4 Best Speakers for Jazz & Classical Music in 2022

The reason that we are looking for the best speakers for jazz and classical music today is that these are two genres I always kind of lump in together. I know that some of you are shocked and appalled by that as they are different genres, but I feel they do share a lot of similarities, plus this is my article so I can make up the rules as I go along! What inspired this was a recent guide that we did here on the site called, Our 5 Best Small Vintage Speakers whereas the title suggests we looked at vintage style speakers. I mentioned many times that these speakers were great for stuff like jazz and classical music which is what has brought us here today.

Style And Substance In Equal Measures

At the end of the day, the sound is the most important aspect of any set of speakers. However, like in our Best Vintage Speakers For Metal Music article, I want to pick speakers that do not just sound good, but also look good too. If you have speakers that are out on show, you might as well make sure they have a real sense of style and class about them. When it comes to music, I feel that you do not get much more classy or stylish than jazz and classical music!

The 4 Best Speakers For Jazz And Classical Music Reviews

I wanted to make sure that we had a really good mix here so I have gone for speakers that are at all ends of the pricing spectrum. This way, no matter what your budget is, you will be able to find a great set of speakers here. I have also made sure to have two bookshelf speakers and two floor standing ones too.

1. Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers
2. Klipsch RB-51 II 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers
3. Sony SSCS3 3-Way Floor-Standing Speaker
4. Jamo Studio Series S809 Floorstanding Speaker

1. Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers

I thought I would start this search for the best speakers for jazz and classical music with a set of speakers I know very well, the Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers. Truth be told, I feel these are speakers that are just timeless in their design, but the dark wooden enclosure that Edifier has gone for with this particular set gives them a very classy look, almost like something you could imagine would have been on the walls of a jazz club back in the 50s. These are priced at $99.99 which is an absolute steal for a set of speakers of this kind of quality. There are dials on the side to let you alter the volume, bass, and treble, but this does also come with a remote as well. One of the most surprising things about these is the weight of them, they have a real feel of quality when you hold these for the first time.

I have listened to jazz, classical, rock, pop, and rap through these speakers and I have never been let down with the sound quality. They do have a bit of breaking in required, but if you ask me that is to be expected. From a sound point of view, what I find very impressive about these is that even at louder volumes the sound you get is rich, clear, and not distorted in any way. For a set of speakers that are right at the 100 bucks mark, I feel this is great as I would probably class these as budget priced speakers in all honesty. When it comes to bang for your buck in regards to the sound quality, you will have a hard time finding a set of speakers at the 100 dollars price range that can match what these offer.

What Other People Are Saying

While the speakers in this video unboxing are a slightly lighter shade, the internals are the same so you can get a good idea of what you are getting here in terms of the sound quality:

On Amazon, these are some of the most popular speakers that I have ever see! As of writing these currently have 12,161 customer reviews which is kind of insane! Even more insane is that 93 percent of these reviews are positive! Very few people have anything negative to say about these!

Music Recommendation

Genius + Soul = Jazz by Ray Charles is what I am recommending for you here. This is an awesome album that I got as a gift from my lovely niece last Christmas. This is a truly wonderful transfer and one of the best sounding jazz albums that I have added to my collection over the last couple of years. Ray Charles has some great stuff, but this is probably my favorite album of his.

At the asking price, these Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers are going for, I do not think there is a better value for money option on this entire best speakers for jazz and classical music list! These look very stylish and I cannot think of a room where these would not effortlessly blend in. Above all else, both jazz and classical music sound great through these. Actually, everything that I have ever played has sounded great coming through these!

Pros:

• The design of these truly is timeless
• You will be blown away by how crisp and clear the sound is
• These are very well made
• Not many speakers can match these in terms of value for money

Cons:

• The dials on the side may be a bit distracting
• They do require a fair bit of breaking in

2. Klipsch RB-51 II 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers

I am a huge fan of what these Klipsch RB-51 II 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers offer. These are priced at $199.99 which I think is a fair price for bookshelf speakers of this quality. They are twice as much as the Edifier speakers we just looked at so that is something to consider. What grabs your attention with these and what makes them ideal for this best speakers for jazz and classical music list is the design. These have a very classic design as they are made with this darker looking wood and then complimented with a brass almost gold looking finish. They have a 30s jazz club kind of vibe to me and they would look fantastic in any room. It is worth noting that Klipsch does also have an accompanying center speaker the Klipsch R-52C Powerful Detailed Center Channel Home Speaker which is done in the same style as these, but that would add an extra 180 bucks on to the price!

