In the constantly changing and evolving world of speaker technology there always seems to be new brands, new models, and new designs. It can be hard to decide which speaker is best for you without sitting and doing the research and even worse if you are trying to upgrade your current home theater setup.

The last thing you want to do is waste your money and it can be hard to find the right speaker to fit your budget or understand if the increase in price is worth it.

As with any form of speaker system, the prices often don’t directly correlate with sound quality, so it can be hard to truly judge a speaker without actually using it. Now more than ever there is a myriad of models and brands to choose from.

Tower speakers are a great way to pimp out your living room with a big sound system, or simply to improve on your existing system. Tower speakers often require an amplifier in order to get the most from the speakers and its wattage.

A tower speaker, or floorstanding speaker, is a tall but thin speaker that stands on the floor and usually flanks your TV. Many people chose to expand their system with multiple units at different locations in the room in order to create the surround sound cinema experience.

Tower speakers are generally designed for domestic purposes, for getting that surround sound, cinema-style audio you want for your favorite film, or simply making your music playlists pop that little bit more.

They are designed to have enough bass capacity to provide the boom to explosions and the treble to those creeping string section moments. You should be able to play both music and movies through your speakers and they can provide some great versatility in this sense.

Yet, if you only want studio suited speakers then tower speakers may not be the best choice from this market. But don’t fear, we have found the best tower speakers for your money, so you don’t have to! Read on to learn more about the best tower speakers under $1000 so you don’t have to.

Best Tower Speakers Under $1000

Polk Monitor XT70 Large Tower Speaker

Polk Monitor XT70 Large Tower Speaker - Hi-Res Audio Certified, Dolby Atmos & DTS:X Compatible, 1' Tweeter, (2) 6.5' Dynamically Balanced Woofers, (2) 8' Passive Radiators, (Single, Midnight Black)

Polk aren’t a home brand name but have created a high performance tower speaker that will satisfy all your bass needs in your home.

These large speakers come with 2 expertly balanced subwoofers as well as 2 passive radiators, this makes for some squeaky clean mids and some seriously responsive bass – having one each side of your TV will easily create a cinema experience from the comfort of your couch.

Although Polk has integrated a stereo configuration which makes these towers pretty great for playing music through as well.

These speakers produce a hi-fi stereo sound that will satisfy all your audio needs when it comes to both movies and music.

Our only quandary is that these speakers aren’t that subtle in terms of design, they aren’t going to blend into your living room furniture, they’re big and look like studio speakers.

Overall, these speakers acoustically punch way above their price, which we love.

Pros:

  • Genuine hi-fi stereo sound
  • Doesn’t pull punches with integrated hardware
  • Works great for both music and movies
  • Provides the acoustic and cinematic experience most customers would be happy with

Cons:

  • The speaker design isn’t particularly subtle and stands out among furniture.
Sale
Polk Monitor XT70 Large Tower Speaker - Hi-Res Audio Certified, Dolby Atmos & DTS:X Compatible, 1" Tweeter, (2) 6.5" Dynamically Balanced Woofers, (2) 8" Passive Radiators, (Single, Midnight Black)
  • LARGE HIGH-PERFORMANCE TOWER SPEAKER - Polk Monitor XT70 features a 1" Tweeter, (2) 6.5" Dynamically Balanced Woofers & (2) 8" Passive Radiators that deliver open mid-range & punchy, responsive bass in an immersive soundstage in your movies, TV & music
  • PREMIUM BUILD QUALITY AND MODERN DESIGN - An upgrade to the critically acclaimed Monitor series, the Polk Monitor XT series features latest innovations in affordable, great sounding speakers, and their stylish design blends with any home décor
  • HIGH RESOLUTION SOUND FROM ALL INPUTS - Auro 3D compatible, Monitor XT70's 4- & 8-Ohm amplifiers deliver Dolby Atmos & DTS:X surround sound from your favorite sources, including online streaming via Apple Music, Amazon Music HD, Tidal, Spotify and more
  • EASY SETUP AND PLACEMENT - The MXT70 floor-standing speaker comes with rubber feet designed for both carpet and hardwood floors, providing improved stability and flexible placement. Enjoy room-filling, rich audio from wherever you are sitting
  • CREATE AN AFFORDABLE HOME THEATER - The timbre matched Polk components ensures seamless speaker-to-speaker blending. Add a tower pair, MXT20 bookshelf pair, MXT35 center, MXT90 height module & MXT12 sub to create a unified surround system

JBL Studio 590 Floorstanding Speaker

JBL Studio 590 Dual 8-Inch Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each)

JBL is a pretty well known brand when it comes to audio tech, and it’s clear why with this speaker.

