mono subwoofer output. Note that all of these speakers have tone controls that will let you tailor the sound to your liking and that can reduce the sonic differences among them, if you’re willing to do a little tweaking. They also all have aptX HD Bluetooth.
Measurements
To get an unbiased “second opinion” on these speakers, and to ensure we weren’t picking something that strayed far outside established engineering norms, I ran frequency response measurements on all of the models that did well in my casual listening tests. Research (PDF) shows that listeners consistently prefer speakers that reproduce all frequencies of sound at approximately even levels whether the listeners are sitting or standing, or in front of them or off to the side.
The charts below show the on-axis (directly in front) frequency response of our picks. A general standard of what represents a well-designed speaker is one whose output stays within ±3 decibels through most of the audio range when measured on-axis, directly in front of the tweeter. I also measured the speakers at angles of 15, 30, 45, and 60 degrees horizontally, as well as ±15 degrees vertically, to make sure their sound didn’t change radically when I heard them from an angle.
In the charts below, the flatter the trace is, the more natural the speaker’s sound. I used the output at 1 kHz as the reference for 0 dB. The higher the speaker line rises above the reference line, the more exaggerated those frequencies are. The lower it falls below the reference, the more subdued the sounds in that frequency range are.
Of our three passive-speaker picks, the Triangle Borea BR03 came closest to an ideal response for a bookshelf speaker. It had some peaks and dips at different frequencies, but generally the balance of bass to mid range to treble was pretty even. It also had much deeper bass response than the other two models. The Q Acoustics 3020i also had a fairly flat response, but with less deep bass. The Dayton Audio B652 had a fairly even response except for a large peak and dip in the middle of the treble range, where the tweeter started to operate.
The Edifier S1000MKII had excellent measured on-axis frequency response by any standard, but its results were especially good for a speaker in its price range. Its bass also played impressively deep for the size of the speakers. The Klipsch R-51PM was less even, with a bit of excess treble, and its bass response wasn’t as deep.
I also did CTA-2010 bass output measurements, using the same process we use for our best high-performance subwoofer and best budget subwoofer guides. We didn’t include charts of these results here, but we do mention them in the discussions above for each model. For the CTA-2010 results, I averaged the output from 40 to 63 Hz to give you a quick idea of each speaker system’s output. For reference, the lowest note of a standard bass guitar or double bass is E1 at 41.2 Hz, so 40 Hz is deep enough for most rock and jazz recordings. Hip-hop, RB, and modern pop recordings often extend to lower frequencies, so if you’re a fan of those genres (and you won’t use a subwoofer), pay special attention to our CTA-2010 results at 31.5 Hz.
Sustainability and the environmental impact of bookshelf speakers
Many readers are concerned about how the manufacturing, shipping, and normal use of the products we recommend impact the world. We take that seriously, too, which is why we’ve asked the manufacturers of all our picks to answer some basic questions about materials, product life cycles, and other sustainability issues. Although our product recommendations are based completely on the criteria outlined in “How we picked” and “How we tested,” we offer the following information to supplement the decision of any reader who considers environmental impact as a deciding factor in their purchases. We also recognize that the following may not paint a complete picture of a product’s supply chain and life-cycle impact.
For bookshelf speakers, we asked the manufacturers whether their packaging or products use recycled materials, and whether the packaging and products are recyclable. The former is a big plus. The latter should be a plus, ideally, because most electronics contain many recyclable materials. But the methods of recycling these products may have their own adverse impacts. In the case of powered speakers, we asked whether the product’s firmware can be updated by the owner; updatable firmware also extends a product’s life because it can allow bugs to be fixed or new features to be added.
Q Acoustics, Edifier, and Klipsch were unable to provide answers to our questions.
