Reviewer info, patreon, and personal interest in our reviews: nbtsmedia.com/about-us/ The list is not in any typical order. These are top 10 choices that fit into different "needs" or a listener Bookies: Purchase Elac Debut Reference: amzn.to/35Hr8gW full review: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pLSRe6mfyKucmnU.html Triangle BRO3: amzn.to/3hBfRke full review: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rM2JZ72EzNHQgKs.html Triangle Titus ez: funallaudio.com/us-international/triangle-titus-ez-bookshelf-speakers full review: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/frZmbLODxpbDf2w.html Css audio 1td kit: www.css-audio.com/online-store/CSS-Criton-1TD-Kit-Pair-p109862382 full review: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/n5qnYMSoyrTLaaM.html Sound Artist SC8B: amzn.to/3kmP3Ge full review: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mpiTjKdlrrC2Ymg.html Floorstanders: Magnepan LRS: www.magnepan.com/model_lrs full review: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/et6Kqd2IqsyRnWw.html Tekton Lore: www.tektondesign.com/lore.html full review: coming soon Tekton Lore reference: www.tektondesign.com/lore-reference.html full review: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/i9CXoMZ9qbLGeI0.html nearfield/desktop: Adam audio t5v: amzn.to/32wrt3Y full review: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nsudaLmZxNGZZY0.html soundartist ls3/5a: www.china-hifi-audio.com/en/soundartist-amplifier-speaker-c-78/soundartist-ls3-5a-monitor-bookshelf-speakers-loudspeakers-pair-p-2320?zenid=625d200b8d267fece4d81ba6d29c61f8 full review: coming soon

I got a pair of Triangle Titus EZ for $500 from local exchange. They get me emotional when listening to my favorite music. Well worth their price!

My SoundArtist LS3/5A arrived 2 days ago, $830 AUD with free express shipping from China, during these times! They arrived within 2 weeks, I was very surprised. Oh and yes they sound and look amazing!

Seriously guys if i can give you guys any award then this is probably best of the best video without being boring wow just wow.. You guys are arguably best audio reviewers out there just pls make your vids come out more frequently as i miss you guys in between vids.. 😂

Nice work getting straight to the video without an annoying long intro.

How about top 10 older speakers under $1000 USED that are worth your money?

My secondary sound system uses a pair of Q Acoustic 3050I speakers. They are well under £1000 and are phenomenal. At 92db efficiency they are not power hungry, but do vastly improve with better electronics. They are aesthetically pleasing floor-standers with their curved edges and high quality fit and finish. They image well and produce an expansive sound stage. For my taste and preference, the top end could be a shade brighter. The bass does not reach particularly low, but the mid-bass slam is strong and authoritative and if required, the addition of an inexpensive mini sub augments that low end with out breaking through the £1000 barrier. Where they shine is the mid range. A little forward, but natural sounding. Female vocals Excell as do electric guitars. At low volumes they can bring the best out of the likes of Nora Jones and at higher volumes the reproduce rock the way it is meant to be heard. They are ideally suited to female vocal trance and electronic in general with their excelen high dynamics and that previously mentioned mid-bass slam. I have connected them to the high-end components of my main system and they hold their own, especially at that price. If you’re a cash strapped audiophile, or just looking for an inexpensive pair of outstanding all-rounders, you won’t go far wrong with these Q Acoustic 3050I medium sized floor-standers.

I’ve been stalking your KZfaq videos for a while, along with other review gurus like Thomas. I like what you guys do

How about the top 10 under $2000, $3000 and $4000?

BIG thumbs up to you guys for not going the route of other channels and listing only big established/traditional brands!

Great selection. I like my ELAC UBS5s, Emotiva B1+ and Klipsch R51Ms. I bought all 3 for less than $1k.

Great content, framing of the shot, and overall video quality.

Bought the Sound Artist LS/35a direct from China HIFI and no issues except my mind was blown

Can you guys do your ideal 7.1 HT setup at the $1,500, $2,000, $3,000, and $4,000 price points?

Hi Guys! Excellent Top 10 List!! Can you do top 10 amplifier s under 1k next? Thanks in advance

Thanks Guys for doing what all the other reviewers don't dare do.The Consumer needs and deserves the results of all these listening tests. There is one reviewer that tests a lot of headphones but no recommendations or rankings. Consumers have no time and opportunity to do listening tests. What good is a review if not placed within it's competition. Thanks for your bravery and discrimination.

The soundartist ls3/5a's are currently $599 USD delivered, not $7-800. I bought a pair when Zero Fidelity first recommended them and love them.

The new Chane audio L series has all SB Acoustics drivers. The L3C’s are a MTM under $1,000 and the L3’s are a 20 liter stand mount for around $600. Both models are full SB Acoustics. SB Acoustics makes some amazing drivers. The Chane Audio 752’s have Scanspeak woofers and 18 sound horns and are well under $1,000. Both models of speakers are brand new and will be coming out this month. * Great build quality * Outstanding crossovers * Scanspeak or SB Acoustic drivers All speakers are tuned by Jon Lane...! These are going to be a huge hit.

I just ordered the lore speakers in blue. The nice lady said I should have them around Thanksgiving. I said that's perfect I can blow the feathers off the turkey then. Looking forward to your review of them.

I second the Adam T-series. They really hit it out of the park with those budget monitors. The larger T7V and T8V are more suited for hifi mid-field use.

It's interesting ELAC now has the Debut Reference and Uni-Fi 2.0 for roughly the same price. Basically better cabinet + 2way vs 3way coaxial. Wonder if that means if they'll release a Uni-Fi Reference line as well? Hmm

I use an 833A SET at 1000 Volts on the plate through a Hammond 1642SE transformer and drive it with a 45 SET through a Lhndahl 2765 transformer with 600 Ohms between grid and ground. (This is zero grid bias at which the 833A draws 120 ma.) The 833A is a radio station transmitter tube which has to have pure DC 10 Volts 10 Amps to heat the cathode. I use a 4.5 Farad capacitor pre-charged for the 10 Volt cathode heater power. This is perfect for Magnepan speakers. Use the 4 Ohm output on the Hammond transformer,

Can't wait to see if the GR Research Encore makes a future version of this list.

Sony SS-CS5 or Sony SS-CS3 is amazing for their beautifully rendered highs (superb imaging) with super tweeter. They're very neutral, dynamic, transparent and musical. Bass response is beyond anything of that price range with Hi-end amps such as Hegel. They're extremely cheap but outperform USD 1000+ speakers due to having rigid cabinet designs and convenient materials for drivers. They had also 5 full stars on Amazon for a long time.

Jay. Bro. Bruh. Bro-3. Whatever you wanna call it. Here's my sincere question and please think about it; since you are very much impressed with the SA SC8B's, let's call that speaker what it is; a solid 8" tannoy knock-off. That then begs the next question; how good are their Tannoy Eaton knock-off (the 12" large standmount coincident driver), and then the Canterbury knock-off (the 15" floorstander). If they perform as well relative to their role-models as the price difference justifies....they could be freaking awesome! Can you get them in for review??? Puh-lease?

have you heard the new elac unifi 2.0?

I know a audiophile will always try to treat positioning and the room to the speakers, but we all know nearly no one does it on your level. I’d love if you’d focus more, on the criticialism of Position with these comparison vids, like you do with „power“ already. And done with the magnapan

Lots of great info, and all in one video. Very cool, TY Jay.

Monitor Audio Bronze 100 6G / or the prev. generation Bronze 2, gr8 soundstage, easy to drive and outstanding base

Nice work guys. Very informative. Would love to see the less than $15k version of this. Great production values!

I just got a pair of Zu Audio Omen Dirty Weekend speakers. $999, so it barely makes it under a grand. These are the most musical speakers I've ever heard. Super efficient, so you can run them off of any amp or receiver. They are also very well made. If you haven't reviewed them, you should.

2 Way bookshelf the venerable Dyanco A25’s can’t be beat. The aperiodic design provides EVERYTHING you desire. Unequalled midrange plus more than enough bass.

Speaking of speaker/component combinations; you should think about doing a video where you would try various power sources with a chosen speaker and make note of the differences. Very illustrative.

JBL Studio 530s. JBL has them as low as $300 a pair every now and then. They retail around $700 usually.

looking forward to the lore review! especially because you already reviewed the lore reference , and what you think about the differences between the two.

