10 Great (and Terrible) Speakers Under $300!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Flat in-room is bad (most of the time). Flat anechoic is good (most of the time). I explain the difference here: Your Target Curve Might Be Wrong kzbin.info/www/bejne/laXRiHVuh9Fjg9U

[@catherinelugg4321]

Erin, you do such a GREAT job teaching about the design issues with speakers, as well as the DATA generated by the Klipple. With each video, I see greater pedagogical sophistication and ease. This is a great video for folks who want a decent speaker, but do NOT want to get burned by CHEAP speaker design. Bravo!!!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Wow, thank you!

[@frankmaze1972]

I'm glad someone was honest about the Sony. I was already going to get the Polk XT20 and this just reaffirms my decision, thank you sir. 😊

[@americangang]

I second this…I bought the Polk XT20 as well. Love them. Thoughts on the Klipsh RM50? I had the Sony cs5, Polk xt20 and Klipsh RM50 and went Polk XT20.

[@postersm7141]

Really can’t go wrong with POLK audio. I have two pair of tower speakers that I’ve had for over 10 years. Both of them are doing totally different rooms in the house and they’ve both been fantastic.

[@dipanjanbiswas6580]

Thanks a ton @ErinsAudioCorner for providing affordable recommendations based on objective findings - otherwise we mostly get subjective babble from other reviewers

[@unstablenetwork4744]

Great review! Summary of each speaker is spot on and your explanation of your target curve is fantastic. Thanks for all you do for beginners to well seasoned audio enthusiasts.

[@jp93309]

Would love to see the next level budget speaker showdown for price range of $300-700. That’s where I’m upgrading to now.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I did one for Speakers under $1000 a few months back if you want to look for it.

[@KoeiNL]

I love the EQ to show the difference.

[@Sparklepony]

I learn so much every time I watch one of your videos. You have a great gift for teaching.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Glad to hear that!

[@renatodmiranda]

Thanks!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thank you!

[@driver8sk]

I'm going to give reviewers the benefit of the doubt and say they're running on nostalgia fumes for a great deal. Most started recommending the SSCS5 when it would dip down to $75. For that price you couldn't beat it. At $150-200, you're competing with much better speakers at MSRP and really good closeout/refurb stuff.

[@ramondelgado6778]

Hi, can you please provide some examples? Thanks!

[@arturkozlowski8291]

I agree. A year ago I bought some used SSCS5s on Amazon for about U$67 a pair, and I think it was the best bang for the buck I could ever get. Actually, I bought two pairs for my home theater. I would love to have the Polks or the ELAC debut, but that would mean an extra 500 bucks at least. I couldn’t afford this upgrade, and don’t think it’s worth such a difference.

[@ramondelgado6778]

@@arturkozlowski8291 I bought the Elac DB6.2 after buying two pairs of the Sony SSCS5's. I wanted to like the Elacs. They went back after 3 weeks. Since then, I've bought 3 different pair of Wharfedale speakers (Diamond 11.2, Reva-1, and D320). LOVE The Sonys. They always make it back into my rotation. Open box at Best Buy for $92. If I bought another pair, my wife would murder me. Haha!!!!

[@paulmcdonough9595]

Great to hear a reviewer who explains the practical outcome from your measured observations, thank you.

[@randolphblack2554]

I purchased the Jamo S803s two years ago and used them for rear surround speakers in a 5.1 home theater being pushed by a modest Yamaha Aventage AVR and I have never been disappointed with them. We ended up moving and the living room is much smaller and they are currently the front speakers in a 3.0 setup and I still have no complaints, and they will be moved to the rear once the living room is remodeled. I am aware of the 60 to 80Hz boost on most pop music which works for me.

[@brahmeshtripathi4100]

I think this is my new favourite audio channel. Love from India❤

[@stevecoggins3401]

Great rundown! Would love to see the Micca MB42X G2's get a review.

[@BarryH54]

Thank you, as always for your honesty and insight. I can always trust you to provide an honest review and that is a comfort.

