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List of Budget Bookshelf Speakers

sweetchaos

Major Contributor
The Curator
Joined
Nov 29, 2019
Messages
3,862
Likes
11,507
Location
BC, Canada
-=List of Active Bookshelf Speakers=-

-=
List of Passive Bookshelf Speakers=-

I created a list of budget bookshelf speakers (both active and passive).
I'm keeping the list under US$300/pair (approx 250 EUR/pair) for now.


I've included:
1. Photo
2. Model
- Colour-coded by brands to make it easier to differentiate.
- 99% of models are available to purchase in USA, but I've included a few discontinued models for reference.
3. Bluetooth compatibility
Only with Active speakers, of course
4. Woofer
Size of woofer in inches
5. Price
- US$/pair
- Lowest amazon.com price in the last year (I used keepa or camelcamelcamel to view history)
6. Amazon.com direct link
- No affiliate links.
7. 2nd Link
- If Amazon.com links aren't available, link to 2nd source.
- Usually from manufacturer directly, but something a reseller.
8. Review Link
- Links to Reviews by Amir or Erin only.
- Recommendation on whether to buy (conclusion from review).

If you have further suggestions (both in speakers recommendations or how to improve this), please let me know.

Sneak Peak:
2020-10-10 14_22_52-List of Passive Bookshelf Speakers (_US$300).png


Changelog:

- 2020-10-06: Passive: 89. Active: 72. Total: 161
- 2020-10-07: Passive: 97. Active: 72. Total: 169
- 2020-10-08: Passive: 110. Active: 80. Total: 190
- 2020-10-09: Passive: 111. Active: 103. Total: 214
- 2020-10-10: Passive: 112. Active: 113. Total: 225
- 2020-10-18: Passive: 117. Active: 129. Total: 246
- 2020-10-24: Passive: 121. Active: 132. Total: 253
- 2020-10-25: Passive: 122. Active: 133. Total: 255
- 2020-10-26: Passive: 128. Active: 133. Total: 261
- 2020-12-23: Passive: 130. Active: 133. Total: 263
- 2020-12-24: Passive: 130. Active: 144. Total: 274

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
IGNORE THIS BELOW:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Introduction:
- With my previous 2 guides, 'Stop YouTube trackers' and 'Stop browser trackers', I touched on the concept of blocking network traffic via DNS.
- In this guide, I'll guide you on how to setup and utilize this means of blocking network traffic.

What is DNS?
The Domain Name System (DNS) is essentially the phone book of the internet. Its main function is to translate human-friendly domain names into machine-readable IP addresses, facilitating communication between different devices and services across the internet. Here's a more detailed explanation of the DNS system:

1. Structure: A domain consists of several hierarchical levels separated by dots. For example, "[www.example.com](http://www.example.com)" has three levels - "www" (subdomain), "example" (second-level domain), and ".com" (top-level domain). Each level can have one or more subdomains, creating a tree-like structure.

2. Namespace: All domain names reside within a single global namespace managed by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). Various organizations, called registrars, sell unique second-level domain names under approved top-level domains.

3. Resolution Process: When a user types a URL into their browser, the following steps occur:
* Query: The browser sends a query to the configured DNS resolver (usually provided by the ISP or a third party).
* Recursive Query: If the resolver doesn't know the answer immediately, it performs recursive queries, starting from the root DNS servers, then moving down through the hierarchy until reaching the authoritative DNS server for the queried domain.
* Authoritative Answer: Once the authoritative DNS server is reached, it responds with the appropriate IP address for the given domain name.
* Response: The response travels back up the hierarchy, eventually returning to the original resolver, which then relays the result to the client's browser.

4. Caching: To improve efficiency and reduce latency, intermediate DNS servers along the resolution path temporarily store answers to previous queries. These cached records speed up future lookups for the same domain names while reducing load on higher-level DNS servers.

5. Record Types: Several record types define the relationship between domain names and IP addresses. Some common ones include:
* A Records: Maps a domain name to an IPv4 address.
* AAAA Records: Maps a domain name to an IPv6 address.
* CNAME Records: Aliasing; maps a domain name to another domain name.
* NS Records: Identifies the authoritative DNS servers for a particular domain.
* MX Records: Specifies the mail exchange servers responsible for accepting incoming email messages for a domain.

6. Zone Files: Text files containing DNS records for a specific domain are referred to as zone files. Administrators manage these files to create, modify, or delete records related to their respective domains.

7. Security Measures: Over time, various security extensions have been introduced to enhance the reliability and integrity of the DNS system. Examples include DNSSEC (DNS Security Extensions), which adds digital signatures to validate DNS responses, and DANE (DNS-Based Authentication of Named Entities), which uses TLSA records to secure SSL/TLS certificates.

