We’ve gone from phonographs to reel-to-reel audio, 8-track cassettes to compact discs, and now streaming subscription services. In all that time, records have never gone away. They produce a decidedly tactile sound that no other format can replicate.
You don’t however, still have to listen to your record through a pavilion (the horn-shaped piece). You can get the latest and greatest tech to make the finer points of your vinyl collection shine. The best speakers for vinyl are on the list below.
Best Speakers For Vinyl Every Audiophile Will Love:
- Polk T15
- Edifier R1208T
- PreSonus Eris
- Micca PB42X
- Dual Electronics LU43PB
- Klipsch R-51PM
- Singingwood BT25
- Kanto YU4
1. Polk T15
The first speakers on our list are the Polk T15s. Polk Audio was formed in 1972 by three students at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. They make speakers, soundbars, and…well…more speakers. Polk has been focused on getting the best sound to your ears for nearly 40 years.
Their T15 speakers come in a pair for a very reasonable price. You can set them on a bookshelf but they also come with a keyhole slot in the back so you can mount them on your wall. They’ll be best at a safe distance from your turntable since the bass has quite a kick.
As far as inputs go, the T15s have a pair of 5-way binding posts, which is pretty minimal. Polk touts these speakers as a great addition to a home theater setup but they work just as well for your vinyl listening pleasure.
You might wonder why basically all of the speakers on this list use MDF or Medium Density Fiberboard. That’s because it’s mostly acoustically inert, meaning that the cabinets don’t significantly alter the sound produced by the working parts of the speakers.
Each individual speaker has a 0.75” tweeter, a 5.25” dynamic polymer composite cone driver, and a front-firing bass port. The cabinet is MDF and measures 7.3” wide x 6.5” deep x 10.7” high. Their peak power is 100W combined.
 Check Amazon |
|
The most disappointing aspect of the Polk T15s is that there’s only one input available. You can attach your turntable via one set of gold-plated 5-way binding posts. That’s it. You’ll also need a receiver to mediate the signal from your turntable.
2. Edifier R1208T
Edifier has only been on the scene since 1996 but they’ve done a lot in a short amount of time. Started in Beijing, the company has expanded to have operations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and 70 countries around the world. They concentrate exclusively on headphones and speakers.
The R1208Ts have a very classy appearance. The cabinets are a wood styled MDF and they come with removable grills. If the wood look isn’t your aesthetic though, you’re out of luck because there’s only one color option. The best speakers for vinyl are based on performance, however, not necessarily looks.
Your input options are double that of the Polks speakers above, meaning they have two RCA outputs and a 3.5mm headphone jack. One great thing is that these two don’t come already attached. There are clip connections for speaker wire on the backs of each. So, you can choose how long you want the connection to be.
Hook these up directly to your turntable. They’re powered speakers so you won’t need a separate amp. Your favorite records will be treated to a 12” bass driver, flared bass reflex port, and micro-adjustment knobs for bass and treble. Control everything from across the room with a compact remote.
 Check Amazon |
|
Some people like to use their speakers to monitor sound while they’re recording. From the few podcasters and musicians surveyed, the R1208Ts aren’t ideal for this purpose. Not having Bluetooth compatibility is also a downside for some consumers.
3. PreSonus Eris
Jim Odum and Brian Smith put together their company, PreSonus, in 1995. The company is full of uber audiophiles. Their boardroom includes music producers, DJs, professional musicians, and gold record achievers. PreSonus is headquartered in Louisiana.
These speakers are intended to be near-field studio monitors as well as one of the best speakers for vinyl. The acoustic tuning feature is rare from speakers at this price point and gives you a great level of control. There’s no remote but plenty of great touch controls.
The PreSonus Eris speakers have a woven composite 3.5” woofer, a 1” silk dome tweeter, and three different types of audio inputs. You can hook up anything to the ¼” TRS and RCA inputs or the front-panel ⅛” stereo inputs. A headphone jack in the front lets you enjoy your vinyl without disturbing your roommates.
