Speaker Tier List - 31 Speakers in Under 30 Minutes!!!!!!

S Tier
Sony SSCS5 (Wait til They are $75-120) amzn.to/3leQBpr
JBL Stage A130 (Wait for $180) amzn.to/3zOrcqK
Neumi BS5 amzn.to/3lgInxc
Elac Unifi 2.0 amzn.to/3fg3Gey
A Tier
Jamo S801 amzn.to/3igtMQC
Cambridge Audio Minx XL
Elac Debut B5.2 (Wait for $250 or less) amzn.to/2UYTjVH
Klipsch RP500M (Wait for $300ish) amzn.to/3jaJ08X
Klipsch RB51ii (Get the while you Can) amzn.to/3zT7WZ9
Emotiva B1+ emotiva.com/pr...
B Tier
Jamo S803 amzn.to/3rLBd5l
KEF Q150 (At $300) amzn.to/3rLCvNu
Elac Debut Reference amzn.to/378t5lQ
KEF Q350 (Wait for $500) amzn.to/3xceHnb
Wharfedale Diamond 12.2 bit.ly/3ffpWoZ
Elac Debut B6 amzn.to/3x9LklD
Klipsch RP600M (At $377) amzn.to/3rM0vjz
C Tier
Micca RB42 amzn.to/3j55b03
Elac Unifi Reference
Dali Spekter 1 amzn.to/3lbFQEw
Polk R100 amzn.to/2WEkLs9
Elac Debut B6.2 amzn.to/379Ei5F
Wharfedale Evo 4.2 bit.ly/2V2S7jy
Polk S20 amzn.to/3lgJJb5
Dali Spekter 2 amzn.to/3zU8nm9
D Tier
Micca MB42X amzn.to/3zQsP7t
Klipsch RP400M amzn.to/3rHNfN7
Klipsch Heresey amzn.to/3jaU5Hb
F Tier
Polk S15 amzn.to/3zQt0j9
Polk T15 amzn.to/3fh8ikx
Klipsch R-51M amzn.to/3ffvzmX
KEF LS50/meta amzn.to/3rI1lhk
Homes For Our Troops - CSS Audio Raffle www.myhfotusa....
www.patreon.com/cheapaudioman
High Res Music Streaming for FREE!!!!
Amazon Music Unlimited Free Trial amzn.to/3fiiMPC
Test Track Playlist:
music.amazon.c...
Satanic Panic Playlist:
music.amazon.c...
Leg Warmers Playlist
music.amazon.c...
cheapaudioman
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Recommended Speaker List
Around $100 (These prices will fluctuate between $75 - $150)
Sony SSCS5 - Lively amzn.to/3pZNnGk
Pioneer AJ First Gen - Laid Back
Neumi BS5 -Neutral amzn.to/3q0SR3B
Around $200
Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ - Crystal Clear and Punchy emotiva.com?aff=9
Elac Debut b5.2 - Neutral amzn.to/2WPNQxw
Wharfedale Diamond 11.2 (In and Out of Stock) - Laid Back/Bassy/Detailed amzn.to/37W8hPA
JBL Stage A130 - Neutral/Great All Arounder at $179 the best value amzn.to/3t7gOHe
Around $400
Klipsch RP600M - Neutral amzn.to/3pBoXCf (This speaker’s price can fluctuate between $440-630 which is really dumb)
Jamo C93ii Bit - Boosted on Top amzn.to/3beIG6F (Can also be found cheaper at Crutchfield)
Q Acoustics 3030i - Neutral with Punch - amzn.to/2OQkpLo
Around $500
SVS Prime bit.ly/2LozJgF
Wharfedale Diamond 12.2 bit.ly/2ZckoD9
Around $600
Elac Uni-Fi UB5.2 - Neutral amzn.to/3s3srPG
Elac Debut Reference - Buttery but Detailed amzn.to/39bt6WC
Polk Reserve R100 - Neutral
Aperion Novus - Neutral and probably the best desktop speaker one can get $599 bit.ly/2Q1H9rW
Aperion Novus Open Box $449 bit.ly/3us8zGx
Wharfedale Diamonds Lush and Detailed amzn.to/3aBAso0 Come as singles
Recommended Amp List
Under $100
Aiyima A07 - Neutral and Full amzn.to/3g9YLNf
Around $130
SMSL AD18 - DAC/Amp Lively on top but solid tone controls amzn.to/3rVZxkN
SMSL SA300 $140 amzn.to/3u83oLs
Around $250
SMSL DA-9 Balanced Amp amzn.to/34SdbLs
Around $400
Emotiva TA-100 - DAC, Phono Stage, Pre Outs - Balanced and Tasty emotiva.com?aff=9
Vista Audio Spark www.vista-audio...
Recommended DACs
Ifi Zen DAC amzn.to/2T3wuyY
FX D01 amzn.to/3d9GY6U
SMSL SU8s amzn.to/2SWTGiw
Denafrips Ares 2 www.denafrips....
Subs
Emotiva SE8 emotiva.com?aff=9
Emotiva SE12 emotiva.com?aff=9

