Bookshelf speakers are designed to relay high quality sound in a relatively compact profile. Although they can instantly elevate your sound experience, not all can deliver that satisfying quality. To make sure you get the most of your money, our expert team reviewed the best bookshelf speakers under 1000.
Reviews of the Best Bookshelf Speakers Under 1000
1. Klipsch RP-600M Reference Premiere Bookshelf Speakers
This pair of speakers come in three different finishes all under 1000. You can enjoy robust bass and reverberating tweets from this pair of speakers. As one of the best sets of speaker, the Tractrix Technology works in tandem with the titanium tweeter with 6.5 inch copper spun cerametallic woofers to balance everything out.
The Tractrix Port will allow for superior ventilation in these high-end bass-reflex speakers, which will help minimize distortion at any frequency range. The strong and durable metal grille can be removed to enjoy unencumbered music.
With a speaker sensitivity rating of 96dB and 400-watt peak power handling rating, you can be assured that the Klipsch Bookshelf Speakers will deliver high performance and powerful sound.
What We Like
- High sensitivity rating
- Titanium vented tweeter
- Tractrix Horn Technology
- 6.5 inch woofer that’s spun copper cerametallic
- Tractrix Port
- Dual binding posts
- Removable magnetic grille
- 3 elegant finishes
What We Don't Like
- Needs correct amplifier for the best sound
- Sensitive to their placement
2. KEF Q150B Bookshelf Speakers
As a more affordable pair of bookshelf speakers, the KEF Q150B is also the most compact we have on our small speakers list. But don’t let the small or medium-sized speakers fool you, the Uni Q Driver Array that can be found in these set of speakers will prove that the Q150B can be compared to larger speakers.
The Uni Q Array positions the drivers on top of each other, resulting in more balanced and blended sound. With the help of KEF’s Tangerine Waveguide, the sound will be evenly projected around the room. Unlike Q150B, KEF LS50 powered speakers are equipped with aptX Bluetooth connectivity.
No matter where you sit, the drivers will come through and help you find the listening sweet spot. Each driver is optimized to produce the most thrilling audio for your home speaker system.
What We Like
- Uni Q Driver Array
- Improved sound
- Computational Fluid Dynamics port
- Three luxurious finishes
- Can be transformed into standing tower speakers
- Tangerine Waveguide
- Small and compact
- Affordable
What We Don't Like
- Quieter bass
- Better for vocals
3. Definitive Technology D11 Demand Series Bookshelf Speakers
Also coming in a pair, the Definitive Technology D11 speaker features a BDSS driver and aluminum tweeter that get a boost from the 20/20 Wave Alignment Lens. Like AudioEngine HD6 Bluetooth speakers, the D11 series has a high end appearance and relays all notes in the sound spectrum with amazing accuracy.
They can be used to enhance your existing home speaker system by giving dimension to surround sound, or serve as your main speakers with an external subwoofer added. To add to their versatility, the D11 can also be converted into standing speakers to bring your content to life.
What We Like
- Beautiful, minimal and luxurious design
- Can be converted to standing speakers with stands
- Aluminum dome tweeter
- 20/20 Wave Alignment Lens
- 6.5 inch BDSS driver
- Passive bass radiator for booming bass
- High quality construction
- Versatile
What We Don't Like
- Higher price tag
- Passive design
4. ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 Bookshelf Speakers
The ELAC Uni-Fi UB52 bookshelf speaker pair earns a spot on our list for its true 3-way design. Due to the three separate and dedicated drivers to each portion of the sound spectrum, consumers will enjoy unmatched audio and precision.
They have a new concentric driver design that features 1 aluminum 4-inch mid-range driver and wide roll surround tweeter. To top it all off, there is a 5.25-inch aluminum cone bass driver that works together to bring a wide soundstage.
Due to the front-firing port design, it gives users more freedom of placement to find a good location for these best bookshelf speakers.
