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Top Stereo/All-In-One Streaming Speakers

Sonos Era 100 Wireless Speaker: $249

The Era 100 is a follow-up to the much-heralded Sonos One speaker and little brother to the excellent Era 300 Atmos-compliant “spatial audio” speaker. The Era 100 supports streaming via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi/AirPlay 2 with voice control through Alexa or the new Sonos Voice assistant. Of course, it’s also built to work within the long-admired Sonos multiroom ecosystem, which is known for its excellent app. The speaker also uses Sonos’s proprietary Trueplay tuning to compensate for room acoustics no matter when you place it.

The Era 100 sounds good and can play surprisingly loud without breaking a sweat. While the speaker can certainly be used on its own for casual listening, it delivers more expansive sound in a stereo setup with two speakers, which recording-engineer-turned-audio-reviewer Leslie Shapiro praised for its accurate stereo image. And while the speaker produces decent bass on its own, adding a Sonos Sub Mini goes a long way to creating more robust sound. Still, if you’re looking for a decent sounding speaker that can be used almost anywhere, on its own or as part of a whole-house system, the little Era 100 is worth a listen.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Surprising upper bass accuracy
Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
Privacy controls
Minus
Minimal stereo Imaging
Compressed sound

Full Review Here (posted 8/10/23)

Apple HomePod (Gen 2) Wireless Smart Speaker: $300

It took a few years but Apple finally updated the all-in-one HomePod smart speaker it introduced in 2018. Like its predecessor, the updated HomePod is quite the streaming marvel, capable of delivering sound that is clear, detailed, and spacious, while doubling as a Siri voice controller for all kinds of smart devices. Put two HomePods in play and you are rewarded with true stereo sound and a genuinely immersive experience whether you’re listening to music, watching a movie, or playing a videogame. The system even decodes object-based Dolby Atmos soundtracks with remarkable results. Better yet, you can put the speakers almost anywhere and they will automatically adapt to the acoustics of the environment.

Following a super easy setup, reviewer Mark Henninger paired two HomePods with an Apple TV 4K box and was stunned by how close the sonic experience was to what you’d expect to hear from a full-blown multispeaker AV system. “For the first time I can recall, I got goosebumps listening to a smart speaker…I also marveled at the amount of bass these charming pods managed to muster.” In an impressive feat of technical prowess, Apple has figured out how to provide an all-encompassing listening experience from just two speakers at a price that won’t break the bank.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Clear and detailed sound
Easy to set up and use
Supports Dolby Atmos, eARC
Pair two with an Apple TV 4K for a complete system
Minus
Needs an iOS device for setup
No optional subwoofer
Limited maximum volume

Full Review Here (posted 1/31/23)

Sonos Move 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker: $449

If you like the Sonos Move portable speaker you’re going to love its evolved successor. The Move 2 boasts an improved battery that will keep the tunes cranking for two days straight — twice that of the original — a new super-convenient wireless charging base, and an optional USB-C line-in jack to expand your connection options. Carryovers include the same IP56-rated dust-resistant/waterproof enclosure, voice control via Sonos or Amazon, and the proven Trueplay room tuning feature that automatically adapts the speaker to its acoustic surroundings.

Of course, what you hear is most important and the Move 2 brings it on in spades, delivering well-balanced sound with bass that’s tighter and deeper that you expect for a speaker of this size. Enjoying music at Philadelphia's Rail Park, reviewer Mark Henninger tested its outdoor chops with Metallic Spheres in Colour, the new album by The Orb and David Gilmour: “The music is ambient mellow paced and spacey, but with a heavy dose of Gilmour's guitar.” When he turned it up, the little speaker proved its worth as a backyard party speaker, blanketing a large area with plenty of volume. The Sonos Move 2 is a compelling portable speaker that makes it easy to enjoy your favorite tunes wherever you happen to be.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Stereo sound from dual tweeters
Battery lasts up to 24 hours
Connections for wired sources
Upgraded wireless charging base
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities
Minus
Limited soundstage
Cannot be paired with Sonos subwoofer
Proprietary USB-C line-in adapter not included

Full Review Here (posted 10/31/23)

Sonos Era 300 Wireless Spatial Audio Speaker: $449

The Era 300 is the latest in a new generation of small, Atmos-compliant “spatial audio” speakers designed to deliver a hassle-free immersive listening experience. At $449, it costs more than the competition, though it is engineered to a fare-thee-well and delivers excellent sound quality on its own, in tandem with a second Era 300, or as a rear surround speaker in a soundbar-based home theater setup. The speaker supports streaming via Bluetooth and AirPlay 2 with voice control through Alexa or the new Sonos Voice assistant and includes Trueplay tuning to compensate for room acoustics no matter when you place it. Of course, it also fits in the long-admired Sonos multiroom ecosystem.

