If you have a tight budget but still want good quality speakers for your turntable, then you are in the right place. I have listed 10 of the best powered speakers that will fit anyone’s budget and still capable of reproducing high fidelity sound from your vinyl records.
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What are Powered Speakers?
Already know what a powered speaker is? Then please skip this section, if not do continue reading. Powered speakers have built-in amplifiers and do not need external power amplifiers to drive them, they are basically self-powered. The built-in power amps are designed to closely match with the speaker drivers for optimal performance. They are absolutely great for users who are having budget constraints since you do not need to worry about spending money to buy matching power amps for your speakers. They are also compact and helps you save space, but you’ll need to allocate a power supply for them.
10 Best Budget Powered Speakers For Turntable
Without further ado, here are the top 10 budget powered speakers which you can get for your turntable.
1. Audioengine A2+ Premium Powered Speakers for Turntable
This may not be the most affordable speaker out of the bunch but the sound quality are definitely one of the best here. Audioengine A2+ is a small compact speaker that can connect to your music sources either wirelessly or wired, so that means you can stream music from your phone via Bluetooth aptX and/or connect to your turntable via analog. It is an incredibly flexible stereo speaker system.
A2+ may be small in size but their sound isn’t. With a total of 60 Watts (peak power) class AB amplifier, powering 0.75-inch silk dome tweeters and 2.75-inch aramid fiber woofers. You can easily fill your small room with high-quality stereo sound. It has a wireless operation range of up to 100 feet, giving you ample space to connect to all your smart devices.
Audioengine uses high-resin MDF walls along with extensive internal bracing helps to minimize unwanted resonances and distortion. To reduce unwanted sound reflections inside the A2+ cabinet, Audioengine uses heavy sound-damping material. The front-port slots are finely tuned to reproduce tight and accurate bass.
Even though they are priced affordably but Audioengine never compromises the quality. A2+ powered speakers will definitely be a great choice for your turntable.
Features
- Class AB amplifier
- 60 Watts peak power total – 15 Watts RMS / 30 Watts peak per channel
- Bluetooth 5.0 – Up to 100 feet (30 m) typical
- Inputs: 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack, RCA L/R, and USB
- Outputs: RCA variable line-out
- 0.75-inch silk dome tweeters, 2.75-inch aramid fiber woofers
- Frequency Response: 65 Hz-22 kHz
2. Edifier R1700BT Speakers for Turntable
Edifier R1700BT powered speakers are another great choice for your turntable, due to their built-in Digital Signal Processing and Dynamic Range Control that greatly reduces distortion thus improving the sound quality from your turntable source. The way Edifier R1700BT is designed with a 10-degree angle, this helps to direct the music to you and reduces interference, so to further improve your listening experience.
Each speaker comes with a 19mm “Eagle Eye” dome tweeter capable of revealing the slightest sounds and a 4-inch bass driver, along with a front-facing bass reflex port, Edifier R1700BT can reproduce clear highs and rich bass. It is also very powerful for its’ size and price, with a total RMS power of 66 Watts.
The aesthetic design of Edifier R1700BT is elegant and classy, visually pleasing, and should be quite easy to match with most turntables. You can further tune the sound to your liking by adjusting the bass and treble (-6db to +6db). There is also a remote control that you can use to switch input sources, control volume, etc., making it very convenient for you to switch from your turntable to another source.
The Bluetooth wireless connection will come in handy if you decide to stream your favorite songs from your mobile phones or other smart devices. The sound and build quality of Edifier R1700BT is definitely worthy of your turntable and is definitely worth your while to audition them. Furthermore, the price is affordable and should fit your budget.
Features
- Built-in Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
- Built-in Dynamic Range Control (DRC)
- 10-degree angle cabinet design to direct music to you
- 19mm “Eagle Eye” dome tweeter, 4-inch bass driver with a front-facing bass reflex port
- Total RMS power of 66 Watts
- Bass and Treble settings (-6db to +6db)
- Inputs: 2 x AUX Inputs
- Bluetooth Connection
- Remote Control
3. PreSonus Eris E3.5 Studio Monitor for Turntable
A compact nearfield studio monitor that will reproduce crystal clear vocals, smooth and accurate sound from your vinyl records. Studio quality sound ensures you won’t miss a single detail, even the softest whisper will be clear and audible. Most importantly it doesn’t sound clinical and won’t cause listener fatigue, allowing you to enjoy countless hours of music playback via your turntable. PreSonus Eris E3.5 is built with a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter designed to radiate refined sound at a fairly wide dispersion pattern so that you will have a larger sweet spot. A woven composite 3.5-inch woofer that delivers a cleaner overall sound.
