Table of Contents This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

There’s a universal truth about audio technology: Not all speakers are made equal. But that’s also true of listeners. Some people are content with something cheap and cheerful for their audio consumption — as long as they can hear what’s being the played, the speaker is perfectly acceptable. But audiophiles fall into a very different category. The speaker needs to deliver a rich body of sound that’s full of nuances.

Thankfully, we understand the demands and expectations at either end of the speaker spectrum. Which is helpful for you guys, because shopping for a speaker isn’t easy. In fact, if you’ve never bought a speaker before, it requires some research. There are a lot of different speakers on offer, with lots of features and specifications to consider.

We’re assuming you’re here because you don’t have time for all of that. Fear not, because we’ve done a lot of the hard work on your behalf and researched some of the very best speakers available on Amazon. Here’s everything you need to know before buying yourself a new speaker, followed by our top choices.

Do you need speakers?Will you be using your speakers solely for music? Only for TV and films? Maybe a bit of both? You should decide on that now, because it will factor into what kind of speaker you end up getting. For instance, if you’re only looking for something to pair with your TV, a soundbar will be a good choice, but if you want something more music-focused, consider a pair of bookshelf speakers or a portable Bluetooth option. 

In addition, you’ll want to note the kind of sound quality you’re looking for — whether that’s surround sound, Dolby Atmos, or just plain old stereo (which is also great, don’t feel pressured to get something super fancy and expensive if you don’t really need it). Not all speakers produce the same kind of sound quality, so it’s important to know exactly the kind of listening experience you’re looking to get out of it.

How much space do you have?Speakers can get pretty big, so take stock of how much useable space you want to dedicate to your audio setup both horizontally and vertically. Not everyone has the room for multiple floor standing speakers, so don’t overwhelm yourself with something gigantic if it’s going to get under your feet or end up scraping the ceiling. There are plenty of speakers that can be easily stored or concealed, some that can be affixed to your walls, and some that are so small that they can rest on a tabletop or shelf. Small speakers can be powerful, too.

What are passive and active speakers?The difference between passive and active (sometimes called “powered”) is pretty simple, yet important to note. Passive speakers don’t have any sort of built-in amplification, which means that they need to be connected to a stereo receiver to work. Active speakers have everything built-in from the start, including preamp, volume controls, and inputs. If convenience is one of your top priorities, go for active speakers, as they’ll require a lot less setup and additional equipment to get them working.

How many speakers do you need? Having two amazing speakers is always going to get you better results than having five average speakers. Plus, having too many speakers around is just going to take up an unnecessary amount of space. 

If you have the room, two speakers is the perfect number. It’s especially ideal if you listen to a lot of music, which is normally recorded for a stereo setting — so having a left and right channel will do you wonders. If you have a smaller space, even one really good speaker should do you just fine.

Do you need a subwoofer?The short answer is no. You don’t actually need one. Should you get one, though? Well, that’s a different question, to which we would answer: Sure, why not?! Adding a sub will make pretty much any audio setup sound better (not all of them are compatible, though, so make sure you check before buying one first). 

One common misconception about subwoofers is that many think they just add more bass, when that’s not necessarily true. Subs actually help improve the dynamics of said bass, not only boosting its quality overall, but also adding more depth and space to your output. Sometimes adding a high-quality subwoofer to your speaker setup is more helpful than upgrading the speakers themselves.

What is a smart speaker?These are speakers that double up as smart devices, which may connect to Alexa or sync with other smart home devices. They’re great in their own right, but they aren’t always the best way to listen to music (sorry, Alexa). If you can’t live without a smart assistant within your speaker setup, we recommend something that’s Bluetooth-enabled and connecting to your smartphone. That way, you get the perks of your phone’s built-in smart assistant without having to downgrade the speaker itself. 

What are the best speakers?We’re glad you asked. We have picked out a favourite from each of the most popular speaker categories — from bookshelf to Bluetooth speakers and everything in between — and lined up the very best options for your consideration.

These are the best speakers in 2024.

The KEF LS50 Meta look fantastic and they’ve got the sound to match. Their upgraded tech is based around a 12th generation Uni-Q driver array for precise, pure-sounding acoustic performance. Reviewers rate their natural sound — though some reviewers also say these speakers actually sound better off the bookshelf, where they’ve got space to really show their stuff sound-wise (despite being bookshelf style speakers).

The speakers also use something called Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), essentially a small disc at the rear of the speaker with a maze-like system of tubes. This absorbs any excess, distortion-causing soundwaves of various frequencies, which keeps the sound cleaner. And it really works.

The curved front of the speaker is also designed to help sound, using an injection-moulded Dough Moulding Compound (DMC) which stays rigid and radiates sound. Overall, the KEF LS50 Meta are a fantastic pick — speakers that will sound good to both audiophiles and more casual listeners alike.

If you have the room and want something versatile for playing all types of media, floorstanding speakers are the way to go. This absolute beast — the Polk Audio Signature Elite ES55 — will give you big sound (it’s a big speaker, after all) and won’t cost you all that much in the grad scheme of audio pricing.

In fact, Polk Audio are a great alternative to higher-end brands, and they won’t skimp on performance. Though if you want true stereo, you’ll have to add two to your basket — and that means twice the price.

