If you’re looking for some great floorstanding speakers that will give you the best sound and audio quality possible within your budget, then this article is just for you.
Floorstanding speakers are highly recommended for people who use their audio system to watch movies, play games, or listen to music. They provide a much better quality of sound than bookshelf speakers and are often placed on the floor in front of an entertainment center. You’ll also find them in many professional studios.
In this guide, we reviewed 8 products in search of the best floorstanding speakers under 500. We took into account factors such as bass response, frequency range, and of course sound quality overall. At the end of this article, we will also discuss which factors you should pay attention to when buying this kind of product.
Related: 2-Way vs 3-Way Speakers
We Tested 8 Products and Found the Polk Audio Monitor XT60 to be The Best Floorstanding Speaker Under $500
The Sony SSCS3 was our Choice for Best Budget Tower Speakers
8 Best Floorstanding Speakers under $500 Reviewed in Detail
Table of Contents
- Sony SSCS3
- Polk Audio Monitor XT60
- Jamo Studio Series S809
- Yamaha Audio NS-F150
- Cerwin-Vega SL-8
- BIC America Venturi DV84
- Elac Debut 2.0 F5.2
- Dayton Audio T652-AIR
1. Sony SSCS3
We chose the Sony SSCS3 to start our list because it provides an excellent balance of sound quality, bass response, and frequency range. At the same time, it is also affordable for most people. These floor standing speakers offer a dynamic sound that will please listeners of all kinds.
Product Specifications
- 3-Way Floor Standing Speakers
- Tweeter and Supertweeter
- Dual 5.12 Woofers
- 145W Peak Power
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- This model has dual 5.12 woofers, which are certain to give you a deep bass.
- Great frequency range: from 45Hz to 50kHz.
- The dual-driver tweeters are particularly excellent in providing a crisp high-end.
- The tapered faceplate eliminates any noise coming from sound diffraction inside the speaker cabinet.
- Surprisingly affordable, considering that Sony is one of the most reputable brands in the market of floor standing speakers. These are priced around $100 for a single floor-standing speaker.
- High precision 0.98 soft dome main tweeter. It is made out of polyester fiber, a high-quality material.
- Plenty of power, peaking at 145W.
Cons
- Heavyweight.
Conclusion
One of the most affordable options on the list, these floor standing speakers are excellent at providing audio quality for an affordable price. As the SSCS3 can generate 145W with an impedance of 6 Ohms, you won’t experience any distortion on your sound even at high volume levels.
We also like the fact that Sony is very descriptive about the components of this product. This always helps when shopping.
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2. Polk Audio Monitor XT60
Polk Audio is an excellent brand with high standards of quality. The Monitor XT60 are two-way speakers with a 6.5-inch woofer and 1 inch tweeter, sure to give you a great audio experience. Such speakers are also quite compact, but powerful enough to give you the full picture of your favorite music.
Product Specifications
- 2-Way Floor Standing Speakers
- 1″ Tweeter
- 6.5″ Dynamically Balanced Woofer
- Dual 6.5 Passive Resonators
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- The dual 6.5 passive resonators in this floor standing speaker help provide more clarity in the mid and high range of the frequency spectrum.
- Compatible with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro 3D.
- Nickel-plated binding posts. These will help isolate the sound of each driver, therefore, preventing resonance inside the speaker cabinet.
- Patented dynamic balance woofers array process from Polk Audio.
- Removable grilles.
- Low distortion even on high volumes.
Cons
- None.
Conclusion
At a great price, these Polk Audio Monitor XT60 floor standing speakers are a great fit for any home-theater setup. We like the fact that they are compatible with the latest surround technologies, but this will depend on your AV receiver. Furthermore, it has a fair price considering everything you get with this product.
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3. Jamo Studio Series S809
We chose the Jamo Studio Series S809 for our list because it has a well-balanced sound and many features for its price. There are two models in this speaker line: one with three woofers and one with two. While both offer a similar sound, we decided to review the 3-woofer version.
