Best Speakers Between $500-$1000? They ROCK! (2024)

[@JimmShaffer-vr9wu]

I bought my DBR 62 speakers on your recommendation almost 2 years ago. I've never looked back. The only speaker I want now ( because it pairs well with the Cambridge CXA-81) is the Monitor Audio Silver 100 g. Even if I purchase tge Monitors, the Elacs will always be a permanent resident here. Thanks for the recommendation, Randy.

[@SouravMondal911]

@@JimmShaffer-vr9wu yeah I also went for dbr 62 on his recommendation and now going for silver 100 7g for the bedroom+projector room.

[@benmalec3258]

UB52 owner here, mainly based on your review. Love 'em: every time I listen to them I can't believe how good they sound for the $$$. Also I was a "break-in denier" until I got these speakers. they sounded really mediocre when I set them up, I was pretty disappointed, but after a week they became magical.

[@proverbialmind_spread9421]

I have the Polk R200s. I really love the sound. Possibly the best sounding speakers I own (to my ear). They love plenty of juice.

[@is3commander]

What amp?

[@proverbialmind_spread9421]

@is3commander Yamaha A-S801

[@mehome-ty4yi]

I have mine running on a 38 year old Kenwood AVR. They’ll run when you want it and chill when you want that. Love the versatility.

[@richardpeters2193]

Two thumbs up on the Denton's I didn’t see that one coming.

[@eliesanner7810]

Please do a review on the Magnepan LRS+ Speakers, They don’t have a housing so they fill the room with sound and create a very unique soundstage

[@doplinger1]

I was looking at something in that range, and I even considered springing for the Klipsch Forte 4s, but then I came across a used pair of my holy grail speaker, the Dahlquist DQ-10. Pristine condition, $800, and I couldn’t be happier with the sound!

[@robinwaters2455]

i absolutely adore my SVS Prime bookshelf speakers bought a year ago after watching your review on them I do use an SB1000 along side but they do give me the most pleasure from music than I ever had experienced before

[@MadBeeRC]

I am still enjoying my Celestion 1 speakers lol just goes to show when you find a sound you enjoy why change! If it ain't broken don't try and fix it right! Enjoyable video!

[@contar42]

Great reviews of the speakers Randy. Keep up with the great "work" you do for our great "hobby".

[@dipankarmohanty]

The good thing about you is that you test speakers using rock and metal. That is a much stricter test for speakers. Say can you create a video for speaker tests on metal. Include also more extreme metal like death, black and grindcore.

[@timbacchus]

I am looking forward to hearing a ribbon tweeter. I have never heard one yet.

[@Simon_Hawkshaw]

Thank you as always for your grounded perspectives and guidance. My SVS Ultras are still doing your suggestion and advice proud in my house! May consider the Debut v3 sometime, but no time soon. I am also loving my RSL10E. What an amazing filling sound to my setup. All the best to you ,Sir.

[@elshaddaiedwards]

The Philharmonics with the 5" woofer are the Ceramic Minis. $850/pair, so right in line with this price bracket.

[@BlueSky-o3i]

I have a pair of Ceramic Minis too and couldn’t be happier with them. Great sound for the price!

[@elshaddaiedwards]

@BlueSky-o3i yep - have a pair of CMs on order. Can't wait!

[@JR-ho5qm]

CerwinVega! SL12 under $800 for the pair with 12” woofers. They are very unique for their price point and something so different than all these bookshelf speakers. Please review them so I can quit asking lol!

[@JR-ho5qm]

Think about it 12” woofer! It will make for a popular video. I promise. The SL15 with a 15” woofer can be had for $1000. Even better yet! 15” woofer! 🔈

[@misterzero8667]

They sound crap though for people that only care about crappy loud bass

[@JR-ho5qm]

@ I feel like you haven’t herd them

[@Zorloft7]

@@JR-ho5qm is the woofer full range?

