Best Bookshelf Speakers Under $500

Audio quality is the main feature that you should look at before considering to buy a speaker. Features such as portability may be a good thing, but with a bookshelf speaker you should look at the drivers, frequency range, built-in EQ, and connectivity before all else.

The drivers should be the main focus as they produce the sound. Normally the woofer and tweeters are separate so that they can simultaneously produce better sounding audio. The woofer takes care of all the lower frequency ranges (bass), while the tweeters deliver amazing highs and mids (Treble).

A bookshelf speaker with its own customizable EQ is excellent, because this means you can increase the bass or treble depending on the type of music you like. However, don’t worry if this option is not available, because most stereos or TV sets allow you to customize the audio on their interfaces.

Buying from an already established brand is a great way to know the bookshelf speaker you are going to purchase is premium quality. That’s because brands have a reputation that they have to hold and if they sell products that are defective then they will lose business fast. Furthermore, buying from a reputable brand usually included a decent warranty deal, which means you won’t have to keep buying new products every time they wear out or break.

However, bigger brands usually have higher prices and you can almost get the same quality at a lower price by going with a smaller brand. When buying from a brand that you know nothing about make sure that you’re able to do some background research.

Purchasing practical convenient bookshelf speakers is a huge advantage as you won’t have to spend a lot of time setting up the device to get the audio going. Make sure to check if the bookshelf speakers come with their own cable as this will make it easier to setup because you won’t have to search for wires separately. However, if you are looking to make a home theatre system then you may need to buy longer cables, since the included wires may not be long enough to create surround sound.

Also, the convenience of a speaker is extremely important, so a remote control is a good idea. With a remote control you can use the bookshelf speakers at a distance, therefore saving you a trip to the stereo every time you want to adjust the music. A remote control has many features such as the ability to change volume, adjust the bass or treble, mute the speakers when needed, and turn off the stereo.

In addition, some speakers have the option to mount them on the wall, which can save essential space for other items. Make sure to check out the specification of the bookshelf speaker to see if it is mountable. A keyhole mount should be visible on the back, but if the speaker is too heavy then it will have other ways of mounting.

There are many ways you can connect to your bookshelf speaker, but not all of them offer the same options. Before making the purchase consider how you would like to use the speaker, whether that’s with a stereo or PC. Here are some options that may interest you:

• Stereo: if you’re looking just to play music then connecting to a stereo is a great option as they normally have remote controls and built-in EQs. Also, you can use disks, SD cards, and Bluetooth to connect to your stereo, thus giving you the option to play music from pretty much any device.
• PC: connecting to a PC is another great option, because monitors usually don’t have such great speakers. This means you can’t listen to vibrant beats or watch movies with a sense of immersion. However, with bookshelf speakers this changes the experience completely.
• TV set: bookshelf speakers are great for TV sets, because you can create a home theatre without having to invest too much. Also, you can create surround sound by placing speakers all around the room. However, make sure you have enough cable as in most cases the wires are too short to go across the room.
• Bluetooth: some bookshelf speakers actually give you the option to connect via Bluetooth, but this is a rare feature in most cases. The advantage of this is that you don’t need a stereo, TV, or PC to connect to.