Passive Speaker Recommendations for USA (by @sweetchaos)

[radix]

So ... could an argument be made that currently having speakers with 5.7 Preference Score (say, Elac DBR-62) means the next sensible upgrade would have to be in the (at least) 7.0 range? (not turning to mathematics for an excuse to splash more money, ofc

A sub would be the next upgrade, IMO.

 

[radix]

maybe, i'm not understanding the list,
I'm reading it as Polk R200 with Sub is better than Perlisten S4B with a sub ?

It's 6.3/8.3 vs 5.5/8.1. I'd say they are close enough that you'd need to listen to them to really say which is better for you. And the number does not capture everything. The speakers might have much different power handling capability or tonal emphasis. If you read Erin's R100 vs S4B, you can see in his summary differences between the speakers and you might prefer one to the other irregardless of the numbers.

Also, the R200's numbers were extrapolated from difference measurements (the * next to the numbers), so I'd take those with a bit of leeway.

 

[NoxMorbis]

I personally don't like the look of Pioneer SP-BS22-LR, so aesthetics alone eliminates this option for me.

I thought there might be something wrong with me, but they are some caveman looking, old, bastard child stuffy ugly looking speakers. hahaha

 

[NoxMorbis]

This is a great resource btw! Such a shame the price of the Neumi BS5 went up $10 so we still have to see that awful Dayton Audio B652-AIR on the list. I understand why you didn't put it there, but it may he useful for people to know that the Sony SSCS5 is often available in that under $100/pair category.

What happened to the NEUMI BS5 not in the list? It's on Amazon for 110 bucks.

 

[sweetchaos]

What happened to the NEUMI BS5 not in the list? It's on Amazon for 110 bucks.

On Nov 2021, I "drew a line in the sand" to remove weak performing speakers, and removed all speakers with PS below 3.0

Neumi BS5 has PS of 2.9.

 

[NoxMorbis]

On Nov 2021, I "drew a line in the sand" to remove weak performing speakers, and removed all speakers with PS below 3.0

Neumi BS5 has PS of 2.9.

Oh got it. Thanks, and good move.

 

[HighFutility]

It's 6.3/8.3 vs 5.5/8.1. I'd say they are close enough that you'd need to listen to them to really say which is better for you. And the number does not capture everything. The speakers might have much different power handling capability or tonal emphasis. If you read Erin's R100 vs S4B, you can see in his summary differences between the speakers and you might prefer one to the other irregardless of the numbers.

Also, the R200's numbers were extrapolated from difference measurements (the * next to the numbers), so I'd take those with a bit of leeway.

Erin just measured these, preference score should be adjusted at some point will be interesting.

 

[OCA]

I'm constantly asked which speakers to purchase...so, here you go!
This guide is for PASSIVE speakers. For ACTIVE speakers go here.
Click on the "Spoiler" buttons below to expand each section.

Spoiler: Readme

What market are these recommendations for?
USA, with USD prices listed below

Does this include discontinued speakers?
No, since i'm only counting speakers that are currently sold at major retailers/resellers in the US.

What is the preference score?
The preference score (introduced by Sean Olive) (also sometimes called "Olive score") is the best science-based representation we have on how to classify whether a speaker (either active or passive) is preferred or not. A more neutral speaker will get the best preference score, and will likely win in a blind listening test, comparing two speakers. You can read about it here.

What are the limitations of the preference score?
1. Distortion handling
Amir and Erin (from ErinsAudioCorner) talk about this in their reviews, so you can take a look there.
Distortion handling of a loudspeaker is usually secondary to frequency response. Meaning, a great frequency response and poor distortion handling speaker will still be preferred over a poor frequency response speaker with great distortion handling. A great example of this is the fact that JBL 305P/306P/308P MKII speakers have higher-than-normal distortion, but because of their relatively neutral frequency response, a lot of people still enjoy them.
2. Loudness handling
Amir and Erin (from ErinsAudioCorner) talk about this in their reviews, so you can take a look there.
In terms of loudness handling, I've made a few notes to speakers below.
3. Your own preference for wide or narrow directivity
In terms of directivity, I haven't added this information below, but I could if enough people show interest.

Accuracy of data:
There are a few speakers in this list that weren't measured using Klippel NFS (that Amir and ErinsAudioCorner have), which provides very accurate spinorama. A less accurate (in terms of resolution) spinorama can be made using quasi-anechoic methods as described in this post.
If you see * => We have quasi-anechoic spinorama or similar, but the speaker wasn't measured using Klippel NFS.

Are you biased in any way?
I purchased PSB Imagine X series of speakers before joining ASR. Read into that what you will.