I bought the lore reference in white. Look great, and sound amazing. Insane power handling too, can't make them distort even even with my Yamaha 100w integrated at max volume 😁

can you guys do the same for $1k-$2k speakers? great review guys.

My Sound Artist LS35A came super quick so don’t worry about it. Took a couple of weeks .

Hey jay like you mentioned naim & hegel with Maggie's it would be really great if you can make a video about best amps for each of these: jbl's & klipsch's & even tekton

Dali Spektor 2 way under $1000 and AWESOME!

I demand a review of the grammaphone in the back.

I want Top 10 speakers under $8000 that is well worth your money!

Love your reviews. Watching from the Netherlands. My choice under a 1000 is the Wharfedale Denton 85th anniversary edition. I have the black oak version. Great look with even better sound. I use a NAD digital amp to power them. Nice clean power and full sound.

KEF LS50 now on sale @ CAD 898.00 - Great value for an excellent bookshelf.

I would put LS50 on the list too. They usually sell for 600-900€ here

i have a pair of Dali Zensor pico bookshelf speakers. i was lucky enough to get this pair from a charity shop for 10 pounds (English). they are in mint condition. i think they retail for around 400- 600 pounds. they are brilliant for the price my best buy.

I'm in the market for new speakers. As a 60yr old with near-constant Tinnitus (ringing in the ears...left ear, in my case), I find myself more and more in the market for speakers that are 'warm,' forgiving of less than perfect recordings, and non-fatiguing. IOW, the Tinnitus amplifies 'brightness' turning it into HARSHNESS. Another issue, the layout of my room is such that I really need to stay away from rear-ported speakers. I have to be able to deploy them pretty close to the wall. All of that said, I've really begun to wonder if the Triangle BR03 is the way to go...

I like my pair of Paradigm Premiere 200B stand mounted speakers.

I see some opticon 8 in the background. Hope to see a great review on them

Those red Tekton's remind me of Pi Audio Two Towers which have been around for decades. I built a pair of the Pi's years ago and they were amazing for the cost.

I loved it, you were like "someone's gonna comment" and you are right lol. So many critical people out there which makes what you do a venture only for the brave (to face all the flack from the self-proclaimed experts)

I liked your choices! Different use cases, different alternatives. Well argued, made a lot of sense, including equipment matching suggestions, placement, etc. Kudos! (Tektons are difficult to get in the EU. They are a GREAT buy in Canada) But in the EU you can get Focal Aria 906 at just below 1000€ (inc 23% vat sales tax) and Titus EZ at 650€ (inc vat)

Hi Jay. Thanks again for this review. Maybe it would be helpful to a lot of people (also reading the comments on nearfield use) if you could make a comparison video for desktop/nearfield listening only, below 1000 USD (including 500 USD amplification, so max 500 USD passives). You mention in your other video of the Adam T5v, that is the best nearfield below 400 USD, but that is an active speaker. In that review you also say the HEDD's are much better, but I actually own the HEDD Type 05 and they are very different form the Adam T5v (despite them both having AMT tweeters), they are also very different from the Adam A5X, which I also owned. Than you specifically recommend the T5v for desktop use and say that passives have more room issues being back ported etc. But actually the Adam T5v is back ported and it is quit a bit deeper than the Triangle BR02 and PSB Alpha P5, which are similar in size. Also the Adam T5v go a bit lower than those passives, which is might also less beneficial. The closed back SoundArtist LS3/5A is probably the best (both in sound quality as well as less prone to room issues), but also double the price of the other two passives. It will probably also really need a Sub to give you proper bass. A nice comparison for 1000 USD desktop would be: - Adam T5v (as budget speaker) - Triangle BR02 with amp (e.g. Vista Audio Spark) - PSB Alpha P5 with amp - PSB Alpha P3 with amp (and sub) - SoundArtist LS3/5A with amp (as a little bit more expensive outsider/alternative) Maybe also: - HEDD Type 05 - Adam A5X And all these with and without sub (Rel T5i and for example Emotiva Airmotiv S8). Both have hi level connection, so no sub out needed on the amp. It would be specifically interesting to see how all these compare on low level volume listening, imaging at 2 feet, easy to place or not (prone to room issues), mid range and vocals.