[@cheapaudioman]

**Homes For Our Troops - CSS Audio Raffle www.myhfotusa.org/cheapaudioman ****Neumi BS5 amzn.to/3lgInxc *********Elac Unifi 2.0 amzn.to/3fg3Gey

Ah I wondered why your speaker listings were so poor, you're one of those ignorant "don't tread on me" Pro troops morons. Unsub. C'ya dummy

[@brochg]

@ Please go away. This is not a political forum, and we aren’t about to let it become one. I see that that you feel very passionate about some things, and it is your right to feel the way that you wish. Please just don’t do it here.

[@cheapaudioman]

@ appreciate that we can all have differing opinions. One of those reasons is because of the sacrifice that people in uniform have made to protect your right to free speech and to have the protection to have view points such as you do. I have served my country in uniform and I will always support those that continue to do so.

[@davidgonzales-ec8bo]

@ I thought he was one of those don't tread on me guys, but I actually think his shirt is a Metallica shirt not a tea party shirt. He has Mexican friends, the fat. So he can't be a don't tread on me guy. If he is, then bummer cuz he seems so cool.

[@davidgonzales-ec8bo]

I am a huge fan, but some find the don't tread on me philosophy a little offensive. Also, I think you are awesome. I bought the criton 1tdx and a 2tdx center channel because of your glowing review. I couldn't be happier with the speakers. Keep up the great reviews.

[@sting0072007]

If you want the best type of woofer, I'd look into getting a Labrador

[@cheapaudioman]

Ha. That made me chuckle

[@m4nc1n1]

lol

[@martywidholm6102]

The Irish Wolfhound has a deeper bass sound

[@asplmn]

Meanwhile, "richaudioman" ranked the Heresy's as A-tier for their value [compared to $15,000 speakers which also provide magic]. 😂 All about perspective. Thanks for the thoughtful tier list.

[@rafaelruiz-tagle358]

I was shocked when he put the LS50's in the lowest tier because it had no bass for the price. LOL! And he is right. They do have no bass. But what you do get for that price, is one of the most awesome sounding and Beautiful speakers out there. I have a 5.2 system in my room (all older LS50s with two 8 inch subs) and it is heaven! Everybody who have listened to my system give me the wow factor, and tell me that it's like listening to headphones. Bottom line is that all of these bookshelf speakers need a subwoofer to really get that 20 Hz range… Probably even the $3500 heresy. And if that's the case, you'll be blown away by the LS50s. But I get what he's doing. I guess he should have not included the heresy because I don't think it belongs there. I shall say no more. :-)

[@divorceddawg]

I was just thinking about the “Saturday Speaker Shootouts” yesterday. Good timing on this.

[@gg0297]

Next challenge: rate the speakers based on the quality/performance (add more, like the Paradigm Atom Se, Svs Prime, Monitor Audio etc.).

[@cheapaudioman]

Yeah I’m going to figure out how to do this better and go back and actually make a list of all the speakers I’ve done. Appreciate You watching

[@DeepBarney]

Yeah I'd like to see how some of these compare on just a quality/performance basis, because it's hard to keep all the details and impressions from the individual reviews in mind when going from one to the next.

[@scotto541]

@@cheapaudioman Yes, one more vote for a speaker shootout/ranking based only on your opinion of their sound quality. Also, good stuff, keep up the good work.

[@matthewfrew]

Agreed. I'd like to see where you think the SE Atoms fit into something like this

[@gizzy2403]

@@scotto541 that's exactly what I thought & want to see🍻

[@eddtru]

Still rocking my sscs5, best $75 I've ever spent in audio. Many thanks to the cheapaudioman.