The speakers measure 6.4” deep x 5.6” wide x 8.3” high. You get 25W of output power per speaker and the peak SPL is 100dB. SPL is sound pressure level which is basically how loud the speaker is.
 Check Amazon |
|
Overall, these speakers are pretty crisp and clear. The micro-adjustment knobs are a nice feature that lets you have more control over the output. You can’t get your music to play over Bluetooth but you can use a cabled connection to hook up your tablet or phone.
4. Micca PB42X
Micca Electronics is a brand of Highland Technologies out of Hong Kong. It looks like Micca’s been operating since 2009. They produce amps, preamps, digital media players, and digital photo frames in addition to speakers.
The PB42X speakers are powered. No need to worry about an amp here as there’s a built-in class-D amp already. You can remove the fabric grills or leave them on as per your personal taste but they come only in black.
The woofer is a 4” carbon fiber cone. It’s got a 0.75” silk dome tweeter and an 8dB/Octave crossover. Your input choices are stereo RCA or a 3.5mm jack. The volume control is on the back of the right speaker.
To set them on a shelf or desktop, you’ll need a 6.5” deep x 5.8” wide x 9.5” high space times two. The power output is 15W RMS per speaker, which is much higher than a pair of desktop computer speakers.
 Check Amazon |
|
The lightness of the cabinet can lead these speakers to hop around a bit with the bass cranked up. It would be nice if these were more than 4 pounds but you can always solve the problem by stacking something heavier on top.
5. Dual Electronics LU43PB
You’ll find Dual Electronics’ headquarters in Florida but they’re a subsidiary of a Korean company, Namsung. Namsung’s been tinkering with switches and wires since 1965. They have a heavy investment in vehicle sound and navigation systems. By air, land, and sea you can find your way around with Dual’s GPS systems.
One fantastic feature that makes these some of the best speakers for vinyl is that they’re indoor/outdoor speakers. You can leave them mounted to your patio out by the grill or the pool and they’ll be just fine. It’s super easy to mount them where you want and you can take the speakers down without removing the brackets.
The cabinets are available in black or white. Inside the cabinet, you’ll find a 4” polylite woofer, 1.6” polypropylene midrange cone, and a 0.78” Piezo tweeter dome. Their peak power is 100W and your input comes from a set of speaker wire clips at the back.
These speakers measure 5.3” deep x 5.3” wide x 8.3” tall. Because they’re for use outdoors as well as indoors, they’ve got UV protective coating and an ABS enclosure to keep out the rain.
As far as power goes, you can expect to get 100W of peak power and 50W of RMS output. Sensitivity is at 85.5 dB. That’s how much power you’ll need for them to produce good quality sound.
 Check Amazon |
|
These speakers are not powered, so they’re not as simple as plug-n-play. This is probably a good thing, considering they can be left outside. Dual recommends their Bluetooth Dual DBTMA 100 amp for power. It does not, however, come with the speakers. The clips on the back are a little on the flimsy side, so be aware when you’re making your connections.
6. Klipsch R-51PM
Klipsch is a name you’ve probably heard before. They are synonymous with high-end electronics. You can trace their origins back to Paul W. Klipsch who started making speakers in 1946. The company’s main focus is speakers and headphones.
The Klipsch R-51PM speakers have spun copper IMG woofer cones that are especially attractive contrasting with the gray and black cabinets. You can remove the grills to see them better or leave them on to keep the woofers from getting dusty.
For inputs, you have Bluetooth, USB Audio, optical, 3.5mm aux, or stereo RCA. There isn’t much you can’t hook up to these speakers. They’re powered as well, with an integrated phono preamp. The Klipsch Tractrix horn reduces artificial reverb.
These speakers are a little larger than some of the others on this list. They measure 8.5” x 7” x 13.3” high. That could mean you need a little extra headroom if they’re going on a shelf or a mantle.
