A 1975 copy of High Fidelity maps the world when vinyl and stereo equipment didn’t just occupy a room — it claimed it. In 1975, music didn’t just hang around […]
Klipsch, KEF, Polk Audio, and Beyond: Bookshelf Speaker Guide

Limited on space and budget? Check these great sounding bookshelf speakers from $318 and up.
Most people love the idea of a pair of floor standing loudspeakers in their living room or den, but domestic concerns often put a serious dent in that plan. There’s also the issue of cost; consumers don’t necessarily want to spend thousands of dollars on speakers and the truth is that the quality of bookshelf or stand-mounted loudspeakers in 2021 has never been better.
The idea that you have to accept mediocre sound quality if you can only afford to spend $500 for a pair of speakers is completely false. Let’s put that nonsense to bed.
Getting more for less now means that you can spend more on a better amplifier or network streamer or turntable to go along with your new loudspeakers. Building a great sounding hi-fi system on a budget below $3,000 is actually the new normal and don’t let anyone shame you into thinking you’re not an audiophile if that’s where you need to start.
Paradigm Monitor SE Atom ($318/pair)

Q Acoustics 3030i ($399/pair)

PSB Alpha P5 ($399/pair)

Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 ($399.00/pair)

KEF Q350 ($699.99/pair)

Klipsch RP-600M ($729/pair)

Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 Anniversary Edition ($899.99/pair)

Sonus faber Lumina I ($900.00/pair)

Focal Chora 806 ($990/pair)

Wharfedale EVO4.2 ($999.99/pair)

Polk Audio Legend L100 ($999.99/pair)

ELAC Carina BS243.4 ($1,379.98/pair)

This article originally appeared at ecoustics.com and an intro has been published here with permission.
Read the 2024 updated version: https://www.ecoustics.com/articles/best-bookshelf-speakers/