They’re built for any kind of media, but work especially well as part of a home cinema system. With sharp highs and deep lows, Polk Audio boasts that this speaker is compatible with all latest platforms and sound technology — the likes of Apple Music, Spotify, and Dolby Atmos will all sound sweet.

The durable, battery-powered Sonos Move 2 is a great Bluetooth speaker for your home, especially if you want one you can move around with you — from the patio to office to dining room to dance floor. 

While the Sonos Move 2 is portable, it’s not the easiest to travel with over long distances, due to its weight and bulky size. The battery lasts up to 24 hours and comes with a wireless charging base. You can also recharge it with a USB-C charger. 

It has a bunch of smart features, including Alexa and Google Assistant, which allows you to control your smart home. It’s easy to control through the Sonos app, and you can switch from WiFi to Bluetooth streaming when needed. It’s worth noting that smart features don’t work in Bluetooth mode.

There are all sorts of active speakers out there, with brands such as Bowers & Wilkinson and KEF offering high ticket options. But active speakers don’t always need to cost the kind of money that rattles your brain like deep bass. For affordable active speakers, the Q Acoustics M20 are hard to beat.

The design and size allows you to place them just about anywhere, with the connections to hook up a variety of systems, from laptops to stereos to TVs.

There’s plenty of scope and energy in the sound. They easily out-play other speakers within this price range and match up to speakers that cost a lot more. This is down to an impressive amount of power in the master speaker, with the option to also connect an additional subwoofer.

The Klipsch R-40M are among the best passive bookshelf speakers, and cost under £250 for a set of two. They can handle up to 200W of power, and sound fantastic (plus, they look really sleek). They can also be mounted on stands or set up out of the way, so you have a lot of options for placement.  

As for the actual audio, they deliver a crisp and clear sound than can be comfortably described as crowd-pleasing — all-round performance that doesn’t overdo things. There isn’t quite as much oomph in the bass, though few listeners will expect bookshelf speakers to handle the lowest bassy tones.

Overall, these speakers offer maximum versatility without sacrificing the audio performance, which is why they make this list — not to mention one of the lowest prices you’ll find here. Which always sounds good.

Sonos makes this roundup for a good reason. At this price, the Sonos Arc is quite simply the best soundbar in the business.

It’s packed with tech — supporting the likes of Dolby TrueHD, Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos — to deliver a truly immersive, all-encompassing surround sound. That’s partly thanks to this sounbar’s ability to bounce sound off the walls and ceiling and put you right in the centre of the action.

To finely hone the 3D sound, it uses Trueplay Tuning, which analyses the room and tweaks the sound accordingly. But Trueplay Tuning is iOS-only, so non-Apple users might not get the best out of this speaker.

The Sonos Arc also connects to other Sonos speakers for multi room audio. As another bonus, the Sonos Arc has helpful LED lights which indicate its status as well as blending in with the ambient lighting. It’s just another attractive detail in this soundbar’s sleek, minimalist design.

Of course, we couldn’t forget about those of you who are exclusively plugged in to your computers — as in, the increasing number of people who consume all media directly from their laptop or PC, whether it’s music, podcasts, movies, social media, or anything else. That also goes for those of you who are WFH.

This Logitech bundle comes with two speakers, as well as a subwoofer, to provide you with rich, dynamic sound — whether you’re gaming or going down yet another YouTube rabbit hole. Hey, we’ve all been there.

Another plus point is that this Logitech bundle is a budget-friendly option. That means the sound quality doesn’t match higher-priced speakers, but we know that saving is important when you’re putting together your dream PC setup. Costs can spiral, so this affordable bundle is a great value option.

Many homes have a smart speaker nowadays, particularly from Amazon’s range of Alexa-powered Echo speakers. The best of them, though, is this Echo Studio, which gives you all the smart features you expect from Alexa — which includes total smart home control with compatible smart devices — combined with the Echo range’s best ever sound.

It has five separate speakers, all positioned within the Echo to create a sound that fills the room. In fact, this speaker automatically analyses the acoustics of any room and adjusts the audio, while spatial audio technology boosts stereo formats. That also makes it a perfect addition to your home cinema set up.

It’s a bit less discreet than most other Echo speakers, though that’s all part of the Echo Studio’s added wallop — and with Alexa built-in it’s endlessly helpful around the home. If you’ve got multiple Echo speakers dotted around, you can use them as intercoms to speak to family members or roomies.

Joseph Green is the Global Shopping Editor for Mashable. He covers VPNs, headphones, fitness gear, dating sites, streaming services, and shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day.

Joseph is also Executive Editor of Mashable’s sister site, AskMen.

Dylan Haas is a Lead Shopping Reporter for Mashable, where he covers all things gaming, pets, fitness, sleep, and shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day. Before joining the team at Mashable, Dylan received a B.A. in Communications from Pace University and contributed to publications like Paste Magazine, Bandsintown, and others following a brief stint as a marketing and management assistant in the music industry.

When he’s not writing or testing products, you can find Dylan playing lots of video games, working out, spending time with loved ones (especially his dog, Stevie), or watching reality TV. Follow him on X at @iamdylanhaas, or send him an email at [email protected].

Matt Ford is a freelance contributor to Mashable.

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