As impressive as the sound is with one speaker, things get really interesting when you play Dolby Atmos tracks with two speakers in play, each of which houses six drivers, including two woofers and tweeters that fire forward, to the sides, and up from the top. As reviewer Rob Sabin put it, “The image went edge-to-edge, and with Atmos tracks, utterly filled the room up and out toward my seat. Classic jazz tracks remixed for Atmos, such as "Have You Met Miss Jones" by the Oscar Peterson Trio, became more adept at recreating the acoustics of the recording space.” Throw in a Sonos Sub and things get even better with bass that dips down to 30 Hz, though the price goes up considerably. The Sonos Era 300 will surprise and delight you with its simplicity and ability to deliver clean, spacious, full-bodied sound from a speaker you can balance in the palm of your hand.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent stereo and spatial audio
Works alone or in a stereo pair
Good 'smarts with Alexa, Sonos Voice
Bluetooth-compatible
Impressive industrial design
Minus
No compatibility with Atmos tracks on Tidal
Does not work with Sony 360 Reality on Amazon
Sensitive to placement

Full Review Here (posted 5/10/23)

Fluance Ai81 Active Stereo Speaker System: $499/pair

We’ve had good luck with bookshelf speakers from Canada’s Fluance so we were intrigued when they came out with the Ai81, a medium-height floorstander, which like its smaller siblings has onboard power — 75 watts/channel in this case — and supports wireless streaming via Bluetooth. The speaker mates a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter with two 6.5-inch woofers in a sealed cabinet that stands just under 38 inches tall with a woodgrain vinyl finish offered in black or the two-tone white/woodgrain shown here. What’s most enticing is the price: 500 bucks for a pair of full-range speakers is an achievement worth celebrating, especially if they sound good. And they do.

Grab your phone, select Fluance from its Bluetooth menu and you’re off and running. Otherwise, the speaker is of the just-add-source variety, offering two sets of analog RCA jacks and an optical digital input, plus a subwoofer output for those who crave truly deep bass. Recording engineer-turned-reviewer Leslie Shapiro found the speakers to be on the bright (though never harsh) side but fully capable of putting up a realistic stereo image. “I was instantly impressed. There was no surround processing, just precise stereo placement.” The Ai81s are an option worth exploring for anyone who is on a budget.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Convenient (outboard amp not required)
Budget-friendly
Multiple input options
Excellent soundstage
Minus
Needs a subwoofer for movies
Veiled midrange
Bright treble

Full Review Here (posted 2/22/23)

Sony XV800 Portable Party Speaker: $650

Okay, summer is over but the fall is still a great time to bring the party outside, especially if you have a fire pit as we head into the Thanksgiving season. Sony is certainly not the only game in party town but it makes quite a statement with the SRS-SV800, a formidable portable speaker that can play loud while delivering “surprisingly balanced and detail sound with a healthy dose of bass” to quote reviewer Mark Henninger. The speaker can be used to start the party indoors or out on the patio where its Mega Bass mode really comes into its own, putting the system’s two large woofers to good use.

Pressing the speaker into action at late summer pool party, Henninger noted: “The positive qualities of this highly capable speaker were immediately apparent to everyone present. Tweeters on the top side that operate when the speaker is in the vertical orientation allow it to have good tonality wherever you stand, sit, or swim. You're not penalized for being behind the speaker.” To enhance the party atmosphere and take things to the next level, the SV800 doubles as a self-contained entertainment center, setting the stage for karaoke fun while providing a dynamic lightshow. You can even use the speaker as a guitar amplifier. Now that’s versatile.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Works upright and on its side
Omnidirectional sound
Battery lasts 25 hours
Light show and karaoke add to the fun
Minus
Poorly designed wheels and handle

Full Review Here (posted 8/16/23)

Monolith MTM-100 Powered Desktop Speaker 2.1 System: $850

Monoprice, the California-based company once known mostly for selling good quality AV cables and accessories at bargain-basement prices, continues its foray into home audio. This time with a formidable desktop system that mates a pair of 14-inch-tall speakers with a compact THX-certified subwoofer featuring an 8-inch woofer, dedicated 150-watt amplifier, and full set of controls. Each speaker sports an impressive design comprising a 1.25-inch silk-dome tweeter, two 4-inch woofers (above and below), and two side-mounted 5.25-inch passive radiators. At $850, the MTM-100 system isn’t cheap but it does deliver audiophile-caliber sound for a reasonable price, hence the Top Value designation.

