Elac b5.2 amzn.to/3RUALyE JBL Stage A130 amzn.to/3E31Fi6 Micca RB42 amzn.to/3HXLx2B Monkey Speakers amzn.to/3XreHwO Polk TSI200 amzn.to/3YtUeJ9 Neumi BS5 amzn.to/3K5XpSS Jamo S Series amzn.to/3YsTdRA Elac Unifi amzn.to/3YQpRfL Support the Channel by Shopping on Amazon amzn.to/3W8vsgK Cheap Audio Man Store Front shop.howl.me/cam Join the best hifi community out there! patreon.com/cheapaudioman TRY ROON roonlabs.com/r/RTmYWdCP9kitqouBa5pcIw Tidal Deal bit.ly/3siuqSF Amazon Unlimited Music Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9 Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt Best Buy Deals shop-links.co/cf9yDZeYtUH amzn.to/3GkNaop CAM Store (New Products!) bit.ly/30Lgu4K apos.audio?sca_ref=552340.TY98BPcZ6P massdrop.7eer.net/qnOye5
@@jonpatrick66 ugh. I’m sorry, brother. When they do that make sure to report them. There should be an option when you click the 3 dots next to the comment. I’ll get in and clean them out again. Thanks for the heads up!
@@cheapaudioman thank you Randy. Nice of you to reply back. I appreciate it. And that was very personal and thoughtful of you to let us all here know of your medical scare, and the stress it caused, and to care enough about others to impress upon us to get checked out. Thanks for all you do and cheers to your success!
No Fluance or Mission made your lists again? Try the Mission Lx2 & 3, and tell me what's your thoughts are? I even think the Monitor audio bronze series on sale should be a consideration.
I listened to some of your videos, and I can't thank you enough. I had mixed feelings about my secondary soud system in my dining room, a cheap integrated Yamaha system with crappy speakers. I didn't know how to solve my problem within a reasonable budget. I went with Polk Signature ES 10 and wow! Money well spent!
I love the Micca RB42s so much I bought a center channel model also. I have other speakers, but these little buggers amazed me. They go on sale and are worth every dime.
There is a super low profile, underrated, new kid on the block (founded in 2018ish) South African Speaker builder called Bentley Acoustics. I went in for a demo of the Jamo C93ii's based on this video's recommendation and had to reconsider when I heard their mid range Bookshelf called the RB2. They don't have a store in the US (yet), but i think they would retail for below $300. I met with the founder (Mr. Bentley) and recommended that he send a pair to you Randy, please keep an eye out for comms! Would be great to see what you think of the unit. I ended up buying their mid range tower (RF2). Super value orientated.
Love the beginning of this video 😂. Thanks for the laugh. I have a question though. You’ve given mixed signals on the Elac B6.2… I can’t tell if you like them or hate them lol but I just got them for a small room home theater mains with a sub. I can still return them so I wanted to know what you thought about using them for that?
@@valterbaessa the Polk XT20 could be an alternative to some of the speakers mentioned in the video. It's a very good speaker, however it has lots of bass and is also quite bright. Not exactly U shaped tho. Available in the EU thru Amazon. Very good value for money.
In the UE I really like the Dali Spektor 2, usually between 250-300€ (I paid 240), sounds very clean and detailed with a nice soundstage. It lacks deep bass and the percussion lacks a bit of punch, but overall it sounds great, specially for its size and price. One thing, if you like fast and furious heavy metal, with constant aggressive drumming and all sound packed a bit too much look elsewhere, it's its weakest point (and I say this as someone who loves the style), but for less than 300€ you're not going to find a speaker that sounds great in jazz and blues AND power metal.
@@shiva_MMIV I have the Jamo:S 807 HCS Home Cinema System ordered and this morning it came in. I am not an audiophile but I like to watch movies and of course listen to music sometimes it sounds good for the money €485.
Great review. I went with the Micca MB42X Advanced Bookshelf Speakers, $89 and superlative. Coupled with my Monoprice sub, match made in heaven. Insane deal.
I have the Elac Unifi (Bonus speaker) pair run by an old NAD 3140. That amp probably has ~ 75 W/channel, that is plenty for that pair in a small room. Also the KEF Q150 is probably going to stay at that price; KEF is replacing the entire Q series with the Meta versions, at a much higher price of course. Great compilation!
