5 Best Powered Bookshelf Speakers in 2024

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Affordable and high-quality powered bookshelf speakers.

best powered bookshelf speakers

If you are interested in getting the best powered bookshelf speakers, then you should read this post! These compact audio units fit perfectly into any room and can be placed wherever you want, including walls, stands, and of course, bookshelves. High-quality speakers deliver crystal clear and deep sound.

Top 5 Best Powered Bookshelf Speakers

  1. Edifier R980T - Our choice
  2. Pyle PBKSP22 - Affordable
  3. Monoprice DT-3 - 50-watt
  4. Edifier R1280DB - With Bluetooth
  5. Edifier R1850DB - Stylish

The choice of speakers for this design is huge, so you can easily get confused. To help you make the right choice, we have prepared information on nine best bookshelf speakers in 2020. Read on to find the model that matches your needs.

1. Edifier R980T

Our choice
edifier r980t powered bookshelf speakers

Dimensions: 17.3 x 7.9 x 10 inches | Weight: 7.77 pounds | Subwoofer: Built-in | Frequency response: 20 kHz

  • ✚ Compact size without sacrificing sound quality
  • ✚ 24W power output is enough for bookshelf size speakers
  • ✚ Elegant design and look that doesn’t interfere with your desk
  • Volume limitation does not allow automatically set sound
Rating

Edifier R980T are one of the best powered bookshelf speakers available. In fact, most people would probably consider this a pro in the way of features, since it has features that most speakers simply do not offer. For example, the built in volume control helps prevent listening to loud music from waking the rest of the family up, or at least keeping them a little more asleep.

Equipped with a tweeter, which adds some much needed extra sound to the speaker system. The tweeteter does produce an additional sound, but most of the sound comes from the woofer, which does tend to produce some sound distortion.

2. Pyle PBKSP22

Affordable
pyle pbksp22 powered bookshelf speakers

Dimensions: 7.50 x 6.70 x 10.60 inches | Weight: 12.01 pounds | Subwoofer: Built-in | Frequency response: 20 kHz

  • ✚ Volume
  • ✚ More volume
  • ✚ Fully-featured inputs and controls
  • No Bluetooth
  • Questionable build quality
Rating

The Pyle PBKSP22 is a small system that will fit to your PC easily, and it is designed to produce some great sounding music. These are powered bookshelf speakers that have been engineered by some of the top names in sound reproduction.

First, this speaker is powered by a 12 volt battery, so you do not need an amplifier to get the best sound from these speakers. These are powered bookshelf speakers, so there are no super powerful sound devices required for these speakers. These are designed with a tonal balance that will produce a very clean tonal sound, but they also have a low distortion that keeps the sound from being too high pitched or bass heavy. This is perfect for those who want to listen to rock or jazz music but do not want the high notes to be piercing. These speakers can be used with a laptop, or they can be used on your table top if you would like to take them with you.

3. Monoprice DT-3

50-watt
monoprice dt-3 powered bookshelf speakers

Dimensions: 14.9 x 8.3 x 10.5 inches | Weight: 9.78 pounds | Subwoofer: Built-in | Frequency response: 20 kHz

  • ✚ Composed sound
  • ✚ User-friendly
  • ✚ Fine build
  • The bass isn't as pronounced as with some other picks
  • No wireless connection
Rating

Monoprice speakers do have a decent range of surround sound speakers which are simply perfect for watching movies and listening to music. When you get home and plug them in, it literally feels like they have been one of your favourite films for the last few years. If you have seen the movie, you know how amazing that sound quality is.

When it comes to sound quality, it is quite obvious that the Monoprice DT-3 bookshelf speaker series will stand out.

