Best Audiophile Speakers of 2024
In the ever-evolving world of audio technology, audiophile speakers continue to captivate enthusiasts with their unparalleled sound quality and immersive experiences. We have tested over 70 of the best Hifi speakers in every style and have compiled a list of our favorites.
The market is flooded with cutting-edge speakers catering to music lovers, cinephiles, and gaming enthusiasts' discerning tastes. This article aims to list, explore, and review the 12 best audiophile speakers of 2024, highlighting their unique features, performance, and value for money.
1. Klipsch Heresy IV
The Klipsch Heresy IV is a part of Klipsch's Heritage series, known for its handcrafted quality and classic design. As a compact, three-way floor-standing speaker, it's the smallest in the series but still delivers a powerful and dynamic sound.
The Heresy IV features a 1-inch tweeter, a 1.75-inch midrange, and a 12-inch woofer. This setup allows the speaker to deliver a wide frequency range with detailed highs, clear mids, and powerful bass. The speaker's sound is characterized by its efficiency and dynamic range, making it suitable for various music genres and room sizes.
One of the Heresy IV's standout features is its tractrix horn technology, which enhances the performance of the tweeter and midrange, providing a wide soundstage with precise imaging.
The speaker's cabinet is made of high-quality wood and is available in several finishes, adding to its vintage appeal. The design is aesthetically pleasing and functional, with the slanted riser base helping project sound towards the listener.
In summary, the Klipsch Heresy IV offers a classic design and high-quality sound that appeals to both audiophiles and lovers of vintage aesthetics. Here, you can read our full review of the Klipsch Heresy.
Update 2024: I have purchased the Heresy and used them as my main speaker when not testing for the website. The presentation was a stark departure from my usual electrostatic speakers, but the Heresy tends to fill the room better and is more versatile with both source devices and musical genres.
2. KEF LS50 Meta
Originally, I had this spot reserved for the KEF LS50 Wireless, but given that I purchased a set of the LS50 Meta for use as my primary speaker in my second home, I had to include it. I had a lot of great options to choose from at this price point, but the combination of the sound and the aesthetic is what won me over.
Yes, believe it or not, aesthetics is a big part of the decision-making process. The speakers take a prominent place in my apartments, considering I don’t have a television to be the focal point of my living room. With the KEF, they just look so damn good (I have them in the limited edition royal blue colorway shown above), yet they back it up with some serious sound quality.
Everything sounds crisp, clean, and balanced when driven by a high-quality source; there is depth and soundstage in abundance. I’m perfectly happy using them in a stereo setup for now, but I may consider adding an additional subwoofer at a later date to round off the sound profile.
There's nothing quite as charming on the market right now, and if you want a modern, clean look, then these or something from Bang & Olufsen are your best bet.
The Meta also makes it to my list of the best studio monitors (although I advise you to have space in that room the do still work in a near field scenario).
3. Klipsch Heritage Series Forte IV
The Klipsch Heritage Series Forte IV is a floor-standing speaker that combines vintage aesthetics with modern acoustic technology. It's part of Klipsch's Heritage Series, known for its handcrafted, made-in-the-USA quality.
The Forte IV features a three-way design with a large 12-inch woofer, a midrange horn, and a tweeter horn. This setup allows the speaker to deliver a wide frequency range with powerful bass, clear mids, and detailed highs. The speaker also includes a passive radiator at the back to enhance the low-frequency response.
The speaker's cabinet is made of high-quality wood and is available in several finishes, adding to its vintage appeal. The build quality is excellent, with attention to detail that ensures durability and longevity.
In terms of sound, the Forte IV is known for its efficiency and dynamic range. It can deliver high volumes without distortion (but requires a high quality preamp for best results), making it suitable for large rooms. The sound is characterized by its warmth and richness, with a wide soundstage that provides an immersive listening experience.
Overall, the Klipsch Heritage Series Forte IV offers a classic design and high-quality sound that appeals to both audiophiles and lovers of vintage aesthetics.
4. ELAC Navis ARB-51
The ELAC Navis ARB-51 is a premium bookshelf speaker with exceptional sound quality. It's an active speaker with built-in amplification, eliminating the need for an external amplifier. Each driver in the speaker has its dedicated amplifier, ensuring optimal performance.
The ARB-51 features a three-way design with a high-frequency tweeter, a midrange driver, and a bass woofer. This configuration allows the speaker to deliver a wide frequency range with detailed highs, clear mids, and powerful lows. The speaker's sound is characterized by its accuracy and neutrality, making it an excellent choice for audiophiles who value a faithful reproduction of the original recording.
