2017 Best Powered Bookshelf Speakers Reviews & Ratings

Published by Jennie Doyle at July 3, 2017

Top 5 Powered Bookshelf Speakers Comparison

	1. Audioengine HD6	2. Audioengine A5+	3. Kanto YU3	4. Klipsch R-15PM	5. Edifier R2000DB

	BEST MODEL		OUR CHOICE
Product Specifications
Brand	Audioengine	Audioengine	Kanto	Klipsch	Edifier
Size (W x H x D)	7.25″ x 11.75″ x 10″	10.75″ x 7″ x 9″, 10.75″ x 7″ x 7.75″	5.5″ x 8.6″ x 7.5″	7″ x 12.5″ x 8.11″	6.25″ x 11.5″ x 8.5″
Weight	17.5 Lbs, 12.5 Lbs	15.4 Lbs, 9.6 Lbs	6.8 Lbs, 5.3 Lbs	10.3 Lbs	11 Lbs
Construction	3/4″ Thick MDF, Silk Dome, Kevlar, Diecast Aluminum, Neodymuim Magnets	1/2″ Thick MDF, Kevlar, Silk Dome, Neodymium Magnets	MDF, Silk Dome, Kevlar	MDF, Aluminum, Copper Spun, Brushed Polymer Veneer	MDF Wood, Aluminum, Silk Dome
Finish Options	Satin Black Paint, Walnut Wood Veneer, Cherry Wood Veneer	Satin Black, Hi-Gloss White, Solid Carbonized Bamboo	Gloss White, Gloss Black, Gloss Teal, Matte Grey, Matte Green, Matte Yellow, Matte White, Matte Black	Black	Piano Black, Cherry Wood
Mount Type	Bookshelf	Bookshelf	Bookshelf	Bookshelf	Bookshelf
Number of Speakers	2	2	2	2	2
Speaker Type	2.0 System feat. Wireless&Digital Optical Inputs	2.0 Powered System	Surround	Bass Reflex	2.0 Powered System
Amplifier Type	Analog Dual-Class A/B Monolithic	Dual Class AB Monolithic	Class D	Class D	Class D
Drivers Type	5.5″ Kevlar	5″ Kevlar	4″ Kevlar	5.25″ Copper Spun	5.25″ with Aluminum Diaphragm
Tweeters Type	1″ Silk Dome	3/4″ Silk Dome	1″ Silk Dome	1″ Aluminum	1″ Silk Dome
Performance
Sensitivity	88dB	82dB	85dB	81dB	82dB
Nominal Impedance	4 Ohms	10 Ohms	4 Ohms	8 Ohms	6 Ohms
Frequency Response	50Hz – 22kHz ± 1.5dB	50Hz – 22kHz ± 1.5dB	60Hz – 10kHz ± 6dB	62Hz – 24kHz ± 3dB	50Hz – 20kHz ± 3dB
Peak Power Output	150W Total	150W Total	120W Total	100W Total	120W Total
SNR	>95dB	>95dB	>90dB	>90dB	>85dB
THD+N	<0.05%	<0.05%	<0.3%	<0.3%	<0.5%
Crossover System	2-Way	2-Way	2-Way	2-Way	2-Way
Crossover Frequency	2.8 kHz	2.8 kHz	2.0 kHz	1.8 kHz	2.0 kHz
Power Consumption	10W, 6W, 4W	10W, 6W, 4W	<0.5W	<1W	<1W
Features
Remote Control
Other Features	Dual Audio Inputs	Dual Audio Inputs	Control Knob	TV Ready	Digital Sound Processing
	Full-Range Variable Output	Auto-Sleep Power Saving Mode	Auto Power-Up	PC Ready	Digital Range Control
	Detachable Magnetic Speaker Grills	Front Panel Volume Control	Digital-to-Analog Converter	Turntable Ready	Adjustable Tone Settings
	Passive Crossovers	Full-Size 5-Way Speaker Binding Posts	Left&Right Binding Posts	Magnetically Shield
	Threaded Inserts	Power On/Off Transient Protection
	Power On/Off Transient Protection	Thermal Over-Temperature
	Thermal Over-Temperature	Output Current Limiting
	Output Current Limiting
Ports&Connectivity
Bluetooth	4.0		4.0	4.0	4.0
Bass Port	Rear	Top	Rear	Rear	Rear
Inputs	3.5mm Mini-Jack, Bluetooth aptX, RCA L/R, Digital Optical	3.5mm Stereo Mini-Jack, RCA L/R	3.5mm Mini-Jack AUX, RCA/LR, 2 x Digital Optical, Bluetooth 4.0 with Qualcomm aptX	Digital Optical, 3.5mm Mini-Jack Line Level, RCA/LR, Bluetooth	3.5mm Mini-Jack Line Level, RCA/LR, Bluetooth, Digital Optical
Outputs	47ohm Output Impedance, Variable Line-Out w/2.0V RMS Max Output	RCA Variable Line-Out, USB	Subwoofer, USB Charge 5V 1A	Subwoofer, USB Digital Audio	Subwoofer, RCA Variable Line-Out, USB
Connectivity – Devices	Mac, PC, Tablet, Smartphone	Mac, PC, iPad, iPod, iPhone, Smartphones	Mac, PC, iPad, iPod, iPhone	Mac, PC, Tablet, Smartphone	Mac, PC, Tablet, Smartphone
Connectivity – Operating Systems	Windows, iOS, Android, MacOS, Linux	Windows, iOS, Android, MacOS, Linux	iOS, Windows, Linux, MacOS	Windows, iOS, Android, MacOS, Linux	Windows, iOS, Android, MacOS, Linux
Connectivity – Music Player Apps	Amarra, Youtube, iTunes, TIDAL		Amarra, Youtube, iTunes, TIDAL	Amarra, Youtube, iTunes, TIDAL	Amarra, Youtube, iTunes, TIDAL
Connectivity – Other	TV, Apple TV, Network Streamers, Audioengine Digital-to-Analog Converters, Audioengine Wireless Audio Adapters	TV, Audioengine Wireless Audio Adapters, AirPlay, Apple Airport Express	TV, Apple TV	TV, Apple TV	TV, Apple TV, Xbox, Playstation
Warranty&Support
Product Warranty	3 Years	3 Years	2 Years	3 Years	2 Years
Trial Period	30 Days	30 Days	30 Days	30 Days	30 Days
Customer Support
User Manual