How did you make this list?
I looked at all the speaker spinorama that we have and their computed preference score and compiled this list.
I also mention a few speakers of note, and talk about which speakers to avoid at a certain price point, based on my own understanding.

What is the limitation of this guide?
Blind reliance on measurements can be misleading ‐ one needs to tie those measurements back to subjective perception. Amir and ErinsAudioCorner both give their overall opinion on speakers, so feel free to read the written reviews.

What am I showing?
Top 3 speakers in terms of preference score, plus other worthy picks (explained in the legend).

Exclusions:
I didn't include DIY type speakers (where you buy the kit, install it yourself, and paint the speaker). Instead, only speakers you can purchase from major retailers/resellers in US.

Do you need an amplifier with these?
Yes, since the speakers are passive.

Assumptions:
I'm going to assume these JBL 4367 and similar speakers are "towers" and not "bookshelves"

Limitation of preference score?
Flipflop: "Using vendor data is not just a problem because of potential credibility issues, but also because some of the data, like the R152 spin, uses a higher amount of smoothing, which results in lower NBD_ON and NBD_PIR values, which in turns result in an artificially increased predicted preference score."

What's the difference between Amir's and Erin (from Erin's Audio Corner) distortion charts?
Amir shows "Non-Anechoic" harmonic distortion.
Erin shows "Anechoic" (using Klippel ISC module) harmonic distortion.
They are similar, but not exactly the same.
Erin explained it in this youtube video
Which makes a direct comparison between Amir's and Erin's distortion graphs inaccurate (unfortunately).
Amir talked about why he stopped doing Anechoic harmonic distortion here.

Spoiler: Legend

LEGEND:

Value	Description
#1	Best rated-speaker in terms of preference score. Update: I set the threshold at 3.0, ignoring speakers below it.
#2	2nd best-rated speaker in terms of preference score.
#3	3rd best-rated speaker in terms of preference score.
Worthy	Worthy picks that either Erin (from ErinsAudioCorner) or Amir measured and recommended. From Amir, I included all "highly recommended panther" award winners, plus the recommended picks (that I chose). Erin doesn't give a 'highly recommended' award like Amir does, but after reading Erin's review or watching the youtube reviews, I get the sense that Erin highly recommends that speaker. Plus I've included a few models that weren't measured by neither Amir or Erin, but still for consideration, since we can predict will be good, based on similar model's measurements.
PS	Preference Score (with no subwoofer added). Value can be negative (for really badly designed speakers) and goes up to a 10 (theoretical limit). Higher is better.
PSwSub	Preference Score (with theoretically-perfectly-integrated subwoofer added). Value can be negative (for really badly designed speakers) and goes up to a 10 (theoretical limit). Higher is better.
LFX	Low Frequency Extension (in hz). This is the bass output at -6db point. This was computed, not estimated. Lower is better.
*	We have quasi-anechoic spinorama or similar. However, this speaker wasn't measured using Klippel NFS (that Amir and ErinsAudioCorner have), so it's resolution is less accurate. Warning: This will artificially boost the preference score higher than if the same speaker was measured using NFS.
**	No spinorama for this specific model. I'm including it because we have multiple other spinorama from the same manufacturer, so it's not a stretch to imagine these will be good.
Red	New speaker added to the table for this price point.

Spoiler: Passive Bookshelf Speakers

Bookshelves < US$100/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Dayton Audio MK402X (Amir)	3.9	6.3	51

Bookshelves < US$150/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Polk Audio XT15 (Erin)	4.4	7.1	60
Dayton Audio MK402X (Amir)	3.9	6.3	51

Bookshelves < US$250/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Polk Audio XT20 (Erin)	4.5	6.8	48
Polk Audio XT15 (Erin)	4.4	7.1	60
Dayton Audio MK402X (Amir)	3.9	6.3	51

Bookshelves < US$300/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Kef Q150 (Erin)	4.9	7.0	45
Polk Audio XT20 (Erin)	4.5	6.8	48
Polk Audio XT15 (Erin)	4.4	7.1	60

Bookshelves < US$320/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Kef Q150 (Erin)	4.9	7.0	45
Monoprice Monolith Encore B6 (Erin)	4.7	6.9	46
Polk Audio XT20 (Erin)	4.5	6.8	48

Bookshelves < US$330/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ (Amir) (Erin)	5.3	7.8	54
Kef Q150 (Erin)	4.9	7.0	45
Monoprice Monolith Encore B6 (Erin)	4.7	6.9	46