Class AB power amplifier, 25W per speaker which is not bi-amped. PreSonus Eris E3.5 will bring your turntable analog signal to life. You can further tune the sound by using the acoustic tuning settings; high and mid variable control (-6 to +6dB). It has a certain visual appeal to it even though is simplistic and industrial, which also allows E3.5 to blend well with most turntables. The small compact size can be easily fitted on a bookshelf or positioned on a desktop.
It does not have a Bluetooth connectivity feature like some other powered speakers listed here, but the sound quality (studio grade) is definitely the top few. Other than the stereo aux inputs, PreSonus Eris E3.5 also has a headphone jack that comes in handy for quiet listening without disturbing others, as this pair of studio monitors can go really loud if you want to.
Features
- Studio-quality sound
- 1-inch silk-dome tweeter designed to radiate sound at a fairly wide dispersion pattern
- 3.5-inch woven composite woofer that delivers a cleaner overall sound
- Class AB power amplifier, 25W per speaker, not bi-amped
- High and mid variable control (-6 to +6dB)
- Inputs: 1x stereo 1/8 inch, 2x balanced ¼ inches TRS, 2x unbalanced RCA
- Headphone jack
- Protection: RF interference, Output-current limiting, External mains fuse, and more
4. Pioneer DM40 DJ Studio Monitor for Turntable
You must be wondering, why DJ studio monitors? It is because they have impeccable sound quality and yet still affordable. Pioneer DM40 DJ studio monitors are engineered to reproduce studio-grade sound quality. When you connect your turntable to this pair of studio monitors, your music will come to life. Extremely accurate stereo imaging, a huge soundstage, and tight bass. All thanks to Pioneer DJ studio monitors’ ¾-inch soft dome tweeters. The tweeters also come with DECO convex diffusers which will channel high frequencies in every direction providing you with a wider sweet spot. The 4-inch fiberglass woofer aided by a front-loaded port will generate tight and impactful bass.
Pioneer DJ studio monitor uses Class AB amplifiers (2 x 21 Watts / 4 Ω). With the amp, tweeter and woofer accurately aligned, ensures a well-balanced and smooth frequency response. The design of the powered speakers is also impressive as the curved front edges will provide maximum rigidity and also minimum resonance. Other than the improvement in sound quality, the curved front edges also make Pioneer DM40 look nice.
Pioneer DM40 DJ studio monitor has a headphone output, great for quiet listening if you feel like playing your turntable late at night. The only qualm I have with them is that they aren’t any acoustic adjustments I can use. So is not easy to position them as my room is not really acoustically treated, the wider sweet spot helps a little. After much room adjustments, the sound quality improves significantly and this is why Pioneer DM40 is one of the top 10 budget powered speakers in 2021.
Features
- ¾-inch soft dome tweeters with DECO convex diffusers for wider listening sweet spot
- 4-inch fiberglass woofer with a front-loaded port
- Class AB amplifiers (2 x 21 Watts / 4 Ω)
- Curved front edges – provide maximum rigidity and minimum resonance
- Headphone output
- Inputs: 1x Line (RCA), 1x Line (Mini-jack)
5. Micca PB42X Powered Bookshelf Speakers for Turntable
Micca PB42X is an upgraded version of an already successful MB42X, so it has all its strength and a perfectly matched amplifier to boot. It has superb tonal balance and clarity, amazing speakers for your turntable. Not to mention the accurate stereo imaging and tight bass impact (I did not expect such a strong bass response to be honest). Micca uses Class D amplifiers (15 Watts x 2) because of their efficiency and low distortion. Micca PB42X has a ¾-inch silk dome tweeter and a 4-Inch balanced woven carbon fiber woofer with a rubber surround that further enhances the transients.
There is also a ported enclosure very well-tuned, this could be the reason why Micca PB42X can generate such impactful and deep bass output. PB42X can really reach deep into the low-frequency region, up to 60Hz which is astounding for a speaker this size. There is a magnetic front grill where you can use to protect your speakers or take them off when needed. It doesn’t have a Bluetooth connection. Do note that it is rear-ported and does not have acoustic adjustment, so if you are going to place your speakers very near to a back wall, the bass may become a tad boomy.
It may lack some features but for the price it’s asking for, Micca PB42X is absolutely value for money. To reproduce such high-quality sound performance, there’s no way any passive speaker setup at the same price can replicate. If you are having budget constraints, Micca PB42X powered bookshelf speakers will be an excellent choice for your turntable.