[@simoSLJ89]

Welcome back!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks!

[@machawley]

Erin, Having owned a recording studio for 5 years ( a long time ago), I'm in full agreement with your speaker assessment criteria. As flat a frequency as possible, then and only then do they sound good? No woofy bass, no fuzzy mids and no sizzling highs. In the bang for the buck department have you listened to Adam T5V or T7V. Remarkably smooth and coherent for a few hundred bucks.

[@dadeyemoody7287]

Thanks, Erin! Love your content, your presentation, your EQ examples, and your honesty.

[@adamjj85]

Great collection of reviews Erin! A couple others I've been curious about in this category that don't have measurements yet would be the Monoprice Audition series (the B4's in particular) and the new Micca MB42-G2's.

[@arturkozlowski8291]

I would love to hear about the Edifier R1280DB. Praised by many, but absolutely no data!

[@caseyodonnell6621]

Interesting. I tried the miccas in my living room just out of curiosity and didn’t care for them there. Put them back on my desk in the near field and really like them. The beaming you mention makes sense. Horses for courses.

[@tvolkman88]

Awesome return video after the short break!

[@csimet]

I picked up two pairs of Polk XT20s while on sale about 8 months ago, using them as my main L&R and surround speakers for my AVR. While I was not expecting them to be perfect, I was pleasantly surprised on just how well they perform for both movie watching and general stereo use. Overall, I'm very happy with them for a budget speaker. I also added two pairs of Polk XT90s (wall mounted as front and rear heights) to fill out the Atmos setup and I'm still playing with them a bit to optimize. Rounding out the setup, I went with a RSL SpeedWoofer 10s MKII and CG23M as my center. Love them both and setup the CG23M standing upright for better dispersion. I wanted another XT20 as my center, but you can't buy them singly.

[@duroxkilo]

16:29 i suspect such fq response profiles can sound realistic to ppl older than 30 due to decreased sensitivity in the last octave of the audible spectrum... you're doing amazing work mr Erin, all the best to you and your family

[@MichaelLHill-fd3kw]

Thanks for your knowledge and insight on how you approach and arrive at the data and conclusions. Welcome back to the game of speakers we need you to share your thoughts with us.

[@IAAporetic]

Great video! I know speakers are your wheelhouse, but a series of similar video for amps/dacs/streamers, and at different price points would be super helpful.

[@kevinschillerstrom1530]

Thank you dude. Every review I've found has no data to back up anything. You saved me the trouble of buying a pos only to dsp it with disappointment.

[@amante762]

I have the S803s. I don't regret buying them. I also have Theil, KLH, JBL, Fluid Audio, Swans, etc. for reference. I have playlists for different speakers and the Jamo S803 do some wonderful things for the price - great imaging, soundstage and clarity, and they hit harder with chest slapping bass than any other speaker I have by far. That 80Hz resononance/bloom sounds amazing on "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" -The Offspring. I even crank the bass +6db with my SMSL DAC/Amp and let it rip. Simply amazing. In my listening room, it is a boost between 80-120 Hz.

[@nathanaelcole8466]

I also enjoy my S803's in my bedroom. My Emotiva B1+ replaced them in my better system in my office/man cave, but I still like cranking the Jamo's up. They are not neutral, and Erin really likes that so everyone has preferences.

[@04EbonyLTD]

Bought a pair of 803's and liked them so much, that I bought a pair of 805's. Just because Erin didn't like them, doesn't mean everyone else won't. I will agree with him on the way the Sony speakers are pushed though. As another review channel says at the end of his videos " no one has to like the sound of your system but you"

[@davehilling3944]

For casual listening they definitely arent the worst. I didnt want expensive speakers in my bedroom and they sound overall pretty good. I do have dial back the bass for my tastes but for the bedroom they are just fine and yeah they are more U shaped in their sound which a lot of people don't like.

