Bookshelves: the hi-fi staple! The come in a huge variety of specs, shapes, sizes and indeed colours – and they come with the range of prices to match! Yes, you can get pretty high-end with the humble bookshelf, but this is not what this blog is about. This is about our favourite bookshelf speakers under £300 – our bread and butter, that continue to delight and inspire hi-fi lovers nationwide. Yes, you can spend a lot, but you don’t have to to enjoy beautiful, dynamic hi-fi sound. We may have spoken about these models before (albeit seperately) but they never grow old.

Let us prove it to you.

1. Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 (Blackwood)  £199.95 | £129.95

Old favourites to the point where we made the very last stocks of them exclusive to us! The beautiful Diamond 10.1s were vastly popular upon release. They scooped several awards and Wharfedale ran out of stock months ago, but we loved (and missed!) them so much they kindly made us some more. As a result, we have the last of the new ones left in the UK – in stunning Blackwood, the most popular finish – and to celebrate we slashed a massive 35% off the RRP! They need very little introduction, these speakers are as well known as Wharfedale themselves – and you’d be hard pressed to find anything that both looks and sounds as good as these beautiful speakers at this price, even before our discount. But remember, we have the last of them. And when they’re gone, they’re gone!

2. Q Acoustics 2020i – £169 £152

Next up, we have the Q Acoustics 2020is. Cute aren’t they? But don’t let their adorable demanour fool you, there’s a very good reason these little speakers have won the What Hi-Fi Award – Best Speakers up to £200 every year since 2011. And with the 2014 awards just around the corner, there’s every chance they’ll scoop it up four years on the trot! Available in four fancy finishes they’ll compliment any set up beautifully. They’re a very affordable alternative to the mind blowing Q Acoustics Concept 20 and are pretty enough to make an impression on anyone who considers style to be of great importance. They are a good all-rounder for both style and sound, and we think they’re brilliant. Of course, if you fancy something a little more up-to-date in the Q range, there’s always…

 3. Q Acoustics 3010 – £139

These pint-sized wonders are Q Acoustic’s answer to the extreme popularity of their predecessors: the 2010s.  Released a s a part of an extremely impressive 5.1 system, but perfectly capable on their on (spike) feet, these are compact bookshelves are very daintily priced, and feature the likes of a concentric ring dome tweeter, aramid fibre bass drivers and a remarkably low resonance cabinet. These little beauties (and the rest of the Q 3000 family) caused something of a stir upon their release, and the buzz has yet to die down!

4. Dali Zensor 1 Speakers – £199

Another set we simply can’t leave out of these lists are the sensational Dali Zensors. These are small bookshelves – easily carried under the arm and delicate in appearance, these beautiful speakers boast a highly refined sound image – owed in part to their slick and technical cabinet design, and the stiff yet light wood fibre cones. Mounted on some similarly capable stands, these are speakers that won’t let you down in the bass, mid or high range departments, not even when conveying the dulcet tones of a turntable. They look pretty nifty too.

5. Acoustic Energy AE 101 – £275

And last but not least, some of the finest examples of bookshelves at this pricepoint. And one of the finest pedigrees! When it comes to the AE 101s, you have to take a look at their lineage. From their hi-end bookshelf speakers the AE1 Classics and their current Reference 1 and extraordinary Reference 2 speakers, tere is a great deal of experience proceeding these. The technology, the knowledge and the passion has been distilled into something that is affordable to anyone, and they’ll make an excellent gift to even the most fussy of audiophiles. They sound almost as hi-end as their older brothers, and their traditional wood styling makes them stand out quite nicely on their list. A beautiful looking and sounding speaker, and a definite step-up for most systems – and very versatile when it comes to placement too.

See? Just because you have less to spend, doesn;t mean you lose out. In fact, you can save a few pennies and by some kick ass stands to go with them!*

* The term ‘bookshelf’ is highly misleading. Don’t put them on an actual bookshelf… okay? Promise?!

If you like anything you see, then give us a shout! We know these speakers inside out (quite literally!) so can answer any questions you may have with ease.