Table of contents
Introduction
2024 has been a great year for music listeners looking for mid-tier high-end floorstanding loudspeakers below $3,000.
Brands like Q Acoustics, SVS, JBL and KEF introduced a number of new models that definitely need to be on your radar.
Change is hard for some brands and there is always a bit of a risk when a company introduces a new range meant to satisfy the needs of the middle of the market; especially when said manufacturer has already established itself as a category leader below $1,000 and in the segment above $3,000.
Can they find that magic again in a segment of the market that often struggles to attract mainstream attention?
The mid-tier loudspeaker segment has become a rather crowed space with the aforementioned brands and DALI, PSB, ELAC, Focal, Bowers & Wilkins and Klipsch engaged in a Game of Thrones-esque fight to the finish.
One can build a very satisfying high-end system around any of these loudspeakers for the price of a rather expensive high-end power cord — which is the biggest waste of money around.
Methodology
Eligible products must be currently shipping whether or not they were released in the current year. At least one eCoustics staff member must nominate a product within the category that they feel offers best-in-class performance at its listed retail price before it can be voted on by our Editors.
Best Floorstanding Speakers Under $1,000
JBL Stage 260F
The JBL Stage 260F are the smaller of two floorstanding models in JBL’s new modern Stage 2 loudspeaker line-up for 2024, which excel in sound quality, design and versatility for hi-fi or home theater.
They feature dual 6-1/2 inch woofers and a 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter set in a specially designed HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide.
The Stage 260F are available in either black (espresso) with a hint of trademark JBL orange or white (latte) in light oak with light gray grilles for a more contemporary appeal.
With a 36″ x 12″ footprint, the 260F’s are not huge but their soundstage most definitely is. They deliver a slightly forward sound signature with a crisp top-end, dynamic midrange and well defined bass that doesn’t get bloated.
A well balanced speaker we think many will absolutely love. With a 90dB sensitivity rating they don’t require a lot of power and any of JBL’s matching MA Series A/V receiver lineup will get the 260F’s rocking. Even JBL’s middle-of-line MA710 AVR was particularly impressive in our listening sessions.
In the white (latte) finish, there’s no other amp and speaker combo that will look and sound as good for less.
Pros:
- Sleek modern design
- Very wide soundstage
- Don’t require expensive amplification
- Sounds good from many seating positions
- Timbre matched with other speakers in Stage 2 line for home theater
- Style and colors match JBL’s MA Series AVRs
- Two color options (espresso or latte)
Cons:
- Bass-heads may want to add a subwoofer
Where to buy: $999 $799/pair at Crutchfield | Amazon
Magnepan LRS+
There are a million opinions online about the topic but the simple truth is that you can drive a loudspeaker like the Magnepan LRS+ (Little Ribbon Speaker) with any amplifier that can double its output and is stable into a 4 ohm load. A/V receivers are not great choices in this scenario. Their actual power output into a 4 ohm load is rather iffy.
Emotiva, NAD (not the C 316BEE V2), Schiit Audio, Bryston, Audio Research, and Pass Labs all work well with Magnepan.
The LRS+ need a lot of space. A minimum of 3 feet from the wall behind them. You also need to angle the panels so that the tweeter potion of the panel are further from your ears than the woofer. I have my LRS+ turned so that the woofer panel is almost 2 inches closer to my listening position.
The LRS+ also benefit from either a heavy paving stone placed underneath the legs or a dedicated stand like the Magna Risers.
Don’t expect a lot of deep bass from the LRS+ – that’s not why you are buying it.
Pros: Transparency, detail, clarity, deep soundstage, very immediate presentation, superb value for the money
Cons: Limited bass, require high current amplification, wonky feet, need to be placed at least 3 feet from the wall behind them
Where to buy: $995/pair at Magnepan Dealers
Best Floorstanding Speakers Under $1,500
Q Acoustics 5040
Do you really get that much more from a performance perspective when you purchase the Q Acoustics 5040 loudspeakers for $1,499 over the 3050i which retail for $999 USD?
The new mid/bass drivers offer leaner, tighter, and better defined bass response with every genre of music. The 5040 sacrifices some impact compared to the 3050i but the detail and speed are far superior.
The overall tonal balance is more neutral than the 3000 series and that makes the loudspeaker somewhat of a chameleon depending on your choice of amplifier.
You can read my two-part review of the Q Acoustics 5040 here and here, but make no mistake — these were one of the most important releases because they made rather incredible sonic performance that much more accessible to those looking for a well made floor standing loudspeaker that is actually affordable.
Pros: Transparency, detail, clarity, very wide soundstage, very immediate presentation, superb value for the money
Cons: Very sensitive to system matching, need some space to really open up, and will make you try as many amplifiers as you can get your hands on
Where to buy: $1,499/pair at Amazon | Crutchfield
Best Floorstanding Speakers Under $2,000
Zu Audio Dirty Weekend 6
We love it when Sean Casey talks dirty.