Bookshelves < US$400/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 (Amir)	5.4	7.7	51
Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ (Amir) (Erin)	5.3	7.8	54
Kef Q150 (Erin)	4.9	7.0	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39

Bookshelves < US$600/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
JBL Studio 530 (Amir)	5.5	7.4	41
Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 (Amir)	5.4	7.7	51
Klipsch RP-500M II (Erin)	5.4	7.9	55
Kef Q150 (Erin)	4.9	7.0	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39

Bookshelves < US$650/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Polk R100 (Erin)	5.6	8.0	52
JBL Studio 530 (Amir)	5.5	7.4	41
Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 (Amir)	5.4	7.7	51
Kef Q150 (Erin)	4.9	7.0	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39

Bookshelves < US$700/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 (Amir)	5.6	7.6	41
Polk R100 (Erin)	5.6	8.0	52
Kef Q150 (Erin)	4.9	7.0	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39

Bookshelves < US$750/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Kef Q350 (Amir)	5.7	7.5	38
Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 (Amir)	5.6	7.6	41
Kef Q150 (Erin)	4.9	7.0	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39

Bookshelves < US$800/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Kef Q350 (Amir)	5.7	7.5	38
Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 (Amir)	5.6	7.6	41
Kef Q150 (Erin)	4.9	7.0	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68

Bookshelves < US$1,000/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Revel M16 with sealed port [readme] (Amir)	5.9	??	??
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Kef Q350 (Amir)	5.7	7.5	38
Revel M16 with open port (Amir)	5.6	7.7	45
Kef Q150 (Erin)	4.9	7.0	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68

Bookshelves < US$1,500/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX	6.8	8.6	36
Revel M16 with sealed port [readme] (Amir)	5.9	??	??
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Kef Q350 (Amir)	5.7	7.5	38
Revel M16 with open port (Amir)	5.6	7.7	45
Kef Q150 (Erin)	4.9	7.0	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1723 Bookshelf S THX (Erin)	4.8	7.6	62
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68

Bookshelves < US$1,600/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX	6.8	8.6	36
Revel M16 with sealed port [readme] (Amir)	5.9	??	??
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Kef LS50 Meta (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M16 with open port (Amir)	5.6	7.7	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1723 Bookshelf S THX (Erin)	4.8	7.6	62
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68

-Kef Q150 and Q350 are no longer mentioned; since Kef LS50 Meta exists at this price point.

Bookshelves < US$1,650/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX	6.8	8.6	36
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2	6.0	8.0	42
Revel M16 with sealed port [readme] (Amir)	5.9	??	??
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M105 (Amir)	5.9	8.3	51
Kef LS50 Meta (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M16 with open port (Amir)	5.6	7.7	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1723 Bookshelf S THX (Erin)	4.8	7.6	62
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68

Bookshelves < US$1,700/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX	6.8	8.6	36
Kef R3 (Amir) (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R3 Meta]	6.6	8.3	36
Philharmonic BMR v2 (Erin)	6.1	7.7	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2	6.0	8.0	42
Revel M16 with sealed port [readme] (Amir)	5.9	??	??
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M105 (Amir)	5.9	8.3	51
Kef LS50 Meta (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M16 with open port (Amir)	5.6	7.7	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1723 Bookshelf S THX (Erin)	4.8	7.6	62
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68

Bookshelves < US$1,800/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX	6.8	8.6	36
Kef R3 (Amir) (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R3 Meta]	6.6	8.3	36
Philharmonic BMR v2 (Erin)	6.1	7.7	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2	6.0	8.0	42
Revel M16 with sealed port [readme] (Amir)	5.9	??	??
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M105 (Amir)	5.9	8.3	51
JBL HDI-1600 (Amir)	5.8	7.6	38
Kef LS50 Meta (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M16 with open port (Amir)	5.6	7.7	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1723 Bookshelf S THX (Erin)	4.8	7.6	62
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68

Bookshelves < US$2,200/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX	6.8	8.6	36
Kef R3 (Amir) (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R3 Meta]	6.6	8.3	36
Kef R3 Meta	6.3	8.0	36
Philharmonic BMR v2 (Erin)	6.1	7.7	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2	6.0	8.0	42
Revel M16 with sealed port [readme] (Amir)	5.9	??	??
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M105 (Amir)	5.9	8.3	51
Revel M106 (Amir)	5.8	8.0	46
JBL HDI-1600 (Amir)	5.8	7.6	38
Kef LS50 Meta (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M16 with open port (Amir)	5.6	7.7	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1723 Bookshelf S THX (Erin)	4.8	7.6	62
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68

