5 Best Bookshelf Speakers in 2024

By Robin Owens 17 days ago, Speakers

Affordable and high-quality bookshelf speakers.

best bookshelf speakers

Are you obsessed with everything audio, or just wish to boost your audio quality? Either way, a pair of decent speakers will come in handy. As soon as you lay your hands on the best bookshelf speakers, it will be difficult to ever let them go.

Top 5 Best Bookshelf Speakers

  1. Edifier P12 - In wood
  2. Edifier R1280T - With 42 Watts
  3. Klipsch Synergy B-100 - In black
  4. Edifier R1280DB - With 42watt RMS
  5. Edifier S2000MKIII - With bluetooth

Bookshelf speakers aren’t supposed to feature compact dimensions and don’t need to be carried around. So you can forget about such parameters as size or battery life. Now let’s see which are the best bookshelf speakers and why exactly they are worth your attention.

1. Edifier P12

In wood
edifier p12 bookshelf speakers

Dimensions: 6.61 x 5.04 x 9.37 inches | Weight: 11.13 lbs | Subwoofer: No | Frequency response: 55 Hz - 20 kHz

  • ✚ Sleek and sophisticated design
  • ✚ 4-inch base driver
  • ✚ Silk dome tweeters
  • ✚ Multiple placement options
  • Lacking mid-range
  • Require an amplifier
Rating

The Edifier P12 is an excellent set of bookshelf speakers offering the ultimate in performance. Passive bookshelf speakers allow you to not only amplify your favorite sound but also push the limits of sound quality. It features an industry standard wall-mounted bracket allowing for convenient placement of the P12 in any room of your house. The powerful 12-inch woofer cranks out an impressive volume that can be controlled precisely.

The P12 comes with a professional remote control. The speakers come with a pre-wired remote so you don't need to mess around with connecting the speakers to your TV. All the speakers come with complete wiring instructions so there's no need to fiddle around with wiring or worry about cable connections. Enjoy high definition music without having to mess with connecting speakers or amplifiers.

2. Edifier R1280T

With 42 Watts
edifier r1280t bookshelf speakers

Dimensions: 6.90 x 9.50 x 5.80 inches | Weight: 10.80 lbs | Subwoofer: No | Frequency response: 80 Hz - 20 kHz

  • ✚ Powerful audio performance
  • ✚ Adjustable bass and treble
  • ✚ Can connect to PCs and mobile
  • ✚ Easy to hook up with remote
  • No wireless capabilities
  • Distortion at absolute top volumes
Rating

The Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers is some great bookshelf speakers. The company made these speakers to be used in the studio or for professional purposes like mixers, headphones and CD players. They are has a powerful dual band designed woofer that can produce deep bass and super-realistic sound quality for all musical types. The woofer is covered with an Enclosure that is specially designed to give the music more realism. So, the sound quality is more real and you can hear the instruments as well as the vocals at their best because of the powered amplifier.

The speakers are designed to produce low distortion and excellent sound clarity for all music genres. With dual front panels, the speakers have full dome sound. It also features a passive radiator which produces another deep bass line that cannot be heard in ordinary speakers. There are some other features such as aluminum feet, rubber surround, balanced dome drive tweeters, rubber surround tweeters, front panel shield and balanced dome drive tweeters.

3. Klipsch Synergy B-100

In black
klipsch synergy b-100 bookshelf speakers

Dimensions: 7.50 x 5.88 x 9.75 inches | Weight: 7.13 lbs | Subwoofer: Yes | Frequency response: 80 Hz - 20 kHz

  • ✚ 4-inch base driver
  • ✚ Powerful audio performance
  • ✚ Easy to hook up with remote
  • No wireless capabilities
  • Price
Rating

Get versatility and power in a little package with Klipsch Synergy Black Label B-100 Bookshelf Speakers. Enjoy outstanding sound quality combined with convenience for the ultimate in all around entertainment. These mini speakers deliver clean tonal reproduction, crisp audio clarity and supreme performance making them the ultimate entertainment system for any size and type of home.

The Synergy B-100 bookshelf speakers array features three powered channels so you can enjoy the best of both bookshelf and surround sound in one sleek, elegant design. The dual enclosure design provides superior sound quality and lets you conveniently stack the speakers for optimal sound quality and performance. In addition to featuring high quality speakers, this system also offers a host of value-added options such as a comprehensive display that shows details of each of the speakers included in the set along with easy to follow functions. You get premium quality parts and a unique handcrafted design guaranteed to compliment your decor.

4. Edifier R1280DB

With 42watt RMS
edifier r1280db bookshelf speakers

Dimensions: 11.81 x 9.45 x 7.87 inches | Weight: 7.8 lbs | Subwoofer: No | Frequency response: 55 Hz - 20 kHz

  • ✚ Bluetooth wireless
  • ✚ Studio sound quality
  • ✚ Simply connection
  • ✚ Optical and coaxial inputs
  • Build quality is low
Rating

The Edifier R1280DB Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers is a fantastic gift idea for any occasion. With these speakers it is possible to have high quality sound and clear output of your favorite songs or audio books. Now it is possible to have all of your favorite music with your fingertips. The great thing about these bookshelf speakers is that you do not have to use the headphones that are often used to listen to music.