[@theodoro89]

Erin, your insights on speaker reviews are always so valuable. It's curious that you haven't considered adding a ranking list to your website, complete with affiliate links. Lists and rankings are popular, and they could potentially increase both your audience and affiliate sales. Plus, you have the unique ability to support your rankings with objective data, which is a rare quality.

[@HarakiriRock]

I bought the Kali LP-UNFs for my desktop after seeing your review a few months ago. Also got a WS-6.2 sub to go with them. They're CRAZY GOOD speakers for the money. My room is untreated and I'm not using any kind of room correction. Right off the bat I heard details I've never noticed before in songs that I'm very familiar with. Haven't experimented with the dip switches beyond first setup either, so who knows, maybe they could sound even better with some tweaks. I can't imagine there being a better set of speakers this small and this cheap that are powered and have so many options. I was a bit concerned about volume since many people say they don't get very loud but to my surprise they're plenty loud enough. I can hear them clearly all over my house without cranking the volume. My only complaint is that the included cable is a bit too short and you have to buy the longer one separately, but that's a very minor gripe. Thanks again Erin. Strange how I haven't noticed any of the totally unbiased budget audio channels talking about these speakers...

[@graemesinclair5111]

I've got the exact same set up in my office, agree with you completely. Amazing sound- the sub helps a lot, and play plenty loud for an office. And do they get better with break in? I never thought that was a thing?

[@HarakiriRock]

​@@graemesinclair5111 I'm glad you're enjoying your setup, and yeah they should get better after a break in period. It's definitely a thing. When the woofers move in and out it loosens up the suspension over time and allows the cone to move more freely. Push on the cone of a new speaker and compare the stiffness to that of an old used one.

[@Justwantahover]

I tow speakers up if they are bright, not out. I build speakers with an open driver on top, sloped back over 20 degrees. And ran with a woofer in the box. I tow normal speakers up a little by placing something under the front of them, like with my normal (bought) bookshelf speakers (with small blocks of wood 1/4" thick, not towed up much).

[@stevenswall]

2:20 it's pronounced Gllämœ, with a g as in Genre, and heavy emphasis on the llama-like part, but with some fancy thrown in. Hope that's helpful for everyone.

[@x-techgaming]

I bought a UP-LNF and brought them to a friend overseas - they are just small enough to fit in a carry-on backpack ;)

[@andreashansen5313]

That's gotta be the best portable speaker in the world lol

[@richardr5888]

Erin, I love your reviews and appreciate your testing methods, which give us an accurate idea of how each of the speakers performs. I completely understand the reason for testing and the importance of providing a true baseline for which all speakers can fairly be compared. I also commend and thank you for all the time and hard work it takes you to complete each test, which I know is extensive. With all that being said, I think that people should actually listen to a particular speaker for themselves before making a decision. I know you know that sound quality is subjective, and we all may have different preferences for various reasons (hearing loss may be one of them). The point I'm making is that even though a speaker may perform poorly in testing, it may actually be a speaker that someone out there may actually like better than another one that does better in your tests.

[@bbfoto7248]

I agree to an extent, hence the potential popularity of most Klipsch speakers with the older HiFi enthusiast crowd. Not saying that ALL Klipsch speakers measure poorly or that they are ALL "bright", but that is the trend. Others perceive overly "bright" speakers as having more "detail & resolution" when, in fact, they usually have more distortion products in the upper midrange and treble region. The HiFi set up in my elderly father's system were "tuned" much brighter in the upper midrange and treble due to his significant hearing loss, which being a combat Veteran in the Korean War certainly didn't help. He can't perceive much above 6kHz and even lower in one ear, and listening to music on his setup will drive me out of the room. 😛

[@mydogskips2]

@@bbfoto7248 "Others perceive overly "bright" speakers as having more "detail & resolution" when, in fact, they usually have more distortion products in the upper midrange and treble region." And that "proves" richard's point, that sound is subjective, and people may prefer a speaker that doesn't measure as well, objectively speaking. A lot of people like Klipsch speakers, and they're not all old folks with hearing loss. I've seen reviews by people saying they auditioned a bunch of big name-brand speakers and say they liked Klipsch the best, and that's probably despite the fact that they don't measure as well as the likes of Kef, Q Acoustics, Wharfdale, Dali, Polk, JBL, and others.