[@NeilBlanchard]

Randy - this had to be done! Thank you. If you were so moved, maybe a sound quality rating as a suffix? Maybe 1.0 to 11 ? These go to eleven ... Value is balancing so much - what you like, and what you can afford - and that is excellent to know how you judge these. By adding a audio quality only, might let folks get better sound, and they can decide whether the price is worthwhile for them.

[@DeepBarney]

Damn you for only ranking my recently purchased (based greatly in part to your review) Elac DBR62 as B tier! You said they were great and could probably be "end game speakers for a lot of people", surely that deserves S tier! Haha I'm just shittin' you. As a value proposition you're probably right on the money with that grade. They are quite nice, but I reckon I could have been just as happy with a lesser speaker at a better price/value. Though maybe these will hopefully save me the cost and headache someday of feeling like I need to upgrade. So in closing, thanks for the awesome video. And I'll echo others in that I hope you'll consider doing a video comparing/tier listing a large swathe of speakers based solely on performance. You've won a like and subscribe from this budding audio enthusiast. Cheers

[@danielcaswell9945]

I like the ranking list. I'd really like you to do a straight sounds quality ranking in addition to this value tier list.

[@cheapaudioman]

It's coming

[@tharveytucker1]

Was really curious where you’d place the Q Acoustics 3030i

[@genxt]

Exactly!!! How come he missed this!!

[@Monsux]

I would place 3030i somewhere between B and S. Q Acoustics speakers are often -30% sale at least in EU. I got my home theater speakers 3030i + 3020i super cheap. Great value if you can get a good deal.

[@rjzlwop3153]

Fantastic review my friend, kind of hard to keep up with all of them and remember which one was where isn’t it! You’re super exciting and I love watching your show I wish it was like an hour long episode every week kind a like the Dukes of Hazzard or the fall guy but very entertaining

[@driver8sk]

Loved this video. Pure sound reviews are nice, but when you have to really think about the $$$'s and what you could get for the same money is where it gets interesting. Also, I would argue that my T15's are a solid B when used as a stand for good speakers :)

[@ZIDsVids]

Do we really think T15's are that bad?? New to the channel but dang guys

[@SyzygyNoon]

I don’t own T15’s, so I can’t speak to their quality, but the runt of the litter needs love, too.

[@wa2368]

T15 is a solid F.

[@Time_Traveling_Lesbian]

@@ZIDsVids They are pretty terrible. Im using them as a stand in til I get my Emotiva B1+s, and I was using the dayton Air B652 (60$) until I sold those, And those managed to completely blow the polk speakers its not even close. The dayton ones sounded 10x more expensive than the polk speakers they are just really not good for anything but surround duty

[@Monsux]

Here in the EU KEF LS50 meta have been 999€ after tax for two months. I got my pair for 850€. I think at that price it's really good value. I do like the sound way more than my other 300-500€ speakers. I was also thinking of buying pair of Evo 4.2 since they are so cheap in the EU.

[@Beathoven007]

I had the Ls50 meta as my number one preferred speaker for a while The evo 4.2 passed it as it is a 3 way and seems to be handle the content with less effort. .

[@Monsux]

@@Beathoven007 Evo 4.2 sounds lovely but it's just massive compared to LS50. I do prefer a bit smaller size speakers + subwoofers. I'm planning to keep KEFs as my reference speakers and test others if I have extra money and time.

[@Roof_Pizza]

Maybe you should punish the manufacturers and use their msrp not any artificial sale price. Good video.

[@theagent578]

I appreciate knowing what price to watch for specific speakers - but you're probably right. Give the award based on msrp - but mention the price it goes down to and how it would affect ranking.

[@brandony8691]

This channel is one of the only ones asking the right question, which is, "what is the best equipment I can get for a given amount of money." Love it! EDIT: Also, just got a new pair of RP-600M for $377. Paired it up with a Fluance 10" sub and a pretty warm-sounding Denon and it sounds great (especially when I take a dB or two off of the highs with the Denon's EQ).

[@cheapaudioman]

That’s exactly what I would have done. I bet it sounds awesome

[@dave2288]

Great video, Randy! Where would you rank Emotiva B1+?

[@cheapaudioman]

I completely forgot about them. S or A tier

[@___7247]

Liked! Thank you for putting a summary of the info on the description.