The speaker's cabinet is well-built and designed to minimize vibrations and resonance, enhancing sound quality. The ARB-51 supports wired and wireless connections, including Bluetooth, for easy streaming from various devices.
Despite its compact size, it delivers a sound that can fill a room if paired correctly with its speaker impedance rating, making it a versatile choice for different listening environments. Its excellent sound quality, convenient features, and compact design make it a standout choice.
5. Bowers & Wilkins 800 D4
The Bowers & Wilkins 800 D4 is a flagship floor-standing speaker that showcases the brand's commitment to superior sound quality and innovative design. It's part of the iconic 800 Series Diamond range, known for its use in professional recording studios.
The 800 D4 features a three-way design with a diamond dome tweeter, a Continuum cone midrange, and Aerofoil Profile bass cones. This setup allows the speaker to deliver a wide frequency range with detailed highs, clear mids, and deep, powerful bass. The speaker's sound is characterized by its accuracy and neutrality, making it a great choice for audiophiles who value a faithful reproduction of the original recording.
The speaker's cabinet is well-built and features a modern design with a high-quality finish. The unique "turbine head" design of the midrange enclosure and the solid body tweeter-on-top design not only look striking but also help to enhance sound quality by reducing resonance and diffraction.
This high-end speaker combines superior sound quality with a high-quality solid state or tube amp, innovative design, and solid build, offering a premium listening experience for discerning audiophiles.
6. Dynaudio Special Forty
The Dynaudio Special Forty is a bookshelf speaker celebrating Dynaudio's 40th anniversary. It combines the brand's decades of expertise with modern technology to deliver a high-quality listening experience.
The Special Forty features a two-way design with a 1.1-inch tweeter and a 6.7-inch woofer. Dynaudio's proprietary Esotar Forty tweeter is the standout feature, designed for improved airflow and reduced resonance. The woofer uses a particular type of magnesium silicate polymer for the cone material, which provides a good balance of rigidity and damping.
The speaker's sound is characterized by its detailed highs, clear mids, and powerful bass. It delivers a wide soundstage and precise imaging, providing an immersive listening experience.
The Special Forty's cabinet is well-built and features a modern design with a high-quality finish. It's available in several unique veneers, adding to its aesthetic appeal. The design is both functional and visually pleasing, with the rear port helping to enhance the bass response.
The Dynaudio Special Forty is a high-performance bookshelf speaker with excellent sound quality and innovative design, making it a great choice for music lovers and audiophiles.
7. Focal Utopia III Evo
The Focal Utopia III Evo is a high-end floor-standing speaker that represents the pinnacle of Focal's acoustic engineering. It's part of the Utopia series, known for its innovative technology and superior sound quality.
The Utopia III Evo features a three-way design with a beryllium tweeter, a midrange driver, and multiple woofers. This setup allows the speaker to deliver a wide frequency range with detailed highs, clear mids, and deep, powerful bass. The speaker's sound is characterized by its accuracy and neutrality, making it a great choice for audiophiles who value a faithful reproduction of the original recording. It requires high-quality components in the Hifi chain and the use of the best high-resolution music formats possible because it is highly revealing and transparent.
The speaker's cabinet is well-built and features a modern design with a high-quality finish. The unique "Focus Time" design, where the drivers are aligned to direct sound at the listener, not only looks striking but also helps to enhance sound quality by improving imaging and soundstage.
The Focal Utopia III Evo is a high-end speaker that combines superior sound quality, innovative design, and solid build, offering a premium listening experience for discerning audiophiles.
8. Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A9 is a high-end wireless speaker with a unique and stylish design. It has a circular shape that can be placed on a stand or mounted on the wall, and it comes in various colors and finishes to match different interior styles.
In terms of sound quality, the Beoplay A9 is highly regarded. It delivers powerful and clear sound thanks to its combination of a dedicated woofer, midrange drivers, and tweeters. The speaker also features room adaptation technology, which adjusts the sound based on the speaker's placement, ensuring optimal performance.
The Beoplay A9 supports various connectivity options, including Bluetooth, AirPlay, and DLNA, allowing you to stream music from various devices. It also has built-in access to streaming services like Spotify and Deezer.
One of the unique features of the Beoplay A9 is its touch-sensitive interface. You can adjust the volume by sliding your hand across the speaker's top and pause or play music by tapping the speaker.
Despite its high price point, the Beoplay A9 is often praised for its combination of stunning design, excellent sound quality, and user-friendly features. Click here to read my full review of the Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90.
9. Sonus Faber Il Cremonese
The Sonus Faber Il Cremonese is a high-end floor-standing speaker that embodies the brand's commitment to superior craftsmanship and sound quality. Named after a famous Stradivarius violin, the Il Cremonese is a testament to Sonus Faber's Italian heritage and expertise in acoustics.