Product Specifications
- 4-Way Floor Standing Speakers
- 25mm (1″) Soft Dome Tweeter
- Triple 102mm (5″) Aluminized Polyfiber Woofers
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- Dolby Atmos ready. If your AV receiver is compatible with this feature, these floor standing speakers will give you an excellent surround sound experience.
- There are three woofers in this set of floor speakers. This will ensure a great bass output so these are also awesome for listening to music.
- Aluminized poly-fiber woofers.
- Available in different colors.
- All of the wire connections can be easily concealed on the back of these floor speakers, so you won’t have any clutter in your setup.
- Phase switch that allows you to select between 0 and 180 degrees. You can adjust this feature based on your room setup for optimal sound quality.
Cons
- None.
Conclusion
The Jamo Studio Series S809 floor-standing speaker set has great quality and can be bought for around $400 for a pair. We particularly like the design decisions in this product, including the patent-pending feature that allows all of the wire connections to be concealed on the back of cabinets and the fact that they are available in different colors for you to choose from.
Sound-wise, these will give you a deep bass. There are, after all, three woofers designed especially for that matter. This is one of the best budget floor standing speakers on the list.
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4. Yamaha Audio NS-F150
The Yamaha Audio NS-F150 floor standing speaker is one of the most aesthetically pleasing in this price range. It also has a nice weight to it and can be placed on its side or horizontally for added versatility. The only downside about this product is the lack of bass response, which is understandable given the price point. However, it does have enough bass to satisfy most people.
Product Specifications
- 3-Way Floor Standing Speakers
- Dual 6-1/2″ Woofers
- Tweeter: 1″ Soft Dome
- Peak Power: 180W
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- Excellent design for the price. These have a glossy color that will match most living rooms and home theaters.
- Gold plated speaker terminals. A small feature, but shows how much attention Yamaha pays to the little details.
- Bass reflex cabinet.
- Lightweight. Can easily be transported and moved if needed.
Cons
- The bass is less powerful than other options on the list.
Conclusion
These tower speakers from Yamaha Audio do well for the price. We particularly like the design, which is the best one on the list in our opinion. We feel like the NS-F150 will better suit those that are looking for a sound system to watch movies, rather than listening to music.
This is due to the audio performance in the deep bass frequencies being a little less powerful than some other options on the list. It is still a decent speaker, though.
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5. Cerwin-Vega SL-8
As you can see, the Cerwin-Vega SL-15 differs from most other bigger speakers on the list for its small size. Don’t be fooled though: the 8″ woofer is able to give a solid and thumping deep bass response. It also has a bass reflex cabinet, for even better performance on this particular frequency range.
Product Specifications
- 2-Way Floor Standing Speakers
- 1″ Soft Dome Tweeter
- 8″ Woofer
- Peak Power: 150 Watts
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- As we discussed, despite its size, the SL-15 is still able to produce a solid response in the low frequencies.
- Similarly, the high frequencies have a great sound due to the soft-dome 1″ tweeter.
- Sleek, clean design that can be concealed on any setup. The grilles are also removable.
- Compact and lightweight.
Cons
- May need an external amplifier to work properly. This will depend on how much power your AV receiver can supply to these speakers.
- Only compatible with 2.0 surround sound.
Conclusion
The Cerwin-Vega SL-8 performance surprised us. We like the fact that it is smaller than other options on the list but still delivers a decent response across all of the frequency spectrum. While these speakers are marketed for home theater use, they can also be used for live music or DJ events as well.
There are a few drawbacks though, such as that these are only compatible with 2.0 surround sound. Depending on your particular application, you may want a more versatile option.
Tip: If you’re looking for speakers specifically for live music, check out our Best Powered Speakers for Live Band article.
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6. BIC America Venturi DV84
The BIC America Venturi DV84 has a very clear sound with no distortion when listening to music with high bass, due to its dual-woofer with dual passive resonators design. Furthermore, the build quality and the overall design of this tower speaker are superb.
Product Specifications
- 2-Way Floor Standing Speakers
- .75″ Tweeter
- Dual 8″ Active Woofers
- Dual 8″ Passive Radiators
- Peak Power: 250 Watts
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- Great design, will easily match most setups.
- Apart from the dual 8″ active woofers, these also have dual 8″ passive radiators, for an even better response especially in the low end of the frequency spectrum.