[@Voidoid77]

Love your honesty, Erin! Many thanks.

[@eriklamelakillingspree7690]

Please review the Polk ES line!

[@DavidAnonymous-j6v]

Nice to see a new video. I still like the Neumi bs5 for a low price neutral sounding speaker. Better than the Sony to my ears.

[@phoenixrising4073]

Feeding the algorithm. You deserve it. Thanks for all the hard work.

[@MrDunamis24]

I know you have reviewed some of the RSL subwoofers. Would love to see a review of their small bookshelf speaker. At 210 for the pair they are definitely budget friendly.

[@priedits]

I would love to see similar video about speakers costing 3k :)

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

My Personal Favorite Speakers Under $2500 kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWnan515j9eneKM

[@MichaelBeeny]

Hi Erin. A speaker range you should look at is those made by Edifier. My KZbin channel is mostly audio, as in amplification, but I have reviewed a couple of Edifier speakers. The D12 is one. Most of which have class D built in amplifiers. To my mind these have a major flaw! They are equipped with a very odd EQ in that you cannot make it flat. With the tone controls level, you get massive bass lift and an odd sounding treble lift and NO midrange. You cannot come out of this EQ. On top of that you have extra bass lift on the bass control. You can even add MORE bass lift with a preset extra bass boost. A so-called cinema mode. Speech, as you can imagine sounds dreadful, a most unnatural sound. It's all one note bloomy bass and very tizzy treble. Saying that, people that play all electronic music or people that are buying for the first time, love it. If only you could switch out all this dreadful EQ, it would be a reasonably good low cost amplified speaker. I would love to it on the Krippel. I think you would be amazed how it looks!!

[@JTA1-q3l]

Erin, another great video providing guidance to those interested in speakers/monitors using objective criteria based on research from F. Toole and other thought leaders on accurate sound reproduction. I saw a Charles Sprinkle (Kali) interview where the focus was more on monitors in an actual studio setting. He never mentioned specific products or pushed his company during that discussion. Based on that he would be great for you to interview similar to your discussions with F. Toole and G. Timbers from a few years ago talking about design considerations and tradeoffs.

[@tonymolina7744]

@erinsaudiocorner This was a fab video. I have two on the meh list (SSCS5 and the RB42) but I know their limitations. My only regret is that I had the XT20 on a killer price ($129) and returned them in favor of the Elac UB5s, but this was before I knew about how to position and adjust them. Oh well. Thanks for the great education! 🙃

[@JasonNosajasoNosaj]

where did you buy them from?

[@tonymolina7744]

@@JasonNosajasoNosaj Amazon, they had a like new open box set of XT20. they looked perfect. Haven't seen that price, but with black friday coming up, who knows?

[@tonymolina7744]

@@JasonNosajasoNosaj Adorama has them for $169 on sale today. Looks like they're new.

[@AXYZE]

I've purchased iLoud Micro Monitors couple of months ago for around $300 and I absolutely love them. Very small in size, deep bass. Amazing for low/medium volume listening. At high volumes (I would say uncomfortably high for desktop listening) you can hear bass port, but they still manage to do it. Not great for throwing parties, but amazing at "background listening" or however I can call it when speakers are playing on low volume to fill the room with nice, low-volume sound. Initially I wanted something better with even deeper bass (so something with 6inch woofer), but these have bluetooth so even if I would replace them in future I can use them in any room as very high quality bluetooth speakers or hook them to TV. I absolutely recommend to go with these if you search something at $300 and need small speakers. If you can have something bigger then pair of used JBL LSR305 or JBL 306P is possibly best bang for the buck, but for me these were too big on my desk.

[@IrenESorius]

Thanks Erin,, 👍‍‍🌟👍‍‍

[@Trance88]

I've got the Sony CS5's right now. I might upgrade at some point to the Polks. I'm definitely not WOWed by the sound of the Sony, but they work for now.

