The best speakers for listening to music in your home (2024)

Since you're not opting for an outdoor speaker, you get the extra benefits of good acoustics, so sound quality is more of a priority than volume. Of course, a nice volume range never hurts either. With a few exceptions, you'll mostly want either desk or floor-standing speakers.

The best speakers for home music at a glance:

• Best bookshelf speaker: KEF Q350 bookshelf speakers - View on Amazon

• Best minimalist speaker: Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII - View on Amazon

• Best Marshall speaker: Marshall Stanmore III - View on Argos

There's plenty of detail that an audiophile can dive into. You may want to factor in the frequency range, or you may be specifically looking for a passive or active speaker. Don't worry if these terms seem unfamiliar: we'll go into more detail on them in the FAQ section.

We've taken a look at a lot of speakers here at What's The Best, so we're familiar with plenty of great designs. As such, we've gathered up some of our favourites to recommend to you. We've summarised our thoughts on them, as well as including their pros, cons, and ever-important specs.

The best speakers for home music:

All prices are correct at the time of writing. Prices, stock and deals are subject to change without notice.

What is frequency range?

A speaker's frequency range refers to the selection of sounds it can produce, or in other words, how varied its sound profile is. Most speakers are capable of around 40Hz to 20000Hz, and that's an excellent range. The lower the first number, the more deep and bassy sounds it can produce.

It's worth noting that some speakers boast a range that reaches up to 40000Hz. That may sound like a massive improvement, after all, it is double what we said most speakers go up to, but it's largely a gimmick. The reason most speakers cap up at around 20000Hz is that is roughly as high as the human ear can hear and distinguish, so unless you want sounds just for your dogs, it's not a crucial feature to have. However, it is worth noting that these speakers tend to manage the range around 20000Hz a little better, so it's not a useless feature and is still worth considering.

What are active and passive speakers?

Whether a speaker is considered active or passive depends on its amplifier situation. In brief, an active speaker has its own built-in amplifier, whereas a passive speaker requires an external one.

Active speakers are the obvious choice for a standalone setup, as you won't need to invest in an amplifier and find space for it as well. Most modern models are fairly powerful, so you're not missing out. However, active speakers tend to be a little more expensive than passive speakers.

On the other hand, passive speakers are ideal for those who already have a decent amplifier. While they do require more room, this should only be an issue if you're very limited in space. Passive speakers have a nice benefit in that they're easier to upgrade long-term. Since an active speaker's amplifier is built-in, it's not easily replaced, but a passive speaker can be improved by changing your amplifier.

Kyle Purves is a Commercial Content Writer for What’s The Best, with an avid interest in all things gaming and tech.

They’re well-versed in reviewing a variety of tech products, with a soft spot for speakers and earphones. They’re also no stranger to hunting down the best savings, always wanting to get the best deal possible. Outside of work, they can often be found playing through an RPG, listening to Japanese noise rock, or trying to catch up with their ever-expanding list of shows and anime to watch. If possible, they try to play Dungeons and Dragons a couple of times a week, but getting six adults to be free at the same time is easier said than done.

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