The new technology is available in the form of four speaker pairs, which are powered by the same amplifier but powered by two separate amplifiers. One amplifier consists of two optical outputs that can each play bass and treble. The second amplifier consists of three optical outputs which can each play independently. This means that the high frequencies can be sent to left, middle and right bass speakers without having to mix the sounds produced by each speaker. It is important to note that for this set-up the subwoofer is not required as it is only one unit.

5. Edifier S2000MKIII

With bluetooth
edifier s2000mkiii bookshelf speakers

Dimensions: 20.7 x 17.6 x 14.7 inches | Weight: 45.3 lbs | Subwoofer: No | Frequency response: 80 Hz - 20 kHz

  • ✚ Fantastic design
  • ✚ Brilliant audio quality
  • ✚ Variety of connectivity options
  • High price
Rating

If you are looking for a bookshelf with Bluetooth features, the Edifier S2000 MKIII is definitely a good choice. It has all the features of the normal bookshelf, with the added advantage of having an audio speaker. It has built-in speakers so you do not have to worry about wires connecting the speakers to your laptop or notebook computer, making it more practical than using a bookshelf with speakers. It has a front port and USB port to connect your portable music player or phone. The battery life is good for at least eight hours, so you can read and work for long hours without worrying about your battery.

One of the most impressive features of the Edifier S2000MKIII powered Bluetooth bookshelf is its slimmer design. This is a bookshelf with a lot of benefits. You can store books and magazines in the shelves without worrying about their weight. Since the speakers are powered by a powerful amp, even books that have loud sounds will sound clear and louder when you are using your bookshelf with Bluetooth features.

IMAGE NAME FEATURES
edifier p12 bookshelf speakers
Edifier P12
In wood
  • Sleek and sophisticated design
  • 4-inch base driver
CHECK PRICE
edifier r1280t bookshelf speakers
Edifier R1280T
With 42 Watts
  • Powerful audio performance
  • Adjustable bass and treble
CHECK PRICE
klipsch synergy b-100 bookshelf speakers
Klipsch Synergy B-100
In black
  • 4-inch base driver
  • Powerful audio performance
CHECK PRICE

How to Choose the Bookshelf Speakers?

how to choose the best bookshelf speakers

Passive and Active Speakers – What’s the Difference?

The majority of speakers, including bookshelf ones, are divided into two types – active and passive. If you see a pair of bookshelf speakers, they are more likely to be passive. To work smoothly, these require additional power that emanates from an amplifier. Thus, your setup will comprise an audio source, an amplifier or a receiver, as well as a pair of speakers.

If you decide to go for passive speakers, be ready to purchase an amplifier or a receiver (or you can use the already existing one). This is essential not only for the seamless operation of the entire setup but also because a receiver/amplifier will cost you extra (apart from speakers themselves) and has to be included in the total sum. As an analog to a fully-functional receiver, there is a more compact and more user-friendly device – a stereo amp. It operates according to the same pattern, obtaining the signal from the audio source and feeding it to the speakers along with the additional power that the speakers call for.

Hooking the Speakers up to Your Amplifier

When it comes to wires, the best bookshelf speakers either have them pre-installed or come without wires. In case the wires are pre-installed, there won’t be any difficulties connecting the speakers to the amplifier. Remember that you should unplug everything else before establishing any connection. The bass or electric guitar players, as well as those who have already tried connecting speakers to an audio source, know about the pop that happens if the devices are switched on.

The reason for that is an incredibly strong and immediate signal that you are feeding the speakers with. This signal can do great damage to speakers, so you should be extremely careful when connecting audio devices to an amplifier or a source.

Now let’s see how to connect the speakers properly. There will be two wires, a red and a black one. The task is to find a correspondence between the colors of the wires and the connectors on the back of the amplifier. The connectors resemble two screws with a hole on the bottom. That’s the exact place for connecting the wire. If you see that the open part of the wire isn’t worn out, bring it into the hole and stiffen the screw.

As for the owners of speakers without wires, the process of connecting isn’t complicated either. You only need to purchase speaker wires. The best option here is 16-gauge wires. They don’t cost a lot, are compatible with 8-ohm speakers and provide seamless performance.

FAQ

  • • What are the key advantages of bookshelf speakers over larger floor-standing speakers?

Bookshelf speakers are more compact and versatile, making them suitable for smaller spaces, and they often provide a more focused and accurate soundstage, which can be ideal for listening in near-field setups.

  • • Are there bookshelf speakers designed for outdoor use?

Yes, there are. Such outdoor bookshelf speakers are typically built to withstand exposure to the elements and are often weatherproof or waterproof, making them suitable for patios, decks, gardens, or other outdoor settings. They are an excellent choice for extending audio enjoyment to outdoor spaces while ensuring durability and resistance to environmental conditions.

  • • What are bi-amping or bi-wiring bookshelf speakers?

In bi-amping, each driver (e.g., woofer and tweeter) in the speaker has its dedicated amplifier channel, allowing for more precise control of each driver's performance.

Bi-wiring involves using separate sets of cables for the low-frequency and high-frequency drivers, which can reduce interference between the two, potentially improving sound quality and reducing the risk of distortion. These techniques are often used by audiophiles seeking enhanced audio control and clarity in their bookshelf speaker setups.

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