Best speakers 2024: reviewed and recommended by our experts (2024)

While wireless speakers or all-in-one systems may offer convenience and take up less space, a really decent pair of hi-fi stereo speakers is your best bet when it comes to prioritising genuine audio quality.

Our expert guide to the very best stereo speakers includes bookshelf and floorstanding models ranging from budget models all the way to high-end options. Whether you're looking for your first pair of speakers as you build a music system, upgrading an old pair of budget speakers or splashing the cash on a premium pair, we'll have something here for you.

Every pair of speakers here has been comprehensively tested in our dedicated listening rooms by our experienced reviewing team, and compared with the best-in-class models in their respective price bands, ensuring that you'll be getting our genuine first-hand advice.

You'll even find some of the best prices from around the web for each model, so you can make the most of your budget, but be sure to check whether the figure quoted is for a pair of speakers or just one.

You can read more about how we test speakers, get the best tips on choosing the right speaker for your needs, or scroll down to see our top picks.

The quick list

Best speakers overall

The original LS50 speakers were absolutely terrific in their own right, but KEF eventually decided that they could do better. Eight years on from the original LS50, the LS50 Meta were born, and they've proven to be a truly worthy upgrade.

KEF reworked the LS50’s Uni-Q driver array, where the tweeter sits in the throat of the mid/bass unit, taking in all the refinements that KEF has developed over the past eight years and adding something new in the form of Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT). MAT is KEF’s way of coping with the sound that comes off the back of the tweeter dome via a circular maze of tubes on the back which absorbs sound more effectively and results in cleaner, less distorted highs.

While the basic sonic character is instantly familiar, the Meta have gained serious new levels of clarity and finesse that the original speakers couldn't manage. The LS50 Meta sound clean and tight, but they still offer muscle and dynamics to give your music plenty of oomph, character and interest.

As far as we're concerned, the LS50 Meta are some of the finest sound-per-pound (or dollar) speakers around, setting the standard at this level to which others should aspire.

Read our full KEF LS50 Meta review

Best budget bookshelf speakers

If you're in the market for talented, unfussy and deeply engaging standmounters, the Elac Debut B5.2 remain some of our favourites. The affordable standmounters are brilliant performers for the money, and even though they're not costly, they're versatile and unfussy about where you place them. Add to that some really rather remarkable level of detail, dynamics and tonal sophistication, and you're looking at a seriously attractive budget proposition.

Much of the speakers' skill is thanks to the redesigned 5.25cm mid/bass cone. It uses a fresh blend of aramid fibres, the stiffness and damping of the cone have been improved, while a responsive tweeter adds life to the top end.They're nicely made, too, and while they won't set the world alight with their looks, they won't draw any negative attention, either.

Tonally, the comparable Dali Spektor 2 have a bit more warmth, while the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 offer serious balance and cohesion. Still, the Dalis are seriously capable of making the best of any recording, even those that aren't particularly decent in the first place.

Elac has been at this hi-fi lark for a while now, with the Debut B5.2 feeling like the culmination of a lot of experience and nous. For this sort of money, they're truly exceptional.

Read our full Elac Debut B5.2 review

Best budget floorstanding speakers

The Wharfedale Diamond range is something of a classic series already, and its truly outstanding, affordable floorstander model may be the pick of the litter. It's now a three-time What Hi-Fi? Award winner, and those don't come around very often, we can tell you.

At 98cm tall, the Diamond 12.3 aren't a particularly imposing pair of floorstanders, so they'll fit into most spaces without much fuss. As for build quality, the cabinets are carefully crafted with a traditional straight-edge design and a tidy feet arrangement. The 12.3 are available in four finishes – black, walnut, white and a classy light oak – all of which belie their relatively modest price tag.

In terms of sound, they're smooth, even-handed and much more refined than you'd expect given the price. They're even rather good at dealing with shoddy recordings - feed them a poor signal and they’ll round off rough edges and downplay unwanted aggression without sounding like they’re unduly smothering the music.

