Neither Audioengine HD6 nor Sonos Play 5 were recommended by experts this month
On 7 Mar 2024 (21 days ago) we went through 80 Speakers expert endorsements , however neither Audioengine HD6 nor Sonos Play 5 were included in any of those recommendations. Since neither Speakers received a single endorsement, as far as expert recommendations go, it's technically a tie. We do, however, recommend taking a look at Kef LS50 or other critically acclaimed Bookshelf Speakers of this month.
For reference, Kef LS50 received 5 endorsements this month, from ZD Net (13 Feb 2023), T3 (29 Feb 2024) Gear Patrol (5 Jan 2024) and 2 others.
Rank | Change | Price | Speakers | SoundGuys | ZD Net | Pitchfork | Wirecutter | T3 | Gear Patrol | Rolling Stone | The Master Switch | What Hi-Fi | hifioasis.com |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $1600 | Kef LS50 The Kef LS50 bookshelf speakers are highly recommended for their exceptional sound quality, versatile frequency response, unique design, and range of connectivity options, making them suitable for a range of music genres and listening environments. | - | 4 | - | - | 7 | 2 | - | 3 | 1 | - |
N/A | N/A | $699 | Audioengine HD6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
N/A | N/A | $738 | Sonos Play 5 The Sonos Play 5 is a high-end wireless smart speaker that offers exceptional sound quality and is best used indoors or in a covered outdoor area, making it ideal for large rooms. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Bookshelf Speakers ranking? It's here
Customers like Audioengine HD6 and Sonos Play 5 about the same
At ReviewFinder we prefer to focus on professional product reviews, because customer reviews can be disproportionately affected by unrelated factors such as delivery, specific seller listing problems, and, of course, fake reviews. With that said, below is the summary of consumer sentiment.
Sonos Play 5
CS of 10 is similar to a 4.8 star review, CS of 0 is similar to a 2 star review.
Both Audioengine HD6 and Sonos Play 5 have very similar great customer reviews.
As can be seen in the chart above, median best-selling speakers receives a consumer score of 9.1 (great). Both Audioengine HD6 and Sonos Play 5 receive customer reviews that average out below that median threshold.
Audioengine HD6 |
In comparison:
8.3 Great
|
Sonos Play 5 |
In comparison:
8.2 Great
|
Median best-selling Speakers |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
|
Sonos Play 5 is more popular than Audioengine HD6
It's fairly safe to say that Sonos Play 5 are more popular speakers than Audioengine HD6, based on their 1,000+ reviews. Popularity is determined based on product sales. Note that older and cheaper products tend to sell more.
To consider
Table: Top compared alternatives for Audioengine HD6 and Sonos Play 5 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 | $700 |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
| 2 expert recommendations | Better Reviews | |
Klipsch The Fives | $500 |
In comparison:
8.6 Great
| 2 expert recommendations | Cheaper Better Reviews | |
SVS Ultra Bookshelf | $800 |
In comparison:
9.2 Amazing
| 2 expert recommendations | Better Reviews | |
SVS Prime Elevation | $499 |
In comparison:
10.0 Amazing
| No expert recommendations | Cheaper Better Reviews |
Rank | Change | Price | Speakers | SoundGuys | ZD Net | Pitchfork | Wirecutter | T3 | Gear Patrol | Rolling Stone | The Master Switch | What Hi-Fi | hifioasis.com |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $1600 | Kef LS50 The Kef LS50 bookshelf speakers are highly recommended for their exceptional sound quality, versatile frequency response, unique design, and range of connectivity options, making them suitable for a range of music genres and listening environments. | - | 4 | - | - | 7 | 2 | - | 3 | 1 | -
|
2 | +1 | $359 | Q Acoustics 3020i The Q Acoustics 3020i bookshelf speakers offer excellent sound quality, versatility, and a modern design, making them a great option for audiophiles who prioritize accuracy and transparency in their sound system. | - | - | 7 | 2 | - | 9 | - | 4 | - | 5 |
3 | New * | $700 | Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
4 | +1 | Check price | Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 The Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 Anniversary Edition bookshelf speaker delivers excellent sound performance across the frequency range, with punchy and dynamic bass, a wide frequency response, and a purposeful design, making it a great choice for music and home theater use. | - | 5 | - | - | 5 | 7 | - | 9 | - | - |
Show all rows |
- PREMIUM BLUETOOTH BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS - The Audioengine HD6 Bluetooth Speakers are the best wireless speakers to use as gaming monitor speakers, TV speakers, a home stereo system, and more. Designed for the way people listen to music today, these wireless powered speakers can easily connect to phones, tablets, TVs, or desktop computers up to 100 ft away with extended-range HD Bluetooth and 24-bit DAC.
- Read more
- Our biggest and best-sounding speaker featuring six amplifiers with six dedicated speaker drivers. Fill even the largest rooms with pure, brilliant sound. Stereo pair for an even better sound experience.
- Read more
Tweeters produce the highest frequencies in sound, typically anything above 2,000 Hz. Usually located at the top of the speaker, tweeters come in different shapes (detailed below) and sizes. Generally speaking, the size of the tweeter is not as important as the shape. But, for some guidance, consider that a larger tweeter (measured by diameter in inches or millimeters) will likely be louder and able to disperse sound over a larger area.
Speakers with midrange drivers (i.e., at least three-way speakers) have a distinct advantage over two-way speakers. Adding a midrange driver to the mix allows tweeters and woofers to focus on the sound waves they’re best equipped to produce—high tones and low tones respectively. More specific and focused drivers means more accurate, robust sound. Compared to the other drivers, midranges cover sounds, not surprisingly, in the middle of high/treble and low/bass tones. The human voice and most instruments fall into this range. For more sophisticated listeners, or for those who truly want the best sound reproduction, a midrange driver is crucial.
The woofer is the driver that is responsible for low frequency sounds and bass - crucial for well-rounded, booming sound. It is the biggest driver in size, and is usually shaped like a cone. When reviewing different bookshelf speakers, you will often see a measurement in the product name, starting as low as 4” and ranging to 6 ½” or more. This measurement refers to the diameter of the woofer. A general rule of thumb is a bigger woofer means louder, more powerful bass. But, as with any speaker metric, this number alone doesn’t describe the loudness of the speaker and should be taken into consideration with other measurements such as sensitivity, which describes the loudness of a speaker per watt.
- Antenna
- Speaker wire (16AWG)
- Power cable
- Mini-jack audio cable
- RCA audio cable
- Compatible with PC, Mac, tablets or smartphones
- Comes with aluminum remote control
Audioengine HD6 are a popular and one of the most expensive options. They're in the top 3 bestselling speakers and have dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 or Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin .
Audioengine HD6 were released in 2017. There are more than 5 newer speakers on the market. Show newer Speakers
Audioengine HD6 are $419.01 more expensive than average speakers ($279.99).
Sonos Play 5 are a very popular and one of the most expensive options. They're in the top 3 bestselling speakers and have dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Klipsch Reference RW-51M or Dynaudio Emit M10 .
Sonos Play 5 are $468.01 more expensive than average speakers ($279.99).