Grabbed the Jamo C912 subwoofer off of Woot for $150. A week or two later Woot had the C93II for $225 a pair! $375 for a (in my opinion) fantastic 2.1 system. I too am keeping this set no matter what. I like them that much. It sounds great for music but IMO really really shines in a home theater setup. SO I'm now debating just buying the center and surrounds and making it a matching 5.1 setup and I never in a million years would have thought I would be debating this when I first purchased that sub. If not- the idea of moving the C93IIs to use as back surrounds and buying something else as mains but I really don't feel I'll be adding much vs the price point. The 2.1 set seems to be balanced perfectly so I'm guessing the system will sound better as a complete unit.
I have the original Polk S15s powered by a Loxjie A30. I love it. I have the Polk Sig Series in a 5.1 HT setup and I think they perform fantastic for the price point.
The elac Uni fi were my first Real speaker, they are just amazing and they are the reason I Fell in love with audio. I am sometimes a bit sad that I Sold them but I wanted to try something different. I will never forget them though.
I have a pair of jamo 801s hooked up to an arylic50 in my small family room. It passes the wife acceptance factor and it sounds really really good. The convenience is a big factor.
Great video. I was wondering why you didn't include the Dali Spektor 2 which I got here in the UK last November for £126 ($154) until I looked up how much they charge for them on your side of the pond, and then I understood why. At present, you can get them for £180 ($220) which is less than half the USA price.
Yeah Dali are very expensive in the US - I read somewhere recently (when trying to look up reviews of my Opticon 2 MkII) that they were stepping up their American presence in some way, hopefully that will affect prices positively, but who knows.
I would add Paradigm SM Atom speakers and PSB's Alpha series to anyone shopping in this price range as well. Certainly worth considering. That new Neumi speaker looks great.
Do you have a smaller amp that you'd recommend for the Kef Q150s for desktop use? I actually have these as the rear surround for our home theater setup and like them though they don't do a whole lot (I absolutely love the Q750s we have for the front LR LR though).
I just ordered the Fluance Signature bookshelf speaker. Currently on sale for $160. I’m a bit surprised they didn’t make this list. I know you’ve liked them in past videos. Love the channel BTW 👍
The Fluance is another example of the Neumi BS5 phenomenon, where Randy comes out whole-heartedly endorsing a speaker and then it all but completely drops off his radar afterward. He brought the BS5 back for this one -- apparently mostly to dismiss it as "small" about fifty times -- but before today there was scant mention of it, either, since the review in which he liked it so much that you could argue it had bested his beloved Sony's. Not really sure what the point of this reply is, except to say that the Fluance isn't the only speaker to have come in for this treatment.
@@codychavarria6088 In Randy's individual reviews of them he liked the Neumi's and the Fluances a lot better than he makes it sound in this review -- where the Neumi's get called small about seven times, even though they aren't, and the Fluances don't get mentioned at all.
got my elac Uni-fi UB5s for $270 mid-'22 from Amazon and have been pretty impressed after pairing with my emotiva TA1. any suggestion for future upgrade path? thanks for the great vids!
Before I give you your deserved credit, let me just give you a little bit of background. My primary speakers are clipped heresy and Rogers LS seven. I also have some Magnepan LRS is that I have dearly love for more classical or jazz music. I power them with a Hagel H190. Based on your recommendation I caught a really good sale on the ELA 2.0 B5.2 bookshelf speakers. I just hooked these suckers up and except for the magna pan, coupled with my Motiva 12 inch subwoofer, they are ridiculous. Keep doing what you’re doing. By the way, I also subscribe to your watch channel and I’ve got a Rolex Explorer, 39 mm on my RS with an FMK rubber strap because it’s been a little oddly warm in East Tennessee. Even if it is the Appalachian mountains. Thank you, Randy.
@@stpierreorama Yes I did. I compared them to 4 other sets speakers. From Klipsch to 2 different sets of Polk Audio to JBL. and to be honest the bigger rear ported Polk audio speakers sounded as good or maybe slightly better but there were twice as much. I love my Fluance speakers so much I bought 2 pairs.
I also loved the Fluance sound and saved $100s for further audio purchases! Another band for the buck company that I don't recall the CAM has covered is Mission audio in the Lx series...fantastic sound!
is there a reason why the paradigm atom se is never up into youre lists? regarding the review youve done on this speaker i thought it would have took a higher place into youre heart. i own a pair my self and i like em a lot! just wondering
I paired an Aiyima T9 with a pair of Elac 5.2s on your advice and my research. Have to say more enjoyment per dollar than anything other than a motorcycle. Thank you.
Pioneer SP-BS22-LR Andrew Jones - What do you think of these? How might I increase the chances I get a good used speaker? $125 for the AJ 22s. I enjoy your channel...thanks!
Just got the Powered Micca pb42 s. They sound decent but I was able to find a pair of Klipsch R50 M speakers for about $180 to hook up to my record player. Just wondering on your thoughts on that specific Klipsch model.