If you're looking for reasonably-priced floorstanders that will fool your friends into thinking you've paid a lot more, the talented Wharfdale 12.3 are the pair for you.

Read our full Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 review

Best mid-price standmount speakers

B&W's entry-level 607 S3 speakers are the British brand enjoying a real hot streak. The smallest and most affordable stereo speaker that B&W makes, the 607 S3 have replaced the previous Award-winning 607 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers, amping up the levels of performance in the process.

The 607 S3 standmounters have been updated throughout, boasting a new 25mm titanium decoupled double-dome tweeter, a new elongated tube loading system, a revised motor assembly for the 13cm Continuum mid/bass driver and higher-quality crossover components. The two drivers overlap to improve integration, while B&W claims the use of titanium should result in more refined and detailed high frequencies.All of that has led to some serious gains in terms of sonic performance.

You will need to be careful about partnering, though, as that rather forward, excitable treble does need some balancing out. Get it right and you'll be handsomely rewarded with a detailed, cohesive, agile and energetic sound. The overall presentation is more open-sounding than the previous iteration, while the higher sonic reaches are sweet and refined as each note lands with precision are genuine verve. Basslines are taut and firm, and while they don’t go as bone-shatteringly deep as bigger speakers (or even as big as the bigger 606 S3), they certainly land with impact.

Best of all, the 607 S3 will appeal to anyone who likes their music to take them on something of a metaphorical journey. The British-made towers are immensely fun to listen to, offering clarity and refinement running parallel with a zippy, deeply musical core. So many manufacturers prioritise analytical detail to the detriment of dynamics and musical interest, but B&W S3 haven't fallen into that trap: they're a delight from top to bottom.

Read our full

Best mid-price floorstanding speakers

Q Acoustics' new 5000 series sits in between the budget 3000 series and the premium Concept range. The 5040 is the smaller of the two floorstanders in the range and should fit neatly into most rooms, with a solid and well-made build quality and an unassuming, uncomplicated design.

New to the range is the Continuous Curved Cone design for the mid/bass drivers. This new driver has a geometry that Q Acoustics claims to combine the rigidity advantages of a standard conical cone profile with the high-frequency break-up characteristics of a more flared design.

Q Acoustics' previous efforts have tended to be unfussy, but these 5040s need a bit more care with positioning and partnering equipment to get the best out of them. Pair them up with more refined partnering electronics and the 5040 sound wonderfully clear and precise, with ample grip and agility to deliver an intoxicating sense of fun. We're keen on the way these towers sound composed and controlled, and that sense of organisation doesn’t fade when the music becomes demanding or complex - they're spacious, well-focused sound with impressive stereo imaging. Tonally, these floorstanders sit just on the lean side of neutral, but not so far as to cause issues or fatigue.

While the more expensive Wharfedale Evo 4.4 provide a sophisticated alternative, Q Acoustics 5040 are even-handed performers that simply step out of the way of the music and let songs shine. When partnered with care they deliver a wonderfully expressive and insightful performance that’s class-leading at this level.

Read our fullQ Acoustics 5040 review

Best premium standmount speakers

KEF is another hi-fi brand operating around the peak of its powers, and the R3 Meta are a wonderful showcase of what the Kent-based company can do. Bolstered by KEF's innovative MAT (Meta Material Absorption Technology) innovation (see the Award-winning LS50 Meta above) and its Uni-Q driver design, these standmounters are real winners.

They're gorgeous-looking speakers, with impeccable finish and build quality from what is still quite a blocky profile. KEF's 12th-generation Uni-Q driver array has been tweaked to accommodate the puck-sized MAT contraption (which absorbs 99 per cent of unwanted radiation from the tweeter), and the resulting sound is dazzlingly clear, insightful and pure. The KEFs have a graceful nature to them that hides just how accomplished they are, with a transparency and easy nature that allows them to handle any genre thrown at them.