4. Edifier R1280DB

With Bluetooth
edifier r1280db powered bookshelf speakers

Dimensions: 11.81 x 9.45 x 7.87 inches | Weight: 12.12 pounds | Subwoofer: Built-in | Frequency response: 20 kHz

  • ✚ Excellent design
  • ✚ Flexible inputs
  • ✚ Natural midrange
  • Mediocre end to end extension
  • Included accessories just servicable
Rating

The Edifier R1280DD is a 2 channel surround sound stereo speaker that comes with both front and rear speakers. This stereo speaker is powered by a 12 volt battery. This speaker is also capable of features that will help you enhance the sound quality in your room such as touch-screen buttons, volume control, and left and right channels. In addition, this speaker has an attractive design and style, which are suitable for almost any room. The built in equalizer and bass boost feature also helps to maximize the sound quality, making it one of the most popular speakers today.

Compared to other two channels powered bookshelf speakers, the R1280 db is one of the cheapest speakers available.The pros of these afforable speakers include the availability of certain features at a lower price, although they do not provide the same benefits compared to the more expensive ones. Another great feature of the remote control feature of these speakers is that you can also adjust the volume levels while you are watching TV.

5. Edifier R1850DB

Stylish
edifier r1850db powered bookshelf speakers

Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 10 inches | Weight: 16.81 pounds | Subwoofer: Built-in | Frequency response: 20 kHz

  • ✚ Price
  • ✚ Robust
  • ✚ Сlear sound
  • High price
Rating

The Edifier R1850DB speakers are an excellent set of inexpensive speakers with a lot of features. They consist of a woofer and a tweeter. The tweeter is a great addition, since it adds brilliance and definition to the sound. This is done so that the high frequencies, which are likely to be dull in other speakers, will stand out.

The other great thing about these speakers is that they have great bass response. However, their treble range is also quite good, making them great for use in any room. This is because they do not produce very low frequencies, as some other speakers can. This means that they must be used with some other type of music or sound system to achieve a balance and so the treble range is not as important. However, the bass response is what sets these speakers apart and makes them ideal for loud and booming music.

IMAGE NAME FEATURES
edifier r980t powered bookshelf speakers
Edifier R980T
Our Choice
  • Compact size without sacrificing sound quality
  • 24W power output is enough for bookshelf size speakers
CHECK PRICE
pyle pbksp22 powered bookshelf speakers
Pyle PBKSP22
Affordable
  • Volume
  • More volume
CHECK PRICE
monoprice dt-3 powered bookshelf speakers
Monoprice DT-3
50-watt
  • Composed sound
  • User-friendly
CHECK PRICE

How to Choose the Powered Bookshelf Speakers?

how to choose the best powered bookshelf speakers

There are several things you need to think about before going shopping for the best powered bookshelf speakers. Manufacturers offer many models that differ in sound quality, power, and other parameters. You need to prioritize to get an ideal product.

Below, there are several important aspects that you should take into account.

Size

As the name suggests, these speakers are quite compact and you can place them on a bookshelf or anywhere else. Most models are 9 inches wide and high. Thus, they don’t take up much space and you hardly notice them.

Power

If this parameter is important for you, check the wattage the speakers offer. The most powerful speakers offer higher numbers. The maximum power of bookshelf speakers can be up to 200 watts but you will hardly need it.

Connectivity

You can find both wired and wireless options. The choice depends on your needs. If you plan to use the speakers with a smartphone, then you should opt for the models with Bluetooth connectivity.

Sound Quality

powered bookshelf speakers

Integrated drivers affect the sound quality immensely. The woofer and the tweeter are the most commonly used speaker drivers.

The woofer delivers bass tones. Its size affects the power of the bass. Remember, you can connect a subwoofer to your speakers if you want the best quality bass tones. You just have to ensure that the selected model supports this connection.

Cabinet Material

Typically, the best powered bookshelf speakers have wooden cabinets. This material produces less acoustic resonance. Manufacturers often use MDF as the base material, and then they cover it with a glossy vinyl that resembles wood texture. Typically, sealed speakers deliver better bass thanks to the absence of woofer retraction.

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