2022 was the 17th consecutive year that vinyl album sales have grown in the US, with over 41 million records being sold to the tune of 1.2 billion dollars. We think it’s safe to say that vinyl is here to stay! What’s even more interesting is that only roughly half of the vinyl purchasers own a turntable to play their music on. We think that says a lot about the intimidation factor of buying and setting up a turntable for the first time. We understand it can be confusing to know where to start, which is why we have a complete beginner’s turntable guide to help you get started. The next step in the process is to find a pair of quality speakers to get the most out of your turntable and enhance your vinyl listening experience.
If you’re just getting started with vinyl, a quality pair of powered speakers provide a solid foundation for a system you can grow with over time, which is why we break down the best powered speakers to pair with a turntable in this article. Upgrading your speakers can enhance your vinyl listening experience. If you are hungry for more speaker and turntable content, visit our blog page.
If you’re using an all-in-one turntable with audio outputs but still rely on the stock speakers, you’ll be amazed by how much better your music sounds coming through a new, higher-quality set. The same applies if you’re using cheaper speakers “inherited” from a roommate or that you bought when you were on a tight budget. The right speakers will deliver major sound quality improvement. You’re going to notice.
Choosing speakers for your turntable isn’t an exact science, though. In the world of vinyl, there’s a nearly endless array of options for your system. Speakers, of course, are no exception. Besides choosing speakers based on sound quality, you’ve got to factor in things like:
Another major consideration when buying speakers for your turntable, and one of the first topics we discuss in our turntable buyers guide, is whether or not your turntable has a phono stage built-in. Typically, a lot of less expensive turntables will have phono stages built-in. However, as you move up in quality, many higher-end turntables usually do not include a photo stage (also known as a preamp) as the manufacturers tend to put their focus on the sound quality rather than features like a phono stage. You can find out if your model has built in preamp by reading its product page or reaching out to our team of experts to help you confirm. Whether it does or not will affect which pair of speakers will be right for you, which we will discuss next.
All of the powered speakers on our list include a built-in phono stage so your turntable will not need one, however, if it does, you will need to bypass it on either your turntable or speaker when connecting the two. If you plan to purchase a pair of speakers that does not have a phono stage built-in, you will need to be sure your turntable has one built-in or plan to purchase an external phono preamp to add to your setup.
Any of our favorite speakers we’ve added to this list will help you start building a great sound system to elevate your vinyl listening experience.
The Andover Audio Spinbase is the slimmest and most compact solution to get you rolling with good audio for your turntable. At 18” wide, 13.5” deep, and 3.25” tall, this all-in-one speaker system is a compact package that takes up about the same real estate as a typical turntable. And the neat part is, this speaker is actually meant for you to just plop your turntable directly on top of it and you’re good to go. No worrying about placing speakers on stands or bookshelves to the left and right.
The Spinbase boasts an impressive piece of isolation technology called Isogroove™, which makes it a viable option for placing a turntable on top. In the past, this was a definite no-go due to potential acoustic feedback problems. However, the Spinbase team has implemented a sophisticated combination of mechanical and electronic compensation systems, effectively eliminating any chance of feedback.
On either end of the Spinbase front panel, are two dome tweeters that face forward, and on the sides, there are two oval midbass/bass drivers that also face outward. With this setup, the Spinbase produces a 270-degree sound field that results in a pleasing, room-filling audio experience. Each driver has its own dedicated power amplifier, and the Spinbase's ample internal space allows for the development of satisfactory bass, contributing to its warm sound.
With just a quick flick of a toggle, the ceramic input can effortlessly switch to a line-in analog input, allowing you to receive the output of a CD player, DAC, or cassette deck with ease. To further enhance your audio experience, conveniently located beside the two sets of inputs are nifty bass and treble controls, as well as a mini headphone jack. And to top it all off, the icing on the cake comes in the form of Bluetooth 5.0 - a welcomed addition to the already impressive array of inputs.
The Spinbase has a warm and rich sound without any sense of edge to it. Its convenience doesn’t seem to impact the sound like you may think, as it sounded great even at low volumes keeping that warm tone to it. We also love having the versatility of having Bluetooth included, so we could use it as a background music player with just a phone if you don’t feel like setting up a vinyl record.