The Dirty Weekend Six is a complete platform revamp over the discontinued Omen Dirty Weekend, only the size and famous good looks and tone remain. The Zu Audio DW6 is a healthy slice of the fidelity and precision of Union 6 drenched in the warm wet and full tones of Omen.
Did someone turn up the heat in here?
The speaker has been redesigned from the ground up to satisfy, with noticeably improved resolution, bass through treble, with deeper bass extension and smoother everywhere, keeping that easy going and always likable charm.
The Zu Audio Dirty Weekend Six is efficient, broad-bandwidth, with a smooth off-axis transition, serves up huge stereo, is rugged… a loudspeaker that responds to your music with agility, precise timing and rich tone.
That seems like a lot of promises and waking up alone in the early morning but we digress.
The Zu Audio Dirty Weekend Six taps the work done for their Series Six loudspeakers, completely leveraging the Union Six’s more functional and innovative cabinet and internal acoustic design which really improves the performance over the dead Omen Dirty Weekend.
For more about what is going on with the cabinet refer to the Zu Union 6, but know that in this design the slightly fiddly floor gap tuning is gone because they were able to put the exit interface out the back—and yet you can place DW6 as close as two inches from the wall behind it.
Implementation of this new cabinet complex dovetails rather well with their warm and rich sounding Zu260-ND 10” [26.2 cm] full-range driver in ways that impress even us.
The DW6 produces deeper bass, with more bass detail thanks to the new cabinet design. It has improved midrange clarity, due in large part to the new cabinet which reduces external and internal noise, and increases treble and overall transparency and transient resolution—to varying degrees depending on the upgrade package.
One of the biggest changes over its predecessor is that Zu has toned down the forward and vivid sounding presentation creating a loudspeaker that is more forgiving of poor recordings. The top end also feels somewhat softer and less revealing.
However, the DW 6 still sounds more exciting and punchy than anything else on this list.
Zu loudspeakers will energise your room like few others and there is an immediacy that we found incredibly appealing.
The DW 6 is also easier to set-up. The off-axis presentation is also smoother along with a much larger sounding stereo presentation.
The high sensitivity makes them rather easy to drive and they sound superb at lower listening levels.
One thing that did not change was above mentioned 260 full-range driver, with its less intense, undercut magnet system giving it that characteristic smooth yet expressive sound.
Another unchanged item is the super tweeter which extends the high frequency response to 22kHz—acoustic crossover point between FRD and tweeter also remains at 12kHz. Having the vast majority of the sound field (90%) emanating from the full-range driver makes for a very cohesive and unified wavefront.
Pros: Dynamics are first rate. One of the most engaging listens below $2,000 that you can find anywhere. Strong bass response. Very responsive to changes in amplification.
Cons: Not as vivid sounding as its predecessor.
Where to buy: $1,599 at zuaudio.com
Q Acoustics 5050
Brands like Q Acoustics have prioritized the $399 to $2,000 price range with their 5000 and forthcoming 3000c series and they have proven over the past decade that they know how to build great loudspeakers that are affordable.
It might shock some of you to learn how many members of the high-end audio press use their products at home as a reference at specific price points — guilty as charged and proud of it.
The market has very excited about the 5040 and there was a great deal of anticipation about the flagship 5050.
But do they offer just more of the 5040?
You might be surprised to learn that whilst they offer some similar characteristics — they are not what we expected.
You can read our detailed review here for greater insight.
One could build a $10,000 around them and be satisfied for life as long as you have the proper amount of space for them and are willing to shift your thinking somewhat.
The more we listen to products like the 5050, DALI Oberon 5, Wharfedale Evo 4.4 and Focal Theva N°2 — the clearer it becomes that music listeners don’t have to go broke in 2024 building a high-end audio system.
Unlike the 5020, which we found to be extremely neutral sounding and incisive, the 5050 offer marginally less precision and a lot more kishka.
There is greater coloration in the sub bass, upper bass, and lower midrange and that gives almost everything you will listen to through them additional tonal weight and impact.
It also handles a lot of power without even flinching.
But that doesn’t mean that they need it.
The bass range on the 5040 is precise, quick, detailed, and well defined; its larger sibling offers slightly less precision and a lot more impact and weight from the sub bass through the upper bass.
We have some thoughts on the rest of the system which you can read about here.
Pros:
- Very robust low end response that makes them ideal for music and movies
- Transparent presentation
- Precise imaging and wide soundstage
- Not difficult to set-up as long as you pay attention to the distance from the wall and corners
- Excellent build quality
- You need to spend more for this level of sonic performance from many of its rivals
Cons:
- Bass response might be too robust for smaller listening spaces
- Need more power to really open up and illuminate all of their strengths
- Not as detailed in the upper midrange and lower treble as some of its rivals
- Darker or warmer sounding amplification will make them sound too restrained
Where to buy: $1,999/pair at Amazon | Crutchfield | Q Acoustics
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Best Floorstanding Speakers Under $3,000
SVS Ultra Evolution Tower
SVS took a huge step in 2024 with its new Ultra Evolution series and eCoustics Podcast Producer, Mitch Anderson, and Editor-at-Large, Chris Boylan, sat down with SVS CEO, Gary Yacoubian and SVS VP of Marketing, Nick Brown to discuss the new range on the podcast to learn more.
