Speakers are one of the best tech investments you can make, since they age so well and speaker technology changes so little. If you’re going to spend an extra buck on your home theater, spend it on the speakers—you won’t regret it.
Go With What Sounds Good—Not What Costs the Most
Few hobbies invite more argument about what is “best” that sound. Audiophiles will argue until the cows come home about which format has the highest audio quality, whether “audiophile-grade” speaker cables matter (they don’t), and which type of tweeter is best for any given application.
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Who likes the pop, hiss, and crackle?
However, that all misses the point: you’re supposed to be enjoying your hobby, not stressing about optimizing the soul out of it.
Emotiva Makes Some of the Best Speakers
If you’re looking for speakers that offer the best bang-for-your-buck, you can’t do much better than Emotiva, at any price point.
Emotiva offers everything from small bookshelf speakers—which are great for a desk, a small room, or a TV setup with a subwoofer—to massive tower speakers that will make your windows shake with the right amplifier.
Currently, the XB1 bookshelf speakers—which feature a 4 woofer and an Airmotiv ribbon tweeter—are discounted 27% to 325 dollars per pair.
- Brand
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Emotiva
- Power
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60W Nominal/120W Max
With a 4 inch woofer and an Airmotiv ribbon tweeter, the XB1 delivers detailed sound that is as well suited to classical music as it is the latest TV show you’ve been binging.
They’re best paired with a subwoofer to reach the deepest notes.
When paired with a subwoofer, they can form a strong backbone for any music-listening or home theater audio setup.
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Don’t skimp on sound.
Their mid-range tower speakers, the XT2, which pack three 6-inch woofers, a 5.25 mid-range driver, and an airmotiv ribbon tweeter, are discounted about 25% to 1130 dollars for a pair.
The 6-inch drivers allow the tower speakers to deliver bass all the way down to 40Hz, which means you may not even need a subwoofer for most listening.
There are also two different center channels on sale for about 25% each.
The deals are good through the end of July 15th.
I’ve had Emotiva’s T2+ tower speakers (the predecessor to the XT2) for a few years now. There aren’t too many products I can recommend at that price point without reservation, but they’re on the short list.
Though I don’t own a pair, their bookshelf speakers are similarly fantastic, and you’d be hard pressed to buy or make a better speaker at 325 dollars.
If you’re looking to get started building a home theater setup, or if you just want a pair of speakers to listen to music with, you can’t go wrong with Emotiva.