For $300, this is the perfect solution for someone who has limited space but doesn’t want to skip out on good sound quality. And since it already has a phono stage built-in, if you haven’t purchased your turntable yet, you can save a few bucks and get one without it since you won’t need it with this speaker. This will be a phenomenal choice for many people!
Here’s a quick breakdown of what you get with the Andover Audio Spinbase speakers:
Andover Audio Spinbase Turntable Speaker System
What you may not know about Peachtree, that makes them totally unique from the other speakers on our list, is the background of the company and the engineering expertise behind them. Peachtree was formed almost 20 years ago by a group of seasoned audio veterans who had been in both the manufacturing and consumer side of the audio business for decades.
Their first integrated amp set the audio world on its ear for its price/performance value and they have been improving their amps ever since. And guess what one of the most important parts of a powered speaker is? Well, it would be the amp that drives the speaker components. No other company on this list has the heritage of designing amplifiers like Peachtree. They also drew on the expertise of a very well-known high-end speaker manufacturer who is part of the group to develop the speakers themselves.
The result is the most functionality and performance for the price on this list. They have a sound that makes you think you are listening to a high-performance speaker with a nice integrated amp. They sound smooth yet very detailed, with tremendous bass impact for their modest size. And the bass is very tight and fast, with no boom at all. We do recommend you put them on one of their stands for the best sound. To our ears, you get much deeper bass with the M25, but if you have a smaller space or for desktop use, the M24 will be awesome.
You also get a choice of two beautiful cabinet finishes — a real bamboo housing or gloss black.
Nothing was sacrificed from a connection standpoint. They include a HiRes audio USB input for computer music, a great phono preamp for moving magnet cartridges, Bluetooth, and a Toslink input for connecting to a TV. If you need an extra AUX input for a CD player, the phono input can be switched to an AUX input type. Adding a subwoofer for more low end is super simple with their subwoofer out too. There is even a USB charging port for your phone on the rear! With their input flexibility and amazing sound, these are at the top of our recommended list!
These speakers are just beautiful. Sound quality aside – and the sound quality is extraordinary for the size and money – the Peachtree M24 speakers and M25 speakers are available in a real bamboo housing (not a veneer). If a natural finish isn’t what you’re going for, they’re available in black as well. When you compare the sound of the M24 to the M25, the difference is simply a bigger sound with more bass impact and detail. The M24 is probably the perfect size for a computer speaker, while the M25 has enough output to fill up a pretty good-sized room. Either model pairs well with a good turntable for a pretty sleek complete vinyl playback system.
From a flexibility perspective, the M24 & M25 speakers sacrifice nothing. Connect these directly to your turntable and digital music sources. You can switch among the sources at will. A phono stage is built-in, but you can always connect them to an external preamp if desired.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what you get with the Peachtree powered speakers:
The Kanto YU6 powered speakers can play quite loud with a powerful, full sound. They feature a Class D amplifier with 200 watts of peak sound. You’ll get a 5” Kevlar driver and 1” silk dome tweeter on the front with a rear-firing bass port on the back.
We like how Kanto makes the YU6 available in so many different colors and finishes. There are four colors to choose from, which can either stand out and catch people's attention or just blend in with the room's decor.
The YU6 has dual Toslink optical inputs, RCA inputs with a phono switch, a subwoofer out, a 3.5 AUX input, USB Type-A charging port, gold-plated binding post terminals to connect the L/R speakers, and Bluetooth 4.0. In the box, there is a 6' power cord, a nice remote control with batteries, 16' speaker wire, 6.5' stereo minijack cable, and self-adhesive rubber feet. We find this “ready to go” type of packaging ideal for someone just getting started, and you don't have to worry about buying additional cables to get up and running.
The abundance of inputs on the back lets you use these with multiple different sources. Not only can you use a turntable with these, but you can also utilize their optical inputs to use with your TV. Or plug your computer in via USB, and you have some killer desktop speakers. The versatility and the high-end build quality really make these speakers a great choice for their price.