The sound quality is fit for any studio or home theater thanks to the dual low-frequency transducers that creates powerful bass resonance, high frequency compression drivers that produces a clear high end even at low volume, as well as a clever and practical inclusion on a bi-radial high-frequency horn which inhibits high frequency interaction with other furniture and walls which helps create a richer and clearer sound in the living room.

The design incorporates a MDF enclosure which while durable also helps to create a clear and crisp sound and resonance that will make the mid frequencies sing.

While the product prides it’s sleek design, it still isn’t particularly subtle or incognito, at least not as much as some of JBL’s other more expensive products. This product is designed well by audio experts in the market who can provide studio quality audio in your home.

Pros:

  • Seriously smooth sound, clear highs and resonant lows 
  • Works well at high and low volumes
  • Well designed
  • Audio source is well hidden

Cons:

  • Again, a more incognito design would be desirable to integrate seamlessly into their environment.
JBL Studio 590 Dual 8-Inch Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each)
  • Dual 8-Inch (200mm) Low-Frequency Transducers with PolyPlas cones
  • 1-Inch (25mm) High-Frequency Compression Driver
  • Glass-filled ABS Bi-Radial High-Frequency Horn
  • 3/4-Inch (19mm) ultra-ridged MDF Enclosure
  • Exclusive Design

Q Acoustics 3050i Floorstanding Speaker Pair

Q Acoustics 3050i Floorstanding Speakers Pair English Walnut - 2-Way Reflex Enclosure, Bass Driver: 2 x 6.5, Tweeter: 0.9' - Tall Stereo Speakers for Surround Sound System/Home Theater Audio

These floorstanding speakers from Q acoustics integrate all the best bits from their critically acclaimed Concept 500 series which provides these tower speakers their studio hi-fi quality.

A high frequency driver unit and a mid/bass driver team together to create a brilliant soundstage that offers punchy and dynamic audio.

The studio imaging and separation was really impressive for its price point; the interplay between the left and right speaker was clearly evident.

Point to point bracing is also included which prevents annoying high frequency interaction with furniture as well as HPE technology which prevents cabinet resonance and annoying rattling.

The speakers also come with lots of helpful accessories such as foam bungs, grilles, stabilisers, as well as carpet spikes and fixing screws for added stability.

These speakers also boast an attractive design that does well to blend in with your TV and its surroundings, take this even further with an ‘English Walnut’ design to help it match your living room. You can trust these speakers to produce some high quality sound.

Pros:

  • A sleek design that doesn’t stand out too much among other furniture and tech
  • Impressive soundstage and studio quality imaging and separation.
  • Practical engineering to stop pesky rattling and distortion of physical hardware
  • Genuine cinema and studio quality audio
  • Plenty of practical and useful add-ons included in the box

Cons:

  • Some customers report them falling over on carpeted surfaces when not attached to the wall.

Kilpsch F-300 Floorstanding Speaker

Klipsch Synergy Black Label F-300 Floorstanding Speaker with Proprietary Horn Technology, Dual 8” High-Output Woofers, with Room-Filling Sound in Black

Klipsch have created a fairly popular series of speakers that receive acclaim for their value and impressive sonic capabilities.

A dynamic tweeter and dual IMG woofers help form the studio quality audio that works really well with both movies and music and enables you to play at high volume without distortion.

Clever design choices such as suspending the speaker above the ground slightly help prevent physical vibration issues. The ‘Tractrix’ horn technology means that no matter where you place the speakers the audio will still be clear and crisp.

They provide studio quality audio for both movies and music that doesn’t fatigue over time.

While Klipsch tries to make the speaker able to integrate seamlessly into your living room with a matte vinyl wood finish on the speaker, we just don’t understand the choice to make the subwoofers bright orange – we find they stand out a little in a domestic setting.

Overall these speakers produce sound that has quality way beyond their price point.

Pros:

  • Clean highs and resonant bass that doesn’t distort at high volumes or over time.
  • Studio quality sound
  • Don’t need to be frustratingly close together in order to get good directional sound
  • Great bass resonance from the dual subwoofers on each speaker

Cons:

  • Bronze colored subwoofers are rather unsightly and reflect the sun in a strange way, and could conceal themselves better among other furniture.
Sale
Klipsch Synergy Black Label F-300 Floorstanding Speaker with Proprietary Horn Technology, Dual 8” High-Output Woofers, with Room-Filling Sound in Black
  • Dynamic 1" tweeter, dual 8" high-output woofers
  • Fills large rooms with lifelike music and film sound reproduction
  • Highly efficient design produces more output using less energy
  • Accurate, non-fatiguing sound provides hours of listening pleasure
  • Plays louder with less distortion than the competition

Sony SSCS3 Floorstanding Speaker

Sony SSCS3 3-Way Floor-Standing Speaker (Single) - Black

Sony is a recognisable brand in this market for quality sound and they don’t scrimp when it comes to these 3-way speakers. Sony utilises a three-way speaker system, this means they have separate drivers, 3 in all, for the mids, the lows and the highs, as well as a subwoofer and tweeter.