Important Information that You Need to Know

What makes powered bookshelf speakers be present in many modern households is the fact that they are an integral part of an ideal sound system, adding the bass, mid, and treble sized sounds to your experience when watching a movie, playing a game, or simply listening to music to enhance it. Due to the fact that they have built-in amplifiers, they differ completely when compared to normal speakers, being phenomenal at delivering sounds of an excellent quality.

Of course, there’s the aspect of their size as well, generally being more compact when compared to other types of speakers. Therefore, it’s easier to find a location for bookshelf models, especially if you intend to integrate them with your pre-existing sound system. Also, this compact size makes them portable, so you can easily take them with you wherever you go if you want to enjoy great sound quality. Know that it’s not mandatory to integrate them with a sound system. If you don’t own one or you just don’t want to make this move, you can use them stand alone as well.

Although this is a detail that you will surely notice on your own, we must tell you that bookshelf speakers also have a more trendy design that makes them a better fit with modern decors. Seeing how everyone these days thinks about how well new purchases go with their room decor and design, it’s an important aspect to take into consideration as well.

What Advantages these Speakers Offer

A quality pair of speakers, regardless of their type, is a considerable investment to make, but one worth making if you want to enjoy superior sound quality. If you are wondering what are the advantages that powered bookshelf speakers have to offer and what makes them so great, read this section of the article as we will tell you all about the benefits that they come with.

Superior Two-Way Design

Bookshelf speakers generally have a two-way design, some models even featuring a three-way design. Most models, just like the ones that appear in our top, boast a two-way design that consists of a tweeter and a driver. The role of this two-way design is to enhance the sound quality, delivering a clean and realistic experience for the listener to be satisfied with the purchase that has been made.

Compact Size

They are called bookshelf speakers for a good reason, the compact size that they boast making them a perfect addition to your bookshelf. Therefore, if you’re looking for a space-saving option, they are the perfect choice to go with. It’s their size what also makes them a perfect fit next to the TV, for example, even if the table on which the electronic is placed isn’t that large. Additionally, due to their size, they make for a discrete addition if you do end up placing them in the bookshelf, not distracting from the decor that you have already created.