They have to be ordered and then built but I would suggest the Human Speakers Model 81 for US $594.00. They are 8" bass reflex.

just the best duo reviewer,fun and informative at the same time

I say again the Sound artist comes quick , I got mine a few days ago so the initial rush is over. Just don’t want that to stop ya:)

Tx Guys!

I have a pair of BR03s which I liked so much I bought a pair of Triangle Signature Thetas as well.

Can review to ten speakers over a million dollars? Not count the wire.

What's up Jay. Hope all is well bro. So, I'm listening to you guys on the Swan DIY . I definitely think those would be way better..

Ubr62 gets my vote. Worth every penny.

I believe we could add the Boston Acoustics VR940 speakers to this list. Or actually, maybe those speakers were about $1,300. ?? I can't remember. But I have a set of them.

Focal Chora 806. Much better than my former elac DBR62. NHT C3 Svs ultra bookshelf

Can I ask about the DIY project you started? Something new? I´d love to see another part of the series! DIY is the best especially if somebody else does it!

Hi guys. Nice video! I don’t mind a little DIY and as I have to put bookshelfs on stands anyway I don’t have a preference for bookshelf or floorstander. So here‘s my 1000 dollar question: The CSS Criton 1TD or the Tekton Lore rerefence..?

Oh I also forget to mention the sound artist bookshelf thanks

Big miss here, IMHO, on the Wharfedale EVO 4.2. These play WAY above their price ($1000 a pair).

Hey guys. Very nice video about speakers. I HAVE A QUESTION ... Have you ever heard or tested the Kef Reference Model 4.2? I myself have been a fan of High-end and of course music for years. Above all, continue with what you are doing. Peace and love and of course High end. Greetings from the Netherlands Limburg Maastricht.✌😘👌😉

I want top 10 speakers under $100,000!!

for me I have to have at least in the minimum a 12 inch or 15 inch lf driver in order to have extended frequency. a high efficiency speaker system and a tube amp with at least 30 watts per channel. it won't tire your listening pleasure out or if your in a studio editing and playing back tracks for hours.

In reviews like this, it’s important to know the sensitivity.

Absolutely fantastic choices J you hit it out the park I really do love your tekton choices I have to buy me a pair J please do me a favor if somebody could do some research on the Martin Logan XT I 35 a fantastic bookshelf speaker in my opinion about $1,300 a pair us

jbl 4311 or 12 had that phasey soundstage

Raving about these elacs on Amazon saying B&W are poor alternatives.Great sound is in the ear of the beholder.I paid 350 quid for my B&W 607 aniversary s2`s and i bet for 500 quid these Elacs might sound marginally better,by a slither.These audiophiles have more money than sense.I was knocked back how Wharfedale 9.1 for £50 sound so good!!

Sounds like you love both the Tekton Lore and Lore Reference. Can I ask you how the Mini-Lore stacks up against the other two? I know Andrew Robinson raved about them. My listening room is very tight and the Mini-Lore is about as wide/deep as I can go without making it a hassle to access the last shelf of my record collection. I have a second stereo setup in my living room where I'm using a set of 1973 JBL L-100's (with rehabbed crossovers, new binding posts and, of course, new fabric grilles). How similar is the Tekton sound to the JBL's? It sounds to me like they're both designed for a live musician's sound (I'm an ex-drummer too. Unfortunately ex- due to live-playing-enhanced tinnitus).

Really a pity that you didn't include any high performance vintage speaker systems. I just added a pair of Ohm Acoustics model H speakers to my setup last fall. Restored sonically and aesthetically and only cost me $275 for the pair. Ohm sells refurbished model H's for about $1000 each. You shoulda included vintage speakers from Acoustic Research, Ohm, EPI, Genesis, Polk, Electro-Voice to name a few. Not terribly expensive and (in good working condition) capable of sound that I'm sure would rival what you've shown here. That said, it is a nicely done video with interesting content. Just 'cause speakers are older than you shouldn't disqualify them. Maybe you could do a 10 best VINTAGE speaker review video for us seniors??

For the LRS, do you prefer the Hegel H95 or the Billie amp? Similar price points & specs.