This delivers a surprisingly good sound for the price of these speakers. Many customers report that these sound better than their pricer speaker systems.

The tweeters help spread a clear high frequency across the room and the micra-reinforced woofer cones help deliver a bassy low end. Some customers even found the bass to be too much in certain situations and too in your face for a side position.

Clever design builds such as tapered edges help suppress unnecessary noises and rattles from the physical components. Their wattage is pretty serious at 145W which is on the higher end in the market.

Once more, the clunky plastic design leaves much to be desired in terms of integrating into your living room’s aesthetic. You can trust Sony to produce some quality speakers that are great for their price.

Pros:

  • 3-way driver system creates a studio quality sound
  • Big bass sound for those who want it
  • Great sound return for the pricing

Cons:

  • Clunky design stands out in living room
  • Bass can be a little too much for some, and can make them too in your face within a whole surround sound system.
Sony SSCS3 3-Way Floor-Standing Speaker (Single) - Black
  • Floor standing speaker with Hi-Res Audio perfect for your home theater or music listening setup, sold individually, not as a pair.
  • Amplify your movie, music, and gaming experience with a speaker that provides full frequency audio with a three-way coaxial, four-driver speaker system
  • Create a robust 5.1.2 home theater setup perfect for Dolby Atmos with the complete range of CS speakers from Sony with 2 SSCS3 tower speakers, 1 SSCS8 center channel speaker, 2 SSCS5 bookshelf speakers, 2 SSCSE Dolby Atmos enabled speakers, and the SACS9 subwoofer
  • ¾ in. super tweeter and 1” tweeter accurately reproduce high frequency sounds for an expansive soundstage
  • Dual 5.12” woofers delivers deep, stable bass and detailed mid-range sounds

Dayton Audio T652 2-Way Tower Speaker

Dayton Audio T652 Dual 6-1/2' 2-Way Tower Speaker Pair

Dayton is not a home brand yet but has produced some decent speakers that can rival their competitors. These speakers from Dayton provide some impressive sound for their budget pricing.

Dual 6 ½ inch woofers help provide a great bass sound in cahoots with the impressive polycarbonate tweeter that helps pleasantly disperse the high frequencies.

Even though these speakers are relatively small in stature in comparison to other models on the market, they produce an impressive sound and volume for their size.

Some customers report that when playing at full volume the highs can get a bit too much, and certain bass frequencies can cause a strange distortion through the tweeters.

The general design of the Dayton tower speakers are pretty bland but it means they integrate relatively well into a living room, the slim but tall design can make them topple over but carpet spikes can be bought additionally to prevent this.

Due to a 30W woofer and 10W tweeter you shouldn’t expect concert level audio but they do okay with a conservative amplifier and generally perform pretty well for their price.

Pros:

  • An impressive sound performance for the price, that will suit those who aren’t bothered about breaking the bank for some mid-range speakers.
  • Produce decent sound for their value price and small stature
  • Have a fairly unnoticeable design that will blend well into most living rooms.

Cons:

  • Low wattage hardware can’t handle super high volume and certain bass frequencies cause a rumble.
  • Such a slim and tall design requires some fixing to the floor or wall to prevent toppling over.
Dayton Audio T652 Dual 6-1/2" 2-Way Tower Speaker Pair
  • Dual 6-1/2" woofers provide superb bass power and punch
  • 5/8" polycarbonate dome tweeter with ferrofluid cooling
  • Slim-profile tower cabinet won't overwhelm your room
  • Ported bass-reflex design delivers extended, deep bass to 45 Hz
  • Clarity and detail that is exceptional in this price class

Rockville TM80B Tower Speakers

Rockville TM80B Black Home Theater System Tower Speakers 8' Sub/Bluetooth/USB

Rockville has created a budget tower speaker that has some interesting features that set it apart from its competitors.

Before we get into the specifics of the audio engineering, these tower speakers have a built-in FM radio, USB playback, SD card playback, Aux input, Mic input, plus a digital display, all of which can be controlled from a remote control.

Beyond this the remote control can actually manually adjust EQ levels and settings which is helpful  for those who enjoy customisation. Rounded edges and an MDF body help prevent common distortion issues, including RCA inputs for expanding and adding other units. 

Two 8 inch subwoofers and four full range drivers with rubber surrounds and dust cap make for a decent sound quality for the pricing of the product.

