Best speakers 2025: budget to premium models tested by our expert reviewers

Standmount speakers: Neat Petite Classic
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

No matter what your music system consists of, you'll need a pair of stereo speakers in the mix. Whether you listen to vinyl, CDs or stream tunes – or a combination of all sources – hi-fi speakers are the last chain in the audio system that brings your music to (audible) life.

Luckily for you, there is a huge variety of speakers available today, from small bookshelf speakers to large floorstanders, budget pairs to premium audiophile speakers, and everything in between. All offer different sonic styles, but which is the best option for your system, your room and your personal tastes?

That's where we come in; we've been testing hi-fi speakers of all types and sizes for nearly 50 years at What Hi-Fi?, across the entire price spectrum. Every speaker in this guide has been tested in our dedicated listening rooms by our expert reviewers, all of who love listening to music and have extensive knowledge to ascertain the best speakers for your needs, space and budget. We've put together the best speakers we recommend at each price point in this guide and are confident there's something for everyone here – most of the products listed below are current What Hi-Fi? Award winners too, so you know you'll be getting a quality recommendation no matter what.

The best speakers should deliver great sound quality for the price, fit in your room and match the rest of your system sonically (and visually too). They should bring your music to life with clarity, detail and spaciousness, offer engaging dynamics, precise rhythmic ability and even tonal balance, all while upholding the build quality standards expected at their respective price brackets.

You can read more about our speakers testing process, get our expert tips on how to choose the right speakers for you, or scroll down for our pick of the best speakers for every budget.

The quick list

Written by
Kashfia Kabir
Written by
Kashfia Kabir

I've been testing and reviewing speakers at What Hi-Fi? for over 12 years, and have listened to speakers of all shapes and sizes in that time. From budget pairs to premium models, the various speakers I have tested over the years have given me the knowledge and experience to know exactly what a buyer should be expecting for their money. Budget doesn't mean you should settle for shoddy build quality, and high-end doesn't mean you have to sacrifice fun for ultimate transparency and refinement. The best speakers should let you enjoy listening to your favourite music to the fullest, and the five-star recommendations in this guide aim to deliver exactly that.

Recent updates

29th January 2025: Updated our "coming soon" section with new speakers announced that we're excited to hear, as well as speakers we have in our test rooms that will be reviewed very soon.

Best speakers overall

What Hi-Fi? Awards winner. These KEFs are brilliant entertainers and could be the only speakers you'll ever need.

Specifications

Type: Standmounters
Drive units: Uni-Q (25mm tweeter and 13cm mid/bass)
Ported: Yes (rear)
Bi-wire: No
Impedance: 8 ohms
Sensitivity: 85db
Dimensions (hwd): 30.2 x 20 x 28cm
Weight: 7.8kg
Finishes: 4 (carbon black, titanium grey, mineral white, royal blue)

Reasons to buy

+
Exceptional sonic transparency
+
Subtle and precise presentation
+
Innovative technology

Reasons to avoid

-
Don't place them in a bookshelf or up against a wall

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. And with multiple Award wins to their name, the LS50 Meta continue to impress us with their incredibly subtle, transparent and entertaining performance.

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.

And this works brilliantly – treble performance is more refined and clearer than before, and it's been such a success that the MAT technology has been implemented in many other KEF speaker ranges since.

While the basic sonic character is instantly familiar, the LS50 Meta have gained serious new levels of clarity and finesse that the original speakers couldn't manage. The speakers sound clean and tight, but they still offer muscle and dynamics to give your music plenty of oomph, character and interest. We said in our review: "Large-scale dynamics are handled well and there’s a good amount of muscle for a speaker of this size. These are refined and composed performers that rarely sound stressed unless volume levels are high."

As far as we're concerned, the LS50 Meta are some of the finest sound-per-pound (or dollar) speakers around and is compatible with a wide variety of partnering products. They continue to set the standard at this level to which others should aspire.

Read our full KEF LS50 Meta review

Best budget bookshelf speakers

What Hi-Fi? Awards winner. Surprisingly sophisticated bookshelf speakers for their small size and budget price.

Specifications

Drive units: 25mm tweeter, 13cm mid/bass
Ported: Yes (rear)
Bi-wire: No
Impedance: 8 ohms
Sensitivity: 88dB/W/m
Dimensions (hwd): 31.2 x 18 x 27.8cm
Weight: 6.8kg
Finishes: 3 (light oak, black oak, walnut pearl)

Reasons to buy

+
Detailed but easy-going nature
+
Seamless and fluid midrange
+
Pleasing build and finish

Reasons to avoid

-
Other budget rivals offer greater rhythmic agility and transparency

Wharfedale's Diamond range of speakers has always had one mission: to offer top class sound at an affordable price. Over 40 years on, it continues to succeed in its mission. The current Diamond 12.1 standmount/bookshelf speakers have updated drive units and better cabinet construction, but these speakers remain as recommendable as when we first reviewed them in 2020.