[@prterhorst6204]

Got my ELAC DBR62s for $525 last November, best speaker I've ever heard at this price.

[@goodboid]

Usher s520, the best deal in audio. A front ported copy of the ProAc Response One SC

[@marckirkendall4806]

Recently A/B’d The Emotiva XT1 and the Elac UBR-62. They are both are excellent, but I kept the Elacs. Hard to describe, but I found the Elac’s treble and midrange to be “smoother”. It also helped that I got them open box for $800.

[@donjaun540]

Very nice list of beautiful speakers.

[@eyestick8012]

Great list Randy. I would just add the Axiom Audio M'3 bookies. They should go on sale black friday to 599.00. Titanium tweeter and a 5.25 in alum woofer that is easy to drive and can be great small room L&R or rear surrounds,

[@alwayspushing2031]

Kef has some really good close out sales happening right now as well.

[@JeffreyMann-qq6yj]

FYI on your recommendation I just ordered the Elac Debut Reference pair. B&H photo has them for $400 a pair right now. This will be paired with wiim ultra to fosi zd3 and a pair of za3 in mono running sparkos. I cant wait to hear them! Thanks for all the nuts and bolts videos!

[@randybehenna3763]

Got Roku tv Samsung neo5 and iPhone 12s mini playing love this guys views

[@sandwaves5642]

Yes - you've missed a couple : DALI Oberons ( several models for that $$ ). Martin Logans ( a couple of models ) - super nice speakers for THAT money. Argon ( active ) - very well sounding stuff. Davis Acoustics have affordable, but very good things...... Ye - there are a few more to choose from, BUT we do respect - this are YOUR choices, and they are GOOD !

[@angelOcrisu]

Good pick Randy. Damn I hesitated and cheaped out a few years ago on the Denton 80 wich costed in Europe 400 euros and chose the Diamonds 12.2. I regret that decision because those Diamons are good only for slow and bass heavy music. Now I have a pair of Elac Uni fi UBR62 and they sound great, neutral but punchy. Those Dentons 80... 😭

[@damir10535]

Hey Randy, since you got us interested now you should recommend us budget AVs or integrated amps for these speakers, something music oriented

[@upper90football_]

He just made a video on integrated AMPs under $600 a couple days ago

[@oiygfdxssfgg]

I bought a pair of the Elac unified 2.0 and I returned them, you're right they are flat sounding and boy do they take a lot of power to drive them. I would like to hear a review of the Ruark sabre R speakers.

[@HarriGary1]

I saw the JBL 260F in Best Buy last weekend. It's a really good looking speaker.

[@MrTeko75]

I use Elac Karinas for in room music and as desktop speakers.

[@xokamikyox]

I have those too. The Carinas are insane. I'm running mine on an Audiolab 6000A and they are insane. Pretty sensitive to the amp choice

[@ben23a31]

Great review of affordable speakers 👍🏼 maybe best subs under $1k is next 🤔

[@s.daniel9224]

Great video. Thx!

[@dlsmodz]

Hey Randy! Used your link the other day from the 3 year old review you did on the ELAC Uni 2.0 5.2s... Break-in Day 2. Have you heard anything made by "Definitive Technology "..? I picked up the (now discontinued) CS-9080 center speaker for my entertainment system a few years back and WOW hands down the best center I have ever heard ! A few months back a friend bought a pair of the Dymension DM80 Tower Speakers.. I only heard them briefly but I was very impressed with the quality! HUGE sound in such a large room with 30 foot ceilings.. I'd like to see a video with your thoughts on these speakers and maybe some close comparisons on "Definitive Technology " or would a getting pair of these break the budget for the "Cheap Audio Man" code of content..😁.. If not a video review, I'd like to here your thoughts in the comment section, preferably in a reply below.. Here's to good sound and clean content ! Cheers... 🍻

[@donpettit7107]

Feel the Cheap…Love the Cheap…Live the Cheap!