Bookshelves < US$3,900/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
March Audio Sointuva (Erin) (Q/C issues found on June 2022)	7.0	8.6	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX	6.8	8.6	36
Kef R3 (Amir) (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R3 Meta]	6.6	8.3	36
Kef R3 Meta	6.3	8.0	36
Philharmonic BMR v2 (Erin)	6.1	7.7	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2	6.0	8.0	42
Revel M16 with sealed port [readme] (Amir)	5.9	??	??
Revel M105 (Amir)	5.9	8.3	51
Revel M106 (Amir)	5.8	8.0	46
JBL HDI-1600 (Amir)	5.8	7.6	38
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Kef LS50 Meta (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M16 with open port (Amir)	5.6	7.7	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1723 Bookshelf S THX (Erin)	4.8	7.6	62
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68

Bookshelves < US$4,400/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
March Audio Sointuva (Erin) (Q/C issues found on June 2022)	7.0	8.6	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX	6.8	8.6	36
Kef R3 (Amir) (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R3 Meta]	6.6	8.3	36
Kef R3 Meta	6.3	8.0	36
Philharmonic BMR v2 (Erin)	6.1	7.7	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2	6.0	8.0	42
Revel M126Be	5.9*	8.2*	47*
Revel M16 with sealed port [readme] (Amir)	5.9	??	??
Revel M105 (Amir)	5.9	8.3	51
Revel M106 (Amir)	5.8	8.0	46
JBL HDI-1600 (Amir)	5.8	7.6	38
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Kef LS50 Meta (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M16 with open port (Amir)	5.6	7.7	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1723 Bookshelf S THX (Erin)	4.8	7.6	62
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68

Bookshelves < US$7,000/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
March Audio Sointuva (Erin) (Q/C issues found on June 2022)	7.0	8.6	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX	6.8	8.6	36
Kef R3 (Amir) (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R3 Meta]	6.6	8.3	36
Kef R3 Meta	6.3	8.0	36
Philharmonic BMR v2 (Erin)	6.1	7.7	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2	6.0	8.0	42
Revel M126Be	5.9*	8.2*	47*
Revel M16 with sealed port [readme] (Amir)	5.9	??	??
Revel M105 (Amir)	5.9	8.3	51
Revel M106 (Amir)	5.8	8.0	46
JBL HDI-1600 (Amir)	5.8	7.6	38
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Kef LS50 Meta (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M16 with open port (Amir)	5.6	7.7	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1723 Bookshelf S THX (Erin)	4.8	7.6	62
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68
Revel Ultima2 Gem2	**	**	**

Bookshelves < US$7,500/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
March Audio Sointuva (Erin) (Q/C issues found on June 2022)	7.0	8.6	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX	6.8	8.6	36
Kef R3 (Amir) (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R3 Meta]	6.6	8.3	36
Kef R3 Meta	6.3	8.0	36
Philharmonic BMR v2 (Erin)	6.1	7.7	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2	6.0	8.0	42
Revel M126Be	5.9*	8.2*	47*
Revel M16 with sealed port [readme] (Amir)	5.9	??	??
Revel M105 (Amir)	5.9	8.3	51
Revel M106 (Amir)	5.8	8.0	46
JBL HDI-1600 (Amir)	5.8	7.6	38
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Kef LS50 Meta (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M16 with open port (Amir)	5.6	7.7	45
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1723 Bookshelf S THX (Erin)	4.8	7.6	62
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68
Revel Ultima2 Gem2	**	**	**
Kef Reference 1 [Discontinued. Replaced by Reference 1 Meta in Feb 2022]	**	**	**

Bookshelves < US$8,000/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
March Audio Sointuva (Erin) (Q/C issues found on June 2022)	7.0	8.6	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX	6.8	8.6	36
Kef R3 (Amir) (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R3 Meta]	6.6	8.3	36
Kef R3 Meta	6.3	8.0	36
Philharmonic BMR v2 (Erin)	6.1	7.7	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2	6.0	8.0	42
Revel M126Be	5.9*	8.2*	47*
Revel M16 with sealed port [readme] (Amir)	5.9	??	??
Revel M105 (Amir)	5.9	8.3	51
Revel M106 (Amir)	5.8	8.0	46
JBL HDI-1600 (Amir)	5.8	7.6	38
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Kef LS50 Meta (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M16 with open port (Amir)	5.6	7.7	45
Perlisten s4b (Erin)	5.5	8.1	58
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1723 Bookshelf S THX (Erin)	4.8	7.6	62
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68
Revel Ultima2 Gem2	**	**	**
Kef Reference 1 [Discontinued. Replaced by Reference 1 Meta in Feb 2022]	**	**	**