The new SVS speaker line is actually more of a revolution than an evolution with all new drivers, new crossovers and a completely new industrial design. With diamond-coated tweeters and an angled cabinet design to assure time alignment and phase coherence, the SVS Ultra Evolution offers both the sound quality and the look of much more expensive audiophile loudspeakers.
Mitch Anderson has been listening to the SVS Ultra Evolution Tower Loudspeakers over the past few months and had nothing but praise for the design.
The three-way loudspeaker is the smallest model in the new flagship floorstanding range but it’s able to deliver extremely deep and impactful bass response and offers impressive dynamic capabilities.
The Ultra Evolution Towers are not designed for smaller listening spaces and the 44.49″ (H) x 8.58″ (W) x 16.69″ (D) cabinets are 60 pounds apiece — definitely call a friend during set-up.
The quoted 30Hz to 40kHz (+/-3 dB) frequency response is accurate and careful placement in the room is required if you don’t want the bass to overload the space.
Setting them up, however, did not prove to be difficult and Anderson felt that once they were given some space between the rear of the cabinet and the wall, they were very easy to dial into his space and he was extremely impressed by their precise imaging and vast soundstage.
Do they need a lot of power?
The 87dB (2.83V @ 1 meter full-space, 300Hz – 3kHz) (6 ohms) sensitivity specification would suggest that 50 watts per channel is probably not going to be ideal and Anderson’s testing validated that.
“150 watts or more is probably the safe place to start,” according to Anderson.
Pros:
- Incredible value for the money
- Excellent build quality
- Do not require a subwoofer
- Precise imaging and wide soundstage
- Treble range is smooth and rather airy
- Tonally accurate and a great option for music or movies
Cons:
- Definitely need more 100 watts or more to properly demonstrate their capabilities
- Not ideal in a smaller room unless you can move them away from the corners
Where to buy: $2,999/pair at Amazon | Crutchfield | SVS
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Cost No Object?
Bowers & Wilkins 703 S3 ($5,999)
$6,000 might seem like a relatively low number in the cost-no-object category, but for 99% of the population — it’s a rather unthinkable concept.
For the EIC of a major hi-fi magazine who is about to move into a much smaller living space than he has been accustomed to over the past 25 years? — It’s both a massive expenditure to contemplate and sizeable loudspeaker that would require rather careful placement.
If you are in the market for a pair of high-end floor standing loudspeakers and your budget can handle the $6,000 hit — the Bowers & Wilkins 703 S3 earn my “Editor’s Choice” for a myriad of reasons.
Having resisted the urge for years to review loudspeakers over $5,000 because they no longer really fit into my system building ethos which is now focused on systems aimed at entry-level and mid-tier buyers like myself with 3 children and very high education bills each month (2 currently in college and 1 in Yeshiva) — the 703 S3 felt almost wrong to review.
That didn’t work out so well.
You can read my extensive review here.
What makes us so enthusiastic about them is that we’re confident that we have only heard about 90% of their performance capabilities so far based on what was in-house at the time in terms of source components.
The 703 S3 are part of the new 700 S3 Series from Bowers & Wilkins which includes eight new models in total designated as S3; which includes three floor standers, three stand-mount speakers and two center channel speakers. All of the models replace and improve upon both the previous generation 700 S2 (2019) and 700 S2 Signature (2020) lines.
The new 700 series might be slimmer but at 44″H x 11.4″W x 14.6″D (which includes the plinth and tweeter) and 64 pounds apiece, the 703 S3 are an extremely imposing loudspeaker in any room and beautifully constructed.
These are loudspeakers that love power and low end control from whichever amplifier is on the other end; products like the Cambridge Audio Edge A were designed for loudspeakers like these and it should surprise not a soul that they worked extremely well together.
From a tonal perspective, one will be fine with neutral to warmer sounding amplifiers with the 703 S3 but I would certainly not go for anything that is on the cooler side; especially if your sources also lean that way as well.
Are they worth $6,000?
There are very few expensive floor standing speakers on the market right now outside of a few models from Boenicke, DeVore Fidelity, and ATC that I would consider for my final journey as an audiophile; the Bowers & Wilkins 703 S3 might be near the top of that list.
Pros:
- Exceptional build quality
- Excel at reproducing the human voice
- Impressive dynamic capabilities
- Can be used effectively in smaller listening spaces
- Worth their rather hefty price tag
Cons:
- $6,000 puts them out of reach for most listeners
- Treble range is somewhat subdued compared to the midrange
- Requires high-end amplification with a lot of power and low end control
Where to buy: $5,999/pair at Crutchfield (available in black, white, and mocha).
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