In summary, the DNS system serves as a critical infrastructure component for navigating the vast landscape of the internet, connecting humans with desired resources via intuitive naming conventions rather than obscure numeric identifiers.
[Written by AI]

I've heard of tools like Pi-hole or AdGuard Home. How do they fit into this system?
Pi-hole and AdGuard Home fit into the DNS system as local DNS servers that provide an additional layer of functionality – specifically, ad-blocking and enhanced privacy protections. Both tools act as middleware between clients (your devices) and upstream DNS servers (typically operated by your Internet Service Provider or public DNS providers like Google, Cloudflare, etc.).

By configuring your devices to utilize either Pi-hole or AdGuard Home as their preferred DNS server, all DNS queries will first pass through these local servers. Upon receiving a DNS query, these tools perform two primary functions:

1. Block Known Advertising Domains: Using built-in lists of known ad-serving domains, Pi-hole and AdGuard Home check if any matching entries appear in the received queries. If there's a match, the tool returns a null response (i.e., no valid IP address) to effectively block the ad from loading on the client device.

2. Filter Malicious Sites & Trackers: In addition to ad-blocking, some tools offer capabilities to identify and block malicious sites, phishing attempts, and tracking scripts. This further improves user privacy and security.

It's worth noting that neither Pi-hole nor AdGuard Home replace the entire DNS ecosystem. Instead, they integrate themselves into the existing architecture by serving as a sort of proxy between end-users and external DNS servers. Their purpose is to add value by selectively filtering certain categories of traffic, thereby enhancing user experiences and protecting privacy.

To recap, Pi-hole and AdGuard Home fit into the broader DNS system by functioning as local DNS servers capable of analyzing and modifying DNS queries according to predefined rules, ultimately resulting in improved user experiences due to reduced exposure to intrusive advertisements and increased privacy protections.
[Written by AI]

Are there any security/privacy concerns with using either Pi-hole or AdGuard?

Both are free to install (although AdGuard requires a one-time license to use their advanced features), and open-source tools. This makes both systems trustworthy.

How to get the best deal for AdGuard? (I wrote this in my 'stop youtube ads' thread).
- The official AdGuard website shows it costs US$80 for personal (up to 3 devices) and US$170 for family (up to 9 devices), for lifetime. :eek:
- Instead of purchasing from AdGuard directly, I'm going to recommend another website that I've used to purchase my licenses at a much cheaper price.
- I have no affiliation with this website but I found that the license worked, so I have no issues recommending them.
- StackSocial.com allows you to purchase AdGuard 2 difference types of licenses:
1. AdGuard Personal (up to 3 devices) for US$12.97 (or 83% off the normal price), for lifetime.
2. AdGuard Family (up to 9 devices) for US$16.97 (or 90% off the normal price), for lifetime.
- So for the price of 3 coffees, you can install AdGuard Family on 9 devices, for lifetime.

How to manage your license key and devices for AdGuard? (This is a copy of my 'stop youtube ads' thread).
- Once you purchase, the 10 digit license code is emailed to you and you can activate any device with that license code.
- To make all the devices that you activate with this license key, make sure to create the adguard.com account (for free). Then, once you add this key to your account, you become the manager, and therefore you can see when new devices are added. You can also revoke old/unused devices for example.
- For mobile devices (iOS or iPadOS), you'll need to login as the email/password, which automatically activates 1 of 9 devices for that license key. Unfortunately, you can't enter your license key directly, like you can with any other type of device.
- For AndroidOS, the process to activate is faster. You don't need to login with your username/password, but simply enter your license key.
- For desktop devices (Windows or MacOS), the process to activate is faster. You don't need to login with your username/password, but simply enter your license key.

Do you have an iOS or iPadOS?
- To install, go to Apple Store. Link. This is free to install.
- There is a paid version on Apple Store, called AdGuard Pro (Link). But this Pro version doesnt make sense for 2 reasons. 1. The feature set is the same as the non-Pro (free) version and 2. You're paying AdGuard an extra US$10 for nothing, since you can just install the free version and once activated, the feature set is the same.
- Once installed, there is no way to activate using your license key. You have to enter your adguard.com account (username/password).
- Once installed, make sure 'DNS Protection' is enabled. Click on it, then select 'dns filtering', then 'dns filters', and you'll see that 'AdGuard DNS filter' is enabled.