I just purchased a new open box pair of SVS Ultra bookshelf for 650... but I had to drive 3hrs there and 3hrs back to get them. I hope they're worth the trouble.

At 10:00 minutes... He says: I feel like when the sound artist exists it’s really hard to recommend the Klipsch . Jay answers: yea the Klipsch is a little bit less in terms of dollars but it’s so much better in my opinion . The other guy face at jays response is priceless !

What speaker is that in background? Is that dali?

Would have like to see you review of include the GoldenEar Aon2 or Aon3 , I believe both are under $1000.00, I have the Aon2's and they are fantastic, about $850 a pair

Listened to Elac's along with the dynaudio, both great speakers but for my ears the Dynaudio just edged it. Would be happy with either.

Hi, great list - i’ve heard some of them but finally chosen Triangle Comete EZ instead of Titus as I use them in 200 sq ft room. One question to you guys - which amplifier you think would be a good pairing with them? Let’s say below 2k USD? You mentioned tube amp but what about not tube ones? Where to start?Atoll? Hegel? For nów I use just Marantz PM6006 bit it is’n a bery good pairing ( sound is a little too bright)

What are Tujin speakers?? They are mentioned in the video, but no information is provided.

I bought the sound artists on the strength of the multiple great reviews I've watched on KZfaq. One thing the reviewers seem to have omitted is that these are pretty hard to drive. I ran them on both my sprout and my cayin a50 and it's telling how demanding of power these are even when compared to my dynaudio special 40s. Caveat. Low power tubes amps need not apply. They sounded pretty good with the sprout though. Mine are for sale.

Can I ask you what about the PSB Alpha P5 ? I thought they were overall good speakers, and very good speakers for a desktop setup. Is there something they're missing for not being included in the nearfield category?

Do you still feel the Hegel 390 Int would be the best for Magnapan 3.7i? Or would another Int be better recommended?

You may want to consider the ML 35s which can sometimes be purchased @ 1000-Extraordinary on voices.

You guys are perfect.

I think you can't beat Revels under $1000, revel m16 or m105.

I wonder how my JBL Studio 590 stack up. I paid $499 each awesome JBL sale.😊

You had a video talking about how good the psb alpha p5s were for nearfield. Why aren't they mentioned here? Did you find things you didn't like about them in the long run?

What about the Zu’s dirty weekend guys?

Interesting the concept of an analog sounding speaker we live in an analog world so what we hear in our surroundings are analog sounds, so is analog a more natural sound and digital is more of a quantized synthetic reproduction? help me out with this lol

Ive bought Adam t5v after your recommendation! You recommended also topping e30 as DAC, but for my use i consider focusrite scarlett solo audio interface is DAC in focusrite comparable to e30, is this decent? How this dac compare to dragonfly red cause in considering it for IEM is there big difference or i should be ok with any of this?

Hi Jay and Company, I wonder if your would play the Maggie’s with a really high current low power class A amp , Luxman and Acuphase come to Mind, and then what are proper room set up? Close to front wall? Far? How far? Will this par have enough bass for a small room (bedroom actually) or need a sub?

Unified b52s ElacBu52, Magical

I find it strange no Klipsch, no Polk, no kef, no monitor on this list. All of the Amazon best sellers not on this list. Are you sure this isn't the top 10 most underrated speakers under $1000? Klipsch 280f for $798 a pair not here. They are a very high performing, dynamic, full range speaker set. The only one here I'm interested in is the lore but I think I'll pass that and go for the double impact or the SE. I don't really need to upgrade but I would like to try Tekton.

so, in the ' try my.... I would be interested in the S.A. BUT bit over a year ago bought KEF Q 350 and am totally 100 % satisfied. note, they obviously put the $ in the acoustics, the finish is, umm, typical. I got a 1 ft x 8 ft pre glued real Oak veneer., $50..... looks very very good, only ? how long will the pre glue stick to stock vinyl ? See the up market oriented ' Stereophile' review, ( google) they direct compare the media fave Kef LS50, prefer the '50 at some things - and prefer the Q 350 at some things, at half the price.

I'm interested in the LRS but on a limited budget. Which hegel amp specifically do you recommend with them?