Power output is 140W at peak and 60W RMS. The woofer is magnetically shielded. Dynamic bass equalization is a spiffy feature that will essentially boost the bass when you’re listening at low volumes so those frequencies don’t drop out.
 Check Amazon |
|
Apparently, some wacky things start to happen when you try to pair these Klipsch speakers with the Amazon Alexa. The Bluetooth pairing drops on and off and there’s a lag between when you start Alexa and when the sound is audible. Other smart speakers don’t seem to have a compatibility problem.
7. Singingwood BT25
Singingwood Audio is a California company that’s one of the few left that make “boomboxes.” They’re not quite the boxy monoliths they were in the 1980s. These are sleek, colorful, and much more portable. Singingwood also does Bluetooth speakers and AM/FM radios.
The BT25s are black with a wood-finished MDS enclosure. If you’re not into black, you can get these in Beechwood or cherry wood too. You can remove the black or gray grills to expose the cones. Controls are via a remote or treble and bass knobs on the side of the right-hand speaker.
The driver is a 4” full range and the tweeter is a 0.75” sink dome. The frequency response is between 66Hz and 20kHz. Any signal with a frequency within that range should come through the speakers sounding nice and clear.
Your inputs at the back are two standard RCAs. However, you can also pair with Bluetooth. They are powered with a Class-D amplifier and each one will bring you 25W of RMS output. The dimensions are 5.23” x 7” x 8.9” and they weigh 10 lbs. together.
 Check Amazon |
|
There isn’t much negative to say about the Singingwood speakers, which is one reason they’re on this best speakers for vinyl list. If anything, the bass is a little thin but you can easily find an inexpensive subwoofer to boost the bass.
8. Kanto YU4
Kanto Audio is a Canadian company that prides itself on providing excellent customer service. They got their start in 2007 and now produce speakers, subwoofers, and speaker accessories.
The handcrafted MDS bamboo mimic cabinets are stunning and represent a welcome departure from all of the black on black speaker designs out there. They do come in SIX different designs if the Zen look isn’t your preference. All six are beautiful.
These are powered speakers with an integrated phono preamp. The tweeter is a 1” silk dome and the drivers are 4” Kevlar. You have multiple input options including Bluetooth, RCA ports, AUX ports, and an Optical TOSLINK port. There’s a USB charger in the back so your phone doesn’t run out of power mid-song. Input control can be done through a knob on the front of the left-hand speaker as well as the remote control.
Signal detection is a neat feature too, as it lowers the speakers’ power draw. When they don’t sense a signal, the YU4s power down until they detect another signal. You can also turn this feature off if you don’t want to use it. It’s good to have options.
These speakers are a nice size at 13.39” x 5.51” x 8.66”. You’ll get 70W RMS and 140W peak power. They can transduce frequencies in the 60Hz to 20 kHz range, which is slightly wider than the Kanto YU2 powered desktop speakers. Since it has a ground wire post, it’s ideal for use with a turntable.
 Check Amazon |
|
While the Kanto might very well be the best speakers for vinyl on this list, they’re not so great as television speakers. A few consumers have tried them out in that capacity and weren’t happy with the results. The buttons are oddly placed on the remote control, with the volume buttons way down at the bottom.
Final Words
The speakers on this list vary in price from about $50 at the lowest (Dual Electronics LU43PB) to around $400 at the high end (Kanto YU4 and Klipsch R-51PM). Most cost around $100 if you’re buying from Amazon. The aim here was to give you an idea of what types of features you can expect from the best speakers for vinyl at different price points.
You certainly get more features and design choices from the higher end but it’s easy to find great quality speakers that are more affordable. It’s not always necessary to sacrifice performance for low cost. Some $100 speakers are just as loud and clear as their upscale counterparts.
Powered speakers are great if you don’t have or don’t want to invest in a separate amp. Depending on the level of control you like to have over your bass, treble, and midrange, you might like having that extra piece of hardware. This is largely personal preference and purpose-based decision making.