We tested the YU6s in our full review, where we found them to be great for watching movies or listening to music. You can hear voices much clearer than your TV’s speakers, and when we hooked them up to a turntable, we were surprised by the clarity of their output, even at higher volumes. If you want some speakers to really fill up your room with sound and are looking for that perfect color to match your vibe, these may just be the perfect match for you.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what you get with the Kanto YU6 speakers:
Kanto YU6 Powered Bookshelf Speakers - Pair
When you’re ready for some serious sound to rock out to, step up to the Klipsch The Sevens! Klipsch based The Sevens on their extremely popular, best-selling speaker, The Fives. The Fives had just about everything you could ask for in terms of a powered speaker. They have an HDMI arc, a built-in phono stage, a subwoofer out, and more! But most importantly, they sound fantastic!
The Sevens have all the features we loved about The Fives, but they are bigger and sound even better. We absolutely love these paired with a turntable as their edge-to-edge 90-degree by 90-degree tractrix horns and low-frequency high excursion fiber-composite woofers produced a clear, room-filling sound with ease. The soundstage was expansive, with better-than-average instrument separation that really brings your vinyl to life.
They have high-res audio capabilities with 192 kHz/24-bit decoding for when you want to stream from your phone to them. And HDMI Arc allows you to plug them into your TV and have an absolutely killer setup for watching shows and movies. If you want even more power, you can also step up to The Nines, which have all the same features but are a bit larger.
The Sevens are a perfect pairing for your turntable, and we highly recommend them for someone looking for that great vinyl sound who also wants to have a high-performance set of speakers to pair with their TV.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what you get with the Klipsch The Sevens speakers:
Klipsch The Sevens Powered Speakers - Pair
If our built-in phono stage speakers list didn’t quite do it for you and you want to consider one without, we recommend reading our individual reviews on our no built-in phono stage speakers list.
If you know your turntable has a phono stage built-in, or you plan to purchase an external phono preamp, your options of powered speakers open up a bit more. If your turntable has a built-in phono stage, you will simply need to make sure it is engaged and connect the RCA cables from your turntable directly into the RCA inputs on the rear of the primary speaker. For turntables without a built-in phono stage, you will run the RCA cable from your turntable into the input of your phono preamp, and then another RCA cable from the output of your phono preamp into the RCA inputs on the back of the primary speaker. The exception will be when connecting to the new Sonos Era 100 and Era 300. For these, you will need to connect your turntable to a RCA to 3.5mm adapter, and then use the Sonos Line-In adapter to connect the 3.5mm jack into the USB-C input on the Sonos. The cool thing about Sonos is that once you have your turntable connected to your Era 100 or Era 300, you can group these speakers with any other Sonos speakers or Amps in your system to allow playback of your vinyl in multiple rooms or zones throughout your house. Pretty neat! We also have a more detailed article on how to connect your turntable to Sonos if you would like to learn more about it.
And if you are unsure about which set of speakers will pair best with your turntable, reach out to us at 888.899.8776 or chat with us at audioadvice.com, and one of our turntable experts will help you find the right one for you!
Sonos Era 100 Smart Speaker
Sonos Era 300 Smart Speaker
Sonos Five Wireless Speaker
SVS Prime Wireless Pro Powered Speakers - Pair
JBL 4305P Powered Bookshelf Speakers - Pair
KEF LSX II Wireless HiFi Speakers
KEF LS50 Wireless II High Resolution Music System - Pair
We’re here to help!
If you have questions, you will be happy to know the team at Audio Advice is really into turntables. We have been in the industry since 1978, and throughout the years, we’ve developed a team of professionals who live and breathe all things audio and video. We spend countless hours testing and reviewing every product we sell to be sure it stands up to our extremely high-quality standards.
When you buy from Audio Advice, you’re buying from a trusted seller since 1978. We offer Free Shipping, Free Returns, Lifetime Expert Support, and our Price Guarantee. If you are interested in a new turntable setup or plan to upgrade your current system, give us a call at 888.899.8776, chat with us, or stop by our award-winning showrooms. We would love to help you find the perfect turntable for your system so you can become a vinyl fan for life!
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