[@raymoore8435]

I hear great things about the Tekton M-Lore small floor stander at about 650.00 shipped

[@angelotero2581]

Thanks for your review but I'm not worried about the money. Which 3 sound the best if money wasn't an option?

[@shaner3d]

Been waiting on this! Thanks for great videos!!

[@thedirtydutchman9749]

Where do the SVS prime end up on this list sir.

[@geezer5236]

Decent first attempt, a few obvious omissions. ( Q accoustics, Emotive) Maybe try later with a tier rating for say $300 and under and then over $300. Would better target those budgeting to a specific price point.

[@cheapaudioman]

Thanks for the compliment? Yes. A few omissions. I’ll do better next time

[@andrewforsythe7240]

The Elac B6.2 opens up at about 200 hours. I have them . Good 👍 stuff. Using sub.

[@dynodin81]

I had them for about 2 weeks but sent them back, i just wasn't sure how long it would take to open up.

[@andrewforsythe7240]

@@dynodin81 I believe for many people they are too neutral, I had to get used to that also. But my system is on about 12 hours per day, so was broken in quickly. Break in is real. However I am looking for the fun factor now, may buy Jamo C93ii or Klipsch Rp500m. I need the added treble, not so young anymore. But will keep my Elac B6.2's they are most accurate and do benefit from better electronics.

[@Abrahamhasnoname]

Hi Randy! Where would you rank the JBL 530 when they’re on sale?

[@fluffythecat1770]

This! I can't believe it wasn't included here, @cheapaudioman !

[@corkydukeII5898]

Very disappointed to see Jamo C93 II (which you loved) didn't make the list : (

[@jamiejwaters]

OK so they do originate from the other side of the pond and they do put the queen on their money but we must give props where props are due and the Q Acoustics 3030i (especially but the 3010i and 3020i as well) should easily hit S tier :)

[@cheapaudioman]

Absolute failure on my part to include. I forgot a few very good speakers on this list. The 3020i would have been a or b tier

[@jamiejwaters]

@@cheapaudioman at the rate at which you review speakers there were bound to be a few that got lost in the shuffle. Keep up the great work!

[@StevePilgrim2013]

Super idea for a video. Now amps & dacs!!!

[@ythagakure]

Loving this Tier List! Great Job!

[@stepasite]

Great work. The tiers would differ a bit in Europe. Elacs, Dalis and Wharfedales would make it higher. Just check german or uk amazon. Shipping costs matter.

[@cheapaudioman]

For sure. Wharfedales are priced very well in Europe from what I understand.

[@rap4live39]

Monitor Audio is also a great english brand...

[@Beathoven007]

I think the Evo 4.2 needs a higher position. Compared to the others it is a heavy 3-way speaker which cost less than the small ls50 metas. The evo 4.2 is often described as reasonably priced high end. The positioning requirements aren't all that of a problem. Just try to reduce reverb in a room which can be achieved by simple things like rugs, curtains and furniture. They have no ports at the back so sound isolation at the backwall isn't really necessary within normal living room listening volumes. So for what's been given it is bang for buck

[@redrock425]

The 4.2 are great speakers. The better the input the better they get. Heard mine fed by a 1200AS2 powered amp and they were fantastic.

[@murfemersed]

awe... where are the fluance sig Bookshelves? Sal Goodman, we still love you, but I'm super impressed with these badboys. Thanks for the vid!!

[@Feliciano12v]

Great work! I like this series. Can't wait for the strictly performance-based tier list.

[@TheBrigar]

Spot on call for the Klipsch rp500 over the rp600.

[@rickgrimes4845]

KEF Q350 normal price currently, no sale is 450 usd :). Also the Evo 4.2 normal price is at about 800 usd

[@chrismac3779]

I think you did a great job putting this list together, with good explanations on why you put them in which tier. Out of curiosity, the Fluance Signature and Reference, if added, where would you place them. No need for an explanation why. I would place the Signatures in A tier, and the Reference in C tier. Keep up the great work!

[@cheapaudioman]

That where id put them too

[@WildReefer]

I recommend listening to the Monitor Audio Bronze 2's if they are still on sale. I'm very happy with the value for money ratio on mine, even coming from my old 1990's Acustic Energy AE-1's that my cat murdered, which were amazing.