Do you have an Android OS?
- Most Android apps come from Google Play store. However, this Android app cannot be installed from Google Play Store and must be installed from AdGuard's website or github. This is because Google Play store placed too many restrictions on AdGuard, so AdGuard was forced to offer this app directly themselves.
- Once installed, it will guide you on how to install a local VPN profile and how to install a CA certificate to filter HTTPS traffic. These are normal steps, so go through them, to get the full protection that AdGuard offers.
- Go to Settings, License, activate it by entering your license key.
- Go to Settings, General, App and Filter Updates, Auto-Update Filters, change from the default "Every Day" to "Every Hour" (my recommendation, since ads from YouTube require very frequent updates, as per my previous post.
- To verify which DNS ad-list you're using go to 'DNS Protection', then 'DNS Filters', then you'll see "AdGuard DNS Filter (optimized)" is enabled.
- Once you verify that "DNS protection" is toggled to ON, then go back to main page and toggle the main "Protection is enabled" slider.

How to install AdGuard for Windows?
- There's 2 websites from where you can download AdGuard for Windows. Official site (click 'Download' button) and Github site (scroll down until you see Assets, and you'll see the AdGuardX.exe installation file). Same thing.

How to install AdGuard for MacOS?
- There's 2 websites from where you can download AdGuard for MacOS. Official site (click 'Download' button) and Github site (scroll down until you see Assets, and you'll see the AdGuardX.dmg installation file). Same thing.

Does AdGuard differ in it's ability to filter different types of traffic?
Yes.
AdGuard offers 3 types of filtering.
Explained in their documentation.
1. DNS Filtering
Works at DNS level, so for every DNS query that your device makes, AdGuard will send that DNS to a sinkhole. Effectively, stopping this type of traffic.
2. Cosmetic Filtering
-Let's say you just implement a DNS-based filtering system (like Pihole or AdGuard), and you open a web browser (without any ad-blocker installed), then for all the previous secitons of the website that had ads, now you'll see a blank space.
-Also, DNS-based filtering system (like Pihole or AdGuard) cannot block YouTube ads, since YouTube outsmarted everyone by making normal YouTube traffic and YouTube Ad traffic indistinguisable from each other, so DNS-based filters cannot stop YouTube ads, only cosmetic filters can.
3. HTTP Filtering
"In most cases, the basis and cosmetic rules are enough to filter ads. But sometimes it is necessary to change the HTML-code of the page itself before it is loaded. This is when you need filtering rules for HTML content. They allow to indicate the HTML elements to be cut out before the browser loads the page." (from adguard documentation)

Which type of device can perform HTTP filtering using AdGuard?
- "HTML filtering rules are supported by AdGuard for Windows, Mac, Android, and AdGuard Browser Extension for Firefox. Such rules do not work in extensions for other browsers because they are unable to modify content on network level." (from adguard documentation)
- This means that AdGuard for iOS/iPadOS

Can uBlock Origin do HTTP filtering as well?
Yes, uBlock Origin uses HTTP filtering as one of the methods for blocking requests and elements on web pages. It utilizes various types of filters provided by different sources, including easylist, easyprivacy, Peter Lowe's ad server list, and many others. These filters are in the form of plain-text lists that contain domain names, URL patterns, and other criteria used to identify and block unwanted content via HTTP(S) requests.
In addition to HTTP filtering, uBLOCK Origin also supports cosmetic filtering (element hiding), JavaScript filtering, remote filter fetching, and static filtering. This multi-layered approach allows it to provide efficient and comprehensive ad-blocking capabilities.

How to setup a network-wide DNS-based filtering?
These are the 2 most popular solutions:
1. Pi-Hole
2. AdGuard Home
These software work at the network level, meaning they will filter all of your DNS traffic for all the devices on your network.

How to install a network-wide DNS-based filtering using Pi-Hole?
- 2 ways: Official site and Github site. Shows the same info.

In this example, I'm using Ubuntu to setup Pi-Hole home on. But you can use any other device. Remember, this device needs to be running 24/7, so either use a Raspberry Pi or a virtual machine or something out of sight.

How to update Ubuntu:
Open terminal and type:
sudo apt-get update -y sudo apt-get upgrade -y

How to assign a static IP address:
Multiple ways:
- during installation of ubuntu, by default it will assign a dynamic DHCP IP (meaning it will pick up an IP from your DHCP server). but you can override this, by setting a manual IP instead
- after installation of ubuntu has completed and OS has booted, you can manually set this with terminal commands. I won't show you how. there's tutorials online
- you can leave ubuntu's IP assignment to be dynamic (meaning it will pick up an IP from your DHCP server). But in your firewall, you can set a static IP assignment for this device. That way, you're guaranteed to have the same IP, since the firewall controls this.