The R3 Meta are spacious, dig deep, perform admirably both at loud and low volumes and are delivered with precision and accuracy that seems to come oh-so-easily to them. Best of all, they're also hugely fun to listen to, and you'll be drawn into emotive vocals, punchy bass lines and tactile guitar plucks when you pump your favourite music through them.

Pair them with some equally talented partnering kit and the R3 Meta standmounters will soar and shine like an eagle above the clouds.

Read our full KEF R3 Meta review

Best premium floorstanding speakers

PMC has something of a reputation for high-end hi-fi, and while the superb Prodigy 5 have wound up as our best premium floorstanders on this list, they're actually miraculously good value.

To achieve this, the Prodigy 5, much like their five-star Prodigy 1 standmount siblings, have been designed to eke out as much sound-per-pound punch as possible, letting considerations over design and aesthetic flourishes fall away in the pursuit of the best audio you can get for the price.

Boy has the effort paid off, though. PMC has hit the sweetest of sweet spots with the Prodigy 5, balancing subtle details and musical flourishes with a perceptibly heightened sense of presence, poise and confidence. In terms of sonic performance, we didn't hear many better speakers this year, and it was the Prodigy 5's musical chops that really earned them that 2023 What Hi-Fi? Award. Looks may be important to some, but PMC's dedication to all things sonic has paid serious dividends in our books.

Read our full PMC Prodigy 5 review

How to choose the best speakers for you

First things first, decide on a budget. Your components should be evenly matched, both tonally and in terms of price, so consider this before breaking the bank on a new pair of speakers that the rest of your kit can't do justice.If anything, an overly expensive amp or source will strain and stretch your speakers, and while some may be able to cope, others will be worse off as a result of some overly ambitious pairing kit.

You also need to make sure your speakers fit your room. Most speakers require a degree of space to sound their best, so be sure not to buy speakers that are too big for your listening area, and make sure you're the right distance away from your new purchase.

This is also a good time to consider whether you want bookshelf or floorstanding speakers. Bigger speakers mean higher volumes but, again, you need the space, and more driver units don't always mean better sound.

There's also the choice between passive and active speakers. Most speakers on this list are passive - they have no amplification inside, so require a separate amplifier to work. Active speakers with amplification (and sometimes DAC and streaming smarts) are increasingly popular and can connect straight to your source, no amp required, though they do require a connection to mains power. Check out our pick of the best active speakers if you're curious.

For a more detailed explanation of everything you should consider, check out our complete guide to choosing the right speakers.

How we test speakers

Here atWhat Hi-Fi?we review hundreds of products every year, including plenty of speakers of all shapes, sizes and types. So how do we come to our review verdicts? And why can you trust them?

TheWhat Hi-Fi?team has more than 100 years experience of reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics. We have state-of-the-art and acoustically treated testing facilities in London and Reading, where our team of expert reviewers perform all of our in-house testing. This gives us complete control over the testing process, ensuring consistency, reliability and clarity at all times. We always ensure we spend plenty of time with the speakers, trying them with different partnering electronics, in different positions in the room and with different genres of music.

All products are tested in comparison with rival products in the same category, and all review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than a single reviewer, helping to ensure consistency and avoid individual subjectivity.

From all of our reviews, we choose the top products to feature in our Best Buys, such as this one. That's why if you take the plunge and buy one of the products recommended below, or on any of our otherBest Buy pages, you can be confident you're getting aWhat Hi-Fi?-approved product.

You can read more abouthow we test and review products onWhat Hi-Fi?here.

Recent updates

• February 2024: Updated 'how we test' process and added FAQ section to help buyers in their decision to buy hi-fi speakers.
• November 2023: What Hi-Fi? Award-winning products labeled following the announcements of the 2023 What Hi-Fi? Awards Best Buys and Product of the Year winners.
• October 2023: Added PMC Prodigy 5 entry following five-star review.
• August 2023: Added Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 and Q Acoustics 5040 entries following five-star reviews.
• May 2023: Added KEF R3 Meta entry following five-star review.

F.A.Q.

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