In his listening tests, reviewer Howard Kneller praised the system for its clean delivery and extraordinary sound staging. "The system brought naturally rich, full sound with plenty of deep, tuneful bass to my desktop. On ‘Find the Pocket,’ from the well-recorded Stereophile CD, Molto Molto: Works for Jazz Orchestra by Sasha Matson, haunting low register notes were respectably complex with good decay and high-frequency notes were clean and not fatiguing. Mostly though, I was gobsmacked at how full and rich the midrange was.” Though Monoprice pegs the MTM-100 for desktop use, there’s little doubt that it would also make one helluva bookshelf speaker system.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
High value
Subwoofer output allows expandability
EQ permits tailored sound
Sub carries THX Certified Compact designation
Minus
Lacks HDMI ARC for wired TV sound
Large cabinets may overwhelm small spaces

Full Review Here (posted 9/27/23)

Samsung HW-Q990B Atmos Soundbar: $1,500

In 1998 Altec Lansing introduced the Voice of the Digital Theatre before anyone knew what a soundbar was. With its companion subwoofer, the system offered an impressive space-saving solution for improving TV sound but it was before its time and never gained traction. By the early 2000s the concept started to catch on as a convenient alternative to the complexity of a standard surround setup with five speakers and subwoofer. Fast forward to today and soundbars are everywhere and provide levels of performance, ranging from a simple three-channel soundbar to sophisticated systems like Samsung's impressive HW-Q990B, which is designed to deliver a credible home theater experience from a svelte 4-foot-wide soundbar housing 15 (!) drivers, two wireless surround speakers, and a wireless subwoofer.

With a total of 22 drivers powered by 400 watts of integrated power, the 11.1.4 setup is remarkable for providing a convenient, space saving path to powerful sound — including object-based Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks. It didn’t take long for veteran reviewer Rob Sabin to be wowed by what he heard. ”The resulting sound bubble was enthralling…World Cup soccer and NFL football games were delivered with convincing stadium sound that placed me in the middle of the crowd noise and gave voice announcements an appropriately echoey feel.” The Q990B can hold its own against a full-fledged surround-sound speaker setup but it also excels with music. At $1,500, it’s not cheap but boy can it deliver.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
11.1.4-channel Atmos/DTS:X with wireless rear surrounds
Audiophile-grade sonics
Superb dynamics
Extensive adjustability
Intuitive SmartThings app for control
Minus
Some functions hard to reach with remote
No Atmos/DTS:X indicator on app

Full Review Here (posted 2/8/23)

Dynaudio Emit 50 Loudspeaker: $2,249/pair

Dynaudio is not exactly a household name here in the U.S., but the Danish company has been making speakers for almost 50 years while establishing a reputation among audiophiles and audio professionals for delivering high quality sound. The Emit 50 three-way floorstander is one of the brand’s more affordable speakers. At over $2,000 a pair, it’s not cheap but it does live up to the brand’s stellar reputation. The speaker mates a unique 1.1-inch fabric-dome tweeter with a 6-inch midrange driver and two 7-inch woofers in a sturdy if not pedestrian looking rear-ported cabinet with stabilizing outriggers at its base. Dubbed Cerotar, the tweeter has a “resonance-control dome” behind its active diaphragm to prevent rear-wave reflections from interfering with sound emanating from the front to improve accuracy whether you’re listening to music or watching a movie.