Bookshelves < US$9,000/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Kef Reference 1 Meta (Erin) (Using Long Port)	7.0	8.4	30
March Audio Sointuva (Erin) (Q/C issues found on June 2022)	7.0	8.6	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX	6.8	8.6	36
Kef Reference 1 Meta (Erin) (Using Short Port)	6.7	8.4	36
Kef R3 (Amir) (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R3 Meta]	6.6	8.3	36
Kef R3 Meta	6.3	8.0	36
Philharmonic BMR v2 (Erin)	6.1	7.7	33
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2EX V2	6.0	8.0	42
Revel M126Be	5.9*	8.2*	47*
Revel M16 with sealed port [readme] (Amir)	5.9	??	??
Revel M105 (Amir)	5.9	8.3	51
Revel M106 (Amir)	5.8	8.0	46
JBL HDI-1600 (Amir)	5.8	7.6	38
Elac Debut Reference DBR-62 (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Kef LS50 Meta (Amir)	5.7	7.8	43
Revel M16 with open port (Amir)	5.6	7.7	45
Perlisten s4b (Erin)	5.5	8.1	58
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 (Amir)	4.8	6.7	39
Arendal Sound 1723 Bookshelf S THX (Erin)	4.8	7.6	62
Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf (Erin)	4.4	7.3	68
Revel Ultima2 Gem2	**	**	**
Kef Reference 1 [Discontinued. Replaced by Reference 1 Meta in Feb 2022]	**	**	**

Spoiler: Passive Tower/Floorstanding Speakers

Towers < US$300/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Polk Audio T50 (Amir)	4.0	5.9	41

Towers < US$500/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Polk XT60 (Erin)	4.8	6.7	39
JBL Stage A180 (Amir)	4.7	6.3	35
Polk Audio T50 (Amir)	4.0	5.9	41

Towers < US$700/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Polk XT70 (Erin)	4.8	6.7	39
Polk XT60 (Erin)	4.8	6.7	39
JBL Stage A180 (Amir)	4.7	6.3	35

Towers < US$1,200/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ (Erin)	5.8	7.3	32
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Klipsch RP-5000F II (Erin)	5.2	7.2	41

Towers < US$1,400/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ (Erin)	5.8	7.3	32
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Aperion N5T (Amir)	5.3	6.9	35

Towers < US$1,500/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ (Erin)	5.8	7.3	32
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Revel F36	**	**	**

Towers < US$1,700/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ (Erin)	5.8	7.3	32
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower (Erin)	5.1	7.5	51
Revel F36	**	**	**

Towers < US$2,000/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ (Erin)	5.8	7.3	32
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower (Erin)	5.1	7.5	51
JBL 4309 (Amir)	3.7	5.7	41
Revel F36	**	**	**

Towers < US$2,600/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Kef R5 (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R5 Meta]	5.9	7.5	33
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ (Erin)	5.8	7.3	32
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower (Erin)	5.1	7.5	51
JBL 4309 (Amir)	3.7	5.7	41
Revel F36	**	**	**

Towers < US$3,600/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Revel F206	6.4*	8.1*	36*
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Kef R5 (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R5 Meta]	5.9	7.5	33
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower (Erin)	5.1	7.5	51
JBL 4309 (Amir)	3.7	5.7	41
Kef R7 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by Kef R7 Meta]	**	**	**
Revel F36	**	**	**

Towers < US$3,900/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Revel F206	6.4*	8.1*	36*
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Kef R5 (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R5 Meta]	5.9	7.5	33
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower (Erin)	5.1	7.5	51
JBL 4309 (Amir)	3.7	5.7	41
Kef R7 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R7 Meta]	**	**	**
Revel F36	**	**	**
Philharmonic BMR Tower (AH)	**	**	**

Towers < US$4,000/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Kef R7 Meta	7.0*	8.5*	32*
Revel F206	6.4*	8.1*	36*
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Kef R5 (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R5 Meta]	5.9	7.5	33
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower (Erin)	5.1	7.5	51
JBL 4309 (Amir)	3.7	5.7	41
Kef R7 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R7 Meta]	**	**	**
Revel F36	**	**	**
Philharmonic BMR Tower (AH)	**	**	**

Towers < US$4,800/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Kef R7 Meta	7.0*	8.5*	32*
Revel F206	6.4*	8.1*	36*
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Kef R5 (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R5 Meta]	5.9	7.5	33
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower (Erin)	5.1	7.5	51
JBL 4309 (Amir)	3.7	5.7	41
Kef R7 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R7 Meta]	**	**	**
Kef R11 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R11 Meta]	**	**	**
Revel F36	**	**	**
Philharmonic BMR Tower (AH)	**	**	**

