SPEAKERS ROUND-UP Ten pairs, from floorstanders to desktops. If your budget is under £500, this is the place to look

Ten pairs of superlative speakers, but which gets your vote?

You can’t get anywhere without a pair of speakers. The goalposts may have shifted when it comes to what constitutes a hi-fi system, and the kit required in order to hear top-quality two-channel audio, but no matter how you choose to do it, you’ll always need a pair of speakers in your system.

You may opt for a streamer instead of a CD player, or to use a one-box streamer and amp instead of two separate boxes, but you’ll still need a pair of speakers at the end of the chain. And, in many ways, your speakers are the most important part of the chain.

The quality of your music (the file itself, not whether you listen to Cliff Richard or not), amplification and source all play a crucial part, but there’s a fair argument – and it often does turn into an actual argument – that the speakers will do most to influence the overall character of your system’s sound.

Just as crucially, if you’re wondering whether it’s worth having a proper stereo system over a one-box set-up, this is the place to start. As much as we love many of the one-box systems and speakers on the market, they’re no match for a proper pair of speakers. And that's just what we have here. Not one but 10 pairs of excellent speakers, all available for under £500, and all enticing in their own way.

Whether you want a pair of floorstanders for serious volume, bookshelf speakers for better low-level dynamics or wireless desktop units for the ultimate office system, there's something here for you. And with prices here from just £160, no matter where you place your hi-fi goalposts, these speakers all hit the back of the net.