The Diamond 12.1 have a bold, full-bodied presentation with plenty of detail. The speakers sound composed and refined, qualities that are rather unusual at this budget price point. They deliver more authority and scale than their modest price and size suggest, too, and while we don't expect bone-shaking bass from such small boxes, low-end notes sound full and dig deep enough to satisfy at this level.

Overall these speakers have a smooth tonal balance and a forgiving nature, but they have just enough bite and convincingly communicate the shifts in dynamics to keep you drawn to the music. There's ample rhythmic punch and subtleties in detail are admirable revealed at this level, too.

At this price, the Diamonds have faced serious competition from some excellent affordable speakers. We're still big fans of the expressive and agile Dali Spektor 2, while the multi-Award-winning Elac Debut B5.2 offer just a bit more rhythmic prowess and transparency. This Elac model has been discontinued, however, leaving the door open for the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 to emerge as current budget favourites with their easy-going nature that will partner well with most components. You won't get a more crowd-pleasing performance at this level.

Read the full Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 review

Best budget floorstanding speakers

What Hi-Fi? Awards winner. These entertaining, evenly balanced floorstanders are must-haves at this affordable price.

Specifications

Type: Floorstanders
Drive units: 25mm tweeter, 2x 13cm mid/bass
Ported: Yes (rear)
Bi-wire: Yes
Impedance: 8 ohms
Sensitivity: 89dB
Dimensions (hwd): 97.5 x 18 x 34.8cm
Weight: 19.6kg
Finishes: 3 (light oak, black oak, walnut pearl)

Reasons to buy

+
Superbly balanced presentation
+
Expressive and revealing midrange
+
Pleasing build and finish

Reasons to avoid

-
Perform best if given a little room to breathe

Wharfedale's Diamond range now features a truly outstanding (and affordable) floorstander. Indeed, we're so impressed by the Wharfedale Diamond 12.3's musical performance that it's a multiple and current What Hi-Fi? Award winner.

At 98cm tall, the Diamond 12.3 aren't a particularly imposing pair of floorstanders, so they'll fit into most spaces. Sonically, they're smooth, even-handed and wonderfully refined for the money. Feed them a poor signal and they’ll round off rough edges and downplay unwanted aggression without sounding like they’re smothering the life out of the music.

In our original review, we said: "Play them louder and these speakers don’t complain. They deliver Hans Zimmer’s raucous The Battle from the Gladiator OST with verve, tracking the brutal dynamics well. There’s punch and power when required, but also a level of subtlety that’s rare to find in a floorstander at this price."

The build quality is top-notch for the relatively modest price tag. The cabinets are crafted with a traditional straight-edge design and have a tidy feet arrangement for stability. These speakers are available in four finishes – black, walnut, white and a classy light oak – which is plenty of choice for most interiors.

If you're looking for reasonably-priced hi-fi floorstanders, the talented Wharfdale 12.3 are a superb buy.

Read the full Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 review

Best mid-price standmount speakers

What Hi-Fi? Awards winner. B&W’s smallest, entry-level speakers are an absolute delight.

Specifications

Type: Standmounters
Drive units: 25mm tweeter, 13cm mid/bass
Ported: Yes (rear)
Bi-wire: Yes
Impedance: 8 ohms
Sensitivity: 84dB
Dimensions (hwd): 30 x 16.5 x 20.7cm
Weight: 4.65kg
Finishes: 3 (black, white, oak)

Reasons to buy

+
Improved clarity, refinement and openness
+
Punchy, dynamic and lively sound
+
Knows how to have fun
+
Classy build and finish

Reasons to avoid

-
Sweet treble can sound a touch forward
-
Needs care with system matching
-
Price rise over predecessors

Now in its eighth generation and going 20+ years strong, Bowers & Wilkins' 600 series of speakers has more often than not provided some superb speakers.

And that story continues with its latest entry-level 607 S3 speakers. The smallest and most affordable stereo speaker that B&W makes (even if that 'budget' price has increased in the last couple of years), the new 607 S3 replaces the previous Award-winning 607 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers and delivers a significantly improved performance.

The 607 S3 has been updated throughout, with a brand new 25mm titanium decoupled double dome tweeter, a new elongated tube loading system, a revised motor assembly for the 13cm Continuum mid/bass driver, higher-quality components used in the crossover, and sturdier cabinet bracing. The overlapping of the two drivers is designed to improve integration, and B&W says the titanium material should deliver more refined and detailed high frequencies.