- Magnetic shielded: this feature prevents any video and noise interference.
- High peak power, will probably sound good even without an amplifier.
- Impressive frequency response, especially in the sub-bass range: 24Hz to 22kHz
Cons
- None.
Conclusion
This might be the floor-standing speaker with one of the widest frequency responses on the market: it goes down to 24Hz, ensuring the best bass performance for your set. This is particularly great if you like to listen to music with a lot of low-end content.
Furthermore, the BIC America Venturi DV84 has great reviews from customers on the internet and a price that, while not as affordable as some other options on the list, is still quite honest considering everything you get with this product.
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7. Elac Debut 2.0 F5.2
The Elac Debut 2.0 F5.2 is known for its solid construction and its flexibility since it can be placed both vertically and horizontally. You should also take into account that these floor speakers are built to last since they are covered with woven material and a thick cabinet. The design is also very appealing.
Product Specifications
- 3-Way Floor Standing Speakers
- 1″ Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 5 ¼ Mid Range Woofer
- Dual 5 ¼ Bass Woofers
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- Compatible with most AV drivers and home theater systems.
- Excellent build quality.
- Internal bracing to reduce vibrations and therefore resonance.
- The dual 5 ¼ woofers dedicated for the low frequencies are excellent at producing a thumping deep bass sound.
- Similarly, the mid-range gets a dedicated 5 ¼ woofer in this product so you can expect a lot of presence in your sound.
- The woofers are built out of aramid fiber, a high-quality material.
Cons
- High price.
Conclusion
The Elac Debut 2.0 F5.2 does a great job. Something that particularly caught our attention with this 3-way floor standing speaker is the quality of the materials and the fact that the brand has one of the most descriptive, easy-to-understand guides about the components and the technology behind this product.
This kind of justifies its higher price: buying a pair of these will exceed our $500 budget a little bit. While you would be getting speakers of excellent quality, there are more affordable options on the list that offer a better value for the price, in our opinion.
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8. Dayton Audio T652-AIR
The Dayton Audio T652-AIR is one of the best floor standing speakers under 500 because it has the ability to produce high-quality sound without breaking the bank. It also has an RMS power supply so you can rely on its output for many years to come.
Product Specifications
- 2-Way Floorstanding Speakers
- 1″ AMT Tweeter
- Dual 6-½” Woofers
Advantages & Disadvantages
Pros
- Ported bass-reflex design. This feature will largely prevent any resonance build-up in the low frequencies.
- Slim profile cabinet.
- The speaker’s overall design is very elegant and aesthetically pleasing.
- Low cost.
- High ratings and positive reviews across the internet from various buyers.
Cons
- The speaker’s crossover network is not as advanced as some of its competitors.
- No surround compatibility.
Conclusion
At an ok price, the Dayton Audio T652-AIR are affordable floor standing speakers with many features that contribute to its audio quality. For a start, the dual 6 ½” woofers paired with the ported bass-reflex design are excellent for fans of music genres with a deep low end. These can also get very loud without any distortion.
The only thing lacking was surround compatibility. There are other standing speaker models in the same price range that are compatible with the technology. Depending on the application you have in mind this could be a dealbreaker.
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Things to Look for When Buying Floor Standing Speakers Under 500
Frequency Response
Knowing the frequency response of your floor-standing speakers is very important to ensure you have balanced sound output. The frequency response of different speakers is typically expressed in a range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The higher the range, the more details it can produce.
We would also like to note that other factors come into play regarding the balance of your sound output, including room acoustics and speaker placement. To get a better sound quality, you should place your speakers in the optimum position to avoid sound reflections and resonances.
Number of Drivers (2-Way vs 3-Way, etc.)
Floor-standing speakers come in various configurations, but the most frequent types you’re going are 2-way, 3-way, and 4-way speakers. 2-way speakers have two drivers, one for bass and the other for high frequencies. 3-way speakers add a third driver, one for mid frequencies. 4-way speakers add a fourth driver, which is used to play low frequencies.