[@staldelmegaard7415]

Jamo cannot be pronounced correctly in English, Jamo is Danish and short for Preben "Jacobsen" and Julius "Mortensen" JaMo 😀 , they made good speakers back in the day 🙂

[@CrashTestingAudio]

Wish you’d included emotivas, especially the bookshelf ones given the price.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I haven’t heard the new ones. I’ve asked many times for them to send me review samples but they haven’t sent any.

[@spons1982]

i've got 2 pairs of SSCS5s, one as rears with SVS pinnacle towers and sounds beautiful. the other in the garage with a cheap old sony passive sub also sounds wonderful. if you can get em cheap they get the job done :)

[@paulcottingham241]

Good to have you back.

[@calvinlooi4500]

Thanks for this video Erins, I saw your Kali LP UNF review and am keen on getting it. Am wondering what's your take on the MR4s, are they in a similar tier?

[@thunderpants645]

The hierarchy of sound determines that the source is the most important part. Low cost speakers with a good signal source sound better than expensive speakers with a cheap signal source.

[@rchobbiesuk9492]

Can u please review the Polk es15?? There’s hardly any other reviews on it other than cheap AM,would be nice to get another opinion of them Thanks

[@paulcottingham241]

Hey Erin, Have you ever considered making a video about the methods and equipment you use to make your content? Your production is very good and many could benefit from your knowledge and experience.

[@ROBBIESUPERJOCK25]

Thanks for giving us some down to earth options to keep enjoying this hobby.

[@chrisu_XD]

Hi Erin, you made video 2 years ago about the "Edifier MR4". Your opinion was like, better than junk and ok for the price. Where do the MR4 sort in. Maybe a low "Meh" or "Junk"? (Currntly they are selling for 90$) I use the MR4 as PC speakers. Consider an update, but I'm not sure how much more quality sound I will get out of it. I'm fine with MR4 for KZbin, games and light music listening.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Yeah. A low “meh” is about right. There is certainly worse.

[@postersm7141]

9:06 this doesn’t look horrible compared to the powered speakers that I have. One thing I noticed is on the active speaker. It doesn’t tell you if it’s left or right channel. That’s annoying. I’ve never seen that before on a POWER speaker. It’s kind of important to know which one is the left and which one is the right depending on how the inputs are wired.

[@josuastangl7140]

Why would it matter which one is left or right, they are identical in design.

[@johannjohann6523]

Glad to see Kali make the grade. I've heard nothing but positive comments about Kali Audio. They also make a crazy small sub that is nicknamed the Beast. Dual 6.5 inch hyperbolic subwoofer that everyone says just kicks ass.

[@johnlangdon4338]

Just found your channel. I like your style. I have the Jamo's that I got cheap, and I couldn't figure out how to describe the sound. You hit it on the nose.

[@freebird8059]

Polk XT20 or the Klipsch R-50M's? What would be your choice? Highly respect your opinion! Great informative channel!

[@notbulbous42]

Any difference in the PreSonus Eris 5.25? Or is that also terrible in your opinion?

[@hipidipi20157max]

Are the Polk XT20 better than the Polk t15? Which one should one buy? The XT20 are very expensive for me

[@AlexanderG-mi7ip]

I like your generally objective approach to the sound of speakers. Have you ever heard any product by the German Heco company and what was your overall impression if you have? (Thanks)

[@benjaminhenry5284]

As usual, fantastic work and great insights!

[@Audio_Simon]

A strong come-back, Erin!

[@IT4U-k6z]

@ErinsAudioCorner I love your videos. What do you think about Logitech G560 speakers? They seem to be at similar price range to some Edifiers, Elacs, or even Kali (on sale). I must say I'm still a bit confused on what speakers should I buy for my home use (PC, gaming, movies, TV, remote music playing from iPhone, etc.). Some reviewers forget to mention that with the speakers they review or recommend, it's necessary to buy a sound card for PC or other peripherals, which changes their ultimate price and value. In your vids you don't just give your "honest opinion", but you give solid arguments backed by technical data, which I absolutely love. Could you please advice?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I’ve no experience with those. Sorry.

