5 Best Active Speakers in 2024

By Robin Owens 3 days ago, Speakers

Affordable and high-quality active speakers.

best active speakers

In a great variety of speakers currently presented on the market, it is not hard to find a compact-sized and good-looking option, which can guarantee irreproachable audio quality. We have prepared a short review of the best active speakers which will provide you with the most outstanding listening experience.

Top 5 Best Active Speakers

  1. Edifier R980T - Cheap
  2. Edifier R1280T - Budget
  3. Edifier R1700BT - Classic
  4. Airpulse A300 - Premium
  5. JGA Electronics Active 10 - Affordable

Active speakers don’t require any extra receiver, because they already have a built-in amplifier inside. Such speakers can be directly connected to devices like a TV, PC, game console, or turntable. The most appealing advantage of active speakers is their space-saving design, as they are more compact than a traditional audio system.

1. Edifier R980T

Cheap
edifier r980t active speakers

Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.9 x 7.75 inches | Weight: 7.8 lbs | Subwoofer: No | Frequency response: 70 Hz - 20 kHz

  • ✚ Style design
  • ✚ Adjustable bass
  • ✚ Dual inputs
  • Volume not loud enough
Rating

The Edifier R980T has many amazing features that it boasts of. This is the ultimate home stereo surround sound speaker because of its ability to go high and low, have a deep bass extension, have a superb treble range, and a mid-range that is extremely efficient. All of the speakers are housed in wooden enclosures to minimize acoustic resonance.

In addition to all of those amazing features, it also has a very intuitive interface and is relatively light weight. The dual audio outputs are very useful for any home theater enthusiast and the styling of the unit makes it suitable for anyone's decor.

2. Edifier R1280T

Budget
edifier r1280t active speakers

Dimensions: 5.75 x 9.5 x 7 inches | Weight: 12.46 lbs | Subwoofer: No | Frequency response: 75 Hz - 18 kHz

  • ✚ Elegant design
  • ✚ Dual inputs, no switching
  • ✚ Excellent value
  • Distortion on low bass
Rating

The Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers is a perfect choice for professional audio and video studios as well as home offices. This high-powered product features a true dual zone Amplifier. It gives you the ability to send 2.0 stereo sound through your headphones or speakers at the same time.

A perfect product for both professional and home audio studios, this unit also features powered circuitry and remote control. It has two headphone outputs with digital outputs, balanced audio output with THX clear speaker wiring, and an additional rear channel output. With the powered subwoofer output feature, you can easily place the speakers where you need them.

3. Edifier R1700BT

Classic
edifier r1700bt active speakers

Dimensions: 6 x 8 x 9.75 inches | Weight: 14.55 lbs | Subwoofer: No | Frequency response: 60 Hz - 20 kHz

  • ✚ Classic look
  • ✚ Easy Bluetooth connection
  • ✚ Easy to setup
  • Thin bass
Rating

The Edifier R1700BT Bookshelf Speakers is quite good as far as sound quality is concerned, and this is one of the reasons why they are very popular. If you are interested in bass then you should get these.

One of the most important features found in the Edifier R1700BT is the technology known as Light Emitting Diode or LED light. This is basically a new generation of LED lighting technology that works in combination with the speakers. Once you pair your system to your Bluetooth enabled mobile phone, then it will automatically detect any nearby wireless speakers and emit their sound to the output device.

4. Airpulse A300

Premium
airpulse a300 active speakers

Dimensions: 8.86 x 15.16 x 13.4 inches | Weight: 53 lbs | Subwoofer: No | Frequency response: 40 Hz - 40 kHz

  • ✚ Designed by Phil Jones
  • ✚ High-end sound quality
  • ✚ Bluetooth V5.0 with APT-X
  • Price
Rating

For those who are looking for a full-range loudspeaker system, the Airpulse A300 active speaker is an excellent option. For top performance with unmatched durability, it is an excellent choice for any household. It is packs a powerful punch delivering 70 +70 watts at both mid-woofer and tweeters.

The powerful 6.5-inch woofers and sleek 65 mm aluminum ribbed tweeters produce strong bass, while the included optical, Bluetooth V5.0 with APT-X and built-in amplifier let you hook up to many audio sources easily. Besides, its ability to operate with a remote control makes it extremely convenient for entertaining guests.

5. JGA Electronics Active 10

Affordable
jga electronics active 10 active speakers

Dimensions: 20 x 10.6 x 12.6 inches | Weight: 26.4 lbs | Subwoofer: No | Frequency response: 45 Hz - 18 kHz

  • ✚ Portable design
  • ✚ Good sound quality
  • ✚ Remote control
  • Not found
Rating

JGA electronics have been known to create quality audio equipment for both professional and private users. The JGA Active 10 PA speaker is one example of their line of audio devices. It features a true10-Band audible amplifier with built in signal path shaping circuitry, signal path processing circuitry, equalizer, phase shifting circuitry and high frequency control.

This cabinet design provides true bass extension, earthiness and full range sound system compatibility. A front panel flip-channel input and an extremely clean frequency response make it very desirable for both professional and private audio applications.

IMAGE NAME FEATURES
edifier r980t active speakers
Edifier R980T
Cheap
  • Style design
  • Adjustable bass
CHECK PRICE
edifier r1280t active speakers
Edifier R1280T
Budget
  • Elegant design
  • Dual inputs, no switching
CHECK PRICE
edifier r1700bt active speakers
Edifier R1700BT
Classic
  • Classic look
  • Easy Bluetooth connection
CHECK PRICE

How to Choose the Active Speakers?

how to choose the best active speakers

What Are Active Speakers?

Speakers provided with an inbuilt amplifier are called active or powered speakers. There is no need to use additional external stereo amplification to play music with the help of such speakers. Each active speaker is equipped with at least one onboard amplifier. When you buy the best active speakers, you get everything you need to enjoy excellent-quality music right away. The majority of active speakers have simple frequency-adjustment controls, although often they are also equipped with digital signal processing (DSP), especially advanced models. The DSP guarantees quick and easy setup, including automatic frequency adjustment, speaker delay, suppression of feedback, and other useful instruments.

What concerns PA systems of medium size, passive speakers are not as popular as active ones. The main reason is the flexibility requirements of midsized PAs. Such systems are designed to be used in many different ways, like an installed club system or a mobile system, for example, so the speakers need to be reconfigured often. Active speakers allow quick and simple reconfiguration, which won’t be a problem at all. They are rather independent, so you will be able to upgrade your PA system anytime, as you can purchase more active speakers and add them where needed.

how to choose the best active speakers

Pros and Cons

Getting the best active speakers, you can enjoy the following benefits:

  • Optimal power for each speaker, provided by in-built power amplifiers.
  • Add and reconfigure speakers easily, as you don’t need to calculate loads.
  • Customize the tone of speakers independently with EQ controls.
  • Some speakers can perform multiple roles thanks to the mixers.
  • Special features, provided by DSP, such as delay, automatic tuning, and network control.

The downsides of using active speakers are:

  • Such speakers are heavy, because of built-in amplifiers.
  • Higher consumption of power compared with traditional systems.
  • You may hear added noise or inconsistent sound, caused by independent tone control.
  • Higher price of individual speakers, compared to their unpowered competitors.
  • The speaker needs an individual power cable, though sometimes they may be daisy-chainable.

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