Reviewer Dennis Young was enamored with the speakers’ ability to recreate a spacious soundstage and put up a convincing stereo image while delivering near full-range sound regardless of volume — sonic properties that come through whether you’re sitting, standing, or moving around the room. The speakers also excel in reproducing bass, radiating low frequencies “front to back and top to bottom,” thanks largely to those rear ports. At the same time, these speakers do require a good amount of power to perform at their best so you need to make sure your receiver or amplifier is up to the task. In the final analysis, the Emit 50 is a solid, all-around speaker that performs admirably.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Great soundstage and imaging properties
Near full-range capability
Enjoyable at high, mid, and low volume
Minus
May heat up an AV receiver
Favors placement away from boundaries
Needs current to hit more than moderate SPL

Full Review Here (posted 10/18/23)

Definitive Technology Dymension DM70 Bipolar Tower Speaker: $4,000/pair

Definitive Technology has returned to its roots with the DM70 tower, the latest iteration of the bipolar design it pioneered 30+ years ago. Like all of the company’s bipolar tower designs, the DM70 follows the path set forth by founder Sandy Gross: mating front- and rear-firing drivers with an integrated subwoofer. In this case, the DM70’s slender 4-foot-tall cabinet mates two driver complements, each comprising a 5.25-inch woofer and 1-inch aluminum-dome tweeter, with a built-in bass module that draws on a 250-watt amp to power a 10-inch woofer augmented by a pair of 10-inch passive radiators. The beauty of this design is you get rich, three-dimensional sound with deep effortless bass from two minimalist speakers wrapped in black fabric.

Reviewer Mark Henninger was mesmerized by what he heard when he powered up a pair of DM70s: “Their most obvious quality is stereo imaging that's transcendental in nature. The soundstage is vast and enveloping, and the imaging is so accurate that it is as if the performers are right there in the room with you. I know that's a cliché, but it's also how it really sounds!” But what about that pair of integrated subwoofers — what do they bring to the party? For starters, they are rock solid down to 30 Hz and having two of them helps smooth out peaks and dips in the bass. At four grand a pair, these speakers don’t come cheap but they do deliver in spades and are an exciting choice for stereo music.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent soundstage and imaging
Powerful and adjustable bass output
Disappears when the lights are out

Minus
Each speaker requires a power outlet
Cloth grille is not removable
Can't be placed up against a wall

Full Review Here (posted 4/14/23)

JBL 4329P Powered Streaming Studio Monitor: $4,500/pair

JBL has once again brought its heritage in studio monitors to bear in a consumer speaker but this time with a twist. At a glance you wouldn’t know it, but the 4329P is actually a “press and play” speaker made for streaming via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, the latter through Apple AirPlay and Chromecast. As you’d expect from JBL, it’s an impressive audiophile-caliber affair that mates an 8-inch woofer and a horn-loaded 1-inch tweeter with a 300-watt amplifier in a ported cabinet best suited for placement on an optional stand. Hard-wire connections include an Ethernet jack, optical and USB-B digital inputs, balanced XLR stereo inputs, a stereo minijack input, and an RCA Sub Out, which activates an 80-Hz high-pass filter when connected. In a wireless setup, internal processing is limited to 96 kHz/24 bits but can be expanded to 192/32 with the hard-wire Ethernet connection.

Using Chromecast via Roon to zero in on streaming performance, the 4329Ps aced just about everything reviewer Daniel Kumin threw at them — from the subtleties of Suzanne Vega singing à cappella on “Tom’s Diner” to “Jack of Speed,” a clean and ultra-punchy track from Steely Dan’s Two Against Nature played at levels you’d expect to hear in a recording studio. “The 4329Ps’ displayed no loss of clarity, dynamism, or bottom-end heft, despite snare-drum strikes that rifled across my studio like gunshots.” Likewise, the JBLs conveyed the sub-20 Hz bass heard on Belà Fleck’s “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo” without breaking a sweat leading Kumin to conclude: “JBL’s largest and most capable streaming speaker to date is an unreserved success.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Outstanding sound quality and dynamics
Deep bass extension
Subwoofer output
Minus
No music-data or volume display
On the large side for stands

Full Review Here (posted 5/3/23)

Focal Vestia No.3 Surround Sound Speaker System: $5,500

When it comes to sound quality, some brands are hit and miss. And then there are the well-established global brands like Focal that do one thing and do it very well: build speakers that consistently sound great. And, unlike the many speaker companies that farm out the actual manufacturing of their speakers to a distant factory in China, Focal’s Vestia series speakers are designed and built in France to maintain tighter quality control. For our test, we put together a surround system comprising two No. 3 three-way tower speakers, the two-way Vestia Center speaker, and a pair of No. 1 two-way bookshelf/surround speakers — all featuring the company’s proprietary inverted-dome tweeter. The setup also included a pair of SVS subwoofers that were switched in and out for purposes of comparison.