Triangle Audio said it is not using recycled materials in packaging or production. However, the cardboard in its packaging can be recycled. Some metal parts of the speakers may be recyclable; the company does not have a recycling partner in the US, but in France it works with a recycler called Eco-System. Triangle promises it will maintain an inventory of parts for at least 10 years after a product is produced. And the company said it is often able to repair speaker drivers that are decades old—something that’s true of the speaker industry in general.
Dayton Audio said the B652 does not use recycled or recyclable materials, but that the company does offer replacement parts if repairs are needed.
What to look forward to
We haven’t seen any major introductions in this category since our last update, but there are a few models we haven’t tested yet, including the Jamo Concert 9 Series C93 and S803, JBL Stage 130, and Heco Aurora 300. We’re inquiring now about getting these in for a listen.
The competition
Following are our impressions of some of the other speakers we’ve tested for this guide. Through the years, we’ve tested many more speakers than what we list here, but we’ve deleted many older and discontinued models. If you have a question about a model not discussed here, leave a note in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев section—if we’ve tried that model, we’ll be happy to share our impressions.
Passive speakers
Our panelists thought the Cambridge Audio SX-50 had a rather dull-sounding upper midrange, which made voices sound less clear.
The DALI Oberon 1 is more or less competitive with the Triangle Audio Borea BR03 in price and sound quality, but not in the deep bass department, where it tends to sound weaker than the larger Borea BR03.
The Dayton Audio B452 is a smaller version of the B652. It sounded similar to that model but had less bass. Considering how negligible the price premium is for the B652, we recommend the larger model if you have space for it.
The Dayton Audio B652-AIR is basically the B652 with an air-motion transformer (AMT) tweeter. In our tests, its treble sounded muted compared with that of the B652; both models had a dip in their treble response around the frequency where the tweeter started working, but with the B652-AIR, the dip was much deeper.
The Dayton Audio MK402X looks a little nicer than the B652, but its mid range sounded a little rough, and it didn’t have much bass.
Not surprisingly, the ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2 set sounded very similar to the larger B6.2 pair (listed in Other bookshelf speakers we like), just with less bass. If you want a smaller speaker than the B6.2, and if you listen to lighter music or prefer to use a subwoofer, this set is a good choice.
In our tests, the ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 pair offered very good bass response and detail but had a relatively restricted soundstage. These speakers also had a less attractive finish and were harder to drive than some other models.
The Fluance XL8S pair put out a good amount of bass for its size and price, but voices sounded somewhat thin and harsh.
The KLH Albany II sounds pretty good for its fairly modest price. But we thought the midrange was somewhat de-emphasized, which tended to make voices a little less clear.
The Micca COVO-S is a cute little concentric (tweeter-inside-woofer) speaker set. Unfortunately, in our tests this pair had almost no bass and distorted easily.
Micca’s MB42X speakers are compact, but their small woofer couldn’t put out much bass, and the treble had a harsh, metallic sound.
Although the Monitor Audio Bronze 1 pair offered good bass response and a large soundstage, the treble was more muted than that of other speakers, which made recordings sound dull.
The Monoprice Monolith Encore B6 might be a good choice for people who want big bass on a budget. Our panelists found it plays deeper than anything else we’ve tried in the under-200 price range—although it’s nearly 16 inches high, and its treble response sounds a little soft, so high-frequency instruments like cymbals and bells sound a bit muted.
Monoprice’s Monolith K-BAS speakers use a bass-port design that allows for extended response. They’re fairly tall, black boxes that aren’t attractive, and even though the bass was present in our tests, it wasn’t tight or detailed. Recordings sometimes sounded hollow, as if they had been recorded inside a box.
The Polk Audio Monitor XT20 comes very close to the performance of the Q Acoustics 3020i, with clear highs and natural-sounding voice reproduction, but its bass sounds slightly boomy and for the price, its looks are rather plain.
The Polk Audio Monitor 40 Series II doesn’t sound as natural as the less-expensive Monitor XT20; high-frequency sounds like cymbals and tape hiss are accentuated, and the bass sounds boomy.
