The Best Tower Speakers for Music Listening

You may be sitting at home listening to your favorite music.  You may be watching a movie full of action sequences and special effects. But, you can’t seem to get the most out of the listening experience because of the poor audio quality. Your sound equipment is not that good, and it frustrates you. You wish you have the better gear so you can enjoy the music, dialogue, and sound effects. The best tower speakers for music listening allows you to have a better audio experience.

The following will help audiophiles and beginner audio enthusiasts choose a tower speaker. These are among the greatest speakers available on the market.

The Top-rated Tower Speakers Comparison Table

Model

Dimensions

Color

Weight

Polk Audio T50

8.75X9.25X36.5

inches

Black

20.35

lbs

Sony SSCS3

14.2X11.5X40.2

inches

Black

10

lbs

Klipsch RP-280F

18.4X10.6X43.1

inches

Ebony

62.5

lbs

Yamaha NS-F210BL

9.4X9.4X41.4

inches

Black

16.09

lbs

Onkyo SKF-4800

12X11.6X40.7

inches

Black

37.48

lbs

Samsung TW-J5500

41.1X14.2X19.3

inches

Black

61.1

lbs

Polk Audio RTI A9

48.6X8.9X21.4

inches

Black/Cherry

75

lbs

Contents

The tower speakers for music listening 2021

1. Polk Audio T50 (best tower speakers under 500)

The Polk T50 is a bestselling tower speaker known for its quality and affordability. These reasons alone are enough for the T50 to make it to the top of this list. It also includes features found in much pricier tower speakers.

The components of the T50 use Polk’s exclusive Dynamic Balance technology. The Polk T50 has a 1” silk dome tweeter and a dedicated 6.5″ midrange/extended throw composite driver.

It also has two bass radiators. These enable it to produce clean, natural, warm, and balanced sounds. It has broad dispersion speakers that allow for a consistent audio experience.

Only the top woofer is active and produces sound.  The other two woofers are passive radiators. This means that there are no wires connected to them. They augment the main woofer and lets bass flow in a natural and controlled manner. This enables it to produce bass with better quality.

The T50 supports Dolby DTS, and it is compatible with most home theater equipment. It comes with a removable grill, depending on the user. The tower speaker is also straightforward to setup.

The Polk T50 captures the harmonic structure of different instruments in the audio.  It also does a beautiful job of maintaining the nature of the instrument. The tweeter and midrange driver produce very accurate vocals and dialogue (movies).

Polk T50 150 Watt Home Theater Floor Standing

Click image for more info.

It includes two performance-tuned sub-bass radiators that produce excellent audio quality. The 6 ohms nominal impedance range allows it to accept more power from the amplifiers. The T50 has a five-way binding post on the back panel that makes attaching speaker cables very easy.

The MDF grade cabinet construction reduces distortion and resonance common in most audio systems. The semi-gloss speaker cabinet hides dust and fingerprints. You can also repurpose it to surround speakers if you choose to upgrade it to one.

You also don’t need a lot of power to get a good sound out of the speakers. An entry-level receiver works and gets the speakers to perform well. 

When pushed past 80dB (which is the same as a commercial theater), one can notice signs of distortion. The 90dB sensitivity range will make the bass sound to begin to distort. This is one of the main cons of this product.

Another con is that the T50 is a small speaker. It won’t be able to fill up a big room with a loud sound. The tower speaker is well-suited for small to medium-sized rooms.

The T50 is one of the most affordable tower speakers that perform well. You don’t have to pay a lot for this speaker to have an enjoyable musical experience.

2. Sony SS-CS3 3-Way Floor-Standing Speaker

Next up is a tower speaker from Sony. With its dimensions, this floor speaker takes up very little room. The main component of the speaker is a pair of “super tweeters.” These allow for sound reproduction of up to 50 kHz (The human ear is only capable of hearing up to 20 kHz).

The higher frequency provides a wider bandwidth and high resolution for digital files. The super tweeters produce balanced energy and create a pleasant listening atmosphere. The speaker system can handle up to 145W at peak power. This helps deliver one of the most powerful sounds for a standing floor speaker system.

The Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) fiber woofers are very strong. This allows the system to achieve an optimized bass sound. The fiber also gives it the ability to keep its shape even when the bass gets turned to the max.   

The mid-range speaker sounds good when playing high-resolution audio. But lower-quality music recordings may sound muffled. This is one of the main cons for this speaker.

Another is that the front-ported speaker provides less bass sound. You may need a powered subwoofer for the lower bass range. The high-resolution speakers may not sound great when connected to lower-end receivers.

But even with these few shortcomings, these speakers are still good for a home theater system. It also performs well when playing high-resolution audio.

3. Klipsch RP-280F

This is the most expensive tower speaker on this list. The RP-280F is also the largest in the Reference Premiere line of products.

Klipsch RP-280F Reference Premiere Floorstanding Speaker

Click image for more info.

Klipsch designed The RP-280F as a high-fidelity loudspeaker. It brings in innovation and technologies from the company’s premium product range. The sound it produces is immaculate and more neutral than other Klipsch speakers. It also does a great job of filling any room with theater-quality sound.

You can use the RP-280F as a standalone stereo setup. You can also pair it up with other speakers for a multi-channel installation. 

The copper cone woofers and the titanium tweeter deliver clear and concise frequencies. This combination provides for superb bass performance. The redesigned 90×90 Hybrid Tractrix Horn also offers a wide dispersion area.

The horn drivers direct the sound at the listener, and also make the sound louder. The horn-loaded speakers do not waste energy by bouncing sound off the walls. 