What We Like
- True 3-way bookshelf speaker design
- Precise and expansive sound quality and sound reproduction
- High quality build
- Not expensive speakers
- Excellent bass response
- Concentric drivers
- 6 ohm nominal impedance
- Front-firing ports for flexible placement
- 5 way binding post connector
- Internal bracing to reduce vibrations
What We Don't Like
- Not the most luxurious finish
- Binding posts don’t seem sturdy
5. SVS Ultra Bookshelf Speaker
The SVS Ultra Bookshelf Speakers have two elegant finishes in either black oak or piano gloss black. The 6.5 inch mid-bass drivers in each speaker have glass fiber cones, which means the rigidity and build is exceptional for sound sensitivity.
You also get an aluminum tweeter that relays the high notes with incredible precision. All sounds from the low end to the high end will be lightweight, crisp and clear.
This SVS Ultra is one of the best powered bookshelf speakers on this list. SVS’s brand-specific SoundMatch 2-way crossover ensures a high frequency response. Factor these music features in with the robust enclosures to get the best sonic output.
What We Like
- Beautiful finish
- Tonal balance
- Glass fiber cones in mid bass driver
- High performance with SVS SoundMatch
- Excellent high fidelity choice
- Aluminum dome tweeter
- Sonic clarity
- Robust design
What We Don't Like
- The finish is not very durable
- Quieter bass
Bookshelf Speakers Under 1000 Buyer’s Guide
What does it take to be crowned one of the best bookshelf speakers under 1000? It’s more than just the full range frequency response of the speakers, the bass production of the high to low end notes, and it’s definitely more than the brand name.
To help you sift through all the options to find the perfect match for your living room, our team will break down some vital features to look for.
Design
The bookshelf speakers is compact enough to fit smaller spaces but be large enough to house all the essential features to bring unmatched sound. The design has every bit to do with the durability, which affects longevity, and the appearance of your high fidelity bookshelf speakers.
Is it a 2-way or 3-way design? You may find 4-way bookshelf speakers but that is a rarer case. The difference between a 2-way and a 3-way speaker is the existence of a dedicated midrange driver. In a 2-way speaker, you will only find a tweeter and a woofer, responsible for the reproduction of high and low notes respectively.
As you can imagine, they offer much less precision and clarity due to the lack of the midrange driver and the fact that they both need to make up for it to produce the mid tones.
That also brings us to the finishing touch of the bookshelf speaker which has to do with the design. You don’t want to spend close to 1000 and have to look at something of cheap quality. The finish of your bookshelf speakers are important. Piano gloss, walnut, cherry wood, silky white, aluminum baffle these are all examples of beautiful and elegant finishes.
A bookshelf speaker pair from Q Acoustics, Andrew Jones along with the AudioEngine HD6, Dynaudio XEO 2, MartinLogan Motion, AudioEngine A5, Dynaudio Emit, and KEF Q350 bookshelf speakers are all among the ones with luxurious finishes that will complement your living room.
For more options, you consider our review of the best floorstanding speakers below 500 here.
Sound Quality
The sound quality is improved with proprietary technology and the materials used for construction of the bookshelf speakers. Mid bass drivers with fiber cones, a soft dome tweeter, a silk dome tweeter, or even a 1 inch aluminum tweeter will enhance your experience.
Dome tweeters are optimized to produce the trills and tweets of the high notes with precision and clarity.
As for proprietary sound technology, Klipsch has the excellent Hybrid Tractrix Technology that will limit distortion in speakers at any frequency range. Aside from what’s on the outside and the technology inside, you should also consider the housing.
What materials hold the speakers steady? Ones that are properly ventilated will also help the vibration of the bass.
Look for technology like KEF’s Tangerine Waveguide technology that helps project sound all around the room. This will help with finding the right location to enjoy unhindered sound.
Most of these set of speakers under 1000 offer front-firing, rear-firing ports, which makes it easier to angle the speaker to you. Just make sure there is nothing standing in the way to obstruct the sound. Sometimes you may feel the sound is a bit muffled, and bookshelf speakers with removable grilles provide a quick result to the problem.
Ease of Use
The bookshelf speaker of your choice needs to be easy to use. We’ll cover the actual connections and integration into your existing system in a bit. In this section, we’ll cover how easy it is to control your new speakers with or without remote control.
Control can be made easy to use with a volume control knob or a basic control panel on the surface. If not, some bookshelf loudspeakers can come with a remote control or be configured to work with a universal remote control.