[@RanTausi]

I don't see myself replacing my Monitor audio silver 100 in the near future. I already have in my room Another set of Qacustics 3050 Tower.

[@TriAmpHiFi]

. 👍 Magnepan LRS+ Regular price $995.00 👍 Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊

[@NotSure723]

The best deal in this price range is the Elac Carina BS243.4-SB on sale now for $699.

[@xokamikyox]

Can confirm.

[@heartlikeasky6532]

I have a pair of Dali Spektor 2 bookshelf speakers at home. Be intersting to gauge your thoughts on it. With some tweaking on the Bass/Treble/Loudness, I get a decent amount of low bass sound out of it without the need of a sub-woofer, although it can be a little bright in the upper.

[@seanking9004]

Cerwin-Vega LA165, Heco Aurora 300, Revel Concerta2 M16, Dali Oberon 3, Cabasse Antigua MC170, Ascend Acoustics CBM-170SE, Adam Audio T8V could be potential options as well.

[@donjaun540]

Very nice addition to this list.

[@donjaun540]

I wish there was a place near me that I could go listen to these speakers. I feel that is the real way to decide what you like.

[@paulcridland5230]

I was surprised the new Elac DB63's were not on the list.

[@perlman-t2g]

Under $500 at ~$450.

[@paulcridland5230]

@@perlman-t2g Close enough ;)

[@skankhunt420]

I think, even for the price they start with, a great choice is the Elac Debut 3, especially when you spend the saved extra money on further improvements... Also: The Debut F5.2 floorstanders go for 140 bucks a piece over here, which is an absolutely insane bargain!! Don't know about other areas, but since the Debut 3 is released, the 2nd gen is getting cheaper 🤙🏽

[@trudimcleod5042]

Nice Review. have you tried the Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 v2? They are $1000 and have been very well received.

[@limulus61]

The way you described the sound of Emotiva Xt1 is just what I'm looking for. However, I don't want any more towers. My listening room is just a little too small for that. Is there anything else that has the sound that you described? I was going to buy a set of Lintons to try and they're on sale for $1,499, but I don't think they'll have the sound I'm looking for.

[@Alexx.Designer]

Such an amazing review 👏 your content is really impressive but if you don't mind can I ask you one thing??

[@domainadmin1679]

I believe the Dentons are a 6.5” woofer, at least the current ones are.

[@danka901]

Hi, I have no experience with high res audio, but I would like to spend 1000ish dollars for a setup. My plan is to spend most of it for the speakers, because they have the most impact on quality, so I think about buying the Q Acoustics 5020s with the SMSL DA-9 amp. I would use my phone wia bluetooth as a source, I really don't need more than a bluetooth connection. The question is how much overall quality do I loose on the bluetooth connection? Would it be better to buy cheaper speakers (to stay in the price range), but a dedicated source / DAC?

[@orenshamir]

This is obviously just my opinion, but I think that if you're going to put down around a thousand dollars on a stereo system, the Bluetooth connectivity will, in most cases, be the bottleneck of your system and would really hold back the performance that you could get out of the components that you paid a considerable amount for. You don't necessarily need a dedicated DAC or a high end streamer at this point, but just adding something like the Wiim Mini, which should be under 100 dollars, could give you a very nice bump in sound quality, plus some added convenience as a bonus (assuming you have a decent Wifi network). I think you're right in thinking that the majority of the budget should be allocated to the speakers, not only because they make the biggest impact on SQ, but also because speaker technology seems to be evolving in a slower pace than the electronics, so you're more likely to want to upgrade your amp in a few years than the speakers. So you might want to look for a slightly cheaper amp, to make room for the Wiim. Consider removing the BT connectivity from your "requirements" list, and perhaps you'd find that you can get an amp with comparable or even better performance for the same or smaller budget. Alternatively, if you already have your eyes on a set of amp and speakers that should sound well together and eat up all your budget, maybe wait a little for some sales (Black Friday is just around the corner) and then you might be able to afford the streamer as well. This also has the benefit of allowing you to introduce a DAC into the system at a later time. Which will give you another bump in SQ.

