Recent Bookshelf Speaker Reviews

While RSL Speakers are a relative newcomer to the ID race, they have a +40 year heritage in the loudspeaker business. Today we take a peek at two pairs of their compact but potent bookshelf speakers: the CG4 and CG24 as well as their Speedwoofer 10 powered subwoofer. This sub/sat combo looks impressive on paper. Could this be the best affordable speaker brand you've never heard of? We are looking forward to taking these products for a test spin via a formal review in the coming months to find out.

The Legacy Audio Studio HD bookshelf speakers are shocking. Usually when someone talks about an American, hand-crafted speaker with amazing high-frequency detail (thanks to a unique tweeter), a top-of-the-line cabinet, and high-end finish options, you start to imagine the price tag going up, and up, and up...but the Studio HD might just surprise you. We found them to offer the type of sound quality that lives up to Legacy's legendary build quality. Did I like these speakers? Well, lets just say I did lose a lot of sleep over them. Read on to learn all about these intoxicating speakers and check out our YouTube video review.

XTZ Sound has just added a new speaker to their venerable Cinema lineup. They are calling it their S2 height speaker but note it doesn’t have the “Atmos” moniker. That’s because XTZ didn’t pay the licensing fee to Dolby to use their name. Kudos to XTZ for not taking the blue pill on this one and focusing the budget of this product on the quality of the drivers and crossover components instead of a licensing fee and crossover tech that has been proven to be unnecessary to create the illusion of height. The S2 offers versatile placement options for ceiling or wall mounting or placing on top of companion speakers firing up at the ceiling to call the Transformers on Cybertron.

JBL Professional's new 7 Series monitors feature trickle down technology from the $20,000 M2 Master Reference Monitor, including the Image Control Waveguide. The line consists of two loudspeakers, the LSR705i, a compact 2-way speaker with a 5" woofer, and the LSR708i, a larger monitor boasting an 8" woofer. Both models are passive to save size and weight, in addition to centralizing power distribution. Unfortunately, the 7 Series will not be available for individual purchase, and are only available as part of a complete package.

We have to admit that we didn't think we'd see the name Triad associated with Atmos quite so quickly. Triad Speakers offer a Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze line of in-room speakers - the Bronze being the entry level. To this speaker, they've decided to add a top-mounted Atmos unit. While we couldn't find a price for the original Bronze LCRs (the speakers we believe these Atmos speakers are based off of), the Silver models are $850 each. The new Bronze LR-H Atmos speakers will cost $1000 each. The Atmos top unit will contain four, 2" full-range ScanSpeak drivers to yield a tighter and more controlled dispersion pattern and to increase power handling.

The SVS Ultra is a two-way ported bookshelf speaker with a 6.5” bass driver and 1” metal dome tweeter retailing for just under $1k/pair. Although SVS is widely known for subwoofers, today we look to see if the Ultra bookshelf speakers can change that perception and deliver the same legendary performance at the other end of the frequency spectrum. Impeccable build quality and aesthetics is only part of their story. SVS applies NRC science not to cheapen a product but to improve its measured performance and subjective listening experience. To say we were impressed is an understatement but do they live up to the SVS badge? Read on to find out.

XTZ Sound's Cinema Series isn't another "me too" surround system. Among other things, XTZ's Cinema lineup boasts trapezoidal cabinetry for a unique look, not to mention some unconventional driver layouts including a quad-tweeter array. The line consists of two speakers, the M6 LCR and S5 surround speaker, as well as two subwoofers, the SUB 1X12 and the massive SUB 3X12, which as the name suggests features a trio of 12" woofers in a massive vented cabinet. Check out the CEA2010 data on these new subs. Impressive, Most Impressive!

Generally speaking, Bluetooth is associated with cheap, substandard portable speakers; however, the folks at Aperion are proving that doesn't have to be the case. They're now offering their Allaire Bluetooth bookshelf speakers and Bravus II 8D subwoofer as a package deal, along with one special ingredient: HAL. What does HAL do? He creates a wireless connection between the Allaire speakers and the Bravus subwoofer, allowing for a compact 2.1 system without the clutter. Want to know more? Click to keep reading.

RBH Sound has upped the ante by releasing a speaker product that truly lives up to the Status Acoustics moniker with a superbly crafted speaker system constructed of solid granite. The Voce Fina is a two-way featuring a 6.5” Beryllium / Aluminum alloy phase plug driver and 1” soft dome Scan Speak 9500 tweeter. They are undoubtedly some of the finest sounding bookshelf loudspeakers I’ve ever had the fortune of listening to. They exhibited an uncanny ability of disappearing into the room and sounding much larger than their diminutive size suggests. If you’re looking for two-channel nirvana from a price no object speaker system that sounds as good as it looks, the Status Acoustics Voce Fina will take you there.

Getting great audiophile and home theater sound often means spending thousands of dollars on speakers. But what if we told you that you could get big, audiophile sound in a small, solidly-built, WAF-friendly package for under $900? The NHT Classic Three Bookshelf loudspeakers promise to do just that. Are these speakers a real diamond in the rough or simply another ordinary speaker? Read our full review to find out.

DD Audio is a company primarily known for their presence in the mobile audio space, but these days they've got their sights set on the home audio market. Their new loudspeaker lineup consists of a two way bookshelf speaker, a powered monitor, an on-wall speaker, an in-wall/in-ceiling speaker, and a powered subwoofer. With budget friendly prices, the question becomes: what does the new kid on the block have to offer? Keep reading to find out.

What happens when you add NHT's Super 8 subwoofer to their legendary SuperZero bookshelf speakers? You get the Super Stereo system: a compact, high quality 2.1 setup perfect for small rooms. The best part? The MSRP is a very reasonable $600 and it's currently available for $499. How does this decor & budget friendly system rate with the Audioholics? Keep reading to find out and be sure to watch our Video Review to enjoy the beauty of these babies while also get our take on the listening experience.

Thonet & Vander Hoch Bookshelf Speakers may look like Axiom M22s but they are less than half the price and they are self powered. While they don't have the best bass extension, they don't distort due to a well executed high-pass filter. The sound of these speakers can be tailored to your liking by the bass and treble controls, they have two inputs, and can play loud. What really stuck us, however, was the imaging and off axis response. In nearfield, they were positively holographic. At $200, these are an easy recommendation for an office or a second system.

Aperion Audio's new Allaire Bluetooth is a different kind of wireless speaker. A conventional pair of bookshelf speakers as opposed to the usual portable single box solution, they are billed as a "go anywhere" stereo setup. Priced at $399/pair, the Allaire's seem to bring a lot to the table including including 50W of class D power per speaker, Bluetooth connectivity as well as optical digital and analog inputs, and of course the speakers themselves. What other goodies does Aperion have up their sleeves? Keep reading to find out.