Although wireless earbuds and portable Bluetooth speakers are becoming increasingly popular, there is something new on the horizon. This new development is high-quality, space-filling audio that provides the same rich response as the best bookshelf speakers.
Despite the ubiquity of low-quality audio playback devices, an increasing number of people are beginning to appreciate the benefits of lossless, immersive audio experiences offered by streaming services such as Apple’s Spatial Audio. Other examples of this trend include the popularity of multidimensional home theater setups and the resurgence of vinyl and cassette tapes.
The best bookshelf speakers will elevate your audio experience regardless of the source. They provide a true stereo soundstage that is vastly improved compared to your computer speakers, TV speakers, and most compact wireless speakers. With these speakers, you’ll be able to enjoy rich and detailed sound that brings your music and movies to life.
Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2
In our opinion, the Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2s are truly remarkable and nearly perfect. We were completely overwhelmed by the sound quality, which was far superior to what the $375 price tag would suggest. The audio is incredibly natural and smooth, whether you’re listening to vinyl or streaming.
The speakers provide a powerful sound that satisfies bassheads & they offer a much better audio quality than equally-priced speakers like the Q Acoustics 3020i. If that wasn’t enough, they’re also very forgiving. You don’t need a perfect setup or well-treated room to get a good sound out of these speakers.
The B6.2s have great sound no matter where you put them in the room and they play everything from expensive vinyl to a simple Spotify stream.
If we had to be really nitpicky, we would say that the Debut 2.0 B6.2s’ design is pretty boring and boxy, and they’re not the newest speakers. Even Elac themselves have more recent models. However, they are still good quality speakers despite their age.
Elac makes some of the best speakers on the market, and they’re also a great option for just about everybody. We recommend a slightly older product that is superior to just about everything else we tested for this article because it truthfully saves you money. This product is a great choice for anyone looking for amazing sound quality without breaking the bank.
- Impedance: 6Ω
- Suggested Amplifier Wattage: 20W-120W Per Channel
- Sensitivity: 87dB
- What We Like: The Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 is a great bookshelf speaker that has almost everything you could want.
- What We Don’t: The design and appearance of this model is a little less exciting compared to other models.
Elac Uni-Fi 2.0
The Elac Uni-Fi 2.0s are a great option for anyone who likes the idea of owning a pair of Elac speakers, but wants something a little more refined than the top-ranked Debut 2.0 B6.2s. Although they are priced at $600, which may be too expensive for some listeners, they are still a very solid pair of speakers.
We were thoroughly impressed with how well these speakers performed no matter what the setting was. They provided clear and concise sound whether we were in a large home theater testing room or a much smaller office space. We would highly recommend these to anyone looking for a great listening experience.
When we tested these speakers, we were very impressed with how well they switched between hi-fi and home theater systems. They produced great sound quality whether they were used with a stereo amplifier or an AV receiver. This is thanks to the redesign by Andrew Jones.
The biggest issue we had with the Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 speakers is that they are relatively expensive compared to other speakers in this price range. There are many other options available that provide similar or better performance for the same price, which makes it difficult to justify the cost of the Elac Uni-Fi 2.0s.
Although the Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 speakers are very good, they are only slightly better than the Aperion Audio Novus and the less expensive Q Acoustics 3020i speakers. The Q Acoustics 3020i speakers give the Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 speakers a serious run for their money.
At this moment in time, we would say that a better choice is the slightly older Debut 2.0 B6.2s. This speaker is more complete and is from the same company.
- Sensitivity: 85dB
- Impedance: 6Ω
- Driver Sizes: 5.25″ Woofer, 4” Midrange, 1″ Tweeter
- Suggested Amplifier Wattage: 40W-140W Per Channel
- What We Like: This speaker is equally terrific both when embedded in a hi-fi system and when installed home theater system
- What We Don’t: This speaker may be a little intimidating for beginners, and they face stiff competition from other companies.
KEF LS50 Meta
We’ve always been big fans of KEF’s LS50 speakers, and the new version with Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) is even better. MAT is designed to reduce unwanted sound reflections, and it really does make a difference – these are some of the clearest, most detailed-sounding speakers we’ve ever heard. They’re not cheap, The LS50 Metas are the best-sounding bookshelf speakers that you can buy, so they are definitely worth a listen.
The KEF LS50 Meta speaker used to require the use of two different apps for control. However, that has been simplified so that now only one app is needed. In addition, the speaker offers a range of wireless connectivity options, including Spotify Connect, Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, and Roon. As a result, you will be able to start playing music almost immediately, regardless of your chosen source.
Even though the KEF LS50 Metas are being sold at the same price as the previous model, they are still very expensive. This becomes even more of an issue when you take into account that there are less expensive speakers that outperform them, such as the Polk Audio Legend L200.
The LS50 Metas are great speakers, especially on the low end. However, they don’t have the same wireless functionality as some of the other top models. We still think they’re great, but they might not be right for everyone.
- Sensitivity: Unavailable.
- Impedance: N/A
- Suggested Amplifier Wattage: N/A
- What We Like: A genuine improvement on a classic.
- What We Don’t: Despite being much more expensive than some of its rivals, it still falls behind in certain areas.
Kanto TUK ($900)
Some folks will probably complain in the comments about how active, wireless models will never be as good as traditional passive speakers. Our response to those people is that they haven’t tried out the Kanto TUK yet.
We were absolutely blown away by the detail in the sound produced by the Air Motion Transformer Tweeters. The richness and sumptuousness of the sound quality were far beyond anything we could have imagined, and these speakers more than lived up to their considerable hype.
Although the Kanto TUKs aren’t perfect, they offer a slightly dated Bluetooth version. The less-expensive Fluance AI61 offers Bluetooth 5.0, which is why we’d rank it over the TUKs. We found it difficult to get a precise volume from the TUKs.
Kanto’s TUK speakers are a winner not only for their great design and sound quality but also for their wide range of features. The phono input makes them perfect for use with a turntable, and the other inputs allow you to connect just about any audio source you can think of. Whether you’re looking for great sound or a stylish way to show off your audio equipment, the TUK is sure to please.
- Sensitivity: Unavailable
- Impedance: Unavailable
- Suggested Amplifier Wattage: N/A
- Driver Sizes: 5″ Full Range, 1″ Tweeter
- What We Like: A genuine evolution for Bluetooth speakers.
- What We Don’t: Kanto TUK, Volume issues, Bluetooth 4.2 only.
Wrapping Up:
We want to help you find the best bookshelf speakers for your needs, so we spent many hours researching and testing different models. We hope our review is helpful in finding a great set of speakers for you to consider.
