The 10 Best Speaker Selectors
Editor's Notes
January 01, 2021:
For this update we removed two options due to availability concerns and replaced them with budget models in order to further expand the price range of our list. The Pyle PSLSW4 is for those who want a lot of features but don't necessarily care about an audiophile-grade construction. The fact that you can hook up two amps and send their outputs to different sets of speakers simultaneously makes it a decently advanced device, and its individual volume controls are similarly surprising for its price. The Keen Eye Black Box is a surface-mountable selection that's great for compact DIY setups, as it can be attached to just about anything with the 4 included screws. While its small size may be beneficial for some, it's worth noting that its terminals are quite close together and might be difficult to work with for some users.
April 23, 2019:
Depending on your use case, you can spend as little or as much as you'd like on a quality speaker selector. The AVX 1624 is one of the most useful for the a wide range of users thanks to its multi-room capabilities, moderate price, and impedance protection. If you don't need volume control, their 1602 is worth a look, because it happens to be incredibly inexpensive. The Pyle is worth a look for fixed 2-speaker installations and makes a great addition to rooms that are already outfitted with flush in-wall audio components. If you're looking for rock-solid reliability and high-volume performance, consider the TEC 7220, Russound, or Niles, all of which have great power handling and dependable electronics inside. Specialty AV also makes a couple audiophile-grade options that seem simple, but do perform very well. Meanwhile, the NobSound is an especially affordable unit that comes in two varieties. One of them incorporates a Bluetooth 4.0 receiver for wireless input, while the other is one of the few consumer-grade models with XLR inputs, which makes it a good choice for those using audiophile-level unbalanced amplifiers. Finally, if you're looking for the most in-depth control over your system, it's hard to beat the OSD ATM-7. While it's a little bit costly, it's the only one we found with reliable remote control, and its 2 sources and 7 output channels can be switched to act as 7 sources and 2 output channels, making it just about the most versatile of the bunch.