The 8 Best Powered Speakers for Turntables You’ll Fall in Love With

As you start or upgrade your turntable setup and listening area, you will likely begin to shop for a good pair of speakers. Most who have been listening to vinyl for a long time will tell you the same thing: powered speakers are the way to go. 

The quality and design of this specific type of speaker makes them essential for any serious record collector, so in this article we’ll talk about the 8 best powered speakers for turntables you’ll fall in love with. 

Below, please take a look at some of the most popular speakers currently on the market, and see how well they stack up to the powered speakers we discuss throughout this article:

Photo	Model	Key Feature
	JBL L52	Passive Speakers with Retro Design
	Audioengine HD3	aptX Bluetooth connectivity
	Edifier R1280DB	Powered Bookshelf Speakers w/Bluetooth
	Edifier R1700BT	Bluetooth Powered Speakers
	Kanto YU2	Built-in USB DAC
	Kanto YU4	Integrated Bluetooth w/aptX Technology
	Pioneer DM-40	Dual Inputs - RCA + AUX minijack
	Dali Oberon 3	Optimized 7" Wood Fibre Cone Woofer
	Elac Debut Reference	2-Way Bass Reflex Reference Speakers

Why Choose Powered Speakers?

Simply put, powered speakers are prefered by many because they draw no power away from your turntable. That allows the focus of the electrical mechanisms of your table to focus solely on performance, and leaves your speakers to power themselves. 

Amplifiers sometimes come built into turntables, so if that’s the case, you might also be looking for a set of speakers with an amplifier built in as well, which is where powered speakers get their power from. 

This, of course, means your speakers are going to need electricity somehow, and that’s why powered speakers are required to have an outlet nearby so the internal amplifier can power the speakers for output.  

Powered speakers are often celebrated for two reasons: they cut the cost of speakers and allow you to have an easier setup. Without the need for an external amplifier, you can simply connect powered speakers to your turntable without the need of a preamplifier or amplifier. 

Especially for those who are new to vinyl collecting and maybe a bit unaware of the science behind everything, powered speakers are an easy way to plug in and start playing your records. These 8 options for powered speakers are your best bet as you shop for a new set of speakers to fall in love with. 

Edifier R1280T

The R1280T powered bookshelf speakers has combined a retro look with a modern sense of audio quality. If you’re looking for affordable and versatile bookshelf speakers with uncompromising sound the R1280T bookshelf speakers is your go-to 2.0 speaker system. 

Featuring a 4-inch bass driver and a calibrated, flared bass reflex port, this bookshelf speaker system delivers robust, rich bass notes that are full of presence and depth. The faithful sound production and performance of the R1280T are any audiophiles dream. 

Most Edifier customers are using our R1280T powered bookshelf speakers for connecting their turntables for the best audio experience. Enjoy your classic vinyl records while enjoying the advancements in modern day audio technology.

Personalize your listening experience with the bass, treble and volume dials on the active bookshelf speaker. The quality sound produced from these bookshelf speakers deliver a precise booming midrange that tantalizes any reviewer. 

A compact sized handy remote control is included. You can adjust the volume and set the speakers to mute when needed without having to reach the speakers; power and perfection at your fingertips.

Behringer Studio 50USB

For maximum clarity, Behringer’s Studio 50USB Monitor Speakers are bi-amped with 150 watts, with the long-throw, Kevlar-cone 5″ woofer and a 1″ silk dome tweeter each driven by its own amplifier. 

A pair of 50USB monitors gives you a broad sweet spot and room-filling sound, thanks to Behringer’s advanced waveguide technology. These monitors feature XLR and TRS inputs, plus a USB input that lets you directly connect with digital audio sources. And they’re magnetically shielded for placement near CRT monitors. 

Equip your studio with value-packed Behringer Studio 50USB Monitor Speakers, and hear what you’ve been missing. High-quality components and exceptionally rugged construction ensure long life for these speakers, that also feature ultimate dispersion characteristics and extremely large “sweet spot” owing to advanced waveguide technology. 

Ultra-linear 2-way digital monitor speakers ideally suited for studios and multimedia workstations are hard to come by at this price point, but the Behringer Studio 50USB 5″ Powered Studio Monitors are truly as good as they seem.

Mackie CR3

Mackie has over 20 years of experience in designing true reference monitors, and it shows. Their Creative Reference series multimedia Monitors deliver extraordinary functionality with high-quality components in a small-footprint, affordable form factor. 

The Mackie CR3 3″ Creative Reference Multimedia Monitors pump out 50W of clean stereo sound from two 3″ woofers and two ferrofluid-cooled 0.75″ silk tweeters, and they have a broad frequency response range of 80Hz–20KHz. 

You can plug your smartphone or other audio source directly into the font-panel 1/8″ TRS input and listen via headphones through the front-facing headphone jack, which automatically defeats the speaker output when employed. 

