Best Bookshelf Speakers Under 500 For Perfect Music Experience

Introduction

A bookshelf speaker is a small and portable loudspeaker which is sold for customer-friendly home audio applications. It is mostly used as part of a shelf stereo pair or a home theater package, one which is small in size and mostly kept on a raised surface like a bookshelf.

The concept of bookshelf speakers is relatively new but people have widely started using them. They started being recognized due to the compact size, portability and the ability to save a lot of space as it can be placed literally in the smallest places.

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So if you are looking for speaker that has outstanding sound quality, aesthetic appeal, and compact in size, then bookshelf speakers is the best choice for you. In this article I have listed out the 10 best bookshelf speakers under 500 with its features, pros and cons. Check them out and choose the one that perfectly fits your expectation. Now without wasting time lets move on to the product list.

10 Best bookshelf speakers under 500 Review

1) Mackie Studio Monitor, Black w/green trim, 3-inch (CR3).

MACKIE STUDIO MONITOR - best bookshelf speakers under 500

The Mackie CR3 3" Creative Reference Multimedia Monitors provide studio-quality sound built for multimedia entertainment with only superior, high-performance components.

This best bookshelf speakers under 500 featuring convenient front-panel controls, they deliver professional sound quality. These are renowned and sophisticated for work, play and everything in between.

You can quickly change from video editing to music listening in no time. These monitors make you a multi-tasker who appreciates premium sound.

FEAtures:

It equipped with studio-quality sound, design, style and performance.
It made up of professional-grade components for customized sonic performance.
Connecting your computer output to speakers became easy due to the 1/8 inches to stereo RCA cable.
Ultra-wide frequency range (80 Hz - 20 kHz) suitable for all kinds of multimedia.
With CR3's convenient speaker placement switch, you better choose where the volume knob will be.
Convenient front panel volume knob and a lit power ring allow you the pleasure of on/off/volume control and power indication wherever you need it.
You can easily connect your smartphone or other sources directly in front of the speakers and instantly switch it.

PROS

Good value for money.
They are affordable and ultra-compact.
Good volume controls.
Superior built quality.

CONS

Low bass quality.

2) Sony SSCS5 3-Way 3-Driver Bookshelf Speaker System (Pair)

SONY SSCS5 - best bookshelf speakers under 500

The Sony SSCS5 3-Way 3-Driver Bookshelf Speaker System is a perfect speaker system for compact places. This best bookshelf speakers under 500 is a versatile speaker system enough to deliver a very real audio experience, with a wide soundstage.

The quality is so good that you can actually feel the energy and passion of the actual performance while you are at home enjoying the harmony of your living spaces. You don't need any special listening room or setup to use these speakers.

FEAtures:

High-Resolution Audio for uncompromised music and sound. It provides a nearly perfect view of an artist’s music.
The 3-driver bookshelf speakers come with a rigid 5.12 in MRC woofer for amazing bass and a 0.98 in tweeter along with 0.75 in super-tweeter designed specially to serve High-Resolution Audio sounds.
They include super tweeters with wide directionality due to which the high-frequency notes are reproduced very neatly.
The ported made of all wood enclosures are built for resonating acoustics for you to enjoy your favourite music thoroughly.
The Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) fiber woofers are strong. They hold their shape even when moving at high pressure and speed.
Specifications: 3-way, 3-speaker bass-reflex system, 5-1/4 inches Foamed-Mica Cellular Reinforced Woofer, 1 inch
Polyester Main Tweeter, 3/4 inches Sony Super Tweeter, Sound Reproduction to 50kHz (for High Resolution Audio), 6 ohm Speaker.
100 W Maximum Input Power.
Great for small places.

PROS

Compact and affordable.
High quality structure.
Classic design with wooden finish.
Made with premium components.
Highly durable.

CONS

Sounds output drops around 35Hz.

3) Pioneer SP-BS22-LR Andrew Jones Designed Bookshelf Loudspeakers

PIONEER SP-BS22-LR - best bookshelf speakers under 500

Pioneer, a company which is slowly and steadily taking its place in the market, is leading in production of speakers and electronic gadgets. These best bookshelf speakers under 500 delivers high quality compact and versatile speakers are designed by Andrew Jones and deliver premium, sophisticated sound quality in your comfortable living room.

FEAtures:

Utilizes a superior 6 component high quality crossover that makes the power of the music known to you.
Equipped with a 4-inch woofer with a structured surface. With this, the rigidity improved along with the bass accuracy.
Engineered a vented pole piece for improving bass response.
The 1-inch High Efficiency Soft Dome tweeter comes with an added custom waveguide.
Combining the crossover and tweeter, you get high quality sound with loud music that actually uses less power.
Superior quality with design and style.
Comes with AmazonBasics 16-Gauge Speaker Wire - 100 Feet Bundle.