Towers < US$5,000/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Kef R7 Meta	7.0*	8.5*	32*
Revel F206	6.4*	8.1*	36*
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Kef R5 (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R5 Meta]	5.9	7.5	33
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower (Erin)	5.1	7.5	51
JBL 4309 (Amir)	3.7	5.7	41
Kef R7 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R7 Meta]	**	**	**
Kef R11 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R11 Meta]	**	**	**
Revel F36	**	**	**
Philharmonic BMR Tower (AH)	**	**	**

Towers < US$5,500/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Kef R7 Meta	7.0*	8.5*	32*
Revel F208 (Amir)	6.6	7.7	26
Revel F206	6.4*	8.1*	36*
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Kef R5 (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R5 Meta]	5.9	7.5	33
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower (Erin)	5.1	7.5	51
JBL 4309 (Amir)	3.7	5.7	41
Kef R7 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R7 Meta]	**	**	**
Kef R11 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R11 Meta]	**	**	**
Revel F36	**	**	**
Philharmonic BMR Tower (AH)	**	**	**

Towers < US$6,500/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Kef R11 Meta	7.1*	8.5*	30*
Kef R7 Meta	7.0*	8.5*	32*
Revel F208 (Amir)	6.6	7.7	26
Revel F206	6.4*	8.1*	36*
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Kef R5 (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R5 Meta]	5.9	7.5	33
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower (Erin)	5.1	7.5	51
JBL 4309 (Amir)	3.7	5.7	41
Kef R7 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R7 Meta]	**	**	**
Kef R11 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R11 Meta]	**	**	**
Revel F36	**	**	**
Philharmonic BMR Tower (AH)	**	**	**

Towers < US$7,700/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Kef R11 Meta	7.1*	8.5*	30*
Kef R7 Meta	7.0*	8.5*	32*
Revel F208 (Amir)	6.6	7.7	26
Revel F206	6.4*	8.1*	36*
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Kef R5 (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R5 Meta]	5.9	7.5	33
Revel F226Be (Erin)	5.8	7.9	43
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower (Erin)	5.1	7.5	51
JBL 4309 (Amir)	3.7	5.7	41
Kef R7 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R7 Meta]	**	**	**
Kef R11 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R11 Meta]	**	**	**
Revel F36	**	**	**
Philharmonic BMR Tower (AH)	**	**	**

Towers < US$11,000/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Kef R11 Meta	7.1*	8.5*	30*
Kef R7 Meta	7.0*	8.5*	32*
Revel F208 (Amir)	6.6	7.7	26
Revel F206	6.4*	8.1*	36*
Revel F228Be (Amir)	6.2	7.6	30
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Kef R5 (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R5 Meta]	5.9	7.5	33
Revel F226Be (Erin)	5.8	7.9	43
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower (Erin)	5.1	7.5	51
JBL 4309 (Amir)	3.7	5.7	41
Kef R7 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R7 Meta]	**	**	**
Kef R11 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R11 Meta]	**	**	**
Revel F36	**	**	**
Philharmonic BMR Tower (AH)	**	**	**

Towers < US$14,000/pair:

Name	PS	PSwSub	LFX
Kef R11 Meta	7.1*	8.5*	30*
Kef R7 Meta	7.0*	8.5*	32*
Revel F208 (Amir)	6.6	7.7	26
Revel F206	6.4*	8.1*	36*
Revel F228Be (Amir)	6.2	7.6	30
Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary (Erin)	6.0	7.8	36
Kef R5 (Erin) [Discontinued on Feb 2023, replaced by R5 Meta]	5.9	7.5	33
Revel F226Be (Erin)	5.8	7.9	43
Revel F35 (Amir)	5.7	7.6	39
Arendal Sound 1961 Tower (Erin)	5.1	7.5	51
JBL 4309 (Amir)	3.7	5.7	41
Kef R7 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R7 Meta]	**	**	**
Kef R11 [Discontinued Feb 2023, replaced by R11 Meta]	**	**	**
Revel F36	**	**	**
Kef Reference 3 [Discontinued. Replaced by Reference 3 Meta in Feb 2022]	**	**	**
Philharmonic BMR Tower (AH)	**	**	**

See post #2 for more tower speakers

RAN OUT OF CHARACTERS... CONTINUED ON POST #2

That's a great list but I have some questions:

• Is it limited to what can fit into the Klippel measurement device?
• Is anything above $14k not considered? Is that why there's not a single famous US name like Wilson, Magico, Devore Fidelity, etc.
• Why are electrostatic speakers not being considered (most natural sound according to many)?

