Which means that the cash you spend to get a great speaker is money well spent. But every listener has a different idea about what constitutes a great speaker. Some people want a versatile multiroom system that fills a home with music from basement to attic. Others need a rugged and waterproof portable to take to the pool or the park. And for many, audio nirvana is a wireless speaker that combines benchmark sound quality with a very reasonable price.
Below are a selection of impressive speakers that shine in our ratings, each ideal for a specific use or listener. And to illustrate the value of our ratings, we added one of the most expensive speakers we’ve tested, which delivers bottom-of-the-barrel performance that’s totally out of sync with its hefty price tag.
All of the models in this roundup were evaluated by our team of trained testers in our sound labs in Yonkers, N.Y. We review each speaker for ease of use and versatility, but most importantly, for sound quality. And we buy the products we test the same way you do, through regular retail channels. No freebies or special treatment for us.