While, as you can see, some speakers have fewer drivers than others, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are of bad quality. The best choice will highly depend on your needs and demands. For example, if you’re looking for more powerful bass, then maybe you should choose a speaker with at least two woofers. If it’s not important to you – then maybe one woofer is enough.
Surround Sound System and AV Driver Compatibility
Especially if you plan to install your floor-standing speakers in a home theater, you must be aware of their surround sound system compatibility. There are several surround system types: 5.1, 7.1, Dolby Atmos, etc. Whether the product is compatible or not will depend on its specifications and your AV driver.
Most floor standing speakers are compatible with the 5.1 system. It contains five speakers and one woofer. There are five speakers placed in the front of the room: two front, two rear, and one center speaker. The woofer is placed at the bottom of the room as a subwoofer.
If you plan to buy floor-standing speakers to build a surround sound system, you need to check its specifications first to find out whether they can be connected to your AV driver or not. If it has only one input port that can connect to an AV receiver, then there is no problem because this will work well with your surround sound setup.
However, if it has two input ports then you must choose between connecting it to an AV receiver or a home theater processor.
Build Quality
Of course, you must always choose floor-standing speakers that have a great build quality and good components. During our time reviewing the products on this list, we gave special attention to the materials inside these speakers. Most companies are very transparent and descriptive about this matter, so we didn’t experience any lack of information.
Tip: If you’re looking for speakers for your car audio system with a great bass quality, make sure to check our Best 6.5 Inch Speakers for Bass article.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Passive Radiator?
Sometimes, you can see two or more passive radiators on a single speaker system. In this case, they work independently and help to reinforce bass frequencies even more.
What is a Speaker Crossover? Do I Need an External One?
For example, three-way speakers will have a subwoofer for the bass, a woofer for the mid frequencies, and a tweeter for the high-end. The task of the crossover is to send the correct information to each of these components.
Most consumer-grade speakers, AV drivers, and home theater processors already feature a built-in crossover, so you will probably not need an external one. But it is always worth it double-checking.
What is the Difference Between Floor Standing and Bookshelf Speakers?
Bookshelf speakers are smaller and meant to be placed on desks. Most of the time they are active speakers, meaning they have a built-in power system.
Conclusion
After testing these 8 products in search of the best floor standing speaker, we come to the conclusion that the best setup for your sound system will highly depend on your particular use case.
If you are primarily buying your speakers to listen to music, you need a setup capable of delivering you a full bass response and crisp sound. If it is for watching movies, then compatibility with the latest surround sound technologies is a very important factor.
Regardless of your preference, there are four main factors you should pay attention to to make sure you’re buying a quality product: frequency response, number of drivers on the cabinet, AV driver compatibility, and build quality.
Our favorite floor-standing speaker on the list was the Polk Audio Monitor XT60, which performed great considering all of the important characteristics we discussed. We also know that affordability is an important factor for most people, so we picked the Sony SSC3 as our favorite budget speakers. Keep reading below to learn more.
Polk Audio Monitor XT60 – Best Floorstanding Speakers Under 500
Priced at around $200 each by the time this article was written, these are the best floor standing speakers on the list. Polk Audio is excellent at providing great audio quality for an affordable price. A pair of these will suit most sound systems, be it for listening to music or watching movies.
Our favorite feature in the Monitor XT60 floor standing speaker is its compatibility with most surround sound technologies. Providing your AV driver is compatible, this product will give you the most immersive experience.
Sony SSC3 – Best Budget Floor Standing Speakers
We chose the Sony SSC3 as our budget choice on the list because they are extremely affordable (around $100 for a single floor-standing speaker). For this price, these are the budget speakers with the best audio quality. You won’t regret buying those.
How to Buy
You can click the name of each product on our list to find them on Amazon. Make sure to do your research before buying: we have lots of related articles about speakers on our website.Without further ado, we hope our best floor standing speaker under 500 article was helpful. Feel free to get in touch if you’d like to discuss more about the subject or have any questions we could help with!
Ian Sniesko is an experienced music producer and musician who loves to share his knowledge about the best audio equipment for making and enjoying great music. For the past 6 years, Ian has written extensively about the audio equipment industry and has contributed to many of the top music magazines.