While the digital display is unsightly, Rockville provides some great colourways to help blend this system into your living room design and some cool features that make them a worthy competitor within this market.

The bass can prove a little too much, though, and some customers report that there is distortion when adjusted to certain settings. These are common problems that arise with a customisable EQ that isn’t pre-set by sound engineers.

Pros:

  • Awesome features such as radio, aux input, mic input, and digital display make this a product that ticks a few boxes
  • Good colors to choose from to integrate into a room with furniture

Cons:

  • Bass can be a little too punchy
  • Cables are a little too short to spread out in a large room
  • Some room for improvement in terms of equalization and sound quality
  • Some reported distortion at certain EQ configurations
Rockville TM80B Black Home Theater System Tower Speakers 8" Sub/Bluetooth/USB
  • Rockville TM80B Complete Powered Home Theater Tower Speaker System With Dual 8" Subs.Built In Bluetooth with 150 foot range and perfect interference-free sound quality.Built in USB playback.Built in SD card playback.
  • 2)8" subwoofers with incredibly loud and deep bass response.4)Full range drivers: 4" full range drivers with polypropylene cones, rubber surrounds, and bullet dust cap to give you incredible loud and clear sound.2)silk dome tweeters for incredible highs!
  • Peak Power: 800 Watts. RMS Power: 200 Watts. Built in 8 band equalizer with preset equalizer curves. Adjustable bass and treble. Built in high and low pass crossovers professionally tuned by audio engineers for top performance.
  • Built in FM radio with crystal clear reception. Cabinet material: Top quality MDF (0.472" inch thick high-grade MDF). (2) pairs of RCA inputs. (1) 3.5MM aux input. (1) Optical input. Front panel USB and SD inputs. (2) ¼" Mic inputs for karaoke.
  • (2) RCA outputs make the system expandable. Digital display on front panel with brightness control. Incredible design with silver plates surrounding each speaker and modern furniture style look. We also made all the edges and corners rounded.

KEF Q550 Floorstanding Speaker

KEF Q550 Floorstanding Speaker (Each, Black)

This floorstanding speaker is the newest iteration of the award-winning Q series. This newest model features a re-designed cabinet and improved driver array.

KEF’s signature Uni-Q sound technology places the tweeter in the acoustic centre of the speaker, the result is detailed and three dimensional audio quality which provides a super wide dispersion making it ideal for a surround sound system.

The redesigned cabinet reduces the load on the mid frequencies which produces clearer and more detailed sound. This enhancement of the mids helps the bass remain punchy and clean.

The new Q series woofers have a larger roll surround as well as spider suspension to produce clean bass even at high volumes. The build quality is great and the design is relatively sleek, a design KEF are so proud of that they don’t provide a grille.

Some customers have reported some low performance from the low frequencies and the bass, suggesting that without an additional subwoofer the bass can potentially be lacking. KEF has a series of speakers here that have won awards and you can trust them to perform well.

Pros:

  • Uni-Q technology is interesting and specific to KEF, but makes for some great high frequency playback
  • Redesigned cabinet is great for the mid frequencies
  • Tweeters work well to help push the sound to all directions, no matter where you are sitting.

Cons:

  • While KEF are confident enough not to provide a grille, the four drivers can look a bit weird and we didn’t find they integrated all that well.
  • Customers report that the bass resonance isn’t enough for movies but works okay for music. 
Sale
KEF Q550 Floorstanding Speaker (Each, Black)
  • The KEF Q550 Floorstanding speaker is the newest iteration of KEF award-winning Q Series. The Q550 features a redesigned cabinet, sleek new finishes, and an improved Uni-Q Driver Array.
  • The Q550 contains an enhanced Uni-Q Driver Array designed to smooth out treble frequencies, and reimagined crossovers to provide cleaner and more accurate bass.
  • The Q550 features New internal upgrades for its low-frequency drivers, including New Surrounds and rear Suspension, for immaculate bass no matter the volume.
  • The Q550 features a 5.25” Uni-Q Driver Array, one 5.25” bass driver, and two 5.25” auxiliary bass radiators.
  • Q550 Magnetic cloth grilles sold separatley

Our Final Word

Tower speakers are a great buy to expand into a surround sound home theater experience. The prices can vary extensively and often don’t seem to reflect the price. There are so many models, and sometimes the brands we recognise might not deliver as well as the lesser known competitors.

We think these choices give the best picture of the market, your decision on which works best for you depends on how much you can decipher what is good sound and what is bad sound, as well as your specific situation.

The Polk and Q acoustics models are particularly good value for money as they can produce really high quality sound beyond their price point, but the multi-functional features of the Rockville may also tempt you if you aren’t too worried about getting studio quality sound.

Last update on 2023-02-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API