[@quantumrift11]

Where might the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 fall on this tier list? I know some time has passed, and to be fair whatever more current lines of any given speaker would need to be included.. But I just am hearing from many sources that the best bang for your buck speaker under 300 or even under 500 bucks is the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2. What's your take?

[@chriss8319]

Where would you put the CSS Criton 1TD and the GR Research XLS encores?

[@kingcarcas1349]

The XLS didn't blow anything away over at ASR

[@TylerStout]

Honestly I think this is pretty solid start, only thing I would change would be moving the heresy 4 down more because yeah it might have some redeeming qualities but it's also got no bass and is $3k. I'd personally put it in F but I could see a case for E tier.

[@buttonman1831]

Ls50s become better value the more expensive of an amp you run. My original ls50s on my Hegel h390 competed easily with speakers up to 10k in the highs and mids. I have owned many speakers near the 10k price range and still regard those as one of my favorite speakers of all time. They are misunderstood because they simply will not work with lower end amplifiers.

[@zeke937]

Thank you. Their low efficiency coupled along with the fact that many mistakenly pair them with lower end class D amplifiers (which can give a speaker a thin/harsher sound) makes them really easy to be misunderstood. I have them paired to my Rotel RA-1572 (Class AB with 120 watts of power) and I love the combo. Added a Chord Hugo 2 into the chain as a dac and have been loving it even more. I also take issue with the whole "no bass" part. Two ways that tend to do bass quite well tend to do that at a cost of detail in the midrange/treble (what a speaker should do well). I rather have the detail then have a sub (whose job is do handle the bass frequencies anyways) fill out the bass region. No offence to the reviewer, but the fact that the LS50's are in the "F tier" really has me seriously questioning what amplifier he was using with them to begin with. Ron from "New Record Day" has a more reliable analysis of this speaker, and in his setup he has gear that can really show what the LS50's are capable of.

[@marccormier1384]

I think you should do the same kind of thing but with Tower speakers like we know which bookshelf speakers are good everybody talks about bookshelves but what about the giant towers I miss them 6 ft tall wooden cabinet monsters that will shake your house apart

[@svalbard01]

3:33 "Aluminum dome tWEEEhtur I believe." The A130s really take Randy back... to puberty.

[@rotorfix]

LS50s only roll off around 70Hz (not 90, geezus) if you drive them with a weaksauce amp. I’ve actually heard them rival some speakers with 8” woofers when driven properly.

[@LookSee]

With all due respect to this channel, Joe 'n' Tell has a great speaker list which he calls his Leader Board. Worth checking out.

[@cheapaudioman]

He sure does. Great info on his.

[@Patrick_Runnels]

With all due respect, there are a lot of people who have great list, but each list is different based on the individual and their preferences, ears, media preferences, and a million other factors. So, one more list never hurts.

[@bradthurkle7217]

@@Patrick_Runnels 100 percent 👍. It’s interesting how they do it a bit different. I like what he’s done hear.

[@CinemaDemocratica]

There's a sneaky challenge with this channel and it's that at $1000 for a pair of speakers, there are genuinely high-end offerings out there -- which make a high-three-digit offering from one of these manufacturers a lot harder to justify. You can get a pair of Amphion Argon 0 speakers for about $850, and you could run those with multi-thousand-dollar amp separates and it wouldn't feel like overkill. Does that automatically mean that they have to sound better than, say, the Elac Debut Reference or the Wharfedale Evo 4.2? No, of course not, but admitting the Amphions would demand admitting an entirely fresh class of price-appropriate competition, which in turn makes a fair number of the speakers in this tier list much harder to justify.

[@cedricgalarneau4725]

Good video. Love that tier list. Now another one based only on performance please.

[@mastersingleton]

I would love to see you review both the Adam Audio T7V and the Edifier S2000MKIII and place them in your speaker tier list; as the Adam Audio T7V is another amazing bang for buck speakers at $549.98 for a pair of them along with the surprisingly great sounding Edifier S2000MKIII speakers at $499.99. These speakers punch well above their price range and can even challenge some speakers at the $2000+ price range.

