The 14 Best Bookshelf Speakers (2025): Active, Passive, and Hi-Fi

Other good speakers we’ve tested

We tested a lot of speakers, and not all of them made it to the top list. Sound is subjective, so it’s worth considering a lot of models before diving in. Here are some more solid options.

Photography: Ryan Wanyata

Fluence Ri71: The Ri71 is a great-sounding, affordable pair of active speakers with a few operational quirks. The versatile input selection includes HDMI ARC for connecting to your TV, but unlike all the other pairs I tested, the TV remote only controls volume, not power, and the speakers maintain independent volume levels. This means you don’t get the smooth TV experience that makes soundbars and other ARC-enabled speakers great alternatives to soundbars. Otherwise, its clear, warm, and balanced sound for everything from Bluetooth and vinyl streams to sitcoms and movies makes it worth considering at its $400 launch price.

Bowers and Wilkins 606 S3 passive speakers: These midrange speakers are nicely designed and musically great for their price. The only real issue I raised in my review is that the upper midrange/treble is sometimes a bit too sharp for my taste, especially with TV content. Other than that, it’s a great ride that oozes quality.

Uturn Ethos Powered Speakers: Designed to be compatible with your Uturn turntable, Uturn’s Ethos speakers were designed to fit nicely with my Orbit Theory reference model (9/10, WIRED recommends). They’re beautifully crafted and offer powerful A/B amplification to keep your vinyl in the analog world humming quietly without getting in the way. The downside is its lack of inputs or features, including no EQ, so you’d better love what you hear from the get-go.

Yamaha NS-600A Passive Speakers: Yamaha’s exquisitely designed NS-600A (8/10, WIRED recommends) will reveal details, textures, and dare I say, emotions you never noticed in your favorite music and movies. Like the B&W 606 S3, its treble is sometimes too much for my taste. I’d be fine with that at half the price, but at $3k (or more) per pair, I want the perfect sonic match. If you like a more discreet cut to your favorite tones, this pair might be for you.

Get power with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe today.