[@brunobarbagli4573]

Actually i use wharfedale evo 4.1 and love them

[@jaball77]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen you mention Paradigm speakers on your channel. Is there a particular reason why? They were really well regarded when I was into audio back in the day, and they’re still making the higher end models in Canada!

[@stephenmckenzie2338]

@@jaball77 no one review them-I haven’t seen paradigm anywhere except the used market for years. No ads, I went to audio fest here-no paradigm . Not sure why-they are great.

[@jaball77]

@@stephenmckenzie2338 They sell them at Crutchfield now!

[@mikecampbell5856]

Randy, I recently moved. My old listening room for 27 years was 13x13 and my current room is 20x33. NO more boom. I just bought a 77 inch TV. You look great!

[@timbacchus]

Do you ever review powered speakers for a PC? If not would love you to.

[@OSQQ123]

Have you had the chance to listen to Denton 85? It has the same look as 80 but apparently a much better sound. I’m wondering how they compare to Elac DB63

[@selassie123GA]

Owned all 3 speakers: Denton 80s sounded best to my ears. Most musical and fun all around.

[@davidyee361]

Treble is a bit hot even after resistor tweak. Hunting for the right amp to pair the Denton 85. Tried Cambridge CXA61, SMSL A300 briefly and now a Marantz AVR. Gorgeous speakers. Grills r not magnetic however.

[@OSQQ123]

@@davidyee361 they do look beautiful but how do they sound ?

[@ginom407]

My UB52's kick azz! Best used purchase I've ever made!!! Great Video Randy! 👍👍👍

[@primalscream46]

I now have my Emotiva preamp and A2 amp. I was thinking about either Emotiva XT3 or Wharfedale Lintons???? I like a lot of bass along with strong mids and highs

[@cory7876]

would you ever try electrostatic speakers? curious what your opinion would be, i cant afford them but might be a fun video compared to some of your favorite speakers in this category

[@michaelvaughn2947]

Forgive me if this has been asked, but have you considered reviewing any Monitor Audio speakers? I have some Bronze 2's I really like and would be interested in hearing what you think of their newer models.

[@Rafy2613]

Are the Emotiva's really that good ? I've been looking at them...

[@ufarkingicehole]

Scooped in the mids Good highs Good bass

[@irukard]

I paid $350 for a new pair of Elac Debut Reference (Europe, last year).

[@paulburke9198]

Haven't gone to the of the vid' yet , was trying to find the Heco Aurora 300 here in Western Australia ,no joy anyway , I'd still like to hear 'em but !?.

[@Carl-bd1rf]

No list like this can be taken seriously without the Klipsch RP-600m mkii.

[@TheNLHAZE]

Very true Plus emotiva just got their bookshelves back in stock as well😢

[@georgbirzele6886]

Well, I bought mine for €399,-.

[@tmdillon1969]

A lot of folks find the horns fatiguing. It's a common complaint I hear. I'm of the impression it depends on your hearing. I like horns because my hearing is a bit compromised. Tinnitus.

[@Carl-bd1rf]

@@tmdillon1969 Horns do have a distinct sound. Not necessarily fatiguing in my opinion but distinct. I too prefer the horn sound.

[@truebluemiata]

What's your thoughts on MartinLogan bookshelf speakers? I'd love to see you review their new Motion Foundation B2.

[@Porchewaitombi]

Good job kimdly make a video of best center charnal speak too👍

[@CinemaDemocratica]

Q Acoustics has been selling vinyl wrapped fuglies for solid-wood-cabinet prices for a while now and I kinda don't get why that doesn't hurt them any more than it does. I was in a shop in Bangkok that had them and a couple of other brands and I literally refused to listen to the Q's because there was no way I was going to have them in my house.