At the back end is the rear-firing Tractrix port. This produces a deep and powerful bass response without any air noise. The rigid MDF cabinet houses the powerful speaker components.

With a Brushed Polymer Veneer Baffle finish, the speaker exudes a classy appeal. The detachable grill also reveals a clean baffle and the copper coned woofers. Hidden neodymium magnets beneath the baffle hold up the grill in place. It also has a dual binding post for attaching bi-amp connections.

With the RP-280F, you get to hear and feel all the subtlety and big-screen impact that the director intended.

One of the cons of the RP-280F is that it is expensive compared to other tower speakers. Another con is that it is also bulky. But the price is well worth the quality that you get out of the speakers. It also sounds big as it looks. 

4. Yamaha NS-F210BL 2-Way Bass-Reflex Floorstanding Speaker

From the most expensive, we come down to a cheaper tower speaker. Although it is much less expensive, it doesn’t mean that this is a low-quality tower speaker. The product has a perfect rating because of its look and performance.

It has a slim design that makes it a perfect pair for flat-screen TV’s. The lean tower speaker looks and blends well inside smaller rooms. It also weighs less, and it is very portable. It is also straightforward to hide if you want them stashed away.

But the slim design also implies that it contains smaller drivers. The aluminum woofers and balanced dome tweeters can only go as low as 50Hz. You will need a subwoofer if you want to get more moderate levels of bass. 

The highest frequency response of 45 kHz is perfect for music enthusiasts. With the proper setup, these tower speakers are also perfect for a home theater.

If you’re on a tight budget and have a smaller living space, this tower speaker will suit you well.

5. Onkyo SKF-4800

Onkyo is famous for making good quality budget-priced audio equipment. The SKF-4800 is the company’s best value tower speaker. This is one good reason why this tower speaker deserves to be on this list.

The twin/dual 16 cm. Cone woofers allow the SKF-4800 to deliver stirring sounds. Classical scores, musicals, and rock anthems will sound great on the SKF-4800. Its output also provides excellent details beyond the spectrum, even at higher volumes.

The 2.5 cm Soft-Dome Tweeter brings out the higher frequency with precision. The woofer equalizer allows for quick and accurate bass response. It also has an MDF stabilizer for preventing any vibration.

The tower speaker has a stylish design that can complement a stereo system. The SKF-4800 is also an easy plug and play tower speaker to set up. You can also create a surround sound system by using these as the front left and right channels. 

Some of the cons of the SKF-4800 are:The sound can get muffed. You can connect the speaker to an entry-level receiver for a proper surround sound system.

With its dimensions, this is a tremendous speaker with a cabinet design. It may look bulky when placed inside a small room.

6. Samsung TW-J5500 sound tower

The TW-J5500 has more technology built into it than any of the other tower speakers in this list.  This is a 2.2 channel audio system with a horn tweeter and a ported/built-in subwoofer. These features provide for clear audio and deep bass sounds. The 350W peak speaker output can produce a very loud sound.

Samsung TW-J5500 2.2

Click image for more info.

The TW-J5500 speaker comes with a remote control. You can configure and operate it from anywhere in the room. It also has Bluetooth capability. You can connect it to an Android phone, smartphone tablet, or desktop computer.

You can also establish a wireless connection to a Samsung TV via the system’s TV Sound Connect. The speaker also has USB ports for playing audio from external flash/hard drives. You can even record audio straight to the devices connected to the USB ports.

The back panel has several Auxiliary connections for headphones and receivers. It also has an optical input for optical input devices. The speaker comes with an antenna so you can also listen to FM radio.

One of the cons for this speaker is that you can’t control the levels of the treble and bass sounds. The remote control will allow you to change the available sound modes. Another con is that the pair of sound towers weighs 61lbs., so they are a bit heavy. 

7. Polk Audio RTI A9

The last tower speaker is the tallest and heaviest one on this list.  It is another speaker from Polk Audio. With a height of 4 feet and a weight of 75lbs, it’s almost the size of a young person. The speaker comes with many features for delivering high-quality sound and performance. 

It includes power port technology that reduces air turbulence. This is the “chuffing” sound coming out of the port tubes. The port noise occurs during the playing of very low-frequency audio material.

The cabinet of the RTI A9 allows it to produce vivid and accurate sounds. And the enclosed Dynamic Balance drivers deliver audio that sounds lifelike. The RTI A9 also uses laser technology for balanced volume performance. 

Polk also designed the RTI A9 to reduce distortion and unwanted resonance. The tower speaker comes in two colors: black and cherry. It also has a beautiful veneer finish. 

The main con for this tower speaker is that it is heavy. Moving it around will be a chore. Another major con is that it needs a lot of power. You need an external amplifier to make the most of its 500W capacity. 

If you’re looking for a tower speaker that can fill up a large room with sound, the RTI A9 would be your best bet. 

Related: floorstanding tower speakers under $1000

Buyer’s Guide

Tower Speakers buyer guide

You need to take into account a couple of things in buying the best tower speakers for music listening.

  • First is your budgetBuying a good quality tower speaker can be expensive. Sometimes, you may need to purchase new devices to get the most out of your speaker. You should also ensure that the manufacturer offers a warranty for the product.
  • Another thing to take into consideration is the area where you’ll be putting the speakersYou have to be sure to pick the proper type of speakers that fits the size of your room. The aesthetics of the tower speaker can also influence your decision making. Choose one that complements the interior of your home.
  • Last, be on the lookout for dealsYou may be able to get a more expensive tower speaker for a lower price.

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