PROS

Great sound quality.
Cost efficient with great value.
Gets your job done easily.
Easy setup.

CONS

Light bass response. Adding a subwoofer would be better.

4) Audioengine A5 Plus Classic 150W Powered Bookshelf Speakers

AUDIOENGINE A5 - best bookshelf speakers under 500

The Audioengine A5 Plus Classic 150W Powered Bookshelf Speakers provides a clear, full and powerful audio that fills any room. Since 2005, Audioengine has been providing new speakers to upgrade music. Audioengine is based in Austin, Texas, the company has an ultimate ambition of changing how people perceive and feel about music.

This best bookshelf speakers under 500 has made efforts everytime to upgrade the quality of the it's speakers for you to enjoy the best quality music. Made of bamboo exteriors, this has a classy look with an amazing design and specifications. Providing high quality bass and music quality, this is one of the best speakers to make a purchase.

FEAtures:

The A5+ Powered Speakers are made with custom Audioengine components like aramid fiber woofers, silk tweeters.
It comes with built-in power amps wrapped in nicely tuned and hand-crafted cabinets.
It comes with RCA and 3.5mm inputs, subwoofer output, small speakers.
Turntables with built-in or external preamps which work with all music players including phones, desktop computers, laptops, notebooks, TVs with an analog output, CD and DVD players, video game consoles and 1/8" mini-jack or RCA outputs.
It comes with a Pair of Audioengine A5+ Powered Speakers, 3.75m speaker wire along with power supply & cord, 2m 3.5mm mini-jack audio cable, solid aluminum remote control, microfiber speaker bags and cable bags, setup guide, brochure.
It comes with a 3-year transferable warranty.
US based customer support.

PROS

No network setup, no passwords saves you from hassles.
Great quality of materials.
Great sound quality.
Great look and design.

CONS

Too loud for small apartments.

5) ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 Bookshelf Speakers

ELAC DEBUT - best bookshelf speakers under 500

Improving on the original Debut B6 speaker with accolades from the global press and awards from industry professionals-was not an easy task. But frequently improvement is what we do at ELAC, and the Debut B6.2 best bookshelf speakers under 500 raise for performance higher than ever before. It has started at many times its price.

FEAtures:

A new front firing port gives you place for easy room placement.
A newly developed 1" soft-dome tweeter with Wide-dispersion waveguide.
Internal bracing reduces cabinet vibration.
New Woven Aramid-Fiber woofer.
Sensitivity: 87db at 2.83v/1m.
Frequency Response: 44Hz – 35000Hz.
Nominal Impedance- 6 Ohms.
Max Power Input- 120 Watts.

PROS

Great value for money.
Great sound quality.
Made of good quality materials.
The port is on the front which makes placement easier.
Good for small spaces.

CONS

The grill pegs don't line up.

6) Yamaha NS-6490 3-Way Bookshelf Speakers Finish

YAMAHA NS-6490 - best bookshelf speakers under 500

Upgrade your current 5.1 home theater to a 7.1-Channel surround sound system by adding a pair of Yamaha NS-6490 bookshelf speakers. The NS-6490 speaker was designed for professional and home entertainment enthusiasts with the capability to deliver a full, clear, and tight sound response.

This best bookshelf speakers under 500 delivers rich, room-filling, high-fidelity sound by utilizing an ultra-wide frequency response, an impressive 8" high-output woofer, 4" midrange driver, 7/8" balanced dome tweeter, and 140W of power.

FEAtures:

Magnetically shielded to suit home theater applications.
Type- 3-way acoustic suspension speaker system magnetic shielding type.
Driver- 8" Cone Woofer, 4" Cone Mid-Range, 7/8" Balanced Dome Tweeter.
Frequency Response- 45 Hz - 23 kHz.
Nominal Impedance- 8 ohms.
Nominal Input Power- 70W.
Maximum Input Power- 140W.
Sensitivity- 90 dB/2.83 V/m.

PROS

Good value for money.
Good sound quality.
Material quality is great.
Good for small spaces.

CONS

They are a bit too big for bookshelf speakers.

7) Edifier S1000DB Audiophile Active Bookshelf Speakers

The S1000DB offers a much more superior feel than other Edifier bookshelf speakers. These best bookshelf speakers under 500 are the perfect kind of speakers for gaming PCs and consoles. The Edifier S1000DB is one of the most visually appealing sets of speakers among the visually stagnant area as compared to other brands. This is absolutely perfect for adding to your television set for superior sound for movies, shows and sports.