[@rockclimber713]

Hey! Technically they're more thank 1k when not on sale, but they're on sale right now on Amazon. Thoughts on the ELAC Debut 2.0 F6.2 Floorstanding?

[@BruceLimozaine-c4q]

Mangnepan LRS with a good sub. Tons of great $500-$1000 speaker options to be had new and pre-owned. You can get Monitor Audio GX50, or GX100 for $1000. Some great options on the pre-owned market for $1000...

[@otherwillsmith]

Any chance you’ll review the Dayton Audio OPAL1? I’ve heard great things, but not from anyone I trust.

[@JeffreyMann-qq6yj]

Id like to see this as well. The review i saw was glowing. I have dayton air bookshelfs in my garage. They sound pretty good out there. I have never even listened to them in my den. May have to give them a shot.

[@justinjohnson8871]

I've seen 2 or 3 fantastic reviews on these. I was going to make the same comment but instead I will reply. Please review these.

[@PhillioDoede]

KEF Q150 and 350 are on sale / closeout for $250 and $500.

[@photo_n_art]

Q150 are $350 they have never been for $250… I keep eye on them for a long time… $250 is actually my goal to get them for. I believe $299 was the lowest price and that was a while back

[@myfreakyvalentine]

No B&W's? I really love my 606 S3's.

[@proverbialmind_spread9421]

They're over $1k

[@myfreakyvalentine]

@@proverbialmind_spread9421 Oh? They are here in Australia, but with the exchange rate and also comparatively higher pricing I assumed they would come in at under $1k over there. Fair enough.

[@myfreakyvalentine]

​@@proverbialmind_spread9421 I'm in Australia, I thought with the exchange rate they would be cheaper there, but not that much I guess. Still love them ;)

[@BostonMike68]

Those blue speakers definitely look like they have sb acoustics drivers, that's why I watched the video, because I saw the picture and immediately thought sb acoustics. I don't know why he said he's lying? Maybe he's not supposed to say that they are from a OEM speaker company. But Buccard is open about using sb acoustics. They are good drivers.

[@vvraithz]

Let’s go!

[@cunawarit]

Great video! :) We really do live in amazing times, with so much great audio equipment available at such affordable prices. Have you considered expanding a bit beyond your usual comparisons and reviews of hi-fi separates? Even dedicated hi-fi enthusiasts often have other systems for different rooms, camping trips, or the car. It would be interesting to see you branch out and do the occasional video on all-in-one systems from brands like Cambridge Audio or Ruark, explore high-quality Bluetooth speakers, or even dive into car stereos from the perspective of someone who is used to hi-fi sound.

[@charlesdrake4435]

Paradigm?

[@shawnjass773]

How does the Debut reference compare to the Debut 3.0?

[@MarcelNL]

What are the chances that there will be Emotivas in this list? Pretty high, I bet! Watching it now. Shame that Emotivas are pretty hard to get here in Europe.

[@MarcelNL]

The first half of the list was pretty predictable, but I did discover new stuff in the second half. Especially those active Q Acoustics are interesting!

[@KillerSneak]

So the Elac debut 3 db63 are missing but the db62 are included? The db63 is better in each factor/way? This doesn’t make sense?

[@cheapaudioman]

@@KillerSneak debut 3 is less than $500. That speaker will get its own video category

[@KillerSneak]

@ ahh in USD it’s less than 500 alright 👍 should still had a honourable mention 🤣

[@ziggy8757]

@@cheapaudioman so is it better than the db62? I think you need a video comparing it t the Unifi 5.2 and to the db62, and why not the emotivas bookshelf speaker also...de new elac debut 3.0 deserve another video

[@OGNewb]

Forget the klipsch, Kef q1 meta.