Features
- Class D amplifiers (15 Watts x 2)
- ¾-inch silk dome tweeter
- 4-Inch balanced woven carbon fiber woofer with a rubber surround
- Magnetic front grill
- Rear ported enclosure
- Superb tonal balance and clarity; tight and impactful bass
- Inputs: 3.5mm Stereo Mini Jack and Stereo RCA
6. Kanto YU2 Powered Desktop Speakers for Turntable
Don’t let the simplistic design fool you, this powered speakers will deliver high-quality audio and excellent sonic performance, one of the 10 best budget powered speakers for your turntable. Kanto YU2 is equipped with a 3/4″ silk dome tweeter and 3″ composite driver to reproduce distortion-free and high clarity sound. To increase the bass output efficiency, it uses the bass reflex port located at the back of the speaker and finely tuned to eliminate port turbulence. You will hear your favorite songs from vinyl records like never before. Kanto YU2 enhanced sound dispersion lets you hear every sound from your records anywhere in the room.
There’s a built-in sound card that will let you stream directly from your computer’s USB port without the need to get an external DAC. If you want strong and deeper bass, you can connect Kanto YU2 desktop speakers to a subwoofer via the subwoofer output. Class D amplifier is been used, total RMS 50 Watts and 100 Watts at peak power.
The integrated DAC is a good feature and unexpected from such affordable powered speakers like Kanto YU2. The build quality is good too, using an acoustic grade MDF cabinet which will reduce distortion and internal resonance.
Features
- 3/4″ silk dome tweeter and 3″ composite driver
- Distortion-free and high clarity sound reproduction
- Rear bass reflex port
- Integrated DAC using USB Input
- Class D amplifier, total RMS 50 Watts and 100 Watts at peak power
- Acoustic grade MDF cabinet
- AUX Input
- Subwoofer Output
7. JBL Professional 1 Series for Turntable
JBL Professional 1 powered speaker uses a unique driver design where the tweeter is located at the center of the woofer. This coaxial driver design will deliver natural, highly detailed, and accurate sound reproduction. It is simply a joy to use JBL Professional 1 powered speakers for my turntable. Using 0.75-inch (19 mm) soft-dome tweeter and a 4.5-inch (118 mm) woofer with built-in Class D amplifiers delivering a total power of 60 Watts, powerful enough to reach low-frequency extension down to 60 Hz which is an incredible feat for a speaker this size.
It has Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connection, giving you the flexibility to stream your music via your mobile phone and connect your turntable directly. There is also a headphone jack with a speaker mute feature for quiet listening without disturbing anyone in your home. The wider sweet spot also ensures more than 1 person in the listening area can get to enjoy the music without compromising the sound quality.
JBL Professional 1 powered speakers are reference monitors used by professionals and so you will be assured it will be an amazing speaker to partner with your turntable. It will reveal to you the subtle details and sound accuracy like none other, without any coloration, and be truthful to what is been recorded in your vinyl records.
Features
- Coaxial driver design – natural, highly detailed, and accurate sound
- 0.75-inch (19 mm) soft-dome tweeter, 4.5-inch (118 mm) woofer
- Class D amplifier, a total power of 60 Watts (30 Watts each speaker)
- Able to reach low-frequency extension down to 60 Hz
- Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connection
- Inputs: dual 1/4-inch balanced and single 1/8-inch unbalanced TRS inputs (Aux, RCA, TRS)
- Headphone jack with speaker mute
8. Mackie CR-X Series (CR3-X) Studio Monitors for Turntable
Mackie CR3-X powered speakers are one of the most affordable on this list and still reproduce studio-quality sound. It is designed and built for home use and so will be great as speakers for the turntable as well. CR3-X speakers are built with a 0.75-inch ferrofluid-cooled silk-dome tweeter and a 3-inch polypropylene-coated woofer, and use 50 watts to power both speakers. There is also a bass reflex rear port for smooth and even bass extension. The build quality is good too, with an all-wood cabinet for natural sonic performance.
I do find the design of Mackie CR3-X a bit flashy and may stand out too much when placed near the turntable. There is a headphone output which when plugged will automatically mute the speaker, quite a cool feature. If you need a Bluetooth connection, you can always pay a bit more to get CR3-XBT but for turntable usage, this pair is more than enough to satisfy your listening experience.
The volume knob is located at the front of the speaker which is convenient. Mackie CR3-X has 1/4″ balanced/unbalanced and RCA, and 1/8″ Aux inputs, allowing you to plug multiple sources including your turntable. CR3-X faithfully plays all the vinyl records without colorations, incredible powered speakers for the price.
