Best Library Speakers for Stereo Sound – Rolling Stone

If you are setting up your home audio system and there is limited floor space, consider purchasing a pair of library speakers. Larger than portable speakers but more compact than floor speakers, library speakers offer strong amplification and solid stereo sound for small and medium-sized rooms.

Although they often have the shape of a cube or rectangle, these speakers are innovative in terms of audio quality, dynamics and efficiency, creating a richer sound and more rounded textures than wireless device. They should not sit on a shelf, but place them on a table, stand, or window sill, adjusting the height closer to ear level for better performance.

The bookshelf speakers will not give you the same shimmering power or rumbling bass that a full size set will provide, but for your office, den, or bedroom, it's more than enough. If you're setting up a home theater system, pair the speakers with a subwoofer to really enhance your listening experience.

1. Pioneer SP-BS22-LR Speakers

Pioneer offers a value-for-money set of speakers with this SP-BS22-LR coupling, which gives you a crisp, balanced sound in a set of stunning decks. The speakers feature a six-element active filter that ensures smooth bass, high, and midrange transfer between the woofer and the tweeter. As a result, you get a more accurate sound because the different frequencies are mixed in a more useful way.

The 4-inch woofers feature a structured surface that, combined with a ventilated pole piece, offers a better bass response than similar devices. Meanwhile, the one-inch soft dome tweeter dampens the "tinniness" that you often hear at high volumes.

These speakers feature a curved design to reduce internal noise, 80-watt power management, and a nominal six-ohm impedance (the lower the impedance, the more effectively the music signal can be transmitted through the speaker) . Critics say that if the bass is correct, you will want to associate these speakers with a subwoofer if you really want to improve these times. Purchase: 98.87 USD on Amazon.com.

2. Q Acoustics 3020i Bookshelf Speaker

Here's what you get for under $ 300: a well-designed speaker package that delivers generous, full sound, reliable quality, and minimal distortion.

The Q 3020i speakers update the previous models in the series by increasing the size of the cabinet by 25% (their height is slightly greater than 11 inches). The result: a higher and deeper piece of furniture, which means a richer sound and deeper bass. The "P2P" (point-to-point) spacer keeps the speakers tight and the casing quiet for less noise.

Critics say that the sound of these speakers is smooth, not clear, and that they like the fullness of the notes that pass through the grids. Fans of classical music or lush songs will appreciate the ability of the speakers to reproduce dense textures, so you can hear every part of the track.

The speakers feature a 5-inch woofer and a power rating of up to 125 watts. Available in three colors. Purchase: $ 299.99 on Amazon.com.

3. Bose 301-V Stereo Speakers

One of the top-rated units online with a 4.6-star rating of users (out of five), Bose 301 Series V shelf speakers deliver clear sound and filling the room in a shoe the size of a shoe box.

Bose is renowned for its audio innovations. The speakers mix both direct sound and reflected sound to create a more natural listening experience. While most loudspeakers emit sound in one direction, these speakers have a spatially dispersed lens that broadcasts a wider sound distribution. The result, says Bose, is a sound similar to "what you have experienced in a concert hall or a theater".

Unlike other speakers on this list, the speakers in the Bose 301 series have a horizontal design, allowing them to slide easily on even narrow shelves. Critics say MDF and plastic furniture leave much to be desired in terms of high-end finishing, although the dark gray color blends easily with your home décor.

What we like: Bose's "automatic protection circuit" prevents pilots from being overdriven and speakers from dazzling, even if the music is mounted a bit too high. Purchase: $ 328.00 on Amazon.com.

4. Klipsch RP-160M ​​shelf loudspeaker

Its powerful and theatrical in a library enclosure. That's what critics say you'll find in this best-selling Klipsch kit. Whether in a home entertainment system (with your TV, for example), in your bedroom or in your living room, the 17-inch speakers produce a powerful and invigorating sound thanks to the tweeter. one-inch titanium, a 6.5-inch copper woofer and a hybrid horn design that combines a circular horn 'groove' with a square horn 'mouth' to better direct sound transfer while enhancing dynamic. The compressed rubber material, meanwhile, helps to attenuate errant frequencies, for sharper resolution and detail.

What we like: Klipsch's characteristic ceramic woofers are both lightweight and robust, helping to reduce the risk of rupturing or distorting the cone. Meanwhile, the MDF cabinet of these speakers is covered with a brushed veneer coating, which gives it a more refined look than some of the other units on this list. Purchase: $ 339.00 on Amazon.com.

5. ELAC Uni-fi UB5 Library Enclosure

Serious audiophiles will want to move on to these ELAC bookshelves, which are still ranked among the best in their class. The reason: ELAC's unique three-way loudspeaker assigns drivers dedicated to low, medium and high frequencies individually, which means that each driver is optimized for a single frequency range instead of trying to mix everything together. The sound is more natural, cleaner and more accurate.

For its small size (just under 13 inches), the speakers produce low bass, thanks to its 5 ¼ inch aluminum woofer. An extended magnet generates better power, while the ventilated pole piece propels more bass.

Critics say the ELAC surpasses the units more than five times its price, which makes sense, because the uni-fi UB5 uses the same custom driver and crossover components as some of the larger, more expensive models of the brand .

This set was designed by Andrew Jones, the industry's most prominent loudspeaker designer, who worked with a number of leading audio brands before joining ELAC as Chief Engineer. The speakers have a nominal impedance of four ohms and can up to 140 watts per channel. Note: This is a set of two, although there is only one speaker described above. Buy: 398.88 USD on Amazon.com.

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