[@sidesup8286]

I like speakers with not that much cabinet area behind the drivers, or below the drivers. Not only does cabinet diffraction smear the sound but your ear/brain system has to figure out the placement of the instruments more, instead of them being sharply focused and instantly obvious exactly where they are coming from. Cabinet area behind the drivers can cause brain confusing cabinet diffraction. There are some strangely shaped speakers like the vintage Spica Angelus and Snell Type A, which purposely had wide cabinet baffles, but the baffles were sloped or rounded, not a shape that standing waves like to hang out. Sound degrading standing waves like straight up and down flat surfaces with a wide width, parallel surfaces, and corners. They really love corners. Which is the reason most peoples rooms don't sound right. Small bookshelf speakers do not have much cabinet area for diffraction to develop. There is a reason to get bookshelf speakers. With a subwoofer the bookshelf speakers can be brought out further from the wall and the subwoofer can be kept back closer to the wall to reinforce the bass with full bass dynamics. Speakers like the vintage Dahlqiist dq10, 20 & 30, Vandersteen model 1 & 2 in all their incarnations etc. have no cabinet behind the midrange and tweeter. They all are famous for their decidedly un-boxy sound, with no sound smearing, from wood behind the drivers. Drivers with incredibly good dispersion can get away with cabinet surface area behind them better than most ordinary designs. There are also some advanced horn designs which have wide cabinets but they are shaped different and are calculated to launch the sound, instead of the common shaped cabinet which standing waves and early reflections like.

[@mikepedersen2042]

A bit surprised CSS audio didn't figure in here. While they are mostly a DIY speaker they can also be had finished. In my opinion they are killer value.

[@RetroResurrectionAI]

This video tested the limits of my OCD LOL. Still thanks for the great info Randy.

[@nicolesantos7201]

R.C.AM. & community: Thanks for great video value your opinion. It was mentioned but I must have missed it: where would you have put the Q's 3030i? Thanks again for your time and service.

[@ketchupninja]

Fluance? Got a pair on your recommendation I love em

[@jakilahmoulien9070]

Sony should make a more refined version for this speaker. And I'm still waiting for the STR DN1090 to come out. why are they taking so long to update these.

[@viranjith]

Would love to hear what you think of Kanto YU6, YU passive 5.25 and Sub8!

[@2kdesignstudios72]

Redo, redo, redo

[@omnomnymous]

Where would you rate C93 II and C91 II given the sale price of 250 and 200 for a pair respectively?

[@nealpugh5319]

Crickets.....CAM? CAM? JAMO 93ii purchase or Emotiva B1+ on the line here

[@charleyweinhardt]

no focal 🤷‍♂

[@brochg]

Fantastic tiers, and very well presented!!!

[@jonuiuc]

What are the major differences between the Elac Debut Reference vs the Wharfdale 12.2? I know they are both on the forgiving side of things. Are there some qualities for some situation one works better than the other (type of power, etc). They are both the same price nowadays.

[@xavdeman]

Wharfedale has a signature sound that is on the warmer side. Believe this was confirmed in the Wharfedale 12.2's review.

[@AbsoluteFidelity]

12.2 way more neutral and 'musical'. The warmth and smoothness of the 12.2 is hard to beat.

[@stephenscharf6293]

How are the operational defintions for the different "tiers" defined? How are we to understand the _Context and Rationale_ for why you are making the decisions for each speaker if you have not defined the tiers?

[@danielsullivan7541]

Where do the SVS speakers fall on this lst?

[@BobFonseca]

Bold move putting the Metas on the bottom rung. That being said, being the owner of both the KEFs and the little Sony’s (bought for $30/pr) there is a price/reward argument to be made! Love your channel!

[@miata1492]

Did you mean rung?

[@BobFonseca]

@@miata1492 si… corrected, thanks!

[@miata1492]

@@BobFonseca ; - )

[@rafacq]

3 years later I bought a pair of new Wharfdale Diamond 225 from Music Direct for $254 with a WELCOME15 code. Great bass, currently being broken in, every day they sound better! Strongly recommended!

[@TheBRBvideos]

In the UK the WharfedaleEvo 4.2 is £649, making it great value if you have a good stand of the right height.

[@Larwiz]

JBL STUDIO 530's?!? On sale, they're like $199 - low $200's.

[@aammdj]

No JBL Studio series?

[@atortiz]

Jamo S803 are on sale at Ad-oram for $109 still (as of 8/3/21). Does this make them A+???

[@LutherFlannery]

Where would you place the Monitor Audio Bronze 100s?

