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Vinyl has made a huge comeback, and many people are finding excellent results and high audio fidelity with turntables and vinyl sound systems. We’re looking at the best speakers for vinyl in this guide as we help you to create your own high-quality system.
This is how we evaluate and select products
We choose our products by comparing a number of reputable products and brands. We have partnerships with many major retailers, and although this may have an impact on the selection of products for the article, our recommendations depend on the editorial staff's professional assessment of the best products.
Our research team evaluates the products on parameters such as:
- Product tests from expert sources and consumer magazines
- Customer reviews of the product
- Product features and specifications
- Product dealer's warranties, service and reputation
- Knowledge and data on what our readers prefer
The above is kept up against price and quality. It is important to mention that the order does not represent a ranking of products, but rather a review of some of the best products for different needs.
Whether you’ve got an unlimited budget for an audiophile style system or you need to find the best value for money possible, we’ve included top-rated options at a variety of budgets, with a variety of features.
Don’t put up with the tinny audio you will probably get from any inbuilt speakers on your record player. Even a budget pair of speakers can give you a huge upgrade and far more listening pleasure.
Here are the best speakers for vinyl record players 2024:
- JBL Charge 4
- PreSonus Eris E4.5
- Polk Audio T15
- Edifier R1280DB
- Audioengine A5+
- Micca MB42
- Edifier S2000 Pro
1. JBL Charge 4 – Best Wireless Speaker for Turntables
The best portable speakers
Many designs of turntable are portable these days. Suitcase record players and similar designs allow you to take your turntable to a party or even to a beach or campsite and play your favorite records. If you go with these kinds of turntables, they may have some speakers included but they may not be the best.
If you need Bluetooth speakers for a turntable then the JBL Charge 4 could be a brilliant option to connect to your record player when you’re out of the house. Though they won’t be the best bookshelf speakers or a realistic option for listening at home, they are the perfect travel companion.
Image credit: JBL
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These are not an alternative speaker for listening to music in high-quality at home, but if you need wireless speakers for turntable connections on the go, the Charge 4 from JBL could be your solution.
2. PreSonus Eris E4.5 – Best Speakers for Turntables with EQ Control
The best active speakers with EQ
The PreSonus Eris range is a big leap forward for speakers. Though these are designed to be ‘studio monitors’ primarily for music production, they make a brilliant option for turntables and they connect in exactly the same way.
The whole powered PreSonus range is great for both a casual listener and for people who want to practice DJing with their turntable, for instance. As well as great build quality there is a lot to like about the modern tech features.
Image credit: PreSonus
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The Eris E4.5 is a 50-watt model within the Eris range from PreSonus, which also offers speakers in a lot more designs and many other wattages, so you can select the power level you need. The extra control of EQ means that true audiophiles will love getting these speakers set up properly.
3. Polk Audio T15 – Best Budget Turntable Speakers
The best speakers under $100
If you are looking for speakers which don’t cost a huge amount of money, but have some decent quality for casually listening to your favorite vinyl records, the Polk T15 could be a good solution.
These budget record player speakers come in well under $100 on the pricing scale, but you may not know it to listen to them! Though you aren’t going to get ultra high-fidelity sound at this price, this cheap pair of speakers proves there is some quality available.
Image credit: Polk Audio
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It is great to know that you can still find good speakers for vinyl record players without spending a huge amount of money. These speakers from Polk Audio aren’t the absolute elite on this list, for a budget pair of speakers they are hard to argue with.
4. Edifier R1280DB – Best Reviewed Speaker for Turntables
The best value Bluetooth speakers for the money
Though these are the second pair of bookshelf speakers on our list, and the second made by Edifier, these are a significantly cheaper option, great for people looking for value for money along with fantastic audio clarity.
The Edifier R1280DB is one of the top-reviewed options we’ve come across, as people are continually impressed with the features on offer for a set of speakers available under $200 with a lot of connectivity.
Image credit: Edifier
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Generally, these speakers are reliable, and as long as you don’t need heavy bass, they do a good job either wired or wirelessly. While there are some Edifier options with a little more quality, the Edifier R1280DB is an incredibly good price considering what you get.
5. Audioengine A5+ – Best Sound Quality Speakers for Turntables
The best speakers for audiophiles
If you’re looking for record player speakers, and only the best will do, you should consider these, the Audioengine A5+. They have a great set of features and some very good compatibility, but perhaps most impressive is the sound.
For high-fidelity audio, you won’t find many better powered speakers. Also, they offer plenty of power with 150 watts in total, without being huge and bulky. They’re still small enough to sit on your bookshelf.
