The fastest way to ruin a good turntable is to plug it into a bad speaker. For years the only serious answer was a stack of separates: a receiver, a pair of passive speakers and a nest of cable. Powered speakers changed that. Today a single pair can hold the amplifier, a Bluetooth radio, a USB input for the laptop and, in some cases, the phono preamp a turntable needs. The five systems below are the ones worth building a record setup around, from a $299 desk pair to a fully wireless hi-fi system that happens to have a spot for vinyl.
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First, the phono preamp question
A turntable's cartridge produces a tiny signal that needs a phono preamp, with its special equalization, before any speaker can play it. That stage can live in one of three places: inside the turntable, inside the speakers, or in a small box between the two. Many entry level turntables now include a switchable preamp, so check yours before you shop. Audioengine says it plainly on its own product pages: all turntables require a phono preamp stage before connecting to its speakers. If your deck lacks one and you want the simplest possible setup, choose a speaker with a phono input built in. If you are still choosing a deck, our guide to the Ruka Studio TD-1 shows how far turntable design can stretch.
Audioengine A2+ Gen 3: best for a desk
The A2+ Gen 3 is the third generation of Audioengine's compact desktop pair. It sits comfortably beside a monitor, takes USB-C audio straight from a computer, streams over aptX Adaptive Bluetooth and still offers an analog input for a turntable. There is also a subwoofer output, so you can add bass later rather than buying bigger speakers. It has no phono stage, so pair it with a deck that has one built in. At $299 in the standard finishes, it is the cleanest way to put records and a laptop through the same pair of real wood boxes.
See the Audioengine A2+ Gen 3 on Amazon
Fluance Ai41: best value
Fluance builds turntables as well as speakers, and the Ai41 is the company's bestselling powered pair. For $299.99 you get 5 inch woven glass fiber woofers, 1 inch silk dome tweeters and a 90 watt Class D amplifier, along with Bluetooth 5.0, RCA and optical inputs and an 80 Hz subwoofer output. The frequency response is rated from 35 Hz to 20 kHz, generous for a speaker this size. Like the Audioengine, it has no phono preamp, which Fluance lists right in its spec table, so it suits decks with a preamp onboard. Nothing else here delivers this much speaker for the money.
See the Fluance Ai41 on Amazon
Kanto Yu4 G2: best all in one for vinyl
Kanto's Yu4 G2, the second generation of the company's compact bookshelf speaker, solves the preamp problem for you. The phono stage is built in, so you can plug almost any turntable straight into the back. The new version pairs a 1 inch silk dome tweeter with a 4 inch abaca paper cone woofer and adds USB-C audio alongside Bluetooth, a subwoofer output, a remote and a USB port for powering accessories. It comes in five finishes, including walnut and an ice blue that looks good on a shelf. Check Kanto's site for current pricing. If you want one box of decisions instead of three, this is the pick.
Audioengine A5+ Wireless: best for a living room
The A5+ Wireless is the bigger sibling and the one Audioengine calls the foundation of its family. Custom aramid fiber woofers and silk tweeters sit in hand built cabinets that stand nearly 11 inches tall, with built-in power amps, aptX-HD Bluetooth and an analog input for a turntable or tape deck. It fills a real room in a way desktop speakers cannot. Prices run from $499 to $569 depending on finish. As with every Audioengine model, you will need a phono preamp in the chain, but once it is there, the A5+ is the most satisfying way to play records loud without a receiver.
See the Audioengine A5+ Wireless on Amazon
KEF LSX II: best wireless hi-fi
The KEF LSX II is a full streaming hi-fi system in two small cabinets, designed by Michael Young and built around KEF's signature Uni-Q driver array, which places the tweeter at the center of a 4.5 inch magnesium and aluminum cone. It streams over Wi-Fi with AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Roon, and it has HDMI ARC for a television, optical and USB-C inputs and a subwoofer output. For vinyl, there is a 3.5 mm analog auxiliary input, so you will need a phono preamp and an RCA to 3.5 mm cable. At $1,499.99 a pair it is the most expensive system here, and the one that will sound best with everything you own, records included.
Setup tips that cost nothing
Keep the turntable off the surface the speakers sit on, since vibration from the cabinets can feed back through the stylus. Get the tweeters roughly level with your ears, either with stands or a sturdy shelf. Leave a few inches between the speakers and the wall, especially with rear ported designs, so the bass stays tight. And if your turntable has a ground wire, connect it to the preamp or speaker that has the ground terminal.
Where to look next
If you want a single box instead of a pair, the Marshall Acton IV is a stylish alternative for casual listening. If you want the whole system designed as one object, the Bang & Olufsen Beosystem 3000c shows what that looks like at the top end. And for a sense of where the upper end of speaker design is heading, see the Focal Diva Alta Utopia.
Buy the speakers your records deserve. They will outlast several turntables.
More in our Vinyl & Records hub.