[@NykoLUniko]

Erin, you did not go into much detail with the Neumi BS5P-ARC given that is has so much to offer. It’s an all in one solution with good linearity. Why isn’t it ranking higher?

[@elikirkwood4580]

I got the jamo s803 speakers when they had an entire 5 channel set for like $150. It came with those, 2 s801s which are the 4" version and a 4" center channel speaker. Imo the s801s sound much better than the 803s, and I currently have them mounted above my monitors on my pc

[@Tonysia-y]

Please sir can you offer a tip to a beginer. I have monitor bronze 100. book shelfs and a svs sb 2000 subwoofer. Its ok for home theatre but I would dearly love an accurate bookshelf for female vocals and classical music. We nurses don't get paid a lot so 500 dollars is where I have to stop eating to listen better. Your thing about the Sony's tells me your the honest guy in the room. Thanks so much.

[@CheapRedBoy]

Good stuff. Thank you for the info. I bought the Polk XT15 and Sony CS5 for Black Friday. I've switched between them for 3 weeks now and will be returning the Sony's. XT15 sound better overall with more detail. The Sony's sound more flat and lifeless. I can pickout individual sounds/instruments on the Polk's. My AVR is Onkyo TX-SR3100. Researching center channel now, may just buy XT15 again for center.

[@sviktor4]

Did you considered using binaural microphone like 3Dio to record in a listening position? It could be interesting, how it matches with your inroom prediction, and introduce the human element, you can measure in different listening position and maybe helps to better EQ a speaker. My theory is that the recorded inroom response doesn't match with the prediction and the difference is significant enough to not present the data to avoid the viewers confusion. I'd like to see a graph recorded from the listening position and comparing it to the measured data. I think it's a good video idea to record 3-5 speakers and compare them to their prediction. I like you channel and that you support your statements with real data, not like the average audio reviewers out there.

[@ChadAV69]

Finally, a video I can afford to watch.

[@andyreichert499]

I was looking for some smaller speakers for my desk a couple months ago. Don't need the greatest speakers there, as most of what I'm listening to is either people speaking, or background music. But they need to fade away and not be distracting. Guess I dodged a few bullets and just deal with the size of my Kefs.

[@paulefc1971]

I got a Polk XT Package when I got my AVR (XT60 towers, XT15 surrounds, XT30 centre, XT90 height and XT12 Sub) they were a pretty good package for the price - especially when on sale, I recently got rid of most of the package and purchased Polk ES60 towers, ES15 surrounds and ES35 centre, i kept the XT12 and XT90 for now but the whole range were really good starter speakers

[@renatodmiranda]

Valeu!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thank you!

[@obvious_humor]

I’d be interested in seeing you come up with a list of the cheapest speakers that don’t suck, especially on the smaller end. I was personally looking at the Micca MB42X G2, Kanto Yu4, and Polk ES10 as options that fit within a small space (max about 5.5” tall, or 5.5” wide but placed horizontally), and I wish I knew of any better options with similar size (about 4” woofer I guess?) and within a similar budget (ideally around $100 but mostly under $300).

[@JayKaye_v1]

I have the pre sonus eris e3.5 gen 1 sadly 😅. Hopefully getting a decent upgrade soon! 😃

[@johannjohann6523]

I wonder if the real problem with most of these speakers is simply a cheap crossover. And going through the trouble of updating the crossover can really help improve these speakers like I have heard about the Sony speakers. Which are the only 3 way speaker of the group. So should or could translate into a good bookshelf speaker with a better crossover.

[@TheKineticworx]

Good stuff. I’d be interested to know if your measurements and objective data always align with what you subjectively enjoy? I think listening and comparing the speakers subjectively first and then looking at the data and comparing the two is the most useful. There are other factors too, for example, listening at lower volumes a more V-shaped sound can provide more sense of clarity, that’s why the variable loudness feature on Yamaha amps I find useful, and when it comes to Home Cinema I find the reality is vocal clarity is more important to me than overall sound quality.

