These are both very hard to beat for tonal accuracy, refinement, value and detail. Both are priced under $500.00. Neither have too forward a sound - hard to find with speaker designs these days;

Usher S-520. Current industry darlings for small bookshelf speakers for smaller rooms. Brilliant, brilliant design. How a speaker of these meager dimensions can sound this good is mind-blowing. I'm close to buying a pair myself to replace my Mission 70MKII's, which are now a little long in the tooth. And I love how the Ushers sound great with music as well as movies.




PSB B25 (I'm not usually big on the PSB sound, but this pair has a really impressive overall presentation leaving very little room for criticism). They sound a whole lot bigger than they are.


JBL speakers are nice in that they are usually very efficient, but today's receivers aren't left wanting for power, so it's less advantageous these days unless you into tube amplifiers. The fact that they have plastic enclosures (in this instance at least) won't do their sound any favors.

• Ushers even come in Ferrari red (click 'available finishes')..

Sig' begineth here: