The Best Bookshelf Speakers Under $1,000 on the Market

One of the first things to think about with a new turntable configuration is the manner in which you are actually going to listen to your favorite records. For many, speakers can be a daunting step in that process, and that’s why we’re going to take a look at 7 new turntable bookshelf speakers options for your vinyl setup.

We’ll explore these bookshelf speaker options through a few criteria:

Size
Power
Ease of Use
Sound Quality
Cost

Below, please take a moment to view the interactive table, which allows you to compare a few of the premium bookshelf speakers against one another:

Photo	Model	Key Feature
	JBL L52	Passive Speakers with Retro Design
	Audioengine HD3	aptX Bluetooth connectivity
	Edifier R1280DB	Powered Bookshelf Speakers w/Bluetooth
	Edifier R1700BT	Bluetooth Powered Speakers
	Kanto YU2	Built-in USB DAC
	Kanto YU4	Integrated Bluetooth w/aptX Technology
	Pioneer DM-40	Dual Inputs - RCA + AUX minijack
	Dali Oberon 3	Optimized 7" Wood Fibre Cone Woofer
	Elac Debut Reference	2-Way Bass Reflex Reference Speakers

Why Choose Bookshelf Speakers?

If you’re new to bookshelf speakers, there are a few things to know about this popular option for turntable enthusiasts. Bookshelf speakers are meant to rest on a shelf, table or other elevated surface – anywhere but the floor. They’re specifically designed to maximize sound in small to medium-sized spaces, like a living room, bedroom, or office space. Like anything else, doing your homework before making a decision will definitely pay off.

Luckily, this article does that work for you! Bookshelf speakers may come with some inherent compromises, but they’re often the most realistic option for anyone that either doesn’t have the space for larger speakers or doesn’t want them to be the focal point of their living room. A good pair, however, can make most people forget about their size and easily fill a room with sound.

Bookshelf speakers are a great option when want a stereo sound experience. They can be mounted on any corner of the house to give it that theater feel. Although most are sold as a pair, you can get extra speakers and place them wherever you want. Bookshelf speakers are also more compact. You can therefore place them in your favorite places without attracting a lot of attention. You can even bring it close to your bed for a more intimate sound experience.

Due to their compact design, you will never hear the cabinet vibrating. Cabinet vibration is one of the most annoying aspects of speakers, as it normally distorts the sound. When you are listening to a record, you do not want any distractions, and speaker vibration is a big one. You will not see that with smaller, bookshelf speakers.

All of that said, there are some disadvantages as well to bookshelf speakers. For starters, bookshelf speakers cannot attain as high a volume as their floor standing counterparts. While this can also be a pro, it is mostly a con for when you want to unwind and play the music loud. This also means that these speakers are not the best for a party. T

here are also a lot of bookshelf speakers that are poorly designed because of the smaller size cabinet. Knowing which speakers are worth your money is an important step in choosing a vinyl set up, so that’s why this article should be your go-to before buying a pair. That being said, let us dive into these 7 amazing options for bookshelf speakers, all the while staying under $1000.

The Best Bookshelf Speakers Under $1,000

Let’s begin with the Audioengine HD6 speakers.

Audioengine HD6

Designed to connect to virtually any device, the walnut Audioengine HD6 Bluetooth Speakers provide an analog RCA stereo input, an optical audio input, and 1/8″ input, and Bluetooth connectivity with aptX HD allows for wireless connectivity with your compatible devices. This means you can hook up to your turntable with ease, and even use these as a manner in which to listen to wireless connected devices like phones and tablets.

The speakers consist of a 5.5″ woofer and a 1″ tweeter and output up to 50W per channel RMS, or 75W per channel peak. For your convenience, all connectivity is via the powered left speaker, which connects to the passive right speaker with the included speaker wire. In addition to the included speaker wire, an 1/8″ audio cable, RCA audio cable, magnetic removable grilles, and IR remote are also included.

Audioengine uses silk tweeters that are engineered to hold up well under high power, and the edge-driven design helps provide a smooth response. The woofers are Kevlar woven glass aramid composite with rubber surrounds. The strength of Kevlar means the woofer retains its shape when being driven at high levels. The HD6 woofers are housed in cast aluminum frames, which help provide high rigidity and increased heat dispersion. For bookshelf speakers, these pack a punch, and offer versatility for all forms of listening.

Klipsch The Sixes

On top of your turntable set up, you can enjoy audio from nearly any source with the walnut pair of Klipsch The Sixes 2-Way Powered Bookshelf Loudspeakers. They feature Bluetooth wireless connectivity plus stereo RCA, optical, and 1/8″ aux inputs for traditional wired devices, and a USB Type-B input for music stored on your computer. The Sixes have a 2-way design with a built-in 100W per channel amplifier. Each speaker sports a 1″ titanium tweeter on a Tractrix horn and a 6.5″ long-throw woofer.

One of the best parts of these speakers has nothing to do with sound. The walnut finish makes the Sixes one of the best looking bookshelf speakers on the market. Without making themselves the focal point of your setup, these speakers will fit well into any decorated room or layout. The power of these speakers, combined with their timeless design, are fit for any vinylhead.