These have quite a bit of power to them which is evident the first time you use them. Yes, breaking in to get them at optimal performance is going to be something that you have to do. However, these have some real kick to them and best of all there is no distortion at louder volumes. These have a nice cerametallic woofer and high-grade tweeter combo that really lets you hear each instrument the way it was intended to be heard. One of the best compliments that I can give these speakers is that after I tested them out, I actually had them connected to a hi-fi that I have in the study for a few months before I passed them onto my cousin who is just as blown away by these as I was.

What Other People Are Saying

I found this very comprehensive video review for these speakers:

Not only do you get to see just how gorgeous they are as well as get a better idea for the size of them, but you also get to hear just how good they sound too! On Amazon, these are some of the best rated speakers that I have ever seen. Currently, there are 421 customer reviews for these speakers on there. They are sitting at 97 percent for four- and five-star reviews! There is not one single 1 star review for these on there!

Music Recommendation

You cannot go wrong with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. There is certainly no shortage of albums from this amazingly talented group, but the one I am suggesting is called, The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music.  It is a truly amazing collection of epic music that is perfect for listening to when you are trying to relax.

I am very, very impressed with these Klipsch RB-51 II 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers. I promise if you use these for just an hour, you will see why they are so highly regarded. The sound quality that these speakers produce is just immense and everything I have played through these has sounded amazing. Not only is the sound quality incredible, but these also look like they could have been taken off the wall from a jazz club in New Orleans in the 1930s!

Pros:

• I love the retro design that they have gone for
• They have a very strong and sturdy construction
• There are next to no negative reviews for these speakers!
• The sound quality is amazing pretty much right out of the box!

Cons:

• They are double the price of the Edifier speakers we just looked at
• If you want to add that center speaker, it nearly doubles the price!

3. Sony SSCS3 3-Way Floor-Standing Speaker

To say that I love Sony is a massive understatement so there was no way in hell we were getting through this best speakers for jazz and classical music article without Sony making an appearance. I decided to go for this Sony SSCS3 3-Way Floor-Standing Speaker. Now notice I said “speaker” that is because this is just for one, so you will have to make sure you buy two so that puts these at $316 which I honestly do not think is a bad price for these. I love the way that these stand with pride and the black wooden effect is very classy and has a real sense of sophistication about it. They just scream power when you look at them and for those that want their music to be loud, but also clear, these are the kind of thing you are looking for. A nice little detail that these do have is the base that they stand on which I think is just the cherry on top of the ice cream!

No matter the price point I do not think that Sony has let me down in the sound department and that is the same here. The woofer and tweeter pairing that they have gone for here is fantastic. I was blown away the first time I used these, granted there are more powerful speakers out there, but at this price point the volume these can go at and still offer clear and precise sound is great. You really will hear every instrument the way it was meant to be heard when you use these. I will say that the breaking in to get them at their peak is a little longer than what you would expect, but do not worry about that! Breaking in a set of speakers means you get to listen to way more music!

What Other People Are Saying

Be sure to have a look at this video review I found:

Here you can get a sense of the style that these offer, but there is also a pretty solid sound demonstration too. The customer reviews on Amazon are very complimentary which is always something I like to see. There are over 700 customer reviews (as I write this of course) and a fantastic 95 percent of these reviews are glowingly positive!

Music Recommendation

As you have probably figured out at this point, I am focusing on compilation style albums today and one that I think is great and would sound awesome when played through these is Smooth Jazz Hits. Featuring the likes of Boney James and Kenny G, this is a great album to relax to or spend some quality time with your partner if you get what I am saying. It is a fun compilation and not one I see brought up too often.

