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The search for turntable speakers, especially for a beginner, can be a daunting task. With hundreds of brands and even more types of models available online, even knowing where to begin is enough to overwhelm anyone. The best turntable speakers don’t always come necessarily cheap, and some specialized models can reach way up into the multi-thousand dollar range. But we’ve tested a bunch of them, and narrowed it to a few choices that provide a powerful and pristine listening experience while getting the most out of your money (and your music collection).
At a Glance: The Best Turntable Speakers
BEST OVERALL:Cambridge Audio SX-60 Bookshelf Speaker
BEST FOR SMALL APARTMENTS: Sony SSCS5 3-Way 3-Driver Bookshelf Speaker System
BEST SMALL SIZED: Cambridge Audio Minx Mini 22 Bookshelf Satellite Speaker
BEST CONTROLS:Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers
While it’s true that vinyls bring a certain sonic depth to music that digital can’t always fully compete with, part of that sound delivery system lies in the speaker quality. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need the biggest and most expensive models though. After our own testing and plenty of vinyl nights, here are our top turntable speaker picks.
In This Article
What Are the Best Turntable Speakers?
Turntable Speaker Buying Guide
How We Chose the Top Turntable Speakers
The Best Turntable Speakers
Here are the top-rated speakers on Amazon from brands like Cambridge Audio and Sony. If you’re looking to boost your record player’s audio performance, it’s hard to go wrong with any of these tested choices.
BEST OVERALL
Cambridge Audio SX-60 Bookshelf Speaker
We used these with our turntable and TV, and each of Cambridge Audio’s 100-watt speaker’s 6.5-inch woofer filled the entire room with rich sound, working best in a medium to large area. When we played a record, we noticed new depth and detail in songs that we’d heard hundreds of times, and you’ll want to replay everything in your vinyl collection just to experience it on these. No sub in your setup? No problem – for its size, the bass response on the SX-60s is unreal. The low end hits hard, with a punchy clarity, along with mids and highs that aren’t muffled or lost in the mix.
These speakers connect via speaker cables, and are easy to thread the wires through on the back, locking them in place. Design-wise, their steadfast, boxy shaped MDF cabinets look great in any space, and fit easily against walls or in corners. (They can also be mounted.) But they’re not only aesthetically pleasing, they serve a purpose, and help cut down on resonance at any volume, as you pick up new nuances in your old favorites and feel like you’re hearing them for the first time all over again.
BEST FOR SMALL APARTMENTS
Sony SSCS5 3-Way 3-Driver Bookshelf Speaker System
It’s hard to go wrong with a pair of these Sony speakers. Their wide frequency range accurately spans the spectrum of sound, giving off thick bass and pristine mids and highs (such as vocals and spoken dialogue, thanks to the sound-absorbing felt inside), where even small details shine. It’s not just the frequency range that’s wide either, as we noticed that Sony’s super tweeters create a large soundstage in any room to help recreate the feeling of being in the front row at a show. Each speaker has three drivers and two crossover points, allowing for clarity in instrument separation, particularly when playing records. These also set up fast, with a standard connection through copper speaker cable.
BEST SMALL-SIZED PICK
Cambridge Audio Minx Min 22 Bookshelf Satellite Speaker
For smaller rooms, consider the Cambridge Audio Minx speaker. It didn’t take up much physical space in our setup, but its audio sounds undeniably immersive and immense. At just 6×3 inches wide, it’s hard to fathom how such big sound is generated by such a small speaker, but, as we can attest to, hearing is believing. This hi-fi set hides well around the room, to the point where guests might be wondering where the audio is even coming from. It connects through copper speaker wires, and can hold the cable in place once on there too.
Mids and highs are what the speaker does best, but pairing with a subwoofer (or even the SX-60s) takes it to the next level. It can cast a wide dynamic range of sound, thanks to the Balanced Mode Radiator drivers, allowing you to place the Minx virtually anywhere around you and still get the full effect of your favorite record. It also looks sleek, with a heavy, solid build-quality and high-gloss finish that fits in with your entire setup.