Image credit: Audioengine
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The high-fidelity, crisp audio of these speakers, combined with the fact that they are so easy to set up, and equally easy to connect to multiple devices (including turntables), make these a great option for audiophiles.
If you want an elite sound system, consider the Audioengine A5+ for your vinyl record player.
6. Micca MB42 – Best Vinyl Record Speakers for the Money
The best budget option
You may not want to spend a huge amount of money on your speakers. This is totally understandable, and there are some cheap options on the market to fit the bill. These are the most affordable bookshelf speakers we’re happy to recommend, and they certainly outperform their price tag.
Image credit: Micca
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It is important that a cheap option is included for those who want speakers for record players that didn’t cost the earth. There’s no point in pairing up a cheap turntable with an audiophile set of speakers as you won’t be using them to their full potential.
There is definitely a market of budget speakers for turntables between $50 and $100 which are cheap enough yet good enough for most home listening. The MB42 speakers from Micca fit this bill perfectly. It is best if you have a preamp included within your record player if you want to get the most out of these speakers and not have to buy a separate amp.
7. Edifier S2000 Pro – Best Designed Speakers for Turntables
The best overall speakers
The Edifier S2000 Pro speakers are some brilliantly designed bookshelf speakers for vinyl. They have plenty of power and clarity and have even been regularly used as studio monitors for musicians and producers, showing just how high-quality they are.
These speakers are built to connect with a variety of devices and are equipped with Bluetooth. You can use them for connecting to a TV or Home Cinema, another sound system or even your laptop. Of course, they make a brilliant companion for your record player, too.
Image credit: Edifier
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If you don’t mind spending a little more for brilliant audio clarity, reliable Bluetooth and a build-quality to be proud of, the S2000 Pro powered bluetooth speakers from Edifier can be a convenient option with a crisp and powerful sound.
How to choose speakers for vinyl
If you’ve decided that it is time to buy some speakers for your record player, you probably either don’t have inbuilt speakers, or you’ve decided they’re not up to the task. Inbuilt speakers are great to get you started but the are never the best speakers for vinyl. They don’t give the fullest sound.
So how do you choose speakers which are best for vinyl records? What features should you be looking for?
Wired vs. wireless
To make use of wireless technology, you should ensure you have a wireless record player setup with Bluetooth enabled. Sounds obvious, but not everyone remembers to do this!
When you are looking for wireless speakers for vinyl, make sure their Bluetooth connection is reliable, and that the audio won’t drop in and out just because the connection doesn’t have wires.
Most modern Bluetooth is good enough to handle sending signal within the same room, but if you want to send to a different room, you should consider the range of the Bluetooth.
If you go for the wired route, simply make sure that the wires will fit, and that you have a way to connect the output of your turntable to the input of the speakers. This will usually be done by RCA cables.
Power (and amplifiers)
The power of the speakers will be measured in wattage, and you will also see a figure called ‘SPL’ or sound pressure level, which is measured in decibels. This is the maximum consistent volume you can play music through the speakers at without doing them damage.
Most of the models we’ve recommended as the best are ‘active’ speakers. This means they generate their own power and do not require an amplifier to do it for them. However, there are some passive models on the market, and on our list.
Budget options are likely to be passive and need power to be sent to them. Some of the best turntables have preamps built-in, meaning they will provide the power for the speakers.
Frequency response
All speakers have a ‘frequency response’ which relates to the audio frequencies they can replicate. Human hearing runs from roughly 40 Hz to 20 kHz. At the low end are bass sound, whereas the higher end of this is the ‘treble’. The more balanced and equal the frequency response, the better the overall reproduction of sound.
Some speakers can struggle a little, especially with bass frequencies. Under 40 Hz we cannot hear anyway, but some cannot replicate sound under 70-80 Hz, and some struggle even higher than this. This can leave the bass sounding a little empty.
If you like your music to have a bottom end punch, or you listen to some of the heavier genres of music, you might prioritize bass frequencies.
You can add a subwoofer to most speaker systems for vinyl. This will handle the bass frequencies, leaving your other speakers for mids and treble.
Budget
If you go into buying speakers for vinyl with a budget of under $50, you’re not going to get very far. It is a struggle to find speakers for this price. However, there are some options under $100 which are perfectly decent, and from $100-500 you will find a wealth of options.
It is better to wait until you can afford something a little more pricey that does a better job, than to go for super-cheap options and end up disappointed.
Conclusion
Finding the best speakers for vinyl is a personal choice. The models we have recommended all have some brilliant features. The Edifier S2000 Pro has been ranked as the best overall option, but there are plenty of choices that are available on a budget, too.
Match up the features of your speakers to the features of your turntable. You need to ensure they are compatible before you hook up your new speakers and enjoy hours of high-quality listening!