STEREO SPEAKERS
Our pick of the best stand-mounted and floorstanding speakers from £250-£750
Of all the elements in your sound system, it’s the speakers that often take the credit for good-quality sound. Much like the last-leg runner in a winning relay-race team, what they can achieve depends very much on their partners – every speaker is only as good as the signal it receives from the source and amp – yet it’s the speakers that deliver the goods and get the glory.
But give them their due; they represent the crucial final stage of an important journey and their role is make or break. If your amplifier is the heart of your system (see p52) then your speakers are its soul; the sonic alchemists that transform the base-metal of electrical information into the gold of audible soundwaves, bringing to life the music that nourishes your own soul.
So, to help you find the speakers that are right for you, we’ve rounded up our favourite pairs around the £500 sweet spot, taking in the cream of the crop between £250 and £750 in a collection that includes seven standmounters and four floorstanders. If you’re not sure which type is best for you, the basic rule of thumb is that standmounters will more readily suit smaller rooms while floorstanders are for listening in more voluminous spaces. But that’s not hard and fast; some floorstanders, such as the Dali Oberon 5, can be well suited to a smaller room because they don’t mind being placed close to a rear wall.
We’re loathe to state the obvious, but remember too that standmounters need a stand, and that will add to your costs.
Recent technical advances in speaker manufacturing mean that products in this price bracket have never been so good. They now benefit readily from the trickle-down effect as makers can more cost-effectively include technology from their more expensive ranges, bringing you better quality sound for your buck.
All that means your budget will go further than ever but, once you’ve decided which cabinets will work best for you, don’t cut corners by skimping on cables – cheap speaker cabling can spoil the whole package by compromising that critical final link in your system’s chain.