 

[sweetchaos]

• Is it limited to what can fit into the Klippel measurement device?

I'm curating the list of speakers for which we have spinorama (CEA-2034) measurements for. Some of these come from Klippel NFS (performed by Amir, Erin or 3rd parties), some come from the quasi-anechoic measurements methods (performed by Erin prior to getting Klippel NFS or napilopez) and some are provided by vendors themselves (say from Revel or Kef).

• Is anything above $14k not considered? Is that why there's not a single famous US name like Wilson, Magico, Devore Fidelity, etc.

We only have spinorama for 2 Magico speakers (here), 1 spinorama for Wilson (here), and nothing for Devore Fidelity.
These speakers don't make my list since their preference score is too low and/or lacking at all.
In other words, I won't be recommending speakers without seeing spinorama first.
For a few well-measuring companies like Neumann, Kef, Genelec, etc, I will add their models without spinorama to my list, since we can easily predict their performance.

• Why are electrostatic speakers not being considered (most natural sound according to many)?

We have a few spinoramas for electrostatic speakers (here). But, as we know, electrostatic speakers don't measure well using CEA-2034 protocol. Which means they'll never have a good preference score. It's one of the speakers that won't make my list, unfortunately. But, I will say this, if you're considering electrostatic speakers, then you're going against the traditional speaker route, in which case, you can safely ignore my list since you already know what you want. People that buy electrostatic speakers already know that traditional speakers won't work for them.

 

[OCA]

I'm curating the list of speakers for which we have spinorama (CEA-2034) measurements for. Some of these come from Klippel NFS (performed by Amir, Erin or 3rd parties), some come from the quasi-anechoic measurements methods (performed by Erin prior to getting Klippel NFS or napilopez) and some are provided by vendors themselves (say from Revel or Kef).



We only have spinorama for 2 Magico speakers (here), 1 spinorama for Wilson (here), and nothing for Devore Fidelity.
These speakers don't make my list since their preference score is too low and/or lacking at all.
In other words, I won't be recommending speakers without seeing spinorama first.
For a few well-measuring companies like Neumann, Kef, Genelec, etc, I will add their models without spinorama to my list, since we can easily predict their performance.



We have a few spinoramas for electrostatic speakers (here). But, as we know, electrostatic speakers don't measure well using CEA-2034 protocol. Which means they'll never have a good preference score. It's one of the speakers that won't make my list, unfortunately. But, I will say this, if you're considering electrostatic speakers, then you're going against the traditional speaker route, in which case, you can safely ignore my list since you already know what you want. People that buy electrostatic speakers already know that traditional speakers won't work for them.

Thanks, I am only questioning the list because I am about to follow the list for buying a pair of active speakers and wanted to fully understand it first!

 

[flipflop]

Thanks, I am only questioning the list because I am about to follow the list for buying a pair of active speakers and wanted to fully understand it first!

If you want a better understanding of how the score is calculated, see this thread: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/speaker-equivalent-sinad-discussion.10818
It's especially important to note that peaks and dips are weighted the same, despite peaks being far more audible.
It should also be mentioned that the score of a speaker can be improved with EQ.

 

[Descartes]

Cool thanks you for these summaries!

 

[sweetchaos]

Changelog:

2023-11-24:
Added:
-Arendal Sound 1723 Monitor S THX (Erin)
-Arendal Sound 1723 Monitor THX (Erin)
-Ascend Acoustics Sierra Titan (vendor)
-Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower (vendor)
-Ascend Acoustics Sierra 1 V2 (Erin)
-Philharmonic Ceramic Mini (Erin)
-March Audio Sointuva AWG (Warkwyn)
Important Note:
-Data from March Audio Sointuva AWG came from Warkwyn (a USA company that provides Klippel NFS measurements for a fee), so this source is trusted.
-Data from Ascend Acoustics (vendor) are trusted, because of the similarity between Erin's and Ascend Acoustic's measurements, as I've shown here.
-Which is why I'm not doing the typical * (asterisk) next to these

2023-11-25:
Found the difference between March Audio speakers:
-The Sointuva WG is the original version with paper Purifi. (link to website) (the one Erin reviewed)
-The Sointuva AWG is an updated version with aluminium Purifi. (no link to website yet) (the speaker that we have spin from Warkwyn)
-Here's the difference between March Audio speakers (look at the woofer):

2023-11-26:
- Seeing how March Audio removed Sointuva WG from their website, this seems to be discontinued. So I removed this from my table.
- March Audio added the link to purchase the newly released Sointuva AWG on their website now.