The Polk Audio Signature Elite ES10 is a pretty nice-sounding little speaker in the midrange and treble, but our panelists thought it didn’t produce enough bass for use on its own, without a subwoofer.
We originally didn’t recommend the Polk Audio TSi100 set because we thought its price was too high for the performance it offered, but the price has fallen by about 30% since then. This pair did have a clear sound with a decent amount of bass in our tests, so if you’re looking for something priced between our top pick and our budget pick, it’s worth a listen.
The Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5 sometimes drops into the price range for this guide, so we decided to test it. Our panelists liked it pretty well for instrumental music, but found it tended to de-emphasize the sound of voices.
The Q Acoustics Concept 20 speakers had bright, clear treble but lacked authority in the bass.
The 6.5-inch woofers in the SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers produced excellent, room-filling bass in our tests, but our top pick and upgrade pick offer superior mid-range and treble performance.
The Triangle Borea BR02 sounded much like the BR03 but had less bass and sounded a little brighter and more trebly. The BR03 is well worth its higher price.
The Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 and 12.2 got similar reactions from our panelists. They thought the speakers sounded generally good, but somewhat soft and mellow in comparison with our top picks and most of the other similar models we tested.
Wharfedale’s Diamond 220 set had good detail and nice bass but produced a boxy sound, with a narrow soundstage.
Powered speakers
The Audioengine HD6 set is a larger version of the HD3 pair (which we describe in Other bookshelf speakers we like), but only one panelist in our previous testing liked the sound. Likewise, the newer HD4—a slightly larger version of the HD3 with a bigger woofer—had a muted treble that made it sound less lively than the HD3.
When we auditioned the Edifier AirPulse A100 for our previous round of tests, it sounded a little better than the Edifier S1000DB (the predecessor of our new powered pick, the S1000MKII), with somewhat clearer treble. But it’s more than twice as costly—and the performance improvements don’t merit that big of a price increase.
With its tone controls centered, the Edifier R1700BTs pair sounded too trebly and thin, and voices sounded coarse and crude. Powered speakers with tone controls should be calibrated to sound good right out of the box, as Edifier’s S1000MKII set is.
We concluded that Fluance’s Ai41 speakers sounded decent but could use a little more bass; their sound wasn’t full enough for us.
The Fluance Ai61 had a recessed mid range, which in our tests took the body out of singers’ voices and made them sound a little like they had their hands cupped around their mouths.
The House of Marley Get Together Duo is a small set of powered speakers with Bluetooth and line inputs, and the right speaker has a rechargeable battery that lets it work on its own as a portable speaker. It’s a neat concept, but the speakers’ sound is rather thin and crude.
The Kanto YU4 offers a cool design, a phono input, and a reasonable price, but only one of our panelists really liked its sound. A larger version, the Kanto YU6, won over two of our listeners, but the others weren’t impressed.
The Klipsch R-41PM (which we did not test) is a smaller version of the R-51PM with the same features but a smaller woofer. Considering the recent price drop for the R-51PM, and the fact that the R-51PM is already a little bass-challenged, it seems like a bad idea to go after even less bass just to save a few dollars.
Like the larger PSB Alpha AM5 set (which we list in Other bookshelf speakers we like), the PSB Alpha AM3 pair produced wonderfully clear and natural vocals—but with its smaller woofer and weaker amp, it distorted easily when we played loud rock, and it produced a lot of port noise when we played hip-hop tunes.
The SVS Prime Wireless Speaker System provides DTS Play-Fi Wi-Fi–based audio in addition to Bluetooth and a subwoofer output; I liked it, but the rest of our panelists said it needed more bass.
Vanatoo’s Transparent Zero speakers sport an unusual trapezoidal design with passive radiators to reinforce the bass. They’re well-tuned speakers, but our panelists preferred the similarly sized and priced Audioengine HD3 set (which we describe in Other bookshelf speakers we like).