The speaker features a three-way design with multiple drivers, including a tweeter, midrange, and woofers, delivering a wide frequency range with detailed highs, clear mids, and deep, impactful bass. The drivers are housed in a unique cabinet design that minimizes resonance and enhances sound clarity.
The Il Cremonese is known for its warm, natural sound that accurately reproduces the nuances of the original recording. It offers a wide soundstage and excellent imaging, providing an immersive listening experience.
The speaker's cabinet is a work of art made from high-quality wood with a beautiful finish. The design is elegant and timeless, making the speaker an audio device and a decor piece.
This is a luxury speaker combining exceptional sound quality with exquisite design, offering a premium listening experience. The only real “must-do” is to pair well with one of our recommended pre-amplifiers to get the most out of them.
10. Revel Ultima Salon2
The Revel Ultima Salon2 is a top-tier floor-standing speaker known for its exceptional sound quality and elegant design. As part of Revel's flagship Ultima series, it represents the pinnacle of the brand's engineering and design capabilities.
The Salon2 features a four-way design with multiple drivers, including a tweeter, midrange, and woofers. This configuration allows the speaker to deliver a wide frequency range with detailed highs, clear mids, and deep, powerful bass. The speaker's sound is characterized by its accuracy and neutrality, making it an excellent choice for audiophiles who value a faithful reproduction of the original recording.
The speaker's cabinet is well-built and designed to minimize vibrations and resonance, enhancing sound quality. The Salon2 is also known for its wide soundstage and excellent imaging, providing an immersive listening experience.
In terms of aesthetics, the Salon2 features a sleek, modern design that fits well in any high-end audio setup. Despite its high price point, the Revel Ultima Salon2 is often praised for its combination of superior sound quality, elegant design, and solid build, making it a standout choice for serious audiophiles.
11. MartinLogan Neolith
The MartinLogan Neolith is a flagship electrostatic speaker representing the pinnacle of the brand's innovation in audio technology. It's a prominent, floor-standing speaker that combines a stat panel with a conventional cone woofer to deliver a wide frequency range.
The Neolith's standout feature is its sizeable electrostatic panel, reproducing mid and high frequencies with exceptional detail and clarity. The 15-inch rear-firing complements the board-ported woofer, and a 12-inch front-firing sealed mid-bass woofer delivers robust and accurate bass.
Make sure to read up on our list of the best preamplifiers for audiophile speakers because this is one speaker that can ruthlessly expose a weak link in the chain. The speaker's sound is characterized by its wide soundstage, precise imaging, and transparency, providing an immersive and lifelike listening experience. Despite its size, the Neolith can reproduce both delicate nuances and powerful dynamics of the audio.
The design of the Neolith is as impressive as its sound. It features a modern, sculptural aesthetic with solid build quality. The speaker is available in various finishes, allowing it to fit into different interior styles.
It is a high-end speaker that offers a sizeable step-up to the already great Electromotion ESL speaker. It combines electrostatic and dynamic technology uniquely, delivering exceptional sound quality for discerning audiophiles.
12. Magico M6
The Magico M6 is a high-end floor-standing speaker representing the brand's commitment to innovative design and superior sound quality. It's a part of Magico's M series, known for using advanced materials and technology.
The M6 features a three-way design with a 1-inch diamond-coated tweeter, a 6-inch midrange driver, and three 10.5-inch woofers. This configuration allows the speaker to deliver a wide frequency range with detailed highs, clear mids, and deep, powerful bass. The speaker's sound is characterized by its accuracy and neutrality, making it an excellent choice for audiophiles who value a faithful reproduction of the original recording.
The speaker's cabinet is made from carbon fiber and aluminum, materials chosen for their acoustic properties and strength. The unique, curved design of the cabinet not only looks striking but also helps to minimize resonance and enhance sound quality.
In terms of performance, the Magico M6 is known for its wide soundstage, precise imaging, and dynamic range. Despite its high price point, the M6 is often praised for its combination of innovative design, superior sound quality, and solid build.
Conclusion
Audiophile speakers have witnessed tremendous advancements in 2024, providing enthusiasts with choices catering to various preferences and budgets. From sleek soundbars to towering floor-standing speakers, each model listed above offers an unrivaled listening experience that elevates the enjoyment of music, movies, and gaming to new heights. Whether you prioritize design, technical excellence, or both, the 14 best audiophile speakers of 2024 are poised to revolutionize your audio experience and immerse you in the magic of high-fidelity sound.