Hopefully, the speaker stands will have rubber feet or something of the like to protect your floors. That way, you won’t have to put too much extra thought into the placement of the speaker. What our experts found is that the lower the hassle, the better the listening experience.
Setup and Installation
You want your best speakers to have all the connections necessary to integrate into your home music system. Make sure that the inputs and outputs are compatible. All it should take is a simple wired connection to get set up. For those who value a wireless installation, this is the time to incorporate a wireless kit or add a Bluetooth connectivity to your stereo receiver in this guide.
You also need to determine if you have a passive or powered bookshelf speakers. This will impact the need for an external amplifier or receiver. We will cover this topic in more detail a bit later.
Your purchase should come with a user manual that has the setup laid out step by step. It’s even better if all the cables and everything you need also comes with your purchase.
Connectivity
Bookshelf speakers are mostly wired and come with the correct cable for setting up and the power cable. While wired connections are usually more reliable, they aren’t the best for appearance or convenience. This is because the length of the cable will dictate the placement options.
If you manage to purchase bookshelf options that has a wireless Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity, then the placement, connection and setup is much easier. All it takes is putting both devices into pairing mode and enjoying an instant connection.
Active and Passive Bookshelf Speakers
We talked a little bit about passive and active or powered bookshelf speakers previously, but our team will dive into more detail here. An active speaker is one that has its own amplifier or receiver built-in.
Best powered speakers will result in a larger, more expensive and heavier speaker. However, powered speakers such as Yamaha HS8 and JBL LSR308 really save you time and effort to search for a compatible external power source and is an all-in-one device to minimize trouble.
If you choose a passive bookshelf speaker pair, you will need to connect to a receiver or amplifier to boost your listening experience. Passive bookshelf speakers are usually more affordable, lighter weight and can be more compact.
The benefits of passive bookshelf speakers is customization. You can mix and match the different components to amplify the quality of sound produced.
If you want upgrades or to add other parts further down the line, passive speakers also make it easier to do. Compared with powered speakers, passive options are more suited for someone who wants to build their own system from the ground up.
Price
Since we are referring to the best bookshelf speakers under 1000, we’ll focus on what this price range can get you in terms of quality. A few hundred dollars is low to mid range on the pricing scale, and can give you sturdy, high quality, and reliable speakers for a fraction of the price.
If you know how to identify good quality bookshelf speakers in this price range, you may find yourself with models in the speaker market that can even give high quality products a run for their money.
Some of the factors to consider include the build, finish, materials used, and of course, audio technology. All the options on our review of best bookshelf speakers have been tested by our experts extensively to pinpoint what each one offers and what they are best for.
That’s not to say that other models, such as the KEF Q350 aren’t also great choices, but the ones on our list are the most recommended by our team. They are the perfect options for price, quality and performance. Our experts will never suggest cutting costs at the expense of the audio quality.
FAQ
What are the best sounding bookshelf speakers?
The best sounding bookshelf speakers are the Klipsch RP-600M with 400-watt peak power handling rating. The amazing speakers have an elegant finish and are equipped with Klipsch’s proprietary Tractrix Technology to reduce resonance and distortion for the better audio experience.
What Hi Fi Best Budget bookshelf speakers?
The best budget hi-fi bookshelf speakers are KEF Q150B speakers. They come in a variety of color options and have the Uni Q Array, which positions the driver within one another to produce the most balanced music and powerful soundstage. Also due to the positioning, the KEF Q150B speakers may also have a small footprint to save space.
Our Top Pick For a Bookshelf Speaker Under 1000: Klipsch RP-600M
Our team’s top choice for the best bookshelf speakers under 1000 is the Klipsch RP-600M. They are an excellent option within the price range as they are endowed with the brand’s proprietary Tractrix Horn Technology. This feature will greatly reduce distortion and resonance produced by the 1 inch titanium vented tweeter and spun copper cerametallic woofers.
Like all Klipsch products, the RP-600M is very robust and well-constructed with a strong yet flexible removable grille to allow for louder volumes. The speakers can be flexibly placed around the room and make great standalone speakers or a part of your home entertainment system.
Bookshelf speakers are a great addition to a home theater. Restoring your speakers when they start deteriorating is a practical move. So, here are our easy steps to follow on how to restore your speakers for better sound quality.