The footprint remains the same and they're ideal for smaller spaces. Partner them carefully to balance out a somewhat forward, excitable treble performance, and you'll be rewarded with a terrifically detailed, rhythmically cohesive, agile, and energetic sound. The overall presentation is more open-sounding than before, while the treble performance is so much sweeter and more refined. For their size and price level, each note lands with precision and they even hold dynamic interest at low volume. Basslines are pulled taut and while they don’t go as bone-shatteringly deep as bigger speakers (or as big as the bigger, step-up 606 S3), they do land with impact.

Overall, they're just incredibly fun to listen to. There’s clarity and refinement in the mix here – to a really admirable level – but we’re struck by just how entertaining, zippy and musical this new pair sounds right from the start. We’re glad that, alongside a newfound level of clean detail, openness and precise sound, the new 607 S3 speakers have remembered to add in big doses of energy and dynamic prowess.

Read the full Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 review

Best mid-price floorstanding speakers

What Hi-Fi? Awards winner. A superbly insightful and enjoyable performance from new Q Acoustics floorstanders.

Specifications

Type: Floorstanders
Drive units: 25mm tweeter, 2x 12.5cm mid/bass
Ported : Yes (rear)
Bi-wire : No
Impedance : 6 ohms
Sensitivty : 91.5dB
Dimensions : 97 x 18 x 28cm
Weight : 18kg
Finishes : 4 (black, white, oak, rosewood)

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent clarity and detail resolution
+
Expressive dynamics
+
Fine build and finish

Reasons to avoid

-
Needs care in system matching
-
Not as forgiving as previous Q Acoustics models

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 (the step-up and more mature 5050 are also five stars and current Award-winners) and should fit neatly into most rooms, with a solid and well-made build quality.

The highlight of the range is the use of a new Continuous Curved Cone design for the mid/bass drivers. Q Acoustics claims that the geometry of this new driver combines 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. Match them with more refined partnering electronics (these speakers can be rather transparent, impressively so), and the 5040 sound wonderfully clear and precise, with ample agility and grip to deliver a sense of great fun. We like the way these towers always sound composed and controlled, and that sense of organisation doesn’t falter when the music becomes demanding. It's a 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.

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. Take a bit of care with partnering amplification and sources, and these speakers will reward you with an expressive, insightful performance that is hard to beat at this price range.

Read the full Q Acoustics 5040 review

Best premium standmount speakers

What Hi-Fi? Awards winner. Small box, flexible nature and a huge talent – the best premium small speakers we've heard.

Specifications

Drive units: 28mm ceramic-coated aluminium dome tweeter, 13cm loaded polypropylene mid/bass
Ported: Yes (front)
Bi-wire: No
Impedance: 4 ohms
Sensitivity: 86/89 dB
Dimensions (hwd): 29 x 20 x 27cm
Weight: 7.6kg
Finishes: 4 (orange satin, walnut, white satin, black satin)

Reasons to buy

+
Clear, forthright and expressive sound
+
Fine dynamics and rhythmic drive
+
Flexible nature
+
Can be positioned inside a bookshelf

Reasons to avoid

-
Nothing special in the styling department
-
You'll need larger speakers if you want deeper bass and bigger spread of sound

While we (and most manufacturers) would advise you to place standmounter or bookshelf speakers on dedicated stands, Epos has made things a little more flexible. Recognising that it's not always viable for people to accommodate stands in their space, Epos has optimised its ES-7N small speakers so they sound their best even when placed inside a bookshelf.

Flip a switch at the back of these petite speakers and the speakers will adjust their performance accordingly when placed up against a wall or corner to remain evenly balanced. It's impressive just how close to the free-standing (away from wall, on stands) performance these speakers get when placed inside our IKEA Kallax bookshelf, and while there is a slight drop in clarity and stereo imaging, it remains a fantastic presentation overall.

In fact, even though these are small boxes that won't compete with larger designs – such as KEF's R3 Meta, which offer deeper bass, bigger and more dynamic sound – what these Epos speakers do so well with music gets us smiling with joy and our feet tapping. They're incredibly talented.

As we said in our review: "The ES-7N are bold and confident performers that resolve high levels of detail and organise it in a cohesive and musical way. Play Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us and the Epos kick like a mule. They sound taut and punchy with music such as this, delivering the song’s jumpy rhythm track in a wonderfully surefooted manner. There is plenty of drive here and the speakers are great at conveying the music’s varying momentum."

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