[@liamblood5239]

Help me CheapAudioman! I’m looking for my first real audio setup. I have my heart set on the Carbon Evo 1 in white, that’s sorted. The rest of the budget I’m thinking Q acoustics 3030i’s and the Yamaha S301. Is there anything in the price ranges you would suggest that would be a better option for me? I’m not fussed on Bluetooth or connecting my tv etc to the system as I’ve got back into Vinyl for the main reason of disconnecting from the internet while listening to music as I found myself skipping more songs than I listened to. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also I live in Ireland so sadly those Sony speakers are near impossible to get here.

[@Anox99]

for 1k a got Elac Carina FS

[@danielwoodard680]

‘Sup, Randy?

[@jamesschneider3828]

To be honest, how many people listen to music sitting at a desk other than reviewers. Headphones make much more sense.

[@Brian_Romska]

I’m lucky enough to be able to listen at my desk just about all day every day, I do use headphones some of the time tho if the office gets too noisy.

[@ICTaudiophile316]

….for you. And that’s okay! We all listen our own way. May I recommend some @goldenaudio?

[@thomaspouskas210]

Why triangle is out of the video

[@dtardis]

Why no love for Kef ?

[@altopstwo3934]

I have never and may never buy a new speaker pair. The used market is flooded.

[@thomaslytle5519]

Too many bookshelf speakers reviewed on this channel. There should be more tower speaker reviews

[@spencercooper4546]

Kef ls50 meta for 999?

[@brucelevy]

"Real wood veneer?"

[@johnh539]

Its actually a thing now you have finishes designed to look like veneer.

[@TriAmpHiFi]

@@johnh539 . LQQking like real wood veneer is NOT real wood veneer. @brucelevy is correct to point out the inaccurate redundancy. Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊

[@davidthom7127]

I don't know what 'too audiophile' means

[@WardoUSA]

One of these videos based on local second hand availability would be a fun segment

[@newardthelman6871]

A pile of aging speakers, rather than new speakers that sound way better than them. Specifically, the new KEF Concerto Meta, and the Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 v2.

[@McTimkiller]

Ohhh no cup of coffee....whats happen?

[@Brian_Romska]

Cool thanks Randy! Btw Q acoustics, if your powered speakers had hdmi I’d already own a pair, or 2…

[@theunrealwife9049]

You stop it right now mister!😉😂

[@Brian_Romska]

You’d love them, almost as pretty as u😊

[@theunrealwife9049]

@@Brian_Romska I approve this message.

[@MrBeblis]

Why don't you open them all and see all the crap parts they use, put a magnet to the binding posts all magnetic, horrible bracing etc....

[@Bill-Rocker]

Again...this is "Cheap" $900 teeny weeny speakers...

[@TC-en7cu]

Haven't watched a video in a while. Looks like you lost some weight.

[@MrZarono]

LOL! $1000 is now "cheap" ? You're way out of touch with average working people who want quality budget audio

[@s.daniel9224]

Bro, a thousand bucks is super reasonable for cheaper speakers considering the range of prices in this hobby. Sony makes an inexpensive pair of speakers a lot of people like. Think they’re on sale for $149 sometimes. Personally, I’d rather listen to a cats in heat but that’s me. Q acoustic makes some good speakers in their 3000 series. They make a cheap sub that I really like…it’s got two 6.5 woofers. Small, but very musical for $219. Goes great with the 3030/3020. Good luck!

[@proverbialmind_spread9421]

It is cheap when you consider there are Focals that are $280,000 a pair.

[@BlastBe4st]

Yeah he should do another 100 videos about the sony SSCS5 and some random class D amps just so that people don't get mad because the "cheap" in his name. The story of actual *cheap* audio equipment is told relatively quickly and it has been told a lot of times already. Also a speaker between 500 and 1000 dollars is spot on for "quality budget audio". You get what you pay for.

[@s.daniel9224]

@ mic drop!

[@christopher6952]

Curious where you put the CSS Criton 1TD-X Kit as far as this list... did you just leave it out because it's a kit? Still feel like it punches above it's price point? It's at the top of my personal wish list at the moment...

[@Kclerie]

I was so expecting, "Sit down, Grab a cup of coffee." 🫠