Spoiler

Note: A few of these speakers were reviewed months ago by Erin, but he only just sent the data to Pierre (at spinorama.org) yesterday, so I waited *patiently* for Erin to do so, since I need to see PS, PSwSub, and LFX scores. So that's the reason why I'm updating this post this late. That Erin guy... so lazy!

 

[sweetchaos]

Looks like Kef R3 are finally gone in Canada.
This link was working a few days ago, but it's no longer:

https://ca.kef.com/products/r3

Last known price was CDN$2k/pair.

It only took about 10 months.

This is a heads up, in case you were holding out until the last minute...
I just checked and...

Still available to purchase from USA:
US$1400/pair https://us.kef.com/products/r3

EU website is still live, but no stock available:
EUR 1400/pair https://eu.kef.com/products/r3

I'm still keeping them in my recommendation, since the value is massive. And until they fully remove them from Kef website.

 

[sweetchaos]

Changelog:
2023-11-30:
- Added review link for Elac DBR-62 for Erin. Forgot to previously.

2023-12-03:
- Added Philharmonic BMR HT Tower (AH). Didn't realize that Philharmonic released a new tower (BMR HT Tower), since the previous tower was BMR Tower. Similar names caused me to miss it until now.
- Added placeholder for Philharmonic HT Center, for 3-way centers, which was launched on 2023-11-23 (link). Waiting for PS, PSwSub, and LFX to update post.
- Added 2 in-wall Kef speakers (Ci5160RLM-THX and Ci3160RLM-THX), since they were announced on 2023-11-16.
- Added 3 in-wall Revel speakers (W126Be, W226Be, W228Be), since they were announced 2023-09-07. They are based on PerformaBe series of speakers, so we can expect exceptional performance.
- Added 2 in-ceiling recommendations (Kef Ci250RRM-THX and Revel C128Be).

 

[pseudoid]

Looks like Kef R3 are finally gone in Canada.

I was just looking at the KEF R3s, inside that great/expansive MusicDirect catalog I received in November 2023.
I think the R3s were introduced sometime around 2018.
I rather like the looks (in wood veneer) of the R3s.

Is the KEF LS50 supposed to be a replacement for the R3s?
The LS50 looks like a pregnant cyclops to me and they would not be welcomed in our adobe!

 

[sweetchaos]

Is the KEF LS50 supposed to be a replacement for the R3s?

LS50 is a 2-way design, with a smaller woofer (5.25" woofer) than the 3-way of R3 non-meta/meta (which have 6.5" woofer, 5" midrange).

They're not related... different design criteria for each speaker.

 

[Danaxus]

I was just looking at the KEF R3s, inside that great/expansive MusicDirect catalog I received in November 2023.
I think the R3s were introduced sometime around 2018.
I rather like the looks (in wood veneer) of the R3s.

Is the KEF LS50 supposed to be a replacement for the R3s?
The LS50 looks like a pregnant cyclops to me and they would not be welcomed in our adobe!

The KEF R3 Meta is the replacement for the R3. The LS50 is...not exactly a step down, just has a different use case. It's better as a near-field speaker, easier to mount If you want to use it as a surround, and may be a good alternative if you have a solid sub and are on more of a budget.

 

[Tom C]

I was just looking at the KEF R3s, inside that great/expansive MusicDirect catalog I received in November 2023.
I think the R3s were introduced sometime around 2018.
I rather like the looks (in wood veneer) of the R3s.

Is the KEF LS50 supposed to be a replacement for the R3s?
The LS50 looks like a pregnant cyclops to me and they would not be welcomed in our adobe!

???

 

[sweetchaos]

I had to think about this one...

Buchardt Audio S400 MKII
Passive bookshelf speaker for US$2275/pair
Erin's written review is here and YT review is here.
PS is 5.4
PSwSub is 7.4
LFX is 43 hz

Erin's conclusion in the written review was "All in all I enjoyed this speaker."
Erin's conclusion in the YT review was "Frankly I actually like this speaker"

IMO:
This speaker is very much like Arendal Sound's speakers.
Not the best preference score, but it does a lot of things right.
Plus, we know that Buchardt Audio's design philosophy is to make great measuring speakers.,
With that in mind, and Erin's overall liking this speaker, it qualifies to be on the list.

Changelog:
2023-12-04:
- Renamed "Philharmonic BMR Mini-Monitor (v2)" (which is what Erin called the speaker on his website) to "BMR Monitor" (which is what PhilharmonicAudio.com website currently says).
- Added Buchardt Audio S400 MKII (Erin)