6 Best Bookshelf Speakers for Under $100/Pair

[shadyJ]

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I know powered speakers are not what this article is about; but at the same time, it is very relevant to someone trying to figure out how to best get good sound on a budget!
I would love to see how something like the Edifier R1280T stacks up against one of the better sounding speakers in your pool.
At $100 it includes the amp, but restricts flexibility (no sub output or AVR features); however as a simple way to put sound in another room or for the kid looking for something that sounds good on a tight budget, it is a viable alternative.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016P9HJIA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I like this idea. Not a review that I could do soon, but certainly something to keep in mind.

 

[gfmucci]

In the $100 price range, but powered, the Klipsch Prologic trio (two satellites and a woof) is an excellent sounding set.

 

[Sonty]

I live in Mumbai, India. Of the Six Speakers mentioned in the Article, only Polk T-15 is available in India. I am a long time fan of Polk Speakers, and I am using them as my Windows Desktop Computer Speakers with a dedicated Amp. As you have rightly pointed out, they do have a Wide Dynamic Range and pack a real Punch ! They look gorgeous, particularly the projecting protective Grill. They are indeed Awesome for the asking Price.

 

[MrBoat]

The most troubling part of these so-called surprise values is, the underlying truth of, all of these things being. . . disposable.

I try hard to buy things that are at least serviceable for life, or have a service life of 20 years with care. When I bought the LSR305's, it irked me to think I would likely not be able to find new replacement parts on down the road so, I kind of held my nose a bit when I bought them. Half of why I chose main speakers using Eminence parts thinking, at the very least, I could likely send them in for rebuild or buy a rebuild kit in the future. This also has me choosing speakers with rubber or treated fabric surrounds over foam, these days.

So yeah, there is a lot more to consider over the cheapest performance vs. the money. These so-called bargains are nothing more than tactics designed by the ad/sales/bank industries to keep the lesser classes 'gotta have it now' chumps credit cards hot too. This should be discouraged and young people taught true value for the long term.

 

[theJman]

Inexpensive speaker are certainly not all just some scam marketing ploy to dupe the "chumps" out of their money. That type of generalization comes across as pretty narrow minded and dismissive. The category of products has some surprisingly good offerings and of late it seems a lot of them are intended to give people options without sacrificing sound quality to the degree price might suggest. Not costing a mortgage payment doesn't instantly make them disposable, but it does make them affordable to those who don't have a lot of money to spend on audio.

Your purchase decision around what will have replacement part 2 decades from now is certainly in the minority, a likely reason why you have a hard time finding products with that design in mind. A quality speaker may last 20 years with proper care but the vast majority of people will have moved on well before they get that far in a products lifecycle.

 

[zieglj01]

Inexpensive speaker are certainly not all just some scam marketing ploy to dupe the "chumps" out of their money. That type of generalization comes across as pretty narrow minded and dismissive. The category of products has some surprisingly good offerings and of late it seems a lot of them are intended to give people options without sacrificing sound quality to the degree price might suggest. Not costing a mortgage payment doesn't instantly make them disposable, but it does make them affordable to those who don't have a lot of money to spend on audio.

Your purchase decision around what will have replacement part 2 decades from now is certainly in the minority, a likely reason why you have a hard time finding products with that design in mind. A quality speaker may last 20 years with proper care but the vast majority of people will have moved on well before they get that far in a products lifecycle.

And I even like the JungleRoc speakers -- and they have a real crossover in them which includes impedance compensation, and are made from mdf and not chip-cardboard like wood, and are mirror image designed. Things have change from some of them designs from the old days.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/5-2-Way-Bookshelf-Speaker-Pair-200W-JungleRoc-Audio-Vidsonix-Compare-199-NEW/350402685120?epid=1941788015&hash=item5195a0a8c0:g:6iwAAOSwrLZbZhSd

 

[mdinno]

I''d take the NHT SuperOne 2.1 that cost about $100 per speaker over all of these. That had to be an oversight not to have them in this list. Especially considering what the original SuperOne cost when they first debut.

 

[killdozzer]

I''d take the NHT SuperOne 2.1 that cost about $100 per speaker over all of these. That had to be an oversight not to have them in this list. Especially considering what the original SuperOne cost when they first debut.

It was a 100$ per pair thread, so of course, many of us would pick a 100$ per speaker over a 100$ per pair. Besides that, I hear a lot of good things for NHT.

 

[mdinno]

It was a 100$ per pair thread, so of course, many of us would pick a 100$ per speaker over a 100$ per pair. Besides that, I hear a lot of good things for NHT.

You're right, my bad. I should say the SuperZero 2.1 that are just over $100 for the pair.

 

[sven1olaf]

What a great format for grouping reviews!

Any chance of price tier listings like this, further up the costing structures?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[shadyJ]

What a great format for grouping reviews!

Any chance of price tier listings like this, further up the costing structures?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Hopefully in the future we can do more series like this, but it is a lot of work.

 

[sven1olaf]

Hopefully in the future we can do more series like this, but it is a lot of work.

Another option would be to categorize the reviews into tiered folders for reference.

That way you could look in the folder of your choosing for applicable reviews.

Anyway, just my $0.02

Thanks again for all your work!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[photographer86]

Thanks for the review Gene.

 

[shkumar4963]

Both the Miccas and Pioneers already have had a lot of exposure, so while it would be interesting to measure them, I would actually rather bring attention to speakers that don't already have so much exposure. I would be more interested in looking for an undiscovered gem.

Is this thread for providing exposure to lesser known speakers or for helping readers pick the best speaker for the money? If it is the later, then include all speakers that perform the best in the price range. Readers would like to find the best speaker even if it is already well known. Just my two cents.

 

[shadyJ]

Is this thread for providing exposure to lesser known speakers or for helping readers pick the best speaker for the money? If it is the later, then include all speakers that perform the best in the price range. Readers would like to find the best speaker even if it is already well known. Just my two cents.

Every speaker has to make heavy compromises at this price point. There is no best speaker in this price range, there is only what speaker is compromised in a way that's least likely to trouble the prospective owner.