BEST CONTROLS
Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers
The four-inch bass driver on these Edifiers won’t rattle your eardrums, but it’s powerful enough to round out the clear and balanced mids that come through beautifully via the 13mm silk dome tweeter. One thing we really liked as a bonus additional feature of these during our testing was having a remote to control the volume, as well as an on/off switch, RCA and speaker wire connectivity simultaneously, and knobs on the speaker sides to adjust bass, treble and volume manually. As far as its design goes, its wood finish looks both retro and modern, with a sound that spans eras, whether your records are new or classics.
Best of the Rest: Top Turntable Speakers, According to Reviewers
WIDE SOUNDSTAGE
ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 Bookshelf Speakers
These 120W bookshelf speakers have a built-in 6-inch woofer, and are known for their accurate sound reproduction and wide soundstage. At 38 pounds, they’re pretty heavy, but still a great choice for audiophiles who want a neutral sound when listening to records.
Positive Customer Review: “It has now been around 6 weeks since the Elacs came in. I’m loving them, my jazz and rock sounded great from the start but I’m finding a rather lengthy break-in period to be most valuable, especially for many of my classical selections.” — Alan H. (Amazon)
BUILT FOR MIXING
PreSonus Eris E3.5 Near Field Studio Monitor Speakers
The PreSonus Eris E3.5 Near Field Studio Monitor Speakers are designed for professional audio applications, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a master audio engineer to get the most out of them. In fact, we recommend these for any home studio, as they have multiple different connections and are designed to switch to headphones when you really want a close listen.
Positive Customer Review: “The PreSonus Eris Speaker Set offers excellent sound quality with clear highs and robust bass, perfect for both casual listening and professional use.” — Daniel (Amazon)
Editor’s Note: Customer reviews have been edited for length and clarity.
How We Chose the Best Turntable Speakers
To choose our list of the best turntable speakers in this buying guide, we tested and researched speaker units from top brands, including Sony, Cambridge Audio, Edifier, and more to narrow down our top recommendations. We also consulted customer reviews with 4/5-star ratings to choose other top contenders for this shopping guide.
Best Turntable Speakers Buying Guide
While great sound is the primary goal with turntable speakers, it’s not the only attribute to look for. We considered other aspects like size, setup, compatibility and more, and compiled it into a handy guide here.
Size: Keep in mind that when it comes to their size, larger turntable speakers aren’t always automatically better. Thanks to improved audio engineering over the years, a mid-sized or even small speaker can have some seriously strong drivers inside. And while sound is most important when pairing with your turntable for gorgeous sound, looks play into it as well — something that’s going to have a timeless design and pair well visually with your setup too.
Connectivity: There are a few different ways that these can connect up to your turntable unit, so be sure to check the back of your player to see what your options are before buying. The most classic method on older players as well as modern ones is copper speaker wire. Other options include RCA wires, which are color-coded for a smooth setup, and Bluetooth connectivity on the newer models. The benefit of Bluetooth is its wireless convenience, but because it’s a compressed format, you’ll inevitably be losing some audio quality. For the casual listener, it might not be a big deal. But if you’re an aspiring audiophile, best to stick with wired options.
Preamp: In some cases you’ll also need a preamp to play records through your new speakers. We’ve picked our favorite ones here, which help take the sound from the player’s stylus and turn it into a signal that can safely and clearly play out of your speakers. It’s not always a total dealbreaker, but if you want to get the most out of your records, these are a huge help. Some players already include preamps in the unit, but replacing them with a high-quality preamp can sometimes give you greater control on getting your music just right.
Placement: Also before buying, take note of where the pair will be placed in your room. Not just for optimal sound, but to cut down on vibrations. Though many have “bookshelf” in the title, placing them on an actual bookshelf along with your turntable can be counterintuitive, as it moves and shakes the surface it’s on, making bass and mids muffled, and even causing the record to skip. The best bet is to raise the speaker up, either on a stand or feet, to decouple it from the surface it’s sitting.