Enhancement of Sound Quality in Sound Systems

These powered speakers offer a unique advantage over other types and models, more precisely the fact that they add clearer bass, mid, and treble sized sounds that generally lack in quality when it comes to sound systems. With a quality pair of bookshelf speakers by your side, you will experience a realistic and truly enjoyable experience when listening to music, playing, or watching a movie on your TV, so it’s surely an investment worth making.

More Reasonable Pricing

Generally, speakers tend to be expensive as the components and technologies used in their manufacturing can’t really by compared to anything else, being pricier to produce. This isn’t the case with bookshelf models necessarily because when they are mass-produced, they become a lot more reasonable in pricing, their components, and amplifiers not being sacrificed when it comes to quality for these speakers to remain accessible and affordable to most people.

What You Must Look for When You Go Shopping

Buying new speakers isn’t an easy task as you have to know what makes them be of a superior quality and what to look for. In the following lines, we will show you what are the elements and specs that you must keep your eyes on when making such a purchase, thus helping you make a smart investment that you surely won’t regret.

What Materials the Speakers are Made With

The materials that powered bookshelf speakers are made with don’t only show their durability over time but they show how great the quality of the sound will be as well, the enclosure other construction elements playing a bigger role than you could ever imagine in the transmission of the sound. MDF wood is the perfect material to go with for the enclosure, Kevlar is ideal for the drivers, while silk dome is the choice to go with for the tweeters.

What Type of Amplifier is Featured

The relationship between the amplifier and the speakers is a complicated one, most people not being aware of the importance of a high-quality amplifier. Basically, the amplifier has the role in sustaining its output wattage in order to ensure that the speakers won’t be affected, meaning that the quality of the sounds that they emit won’t be lost as time passes. While every type of amplifier comes with its own pros and cons, what we recommend is that you go for a dual class A/B monolithic model.

Power Consumption

Of course, you have to take into consideration the power consumption of the speakers as you surely don’t want to end up paying a ton of money just because you like listening to music most of the day. As you can see, all the products featured in our top boast a low power consumption, meaning that they’re not only of a high quality when it comes to sound emission but that they’re energy efficient as well.

Whether a Remote Control is Included or Not

Convenience is an aspect that you must take into consideration when making such a purchase as you don’t want to end up wasting time changing the settings but rather enjoy the experience, listening to your favorite songs when you’re finally at home. With a remote control, this can be made possible, this being the reason why we recommend you pay attention for the model that you do end up buying to come with this accessory.

Best Brands on the Market

On the market for bookshelf speakers, there are a couple of brands that are renowned for producing and delivering only high-quality products to customers. In the following lines, we will show you what are the brands that we’re referring to in order to help you make a smart decision when you go shopping, as these brands surely manufacture and deliver only speakers of a superior quality.

Audioengine

Audioengine is a brand that designs and builds innovative audio gear, the products released by this company changing the way we all listen to our favorite music, delivering a superior experience that will surely blow your mind. What will astonish you for sure is the fact that this is a relatively new company, manufacturing and selling its first product in 2006. Since the inception of the business, Audioengine has managed to become a household name worldwide, tending to the needs and desires of all people, no matter if we’re talking about musicians, DJs, or average Joes.

Kanto

Being founded in January of 2007, Kanto is another brand that despite its young age has managed to become a household name due to the fact that it emphasizes on designing and manufacturing only high-end electronics that innovate their markets. When it comes to the production of powered bookshelf speakers, the company managed to impress everyone with the production of the Kanto YU3 speakers that swept everyone off their feet by delivering an unsurpassable sound quality and performance.

Klipsch

Klipsch is one of the oldest and most renowned brands on the audio market as it has been around for a long time, more precisely since 1946. What has made this brand become so famous isn’t only the fact that it has managed to stay above its competitors all the time by producing new and innovative speakers and audio gear, but the fact that it has always understood the fact that pricing is important. Therefore, this is the company to buy from if your budget isn’t extremely generous as you will surely find the right speakers for you with ease.