Elac Uni-Fi UF5

Speaker designer Andrew Jones is on such a winning streak right now that, if he was a professional poker player, he should be hurtling out a side door as two burly men with goatees and cummerbunds dust their hands and warn him never to come back.

The Elac Uni-Fi UF5 sounds twice as good as speakers that cost twice as much. It's crazy value for money.

Build quality could be better, bass definition suffers with complex material compared to some other speakers, and they may need an expensive amp to perform their best.

The Elac UF5 are our favorite speakers under $1,000 combining unheard-of transparency with enough kick to tempt rock and dance fans.