To install Pi-Hole, run this command:
curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash

Once installed:
- It will say "Installation Complete". Don't press ok. Since on the bottom of the screen, there is a password for the GUI interface. Write it down.
- Open a web browser (anywhere on the network) and type in IP/admin. In my case 10.0.0.123/admin and type in the password from previous step.
- Now you continue the setup via GUI
- Verify the update frequency
- Verify that AdGuard DNS ad-list is installed

How to configure all the devices on your network?
- Go to your firewall, and change the DNS server to be the IP of your 'AdGuard Home'.

How to install a network-wide DNS-based filtering using AdGuard Home?
- To install, go to Github site.

In this example, I'm using Ubuntu to setup AdGuard home on. But you can use any other device. Remember, this device needs to be running 24/7, so either use a Raspberry Pi or a virtual machine or something out of sight.

How to update Ubuntu:
Open terminal and type:
sudo apt-get update -y
sudo apt-get upgrade -y

How to assign a static IP address:
Multiple ways:
- during installation of ubuntu, by default it will assign a dynamic DHCP IP (meaning it will pick up an IP from your DHCP server). but you can override this, by setting a manual IP instead
- after installation of ubuntu has completed and OS has booted, you can manually set this with terminal commands. I won't show you how. there's tutorials online
- you can leave ubuntu's IP assignment to be dynamic (meaning it will pick up an IP from your DHCP server). But in your firewall, you can set a static IP assignment for this device. That way, you're guaranteed to have the same IP, since the firewall controls this.

To install AdGuard Home, run this command:
Open terminal and type:
curl -s -S -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome/master/scripts/install.sh | sh -s -- -v

How to finish installation?
- Open browser on any device on the same network, type in the IP:3000 in the URL. Example:
10.0.0.184:3000 which will redirect you to http://10.0.0.184:3000/install.html
- Then it will ask for username/password to access the dashboard over the LAN.

How to access the dashboard?
- Open browser on any device on the same network, type in the IP in the URL.
- Go to settings, General Settings, Change update frequency from '1 day' to '1 hour' (which is probably overkill since daily is good enough, but you'll be more protected with hourly)

Which DNS filters are enabled by default?
- Go to Filters, DNS blocklists, and you'll see that 'AdGuard DNS filter' is enabled.

How to configure all the devices on your network?
- Go to your firewall, and change the DNS server to be the IP of your 'AdGuard Home'.

How to install PortMaster (for Windows)?
- Official site.
- Free to install. But to get the full network history, you'll need to subscribe 4 EUR / month.
- Once installed, it will reboot your Windows.
- Once it's loaded, hit "Gear" icon, which is the "Global settings", scroll down until you see "Filter Lists". Disable all. Then go into "Mixed Ads/Trackers/Malware" dropdown, and enable "AdGuardDNS List by ray" (which is AdGuard DNS ad-list, which is what I care about). That's it. Your system is being filtered for DNS traffic now.

Test to make sure it's working:
- Open any browser (say Chrome), make sure you don't have any adblockers installed.
- Go to any website with lots of ads/privacy trackers, such as cnn.com
- Open PortMaster, then select 'Apps and Profile', then select your browser. In my case, Chrome. Where it shows "Allowed", hit the dropdown and select "No", which shows all denied traffic on your computer (DNS or others), using Chrome browser. Now, you'll see "DNS Requests" being blocked for the browser that you used. This verifies that this ad-list is indeed working properly.
 
Last edited:
OP
sweetchaos

sweetchaos

Major Contributor
The Curator
Joined
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Messages
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Likes
11,507
Location
BC, Canada
Improvements:
- Added woofer sizes, for easy comparison

Observations:
1. Out of 214 speakers, I only found 1 speaker that's a 3-way.
- Yamaha NS-6490
- It has 8" woofer and 4" midrange-woofer.
- US$120 only!
2. Out of 103 active speakers, only 4 speakers (under US$300) have 8" woofer.
- JBL 308P MKII
- Monoprice SV28
- Behringer Nekkst K8
- Nady SM-300A
3. I didn't expect to find 214 speakers under US$300. :eek:
 
Last edited:
OP
sweetchaos

sweetchaos

Major Contributor
The Curator
Joined
Nov 29, 2019
Messages
3,862
Likes
11,507
Location
BC, Canada
Improvements:
- Added amazon # of reviews and date first available

Observations:
- Infinity R152 (which has 11 reviews) and R162 (which has 18 reviews) shows us that the # of amazon reviews is irrespective of speaker performance.
- Several speakers have >1000 reviews, and those look like prime candidates for *headless panther* awards
 
Last edited:
Joined
Oct 17, 2020
Messages
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2
Location
Florida
I miss the excellent Focal Chorus 706.
It has the same (Al-Mg inverted 1") tweeter as the 906 / Shape 45/55/65 which is excellent, wide open smooth timbre not prickly needle points like KEF. Don't know how much the flax midwoofer helped but Focal makes fine sounding speakers that I though was very fair at $900 pair for the passive 906, but I have not heard many speakers in that price range so I can't be certain on comparisons.
 

kieran

New Member
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Feb 3, 2021
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FYI, You show the Monoprice Monolith K-Bas passive bookshelf speakers as $140/pair, whereas their website shows $257/EACH... :-O
 
OP
sweetchaos

sweetchaos

Major Contributor
The Curator
Joined
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Messages
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Location
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FYI, You show the Monoprice Monolith K-Bas passive bookshelf speakers as $140/pair, whereas their website shows $257/EACH... :-O
That price must have been the lowest price I saw on Amazon in the last year, at the time when I added it.
Currently it's US$512/pair on monoprice, US$568/pair on amazon.com (but was US$270/pair in the last year, so I'll use this as the new low price).

Also, Covid pricing surge is ridiculous... o_O
 

dogtagkz

Member
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Jun 19, 2020
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For a totally new guy when it comes to speakers, having like the AKG K371 (I prefer it over the HD650) and ER2XR, would the JBL A130 be a good start for me to wet my feet?

I do have a class d amp lying around the house.

Thanks!
 
OP
sweetchaos

sweetchaos

Major Contributor
The Curator
Joined
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Location
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For a totally new guy when it comes to speakers, having like the AKG K371 (I prefer it over the HD650) and ER2XR, would the JBL A130 be a good start for me to wet my feet?

I do have a class d amp lying around the house.

Thanks!
JBL A130 => Excellent choice for a budget build.
It's currently US$180/pair at crutchfield.com (and other places...)

Here's what Amir wrote as his review:
I can recommend the A130 even if you don't have an EQ. If you can apply EQ, then the JBL Stage A130 gets one of my highest recommendations. It is a great example of how we can fix one or two minor flaws in a speaker with EQ and create a hybrid solution that is nearly untouchable in its price range or even higher.
 

shadowings

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JBL A130 => Excellent choice for a budget build.
It's currently US$180/pair at crutchfield.com (and other places...)

Here's what Amir wrote as his review:

Thanks for your suggestion buddy, but A130 is a passive speaker, is there a amp under 500$ for it?
:eek: I've read Amir's tests and charts, unlike dacs,all the inexpensive amp is not that good. Now Im confused about what to buy. I already have a E30 and L30 for headphones.
 
OP
sweetchaos

sweetchaos

Major Contributor
The Curator
Joined
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Messages
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Location
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Thanks for your suggestion buddy, but A130 is a passive speaker, is there a amp under 500$ for it?
:eek: I've read Amir's tests and charts, unlike dacs,all the inexpensive amp is not that good. Now Im confused about what to buy. I already have a E30 and L30 for headphones.
No problem.
1. Go to 'Audio Electronics Review and Measurements Index'
2. Enable "Device Type":
AV Receiver/Processor Integrated Amp Speaker Amp Speaker Amp (DSP)
3. Enable "Recommendation":
Yes
4. Price (max):
US$500

Results (sorted $$-$):
1613509280639.png

If you would like further assistance, please create a new thread and members will help you out. :)
 

kyahushan

New Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2021
Messages
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0
-=List of Active Bookshelf Speakers=-
-=
List of Passive Bookshelf Speakers=-

I created a list of budget bookshelf speakers under 500 (both active and passive).
I'm keeping the list under US$300/pair (approx 250 EUR/pair) for now.


I've included:
1. Photo
2. Model
- Colour-coded by brands to make it easier to differentiate.
- 99% of models are available to purchase in USA, but I've included a few discontinued models for reference.
3. Bluetooth compatibility
Only with Active speakers, of course
4. Woofer
Size of woofer in inches
5. Price
- US$/pair
- Lowest amazon.com price in the last year (I used keepa or camelcamelcamel to view history)
6. Amazon.com direct link
- No affiliate links.
7. 2nd Link
- If Amazon.com links aren't available, link to 2nd source.
- Usually from manufacturer directly, but something a reseller.
8. Review Link
- Links to Reviews by Amir or Erin only.
- Recommendation on whether to buy (conclusion from review).

If you have further suggestions (both in speakers recommendations or how to improve this), please let me know.

Sneak Peak:
View attachment 87151

Changelog:
I would go with Aperion
 
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