![]() They come with hand-made wooden cabinets and gorgeous horn tweeters, and the 15-inch passive bass radiators on the back of the sealed speakers make them punch deeper and with more authority than a professional boxer. In fact, they are perfectly tuned, mid-century–inspired masterpieces. The Klipsch Forte IV ($4,998 per pair) are more lively. Some audiophiles prefer the type of tight precision you get from speakers like the Paradigms. The Paradigm Monitor SE 6000F ($1,000 per pair) are a great pair of speakers for those who like things a bit more clinical and precise-they're amazing for classical music, jazz, and folk, thanks to their incredible detail. Moving away from bookshelves and onto passive floorstanding speakers, I'll highlight two very different models. I'm a fan of fun, energetic sound when I'm listening on speakers, and both of these models deliver that, but with enough detail that you won't feel you're sacrificing anything. The ELACs are a great entry-level speaker that will easily take you into audiophile territory with the right amp, where the 4309 more or less sound amazing with anything powering them. Some passive bookshelf models I love are the ELAC Debut 2.0 ($380 per pair) and JBL 4309 ($2,000 per pair). Those hook up with regular speaker cables, and you won't need to worry about plugging them into the wall. If you already have an amp (or if you plan to buy one), a pair of passive speakers is the best way to go. They have amplification built-in, and they draw their power from a wall socket, so they can be used without a dedicated amplifier. The KEF and iLoud models I just mentioned are powered. I still have yet to encounter a pair of wireless earbuds that sound amazing, but the best I've heard are the Astell & Kern UW100 ($299), which have some of the most realistic sound you'll find, thanks to the company's excellent processing. (In headphone lingo, the soundstage is the imaginary three-dimensional space you find yourself in when you shut your eyes and listen.) Other great wireless options that compete with wired headphones are the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 ($699) and the Master & Dynamic MW75 ($599), both of which feature beautiful design and high-end materials. They produce one of the widest soundstages I've heard from wireless headphones. The recent Celestee closed-back headphones ($999) are as gorgeous to listen to as they are to look at, and the recently released Bathys ($799) are wireless and offer noise-canceling, making them some of the best for travel. If you prefer over-ear headphones, I really like the latest models from the French company Focal. ![]() I've never heard bass this good from in-ear headphones, and the overall detail in the sound is nothing short of shocking. The company's Euclid buds ($1,299) are among the most astonishing in-ears I've ever tested, thanks to their custom planar magnetic drivers. Personally, I have also loved in-ears from premium audio brand Audeze. ![]() There are many other high-end headphones that also sound fantastic. Sound quality is excellent, especially with an outboard headphone amp in tow.Īt the higher end, my current favorite in-ears are from Portland-based brand Campfire Audio (the 3D-printed Supermoon ($1,500). If you want more sound isolation, I also really like in-ear headphones like the Shure Aonic 3 ($199), which cut out very nearly all outside noise, and pack up super small for travel. In my experience, hanging some panels and curtains over your bare walls will increase the quality of your sound more than any single piece of equipment. You can buy or build enough panels for a medium-size space with just a few hundred dollars, and they can actually make your room look pretty neat. When improving your listening room, it's worth noting that investing in some acoustic treatment is much more cost-effective than investing in more expensive audio gear. (Don't worry, great headphones are awesome.) If you're stuck setting up your stereo in a room that's either small or particularly reverberant and acoustically “bright,” I recommend buying smaller speakers or just sticking with headphones. In general, the softer and bigger your room is the bigger you can go in terms of speaker systems, and the better they'll sound. ![]() If you like big speakers with big bass, set up your stereo somewhere a little more spacious. Significant porous absorption is required to make large speakers sound great in a tighter space like a bedroom. Throbbing and thumping bass frequencies, which are harder to tame than higher frequencies like splashy cymbals and twangy guitars, will typically degrade the audio quality you get in smaller rooms.
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