SVS Prime Satellite

These are a favorite of many, and best of all, they come with three speakers instead of the standard two. Enjoy enhanced high-frequency response and respectable low end with this 3-pack of piano gloss black SVS Prime Satellite 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers. They have a 69 Hz to 25 kHz frequency range for enhanced highs with sufficient bass from their 4.5″ woofers and 1″ tweeters. They also employ a 1″ rear-firing bass port to help enhance the bass. These speakers are recommended for 20 to 150W amps. With this 3-pack, you can create a matched left/center/right setup for your turntable set up.

To allow these two impressive speaker components to function together with maximum quality, the SoundMatch crossover uses air-core inductors and heavy-trace printed circuit boards to help produce sound with lower distortion and tighter tolerances with better heat dissipation. The 2-way crossover is tuned so each driver can blend each other while offering optimal on- and off-axis response, while maintaining phase coherency and sharp time domain behavior. All of the specs of these speakers hint at a $2000+ pricetag, but for under $1000, you get speakers that will take your turntable setup to the next level.

Tannoy – Revolution XT6

The Revolution XT 6 is a mid-size stand or bookshelf mounted loudspeaker that represents a purist’s configuration. Using a single Omni-magnet Dual Concentric driver, the XT 6 delivers pure point-source articulation and realizes the additional smoothness and bass extension of the new driver design. Combining a 150mm (6.00”) multi-fiber cone with a 25mm Linear PEI dome and benefiting from the Torus-Ogive waveguide the Revolution XT 6 driver is coupled with a crossover using low loss laminated core inductors and audiophile components throughout.

Available in Medium Oak or Dark Walnut real wood veneer, the Revolution XT 6 sets the standard for fit and finish for stand mount loudspeakers at the price. The highest attention to detail means artisan-quality veneering, etched Omni-magnet driver trims, heavy duty terminals and a full-baffle grille with magnetic mounts to ensure a flawless look with the grilles off. With the power of a floor standing speaker, and the concise design of a bookshelf speaker, the XT6s are an option everyone should consider.

Wharfedale Reva-2

Offering excellent performance in spaces off-limits to most bookshelf loudspeakers and packing a memorable punch for its size, Wharfedale Reva-2 gives you ample options and audiophile sonics, which is a much-sought-after combination any listener would want. First and foremost, Reva-2 plays music with involving liveliness, dynamics, and openness. This beautiful two-way speaker specializes in clarity, accuracy, and openness. Outfitted with a 4.92-inch glass-fiber bass driver and one-inch textile dome treble driver, Reva-2 boasts outstanding bandwidth and smooth responsiveness. And it sounds great even when placed near room boundaries, like walls.

Newly developed drivers, crossovers, and cabinets manufactured in a vertically integrated environment ensure perfect matching and synergistic operation. Reva-2’s bass driver utilizes proprietary self-damping glass-fiber cones that remove resonance and yield enhanced transparency and precision. Wharfedale also produced a brand-new tweeter distinguished by a neodymium magnet and fitted with a finned heatsink to dramatically decrease dynamic compression.

A dished waveguide widens dispersion, while a cutting-edge crossover utilizing Linkwitz-Riley slopes, and later fined-tuned with CAD techniques and hundreds of listening sessions, yields sonorous cohesiveness. Triple-layer construction, whereby substantial internal bracing and attractively curved side walls simultaneously furnish strength and eliminate coloration, speaks to the high-end build quality.

With the Wharfedale Reva-2s, you get a bookshelf speaker that just makes that sub-$1000 criteria, but offers some of the most tonally and awe-inspiring sound on the market.

Dynaudio Emit M10

The Emit M10s are Dynaudio’s smallest and most affordable bookshelf speakers. But they still deliver on the company’s hi-fi pedigree. They’re designed and constructed in Denmark, and undergo rigorous testing throughout their production process. The result is natural, dynamic sound that’s much larger than you’d expect from speakers this size. The Emit M10s’ 5-1/2″ woofer uses Dynaudio’s Magnesium Silicate Polymer (MSP) cone material, which combines low mass and high rigidity.

This design allows the woofer to respond quickly and accurately to the dynamic peaks in the music. An MSP cone is molded in one geometrically perfect piece, which helps to optimize sound dispersion. It also eliminates the need for a separate dust cap, further enhancing the cone’s structural integrity.

A pair of Emit M10s can fill your small- to medium-sized room with clear, robust stereo sound. For a speaker from a brand known for insane testing processes, you know that the Emit M10s are a speaker you can rely on for quality sound and durable listening throughout the years.

Cambridge Audio Aeromax 2

Vinylheads can enjoy a wide soundstage with your amplifier and this pair of gloss black Cambridge Audio Aeromax 2 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers. It uses a 1.81″ Balanced Mode Radiator driver to deliver wide dispersion, plus a 6.5″ woofer for enhanced bass response. The Aeromax 2 has a 40 Hz to 22 kHz frequency response for easy matching with a subwoofer, and is recommended for use with 25 to 120W amplifiers.

BMR (Balanced Mode Radiator) driver construction is designed to deliver room-filling sound by using horizontal vibration modes to help produce a wider soundstage, making them well-suited for modern homes and room layouts where speakers might not end up placed optimally for traditional stereo audio.

With a speaker technology inside each Aeromax 2 bookshelf speaker, this pair is made for a total sound experience, and each record you spin will come alive like never before.

Conclusion

Each speaker set on this list is amazing, and it’d be impossible to suggest one as the frontrunner. Read through each description of new bookshelf speakers under $1000 and decide for yourself which set will take your listening to the next level! Happy spinning.

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The Best Bookshelf Speakers Under $1,000