[@fletchermunson6225]

Goo Job by the hardest working man in auto.But what happened to CSS Criton? At about $700 if value means sound quality for the buck, I'd have it high up. But you have to make them and work for it.

[@jeffdunes7431]

I know the SVS Prime has to be on this list but it is not. It went on sale for $400 on AMAZON.

[@great100m]

Interesting approach to the evaluation. maybe a 2-axis, performance on one axis and cost on the 2nd

[@samuelkirchner4062]

i got 2x dali spek 2 for 230€ new ........ i think with this price they rise to S or A!?!? What you think? here in germany the sony ist 400€ and for two 800€

[@SyzygyNoon]

Your lack of towers disturbs me. (Thanks for the vid, though.)

[@DavidDeviney]

Very interesting! I would love a video on definitions of terms you audiophile guys use when critiquing. For example, roll off.

[@miata1492]

Do I hear a second? Yes, I'll second your motion.

[@jasonc331]

I think Randy should do his used terms with his definitions .

[@josexavierjr.5633]

Randy, please check out the Moukey M20-3 three-way speakers for about $80/pair........they sound great! Bang for your buck list candidate for sure!

[@apetrusch]

Nice list, but curios where you would place BR03.

[@SapiaNt0mata]

Dali Spektor 2 are €230 on EU Amazon while retail price is €320. is it worth to buy at €230? i have a sub to cover the bass area. Sony SSCS5 are €220. get Dali Spektor 2, Sony, or something else? i can't get Sony for cheaper and i can't wait for discount cause my current speakers are damaged and i want to get a new pair as fast as possible.

[@Johnny-ov7qe]

@cheapaudioman have you tried the super small desktop Klipsch RB 41 II? Found a pair locally for super cheap. Not bad sound for such a tiny presentation (only 8 inches tall).

[@richardhicks7326]

You have a lot of knowledge and I appreciate you sharing it. Please work on the delivery. Lot of meandering....slow, hesitant talking. Very hard to make it all the way through to the end of any of your videos. 30 minutes could easily be wrapped up in 15.

[@marksnelling5839]

Where’s the SVS bookshelf speakers?!?! There two price points to pick from and they’re amazing!!!

[@Masterlowen21]

Great Video, thanks!!!

[@salmonline]

No floor-standers at all?

[@cheapaudioman]

I don’t have enough of those to do one. But I should next time. This was tough to do with 30. I’m going to figure out how to do this better next time aeound

[@carlsitler9071]

I probably will always use towers in my main system. Maybe the Wharfedale 4.2 could work for me. I can't imagine any speaker system, I could afford, could ever rival my planar headphones system.

[@GodfreyMann]

@Randy, the methodology of this table is flawed, because ends up trying to control too many of the wrong variables and none of the right ones. Let me explain. On the face of it price vs performance sounds reasonable, but price is wrapped up with geographical location, date, sales and other considerations. For example, *today* this video is completely irrelevant for anyone watching in Europe, because our prices are almost completely backwards e.g. the EVO’s can be had in the UK for £480, but you can’t find the RP600M’s for much less than £600. Plus, we can’t even buy those Sonys, and *next year* this video may be largely irrelevant even to viewers in the USA as prices, import duties etc may/will change. It doesn’t even make sense from a practical use case. E.g. imagine we walk into a room with all these speakers on the wall, are you telling me you’re listening to the Sony’s and not the $3000 Klipsch? That’d be ridiculous, but if all you had to go off was a photocopy of this chart then that is what would happen if a newbie was choosing. It doesn’t even make sense from a real-life use case, e.g. let’s say I have $800 to spend on speakers, your ‘S’ tier stops at $500. So even if I can find a deal on the EVO 4.2’s or Uni-Fi Reference for $800, your advice would be to save the $300 and just get the Elac Uni-Fi 2.0?? The problem with this advice is it’s making a value judgement that includes price, but may be I’d rather prioritise sound than save $300, but this table gives me no indication as to how the speakers rank by sound. You wouldn’t rank speakers by sound quality and speaker shape or colour because that’s subjective, well so is price... ...so ranking purely on performance is surely the way to go, but that’s subjective as well and this is where this table fails again, because it fails to tease apart the differences in style of speaker (warm, neutral, bright etc) and instead these vital decision parameters are masked/overridden by your subjective taste on sound. Better would be to use your considerable skills as a reviewer to rank them by performance in different sound categories or simply how close they come to a real-live acoustic performance as a reference, and let your viewers work out the value proposition based on where they live, when they’re buying, what their budget is, and their tastes and priorities.

