X

Readers' Choice: Your picks for the best speaker and headphone bargains

The Audiophiliac wants to hear from his readers about the cheapest, but good-sounding speakers and headphones. How low can you go?

Steve Guttenberg
Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has also worked as a high-end audio salesman, and as a record producer. Steve currently reviews audio products for CNET and works as a freelance writer for Stereophile.
Steve Guttenberg

p1230821.jpg
Steve Guttenberg/CNET

I regularly fill this blog with speaker and headphone reviews, but now it's your turn. I'd love to hear from readers about the cheapest, but good-sounding ones out there. One of my go-to budget headphones is the MonoPrice 8323 over-the-ear model, and I've championed the Dayton Audio B652 speakers for years; the new B652-AIR is a little pricier, but still very affordable. The Audioengine A2+ and JBL LSR305 desktop speakers are astonishing budget performers. I've reviewed hundreds and hundreds of speakers, and heard thousands more, but there must be a lot of undiscovered gems, old and new, out there craving wider recognition. But rather than open the floodgates, I want to focus on the most affordable speakers and headphones. How cheap is cheap? That's entirely up to you, and feel free to substitute "value" for cheap recommendations; I think the Tekton M-Lore and Magnepan MMG tower speakers are incredible values.

For this blog I restrict reviews to new products anyone can find, but you guys can write about a pair of ratty speakers you discovered in the street that still sound great. In fact, the cheaper the speaker or headphone, the more I want to hear about it. Thrift store finds are welcome. Sound quality should be part of the mix as well; share as much info as you please in the comments section. There are always deals at garage sales and on eBay, but if it looks too good to be true, proceed with caution.