Randy! Thanks for mentioning my KEF Q150s. Bought them a couple of months ago in Walnut for $300. They are powered by a Marantz SR6015 in my game room and part of a 3.1.4 surround set up. KEF in-walls make up the rest. A white SVS SB2000 powers the low end. The game room mini-theater is my 3rd home theater in the house and it sounds AMAZING. KEF rules!
Could you maybe review the JBL LSR 305p.They seem to sound amazing, extremely neutral and have a very similar waveguide to one of their top of the line speakers.
Wondering if you still consider the Fluance Signature a good buy at around 200USD? I don’t see recent recommandation for that one although you seemed to like it a couple years ago
@@ScottoGrotto If you have a sub to go with it the B1+ no doubt but if you need more bass the B5.2 are the way to go. I have the unifi on my suround system and tried music on them. Even went to my 10k amp and 8 k dac and still no luck they were lifeless and borring imo. Strange since they were the most expensive of the 3 to purchase!
@@bluev2srtthank you! That’s very helpful! This is for my garage stereo :) My very OG paradigm atoms sound like a woofer cone is going out.. Sounds like you have a remarkable system! I have have an all triangle 5.0 surround with various analysis plus hollow oval speaker cables which help keep things lively and transparent. Oval 9 to towers, oval 12 to center, and oval 16 to back surrounds - which helped a lot with lively frequency response.
I've watched as many of these as I could to hear which bookshelf's in the under 300 and under 500 are the best mid range and warm. I may be missing the recommendation but I seem to only hear which ones are lacking mids or are crystal clear/ non-warm. Can someone point me to a few reviews of his that may help?
Elac b5.2 have been around 200€ for a while now here in Germany. Got my b6.2s for the same price a month ago. At that price, I'm more than happy with them. I also like their bass, it's not overblown like people seem to like. But as I prefer a more linear, neutral sound, the b6.2s are great. I never felt a lack of bass as long as the record isn't overly thin. I now got a pair of Debut Reference for 349€. I haven't unboxed them yet but at that price they should be hard to beat. My next goal is finding a pair of black Unify Reference under 600€. The white ones were available for that price but I couldn't stand the color. I hope I won't regret not buying them in the future.
Dude, you are on 🔥!!! Just scored a pair of Sony SSCS5's for $68 on Amazon (like new, still in original packaging that appears to never have been opened). Right now as of Feb 13th @12:17pm central, Amazon still has a pair available Like New for $68. Sound awesome especially for the price paid. Definitely 10/10 !!! Thanks Randy, you the man !!!
$72.40 with tax. What a deal! It said they might not be in the original box, but they are in good condition. These will probably be used in the garage, so I don’t even mind if they have a few scratches on them for such a cheap price.
They've been adding warehouse listings every few days recently. They sell within a few hours though. Sometimes they show up in the middle of the night and other times around midday.
Elac Uni5? I just bought them for $200 as an upgrade for my home office bookshelf Dayton b652 airs. I am keeping the Daytons and giving the Elacs to my kid. I have a sealed sub for the Daytons but there no fixing the boring Elac soft dome tweeter. The Daytons with a good sealed sub are closer to my main system which have B&W 802s! Boom
What’s the best for home theater? Anyone have experience with the Sony vs Neumi? Would love something that works well sound staging at lower and high volumes.
Great video as usual. Question thoug, can you do the same test but now with front ported speakers ? I have a rather small room and speakers pretty much have to be close to the wall. Greetings from the Netherlands !
OH I know what ya mean Randy. Our hog farm had around 600 hogs when I was growing up. We'd castrate about 150 piglets every week. Not sure why I have arthritis at the age of 36....🤔Still love the JBL Stage A130.
Observation. You raved about the Dali Spektor 1, which sit at $299 on Amazon. Yet they didn't make the list. Are they good but not bargain good? Not 8/10 good? I considered them for a moment before seeing an Amazon Warehouse deal on the SCSS5s for $66 - which I see some people were able to get again.
Fun vid, thanks. Only feedback is that you did not actually rank the speakers per title, how bout a forced ranking? Pulled the trigger on a NIB pair of Q150s today for $230, if I understand your system that should be 12 out of 10, right? Can’t wait to hear them.
hi, just input, I think its better if the picture/illustration keep being displayed alongside your face, not just your face, so the "idea" got cemented well within viewers mind.