[@cheapaudioman]

Thanks for the feedback

[@colanitower]

I guess a spreadsheet is better suited to list and rank this many speakers from multiple viewpoints

[@larryh.4629]

Thus the title cheap audio man from what he said he plans to present another based on sound solely and I like yourself welcome that comparison also. As he is based in the states his primary audience being citizens of the USA. Please deduse what information you can from his informed opinion and I can almost guarantee that Randy heard you and will be giving his best evaluation, be it quality ,quantity, or value 😉👌 happy listening wish we could buy some of your fine audio equipment here too. Trust me I love the beauty of the build I've seen in English product's but my wallet is not that thick. Probably due to taxation or some duty tax . The Chinese have that figured out ,aye.

[@no-man_baugh]

I got a pair of Polk T15's as my first ever passive stereo speakers, and one thing I'd add to describe them is their crossphase, which is super out of whack! Legit, I just thought that speakers were meant to sound super weird if you move you head an atom to the left or right until I got Micca RB42's They're not just muddy and a bit overpriced, but also totally unlistenable! 👍

[@Usercehdbf]

I can get a pair of dali spektor 2s for 175 euro roughly 195 dollars is it worth it?. What amp/reveiver would go well with it

[@diabloid733]

I wonder at $209 which tier DALI Spektor 2 will go

[@semoisio]

Randy, can you tell me are Elac debut B5.2's good for nearfield/midfield listening and how They sound at low listening levels. They are currently €152.27 at Amazon. De.

[@ccadp1219]

Great stuff......do more videos like this PLEASE!

[@daweidu8703]

Please get Infinity Reference R152 Loudspeakers (Pair) $109.99 and review.

[@SavageAirCinema]

Dammit... I just got all Polk Audio s10 sattelite speakers and Polk Audio s15 front bookshelf speakers for my 7.1 home theater setup; just to find out they are in the F tier. lol

[@chucksimonds5164]

You should re-do all your tier videos and rank them by performance and let the buyer determine if they are worth the cost to them.

[@jeffsloane8628]

Nicely done Randy. I think the Emotiva B1+ and kit bookshelves you've tested should also be added. I've got 2 S, 1 A, 1 B, 1 D and 1F. Thankfully I only paid $80 for the Klipsch R-51s and $48 for the Micca MB42Xs. I agree, when those Sony's drop below $100 there is no better bang for the buck and that speaker is affecting many of your F grades.

[@chrisy4011]

The B1 are on the list tier A but he didn't mention them in the video for some reason. Maybe forgot.

[@mastrod747]

What you think about Mission LX2 first series (not MK2)? Thanks

[@ivanramirez2360]

I was going to go with the elac b 6.2’s but you changed my mind. now I’m considering getting the elac unifi 2.0; they’re priced at $600 though which is a long stretch from the $250 I was planning with the 6.2’s. In your opinion would you say the price jump is worth it? I want to be one and done with these speakers; don’t want to have to upgrade for a very long time. I’m running a Sony str-dh190 if that matters. This is all for a small bedroom so I don’t plan on getting a sub.

[@konradpanitz3725]

Down under (aka Australia) our dollarydoo’s don’t seem to be getting us as far in Hi-Fi. We have a sales tax of 10% (GST) which we include in our pricing, but our sale deals seem to be well over USD Deals, Klipsch RP-500M on sale is $999 AUD for reference. I think Dali Spektor. 2’s maybe the most reasonable price at $529 AUD, which is what $350 USD? Emotiva B1+ is $512 AUD with shipping. Any high value suggestions for AU?

[@OHUQTU]

You completely ignore Monoprice speakers, and therefore lack credelbility.

[@matthewberard1199]

You built your channel on the Emotiva B1+, where would you place that?

[@Amhey001]

Great job! Would love to see the same list based on your overall sound quality opinion! (no $$$ limitation)

[@niroshandesilva7562]

hey man, im looking for a decent amp to power a pair of wharfedale sapphire 87's for my garage. What would you recommend? price being sub 150 bucks?

[@GH-om5rp]

Lol I bought those Klipsch R-51M partly because you said they were good. Anyway I think they sound great with my Blondie and Iggy Pop records.