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Bookshelf Speakers

Under $500 Under $1000 Under $1500 Under $3000 Under $5000 Over $5000

Note: These are my personal speaker recommendations, based on a combination of objective measurements, subjective listening impressions, and viewer feedback. Just because a speaker isn’t listed here doesn’t mean it isn’t excellent. I’ve reviewed plenty of great models, but this page is meant to highlight a short list of standout recommendations. Some very good speakers didn’t make the cut simply to keep things manageable. You can find all 250+ of my reviews via the main page. – Erin

Under $500

NEUMI Silk 4 thumbnail

NEUMI Silk 4

💲 199

Good build quality with reasonably good response. Benefits from high-frequency bump.

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Polk Audio Monitor XT20 thumbnail

Polk Audio Monitor XT20

💲 249

A couple bands of EQ make this a gem. Best bang for your buck speaker I've reviewed.

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KEF Q150 thumbnail

KEF Q150

💲 349

Good linearity. Standout feature is its excellent vertical dispersion. Limited in SPL compared to a couple others.

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ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63 thumbnail

ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63

💲 499

My personal favorite in this class. Great linearity, distortion and wide soundstage.

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Klipsch RP-500M II thumbnail

Klipsch RP-500M II

💲 499

Great linearity and distortion. Narrower soundstage. A bit bright unless aimed away from the listener by about 20-30°.

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Under $1000

Emotiva XB2 thumbnail

Emotiva XB2

💲 449

Really good linearity. Recommend toe-out by about 20°. Good bass extension but benefits from subwoofer.

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Klipsch RP-600M II thumbnail

Klipsch RP-600M II

💲 649

Impressive dynamics but limited in soundstage width due to the horn design. Toed-out about 30 degrees gives a more neutral balance.

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ELAC Debut Reference DBR62 thumbnail

ELAC Debut Reference DBR62

💲 799

A bit more detailed than neutral thanks to its slightly lifted treble. Mild midbass bump gives more 'punch' which I tend to enjoy.

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Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 v2 thumbnail

Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 v2

💲 998

Natural midrange and great clarity, especially in vocals. Made in the USA with care. Very low sensitivity so have power on tap.

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KALI Audio IN-8V2 thumbnail

KALI Audio IN-8V2

💲 999

Powered speaker with studio monitor accuracy. Sounds great used as a pair of mains but be mindful the internal DSP limits bass at high SPL.

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Under $1500

Dynaudio Emit 20 thumbnail

Dynaudio Emit 20

💲 1049

Not neutral but on this list because I like the smooth bass it has. Point them away for more neutral sound.

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Audio First Fidelia (Kit Speaker) thumbnail

Audio First Fidelia (Kit Speaker)

💲 1150

Excellent sound quality. Small footprint with extension down to 50Hz in-room. Low sensitivity. This is a DIY kit speaker.

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AsciLab C6B thumbnail

AsciLab C6B

💲 1150

Incredible linearity and dispersion for a enveloping and natural speaker sound. A bit more 'detail' than KEF Q Concerto.

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ELAC UniFi Reference UBR62 thumbnail

ELAC UniFi Reference UBR62

💲 1299

An alternative coaxial design to KEF with a slightly lifted treble (~1-2dB). Recessed male vocals.

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KEF Q Concerto META thumbnail

KEF Q Concerto META

💲 1399

Smooth tonality. Might sound darker compared to brands with boosted treble. Wide vertical dispersion.

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Under $3000

Wharfedale Linton 85th thumbnail

Wharfedale Linton 85th

💲 1999

Big, warm sound with wide but mild dip in upper midrange. Benefits from further distance from wall for bass.

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Philharmonic BMR Monitor thumbnail

Philharmonic BMR Monitor

💲 2200

Super wide and spacious sound combined with excellent linearity and looks make this a steal (when in stock).

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MoFi SourcePoint 8 thumbnail

MoFi SourcePoint 8

💲 2395

Fantastic design from Andrew Jones. Neutral tonality, wide sourcepoint design with practically no sweet spot.

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KEF R3 META thumbnail

KEF R3 META

💲 2395

More accurate sound overall compared to lower-model KEFs. You'll notice more detail and less 'warmth'.

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Wharfedale Super Linton thumbnail

Wharfedale Super Linton

💲 2999

A bit more neutral than its brother. Bass rolloff profile allows close placement to wall for a smaller room.

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Under $5000

MoFi SourcePoint 10 Master Ed. thumbnail

MoFi SourcePoint 10 Master Ed.

💲 3994

This Master Edidtion version has a treble switch which offers preference-based tweeter level adjustments.

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Revel M126Be thumbnail

Revel M126Be

💲 4400

Can be placed near-wall. Very wide dispersion with a bit of a 'warm' sound thanks to the dip before the treble.

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MARCH Audio Sointuva AWG thumbnail

MARCH Audio Sointuva AWG

💲 4425

Super low distortion bass extension at the cost of sensitivity. More narrow than others here but fantastic timbre.

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Radiant Acoustics CLARITY 6.2 thumbnail

Radiant Acoustics CLARITY 6.2

💲 4498

Incredibly low distortion for a speaker its size (or period, really). Wide dispersion. Aim about 15-20° away from listener.

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Buchardt A10 thumbnail

Buchardt A10

💲 4500

Powered speaker. Many tuning profiles. Small and lightweight. Limited in SPL/bass due to DSP extending bass.

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Over $5000

KEF Reference 1 META thumbnail

KEF Reference 1 META

💲 9999

Big, bold, and full of life. Incredible dynamics with a presentation that feels effortlessly natural. Just incredible.

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Dutch & Dutch 8c thumbnail

Dutch & Dutch 8c

💲 18100

Fully active with built-in DSP. Room correction, phase alignment, and stunning accuracy in one sleek box.

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