The Focal ensemble performed well with a varied and challenging roster of music and movie soundtracks, the latter of which benefited from having those subwoofers switched in — especially with action films. “The Vestias plus subwoofers as auditioned here left nothing on the table,” is how reviewer Tom Norton put it. “Blade Runner 2049 sounded incredible, from its deep growling bass to its astonishing range of music and effects.” And with music played on the Vestia No. 3 towers alone, “female voices were natural and suspended in a well-defined soundstage without unnatural sibilants. Percussion instruments were as crisp and accurate as they needed to be without unnatural edginess.” With the Vestia series, Focal makes some its best speaker technology available at more affordable prices.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Strong and clear sound
Excellent imaging
Made in France
Minus
Best with a subwoofer for action films
Two-way center speaker

Full Review Here (posted 10/10/23)

KEF LS60 Wireless Powered Loudspeakers: $6,999/pair

Tower is not the first word that comes to mind when you hear the words “streaming speaker.” We tend to equate the phrase with inexpensive, tabletop speakers from Sonos, Amazon, or any one of a number of other brands. KEF’s LS60 is a full-on reference-level audio system masquerading as a pair of beautiful but seemingly ordinary tower speakers that are anything but ordinary. Everything you need to enjoy glorious sound from your favorite streaming service is contained within these speakers, each of which combines KEF’s signature Uni-Q midrange/tweeter array with a quartet of dual-opposed woofers, a digital crossover/equalizer, and 600 watts of power (500 watts of which goes to those woofers) in an impeccably built cabinet that stands 43 inches tall.

The KEF Connect app provides Roon Ready “endpoint” functionality and puts a variety of controls and streaming options at your fingertips, including AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Amazon, and Deezer at up to 24-bit/96 Hz resolution. Of course, a selection of digital and analog connections are also provided on of the rear panels to expand functionality beyond streaming. Among them coaxial, optical, eARC/HDMI, and Ethernet for digital hookups plus a stereo minijack input.

Within minutes of setting up and hitting Play, veteran speaker reviewer Dan Kumin declared the LS60 his new favorite streaming speaker system. Though he played a variety of music, the track that won him over was “Cry Me a River” from Bonnie Bramlett’s 2007 album, Still the Same, a “textbook studio production, highlighting an extremely clean and present recording” featuring Bramlett’s rich, husky contralto. “The KEFs made this hair-raisingly alive, filling all the space between the speakers, with the vocal thrust roundly out into the room.” If you’re looking for a turnkey music system capable of audiophile quality streaming, start with the LS60s.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Reference-grade sound quality, dynamics
Full-range extension
Simple-as-possible app for setup, control
Subwoofer output
Minus
No easy path to multichannel integration
No music-data or volume display
No phono input

Full Review Here (posted 10/12/23)

JBL 4349 2-Way Studio Monitor: $8,250/pair

JBL continues its decades-long tradition of delivering studio-grade sound quality with the 4349 two-way studio monitor, designed and built at the company’s state-of-the-art acoustic engineering facility in Northridge, CA. With its large horn, 12-inch woofer, dual ports, and front-panel trim controls, the speaker echoes the bold styling of JBL’s iconic professional monitors and delivers on the promise of conveying artist intent with sonic purity.

Mark Henninger praised the 4349s for conveying hypnotic sound, characterized by silky highs, a smooth, natural midrange, powerful bass, and a wide, deep soundstage. “The JBLs delivered a nonstop stream of sublime listening sessions, easily blowing past my highest initial expectations. Sure, I anticipated they'd be good speakers…But I did not expect they'd deliver proper pinpoint imaging and a three-dimensional soundstage, regardless of where I sat on my sofa.”

Citing one of several specific examples, Henninger wrote: “Binary, the 2019 album by Sounds from the Ground sounded absolutely stunning. The dynamics were incredibly clear and precise, with each instrument mixed in perfect balance…Listening to the JBL 4349s is not a ‘wow, those speakers sound amazing’ experience. It's all about a ‘wow, that music sounds amazing’ experience, in which the speakers are transparent conduits for what's found in the recording.” What more can you ask for?

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Realistic soundstage
Wide sweet spot
Plays loud and deep
Minus
Power hungry
Expensive
Requires a stand

Full Review Here (posted 1/30/23)