As pop legend Sir Cliff Richard once sung while rollerskating around wearing a Sony Walkman: I like small speakers. I like tall speakers. If they’ve music, they’re wired for sound.
But while I share his enthusiasm for speakers in a variety of sizes, I do wish that some of them were a bit more interesting to look at as well as to listen to: I’m writing this in a room containing three sets of rectangular vertical speakers, all of which came in a choice of black, black or black.
Samsung Music Studio 5 and 7
I really loved the design of Samsung’s latest Music Studio speakers, especially the Music Studio 5 in white: like my colleague Matt Bolton, the first thing they reminded me of was Braun’s Dieter Rams: they look like a long-lost relative of the Braun clocks I have in my home. And because they’re Samsung, there’s substance to match the style: the Music Studio 5 promises to punch above its weight in the bass department thanks to Samsung’s AI Dynamic Bass control. It doesn’t do Hi-Res Audio but the larger, louder Music Studio 7 does, and that one’s built for spatial audio too.
IKEA Solskydd
Given their size and shape, I very much doubt that the new IKEA Solskydd speakers will deliver room-filling audiophile-approved sound. But with a choice of three sizes and the ability to put them pretty much anywhere the Solskydd are super cute, perfect for casual listening and, in the orange-y version pictured above, enjoyable to look at. And on the subject of brightly colored speakers…
Cambridge L/R active bookshelf speakers
Which speaker did you notice first in the image above? If it wasn’t the orange one I’d be very surprised. Cambridge Audio’s recently announced L/R Series isn’t the first orange speaker by any means – we’ve seen plenty from the likes of KEF – but it’s a departure for the audio brand and it’s a great color. There are other, more sober options but as the former owner of an orange Apple iBook – still to my mind the prettiest computer ever made – there’s only one Cambridge color I’d want in my house.
Harman Kardon SoundSticks 5 Wi-Fi
I had a set of Harman Kardon SoundSticks about a million years ago to go with my candy-colored Mac, so seeing this latest generation has taken me back in time to my happy place. There’s nothing retro about the tech inside this new version: they’re wireless speakers with integrated lighting and HDMI ARC.
IKEA Kallsup
Because I am a giant child, I can’t read this product name without swapping the K for a B. But that’s not the only childlike joy I’m getting from IKEA’s titchy 10-buck Bluetooth speakers. They’re LEGO for your ears, stackable, brightly colored cubes with Bluetooth 5.3 and the ability to play through 100 of them simultaneously. Admittedly that would mean shelling out nearly a grand, which would pay for considerably better speakers such as the Audio Pro A36. But do the Audio Pros come in lime? No, they do not.
Eversolo SE100
I didn’t set out to have an IKEA-themed speaker selection, but in addition to the retailer’s own products we also saw the rather inspired Eversolo SE100 speakers, designed specifically to fit in the square spaces of the super-popular IKEA Kallax shelves. That’s smart: IKEA Kallax are widely used as places to put turntables and to store vinyl, so having speakers made just for them (and their many imitators) is inspired. These square speakers have a serious spec, and unlike your Kallax, you don’t need an Allen key and a friend to set them up.
The best Bluetooth speakers for all budgets
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