I know that I have a real soft spot for what Sony offers, but I really do think that you cannot go wrong with these Sony SSCS3 3-Way Floor-Standing Speakers. Granted, you do have to make sure you buy two of them, but I am classing that as a negative at all. They look cool and would honestly be just as much at home in an 80s rock music fan as they would in a jazz music fan’s home. These are the kind of speakers that really do stand out in any room they are in and I mean that in a very positive way.

Pros:

• These really do look cool
• They have a very solid build quality
• I love how the sound is so clear 
• I think that the asking price is more than fair

Cons:

• You do have to remember to buy two!
• These may be a tad on the large size for some people

4. Jamo Studio Series S809 Floorstanding Speakers

Last, but by no means least we have these Jamo Studio Series S809 Floorstanding Speakers for you to check out. This is a great way for us to round up our best speakers for jazz and classical music list. These are priced at $389 which I do not think is out of line at all for a set of speakers as large and powerful as these. These can be purchased in white, but it is the walnut version we are looking at. I just love the design here as they have a very classy and elegant look, I mentioned this before with the Klipsch speakers, but these also have a real jazz club look about them that I think gives them a real sense of style. The white ones are cool, but they lack the personality these speakers offer. These are nice and tall and they are Dolby Atmos ready! Yes, we are looking at speakers for music, but that is great if you are a movie buff too as you can purchase the add on speakers that connect directly to the top. This does leave four holes in the top of the speakers, but they are not all that noticeable.

They say that these offer style and performance and that is something I would have to agree with. It was very easy for me to add these speakers to our best speakers for jazz and classical music list. These have what they call WaveGuide Acoustic Technology, which I will not pretend to fully understand what that is. What I can tell you is that there is a real richness to the sound that these produce. If you are a vinyl collector like me, you will really notice just how raw and real the sound coming from these is. These are high end in every regard, but I would have to say that the price tag is not what I would call “high” I have looked at more expensive speakers than this and have not been as impressed as I am with these. I would have happily kept the review set of these I was sent, that is how good they were.

What Other People Are Saying

Over at Amazon, there are not a ton of customer reviews for this. As of writing, there are only 92 customer reviews, but 87 percent of these are positive. The title of this video review is “this speaker is amazeballs” and I would have to agree with that:

Here you can take a really deep dive into all that this set of speakers offer which can be handy if you are a tech head that needs to know every little detail.

Music Recommendation

Disney Goes Classical is a record that was actually purchased by my wife as she is a huge Disney fan. The album is actually made by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, I have learned that any classical music album from them is worth checking out. This one features music from many hit Disney movies such as Aladdin, The Jungle Book, Toy Story, and Frozen. There is a great mix of classic and modern Disney songs here, but they are all done in a classical style.

I really cannot say enough good things about these Jamo Studio Series S809 Floorstanding Speakers. To start with they look fantastic and they certainly have the classic look that we are on the hunt for today. They are a real showcase set of speakers that you will be proud to have out on display. While the fact they look great is awesome, these speakers also sound fantastic as well, any music or movie that is pumped through these is going to sound awesome!

Pros:

• I love the whole style of these
• They are built incredibly well
• The sound quality truly is great
• They are Dolby Atmos ready

Cons:

• Due to having to purchase the Dolby Atmos speakers separately, there are four holes on the top
• The white version of these lacks the class factor if you ask me!

What Are The Best Speakers For Jazz And Classical Music?

All four of the speakers that we have looked at today are great and could easily be regarded as the best speakers for jazz and classical music. I know this is me taking the easy way out, but hand on heart, I do not see anyone being disappointed with any of these speakers. If you want bookshelf speakers…. That is a really tough one to call as they are both great. The question is are the Klipsch speakers worth that extra 100 bucks? I think you could make an argument for yes and no if I am being honest. You need to decide if you want to spend that extra 100 bucks or not. As much as I love them, I am not sure they are 100 bucks better.

As far as the floor standing speakers go as much as I love Sony, I do have to give this one to the Jamo Studio Series S809 Floorstanding Speakers. They not only sound amazing, but they have that very classic look that I think you need if you are a jazz and classical music fan.