Features
- 0.75-inch ferrofluid-cooled silk-dome tweeter
- 3-inch polypropylene-coated woofer with a rear bass reflex port
- 50 Watts powering both speakers
- All-wood cabinet for natural sonic performance
- Headphone output – when plugged will automatically mute the speakers
- Inputs: 1/4″ balanced/unbalanced and RCA, and 1/8″ Aux inputs
- Very Affordable for studio-quality sound
9. i-box Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers for Turntable
Another very affordable powered speaker for your turntable and this one already comes with a Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connection feature. i-Box powered speakers are compact and can easily fit into any room. The sleek minimal design allows them to blend seamlessly with most turntables. Other than the Bluetooth connection, they also have wired connections such as optical, RCA, and coaxial inputs. Making them very flexible for home audio use and not just for your turntable.
With an in-built 40 Watts RMS amplifier, powering the 1-inch tweeters and 4″ Kevlar Bass/Mid drivers, delivering powerful sound with high audio clarity. The midrange is cohesive and neutral, and the bass is punchy, i-box Bluetooth Bookshelf speakers are suitable for all music genres. To further improve your turntable playback, there are bass and treble controls where you can fine-tune the sound to your liking.
i-box Bluetooth powered speakers are very convenient to use, it comes with remote control and you can adjust the settings comfortably at your listening area. The build quality is good too, using a 1” thick wooden cabinet, it doesn’t use cheap plastic. I am really impressed by i-box Bluetooth bookshelf speakers, at such an affordable price, you can have so many features and still delivers high-quality sonic performance.
Features
- Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connection
- Inputs: optical, RCA, and coaxial
- In-built 40 Watts RMS amplifier
- 1-inch tweeters and 4″ Kevlar Bass/Mid drivers
- Bass and treble controls
- Remote control
- 1″ thick wooden cabinet for natural sonic performance
- Very Affordable
10. SINGING WOOD BT25 Active Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers for Turntable
This speaker caught me off guard because is so affordable and yet so many features. The sound quality on the other hand is unlike the studio monitors listed here, meaning it won’t be as good. But if budget is your main concern, then BT25 will be an ideal choice. It has a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter and a 4-inch full-range bass driver, both speakers powered by a 50 Watts Class D amplifier. Has an impressive frequency response range of 66 Hz – 20 kHz.
SINGING WOOD BT25 Active speakers use Bluetooth 4.2, stream music from your smartphone, tablet, etc. For your turntable, you can connect them using AUX inputs. There are a bass and treble setting located at the side of the main speaker. You can use the provided remote control to adjust the volume and other settings. There’s a classic look to SINGING WOOD BT25, especially when you put on the speaker grilles. Choose between 3 colors and select the one best suited to your room decor or looks best when placed beside your turntable.
As you can see there are a lot of features and is very affordable. The sound quality as mentioned is one of the least performing powered speakers in this top 10 list, but at the price it is asking, is really hard to bargain.
Features
- 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter and a 4-inch full-range bass driver
- 50 Watts Class D amplifier
- Bluetooth 4.2 wireless connection
- Inputs: 2x Aux Inputs
- 3 colors to choose from
- Remote control
- Bass and treble setting
- Very affordable
Overall Best Quality Budget Powered Speakers For Turntable
Based on the features, sound quality, and price, Audioengine A2+ is the overall best quality powered speaker for tight budgets. Comes packed with impressive power and high-quality sound. Bluetooth 5.0 with a wireless range of up to 100 feet (30 m), allowing you to stream your music almost anywhere in your home. Superior cabinet build-quality further improves the sound performance and greatly reduces distortion. You will definitely enjoy listening and partnering your turntable with this pair of A2+ powered speakers.
Most Affordable Budget Powered Speakers For Turntable
If you are really constraint by your tight budget and still want to enjoy listening to your vinyl records via your turntable then SINGING WOOD BT25 active speakers will be a great choice for you. It comes with convenient features such as Bluetooth 4.2 wireless connection, remote control, bass, and treble setting. BT25 powered speakers may not sound as good as the other powered speakers in the list but it is certainly the most affordable.
Best Sound Quality Budget Powered Speakers For Turntable
Want the best-sounding affordable powered speakers? You got it, out of the 10 best budget powered speakers, PreSonus Eris E3.5 Studio Monitor has the best sound quality. Studio-grade audio quality to be exact and can go really loud without distortion. The bass response is agile and impactful. If you want accurate, clear, and faithful sound reproduction of your favorite vinyl records then PreSonus Eris E3.5 will be the best choice.
To sum it up
You can still get to enjoy high fidelity sound even when you have a low budget, you just need to get the right pair of speakers for your turntable. And with this top 10 list, you have already found them. You just need to shortlist some of them based on their features and price, spend some time auditioning each of these powered speakers. If possible, you should try auditioning them at your own listening room connected to your turntable. Bring out all your favorite vinyl records and start listening for any difference in sound quality. Pick the powered speaker which you find is the best. You can also just go with our top picks based on overall quality, affordability, or sound quality.