FEAtures:

With Bluetooth 4.0 aptX connectivity, you can effortlessly stream high quality sound wirelessly with low or minimal loss.
With Optical/ Coaxial and AUX inputs , you can easily attach the professional studio speakers to multiple sources simultaneously.
The 5.5 inch Mid-Range unit coupled with Digital Sound Processing (DSP) technology delivers 120 watts RMS quality sound.
It comes with a 16-foot/5-meter connecting cable.
Switch input sources and control the volume with an easy to use remote.
It comes with a 2 year warranty in the USA and Canada.

PROS

Wonderful quality of construction, appearance and performance.
Easy integration and setup.
Great picture quality.
The bass response is very good.

CONS

Limited connectivity options.

8) Micca RB42 Reference Bookshelf Speaker with 4-Inch Woofer and Silk Tweeter

The Micca RB42 bookshelf speaker boasts music in a great package. With curiously robust bass output and a silky smooth sound signature, it does justice to all music genres from jazz to hip-hop. Designed and groomed in dark wood pattern with perfect curves and lines, you can boast about its looks anywhere.

This best bookshelf speakers under 500 is recommended by many audiophiles and is renowned as a great speaker. Experience its best performance today.

FEAtures:

It comes with a 4-inch woofer which is built on a heavy steel frame and magnet structure. It also has a coated pressed paper cone with concave dust cap, rubber surround and a vented pole piece.
The tweeter is made of the popular Micca’s 0.75-inch silk dome design which uses a high efficiency neodymium magnet and a form-cut bezel for the driver spacing.
Equipped with a 10-element crossover that has high grade film capacitors and air core coils at the core.
The tweeter and woofer circuits have a 18dB/octave slope to optimize performance.
Distortion and coloration is reduced to a great extent through the use of ¾-inch MDF panels on all sides of the speaker enclosure.

PROS

Small and thus extremely portable.
Great value for money.
Amazing built quality.
Superior bass quality.

CONS

Amplifiers and speaker wire are required.

9) Polk Audio RTI A3 Bookshelf Speakers

The Polk Audio RTI A3 Cherry Bookshelf Speaker is a beautiful looking, cherry red bookshelf speaker. This best bookshelf speakers under 500 has incorporated the latest Dynamic Balance Cone drivers and 1 inch tweeters with a very decent and elegant restyling of the cabinets keeping the technology and new styles in mind.

As we know the standards of Polk Audio, this speaker keeps up the performance to classic Polk. This is a superb bookshelf speaker for any audiophile and required your attention today. It looks as beautiful as it sounds. The details and design is very soothing and pleases you visually.

FEAtures:

Made up of real wood with all MDF construction and resonance free enclosures for you to thoroughly enjoy your music experience.
Equipped with one 6.5", mineral/polymer composite cone driver.
Boasts its amazing Power Port technology to reduce any kind of inches, chuffing inches or inchesport noise inches.
Includes 1-inch silk/polymer composite dome tweeter.
Other features: a neodymium magnet, low viscosity ferrofluid cooling, a heat sink on the back of the magnet.
Sensitivity (1 watt @ 1 meter) 89 decibel.

PROS

Amazing quality of material.
Comes with awesome packaging.
Great built quality and design.
Great value for money.

CONS

Overemphasized highs make them suitable more for home theater setups.

10) Klipsch RB-61 II Reference Series Bookshelf Loudspeakers

Klipsch speakers are widely renowned for a wide and enhanced soundstage and great sonic purity. It was founded in 1946 by Paul W. Klipsch who believed the following four principles to be the foundation for any great speaker producing great sound.

They are: High efficiency with low distortion, Controlled directivity, Flat frequency response and lastly wide dynamic range. He believed these principles have and will be the foundation for precise sound. For TV shows, movies, these speakers sound way more realistic than normal TV speakers.

FEAtures:

Equipped with Tractrix Horn technology for lifelike sound, more output with less utilization of energy, improved reliability, low distortion and a large soundstage with great imaging.
It comes with Cerametallic woofer cones featuring high-end aluminum to help dampen and prevent distortion.
Titanium tweeter with linear travel suspension-trickle-down technology which enables an open, natural sound.
Each speaker has a 1" horn-loaded tweeter.
Equipped with Exclusive Wide Dispersion Surround Technology (WDST) which also enables surrounds with unlimited placement flexibility.
Enhanced crossover frequencies.

PROS

Gives natural and warm character to music.
Great materials used for this speaker.
Amazing value for money.
Superior sound quality.

CONS

Low Bass.

Conclusion

A very obvious advantage of bookshelf speakers is their compact size which makes it super easy to set them on a table, mount them to a wall or just simply place them on your beloved shelf.

Bookshelf speakers are great alternatives to huge speakers which occupy a lot of space and do not provide satisfactory sound quality. These portable speakers are highly used and recommended. The above mentioned list of best bookshelf speakers under 500 is a great list for your research.