[@stevenveerhoff9208]

I am looking for a good set of powered speakers to be used for general listening in a 180 sqft living room. Space is a premium, and the placement will be on a fireplace mantel. Feed is a WiiM Mini. The furniture cannot really be rearranged as the room also has an aquarium. Do the Kali powered put enough sound out for that type of space? This is a second system, not my primary listening space.

[@RileytheBunny]

Damn, the low sensitivity on the red and orange rated speakers is unacceptable.

[@milan425]

Am I glad I got your thoughts in my ear. I am about to get an amp, and later on in year some bookshelfs, an upgrade on mordaunts I've got for some years. If you could point me better, I'm thinking about yamaha s301, it is 2x100w, I am wondering if it would have enough power for general use, room is about tad less than 25m2.

[@icysasakimusic]

Plz what is the best sounding speaker? Kali lp6 lp8? Unf? In5? Please help me out 🙏🙏 Erin’s Audio Corner

[@bbfoto7248]

In the Kali Audio lineup, without going to their new, expensive TOTL Santa Monica "SM-series", the best sounding studio monitors in their lineup are the concentric driver IN-5 2nd Wave or IN-8 2nd Wave. I moved the the IN-8 2nd Wave from my home studio to my "casual listening" bedroom setup, and they are almost too good for that, LOL. If I were to choose again, I would get the slightly smaller IN-5 2nd Wave, as they don't give up much at all on the low end or in SPL compared to the larger IN-8, especially with boundary-loading. I have to dial the IN-8 2nd Wave back quite a bit on the low end to balance their in-room response. The KALI "Independence" IN-series are extremely hard to beat for the money, especially considering that the amplifiers are built-in and they have rear-panel EQ/contour controls to help adjust the response based on their placement in your room and your preferences. They are available from some vendors in White enclosures as well. For critical listening, you wouldn't want to sit more than 6ft-7ft (2m) away from them in an equilateral triangle, but they will do a fine job of filling a small to medium size room for general listening and background music.

[@SeanMoon-bz7kt]

Hi Erin, new to the channel. Would I expect the same great performance with the smaller Polk XT15?

[@andromaxz2493]

then which bookshelf speakers are the best?

[@jipillow1]

I have the mica rb42 and use them for surround channels. They do a great job

[@iliascharis5668]

When are u going to measure some line arays

[@ZombieLincoln666]

Thank you for your Kali LP-UNF review, I just bought mine and they’re great. But yeah they don’t get that loud

[@nukmuk]

What about the Thomann Swissonic A305 and A308? The A306 has been discontinued for some reason.

[@sjnmoon]

Dear @ErinsAudioCorner, how about polk xt15? For some reason, my desk and room are small for the XT20, so if I had to choose, the XT15 is the best speaker size for me.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

It’s a good option as well.

[@VinayKumar-sg1bg]

Thanks Erin, what's your impression on Jamo C97 predecessor of C97 mark 2 tower Speaker ? Could you suggest some better upgrading options for music & movies as well.😊

[@Gershy13]

Not sure if you do videos about DIY, but i would love to see a video on the theory of desiging a good DIY speaker. I havent seen it talked about much. What would i need to look for in drivers and design of the enclosure to make the spesker sound its best. (Baffle step, etc)

[@kanudoss]

Hi. What do you think of Kanto Ora? Thank you

[@orgrimdoomhammer2161]

where were you when i was deciding between stage a130 and polk xt20, i took jbl -$-

[@davidkendall1614]

2:07 Surprised the Yamo was Yunk. I thought Jamo used to be a pretty good Danish manufacturer. Once upon a time. Then sold to a subsidiary of VOXX (Premium Audio Company…owners of Klipsch, Magnat, Heco, Onkyo, Pioneer, Pioneer Elite, Integra) and allowed to wither. The name was finally picked up by the Chinese…

[@АлексейВаженин-т5и]

Great channel. There are speakers similar in measurements to Polk, but they give a resonance at 120 Hz. Will equalizing with a regular graphic equalizer help? How does equalization affect the linearity of speakers?