Audiophiles and engineers love the sound quality that comes from birch cabinet construction and custom-tuned rear bass ports — not to mention the included acoustic isolation pads, making these a fantastic option at under $100. 

With pro-grade acoustic isolators included for each monitor and custom-tuned rear bass ports to boost sound quality, your records will shine as bright as they were meant to with the Mackie CR3s.

Samson MediaOne BT3

The Samson MediaOne BT3 Active Bluetooth monitors have your multimedia needs covered. Equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, you can link your smartphone, laptop, or tablet to these monitors wirelessly while also having them at the ready and hooked up to your turntable. 

The Samson MediaOne BT3 comes with 3″ woofers and 1″ tweeters that receive 15 watts of power. Precision-tuned, rear-vented cabinets also provide a robust low end, while allowing the speakers to stay cool. You can’t go wrong with the Samson MediaOne BT3 Bluetooth monitors, especially considering that for $100, you get an incredibly designed pair of speakers. 

A sleek all-black satin vinyl finish and metal grills protect woofer and tweeter components make the Samson MediaOne BT3s look great, but the passive crossover design for linear response from bottom to top and power in these small speakers match style to sound. Another great budget option, these powered speakers from Samson should be on your mind as you shop for a new sound for your vinyl setup.

Audioengine A2+

The A2+ was designed and hand-built with the goal of exceeding expectations of both value and performance. Custom tweeters, as in the popular Audioengine 5+, are matched with compact Kevlar woofers, while also featuring high-performance amplifiers and high-quality connectors. 

All this great engineering is wrapped in wood cabinets with a hand-polished finish to create a premium quality desktop multimedia speaker system that looks great as a display if you plan on keeping your turntable somewhere where many will see it. 

To say that the bass on the Audioengine 2+ is substantial for their size is an understatement. The bass was teased from the A2+ with some clever acoustic and electrical design without using any digital signal processing or fake bass boost circuits. 

Wood remains a preferred speaker enclosure material for its stiffness at higher volume levels and the cabinet focuses just the right amount of low end from the tuned front port slots. For a great look and sound, the A2+ are tough to beat.

M-Audio AV32

M-Audio’s AV32 powered speakers look good, sound good, and work well within a space conscious setting. Despite their 3″ low-frequency drivers, AV32s deliver surprisingly rich sound, thanks to their MDF cabinets with the kind of bass reflex design you’ll find on many high-end studio monitors in a studio or professional setup. 

Likewise, the 1″ silk dome tweeters responsible for the AV32’s smooth top end are a nice touch. Whether you’re creating music or simply enjoying it, you’ll be impressed by M-Audio’s AV32s.

Most impressive, the bass reflux ported MDF cabinets deliver surprisingly rich full-range sound for what many would consider a bookshelf or desktop speaker. You can hook these up to anything; computers, TVs, laptops. They shine, given their capabilities, with vinyl, and ought to make you a very happy listener if you bring these home for your setup.

PreSonus Eris E4.5

PreSonus was launched in 1995 with the mission of building affordable, professional music-production tools for musicians and audio engineers. That mission stays alive with the Eris E4.5 4.5″ Powered Studio Monitors. 

These active studio monitors give you a high-quality, high-value alternative to some more expensive, high end brands while giving you all the experience for less. Featuring a Kevlar woofer, a low-mass silk-dome tweeter, Class AB amplification, and professional acoustic-adjustment controls to deliver true studio-monitor accuracy, at a price point that’s flooded with ho-hum “multimedia” speakers.

Acoustic Space settings let you properly integrate your Eris monitors into your room, which make these dynamic for your listening style, as well as all up to you and your ears thanks to the acoustic tuning controls let you flatten response for mixing accuracy. Your listening depends on your ability to find that sweet spot with these great speakers by PreSonus.

IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitors

Okay, hear me out. Not everyone has a huge budget, so it’s worth putting at least one extreme budget option in this list. That doesn’t mean you are cheaping out, rather, choosing to spend less for somewhat of the same quality. 

When it comes to less money in your pocket to go to speakers, you cannot get much better than the IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitors. These budget speakers were built on the original iLoud speaker with more power, bigger bass, and true professional playback in a compact design. 

Adjustable isolation bases decouple the speakers from your turntable and direct sound up at your ears, plus you can choose from three EQ switches adjustments for minor room issues.  Each iLoud Micro Monitor features a 3″ neodymium driver and 3/4″ silk-dome tweeter to bring your favorite music to life.

Plus they’re super-portable: leave them set up in your listening room, or throw them in a backpack and take them on the road with you and utilize the auxiliary input or bluetooth options. You may want to spring something with a better sound output, but for their price, these are some incredible speakers.

Conclusion

Powered speakers offer a cost-effective, quick solution that’s easy to hook up so you can start spinning records as soon as possible. These 8 options for powered turntable speakers offer you a wide variety of choices to match to your needs and vinyl setup. In the end, each pair offers something you might love, so take time and review each option, and as always, happy spinning!

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