I kinda wish these scores were given price agnostic. In this way, we can tell where you personally rank the speakers, flat out, without pricing considerations. And then we (the viewers) can decide what we actually want based on current pricing, taking your overall score into account.
i would say that i got a B&W DM601-S1 for 200euro, it was ok until i discovered that one of the box were expanding and it was filled with unknown source glue, i took it apart, i have cut down and filed the expanded joints, glued it together with woodglue pressed it with some weights, and its now looks good and sounds good, i checked upon on ebay how does this speaker sell, and i saved about a 150-200euro on it, since ppl selling it for 300-500euro a pair. I would say that i spent 10euro on woodglue and other little accessories.
A super tweeter ? Who wants a super tweeter , I don’t want a super tweeter 😊 Also , you need to talk about crossovers. For some of us , it’s very important. P.S. , you can’t find the JBL a130’s , and that’s a real shame !
I really enjoy my Cambridge SX-50s. If I recall correctly you weren't the biggest fan of the SX-60s, their bigger front ported brother. I think you should consider giving the SX-50s a try, though I believe they are a pretty old model now. Anyhow, another great video!
A friend ( and EV speaker fan ) was introduced to farm life when his stepfather had him hold a piglet by the hind legs. He had no idea what was happening, ... until the blood sprayed on him.
My grandpa used to castrate either the piglets or goats with his teeth, he had to stop when he got dentures and we used to joke about seeing a goat or piggy running around with the teeth clamped on its nuts..LOL!
I got the Sony SSCS5 for 65 bucks on Amazon for a Used-Like New pair. Well I got lucky. They turned out to be New-Open Box. They have been awesome. So much clarity. I have them for my desktop setup and they have been great. As for home theater, they are good but I would definitely use them for surrounds and get the tower versions for fronts.
I'm super happy with my Sony SSCS5s based on your recommendation, but am tempted by the Fluance Sig bookshelves. I'm surprised that you haven't mentioned them since your review a while ago. Why have they dropped off your radar @cheapaudioman, especially since they were almost perfect in your review? BTW, love the channel!
There are no Emotiva b1+ for 300 bucks unfortunately... There is a pair for 1400 on EBay however. I can not find a single pair for a decent price. And what about Triangle br02???
My old Adcom GFA-535, 60 W/ch into 8 ohms and 100 W/ch into 4 ohms, would be up to driving the Elac's and Micca's; they sell used for $150-200. Even -555's sell used for $500-600 used and that's 200 W/ch into 8 ohms, 300 W/ch into 4 ohms. They have an updated new version for $1700 but it faces fierce competition at that price point.
I would like to see a full line of items to improve these mini amps like op amp chips, power supplies, capacitirs , etc. I think the upgradeable Ness of the Amos is really fun. Thanks
If the KEF Q150 is good at 300 then i have to think me getting the Q350 for 300 was a GREAT deal! I have those paired with a SVS SB1000 and have never been happier
Great speaker and price. But i know for low price they always sell their cheapest cherry version, because no one wants this color and they have it on stock on their shelves
Yep, I wudda bought another pair had they been in black ash. Instead I bought an Elac Sub 1010. My 14’ x 14’ listening room with my Klipsch paired with the Elac sub sounds marvelous!
Question? Hi, I am thinking about hooking up a external DAC for my DeskTop Computer and I don't know where to start? Can you recommend a DAC with HDMI in and type B USB out? Thanks Randy, really appreciate the help in choosing the right DAC.
Theres not a lot of DACs with HDMI, thats more often seen on AV receivers. If your desktop has a optical output (often called spdif), a lot of DACs have that. If you have a spare USB port a lot of dacs also connect with USB. What are you planning on using the USB out for? I've personally not seen that on dacs either but I'm not the most knowledgeable on that part to be fair.
@@danielh12345 I feel that my Desktop computers DAC is not as good as an external DAC, therefore I just wanted to know if there was such a thing as an HDMI to Analog DAC. My computer is 10 years old, still operates great, but does not come with a Spdif/optical output so I have two options, use HDMI output or USB - B output?
Have to decide whether you want separates or all in one solution for a desktop computer system. I went for all in 1 with the Aiyima D03 and am very happy. Randy has many videos on Aiyima products. For my desktop and chillout room, the remote was a requirement. And yes, the Aiyima built in DAC is much better than my Asus computer DAC.
@@rickpiasecki9744 my computer is right beside my Hi-Fi system/HT system and I just have an HDMI cable running from my computer to my HiFi system/HT amplifier (both). Basically I have Daisy chained my computer to my systems. I will be using a USB to USB-B cable instead of using the HDMI when I eventually get a new DAC. Thanks 👍.
Have you listened to the Swan OS-10 by any chance? They would fall under this price range, and am curious how they would stack up against the competition!