[@bbfoto7248]

Erin discusses this quite a bit in a lot of his speaker reviews. If the speakers have relatively linear and smooth directivity (both the midwoofer and tweeter have matching polar dispersion, especially through the Crossover region), using EQ can help smooth out the frequency response. However, it is difficult to effectively use EQ to help fix a RESONANCE issue. It can depend on if the resonance is from the drive unit itself, or if it is a cabinet/enclosure resonance created by the dimensions of the enclosure and corresponding wavelength. These resonances will both show up in the Impedance sweep/graph and usually as a corresponding dip/peak in the amplitude response (frequency response).

[@sage11x]

Ha… I use the Kanto YUP4 on my desktop paired with a Fosi V3 amp and an 8” sub. I heard the forwardness that you spoke about in the review. The issue is I don’t want a massive speaker on my desk. I feel like the speaker is a compromise for the size. In my I know most audiophiles will scoff but giant speakers are fine in my home theater but a 4” (driver) bookshelf is about as large as I’d ever want on a desk.

[@Rustydude2030]

yeah. the size is a huge challenge when trying to find something for desktop use. I have a very large desk, but with my personal desktop PC and wfh setup (each with 2 displays) on the other side of the L, actually not that much room leftover. I ended up getting the presonus eris 4.5 and added the presonus sub8. I'm happy with it for casual listening via spotify and my headphone dac/amp using the L/O. But i'm also no audiophile and tbh, my hearing isn't the greatest. I looked at the Kali LP unf back when i was researching but its $150 more than the eris 4.5. The recommendation i saw the most was Kali LP6 or Yamaha Hs5. But they are just too big. Idk what kind of monster desk ppl are rocking that they can fit those.

[@voltagetoe]

would be nice to see measurements of OSD Nero AB5 (only $200 for pair) to see whether the praise has truth in it.

[@wallycunningham5090]

Can't believe I just thought of this question after watching so long, but what are the room parameters the klippel uses to generate the 'in room' response?

[@foxgaming76yt24]

If you're asking about the PIR, it should be 44% ER, 44% SP and 12% LW iirc. Have not actually had a look on this for awhile though

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Hey, Wally. Here's a direct copy/paste from the CTA-2034: "In theory, with complete 360-degree anechoic data on a loudspeaker and sufficient acoustical and geometrical data on the listening room and its layout it would be possible to estimate with good precision what would be measured by an omnidirectional microphone located in the listening area of that room. By making some simplifying assumptions about the listening space, the data set described above permits a usefully accurate preview of how a given loudspeaker might perform in a typical domestic listening room. Obviously, there are no guarantees, because individual rooms can be acoustically aberrant. Sometimes rooms are excessively reflective (“live”) as happens in certain hot, humid climates, with certain styles of interior décor and in under-furnished rooms. Sometimes rooms are excessively “dead” as in other styles of décor and in some custom home theaters where acoustical treatment has been used excessively. This form of post processing is offered only as an estimate of what might happen in a domestic living space with carpet on the floor and a “normal” amount of seating, drapes and cabinetry. For these limited circumstances it has been found that a usefully accurate Predicted In-Room (PIR) amplitude response, also known as a “room curve” is obtained by a weighted average consisting of 12 % listening window, 44 % early reflections and 44 % sound power. At very high frequencies errors can creep in because of excessive absorption, microphone directivity, and room geometry. These discrepancies are not considered to be of great importance."

[@VangelVe]

Nice job. Thanks for the video.

[@beyond_the_frame]

My personal preference is a slope of 1.1 to 1.2dB/oct from 600-700Hz toward highs in anechoic measurement . Flat speakesrs sound bright and with lack of detail. But the most important thing in speakers design is the phase alignment. Even the small phase mismatches kill the dynamics and the details.