Powered speaker systems require no external amplification while offering a near-endless swath of connection options. Sounds great right? Sure, there are powered speakers under $1,000 that are perfect for computer or desktop work-at-home type setups. But, if you have the budget and desire, wouldn’t you rather pay a little more to get something truly magnificent that is an investment?

Klipsch The Sevens and The Nines Powered Monitors

Klipsch The Sevens Powered Monitors include 1” Titanium tweeters with Tractrix horns combined with a 6.5” woofer. Like most powered speaker setups, the right speaker has everything built in, including inputs and outputs. The Sevens feature multiple connections, including Bluetooth, HDMI-arc, optical, USB, and analog RCA inputs. 

The secondary speaker is connected to the primary via a proprietary four-pronged conductor cable, along with an extension cable that Klipsch includes with the speakers. One big advantage of powered speakers is that acousticians and engineers can use active electronic crossovers so that each driver in each speaker receives only the exact frequencies matched up to that driver. 

With the flip of a switch, you are able to select the primary speaker in case anything you connect to is closer to one speaker versus the other. They support high-res audio with 24bit/192hz resolution. What really makes Klipsch The Sevens stand apart is the general consensus that they are “soundbar killers,” meaning the soundstage is much more robust than almost any soundbar on the market and they’re easily controlled by a television via their HDMI-ARC connection. Our reviewer unplugged the Klipsch Cinema Sound Bar 600, which features HDMI-ARC, in order to test The Sevens powered monitors. It wasn’t a contest - The Sevens were far more powerful and provided a significantly larger soundstage.

In addition, The Sevens come with a phono input so you can plug a turntable directly in without having to purchase a separate phono stage. These have the Klipsch signature sound with powerful drivers and high output capability. If you want even more bass than each of these offers, you can connect a subwoofer, which automatically engages a 60hz crossover in the speakers. One point to note is that if you plan to regularly bounce back and forth between inputs, you set the volume using the remote or the dial on the top so when you switch to Bluetooth, you may need to turn up the volume on both your phone and on the speakers to get maximum output. 

Most people will just set the speaker volume to midway and use their bluetooth device to move volume up and down. Additionally, these do not have Chromecast or Apple Airplay2, so if your preferred method of playing music is to stream via Chromecast or AirPlay2, these won’t be your best bet. If you will primarily use the other inputs or Bluetooth for streaming, then The Sevens Powered Monitors are a fabulous option. They come in both black and walnut finishes, as part of the Klipsch Heritage-inspired series of products. If you like the looks of these speakers and they have all the functionality you are looking for, but you want more output, Klipsch The Nines are the bigger brother, with an 8” woofer for more bass output.

JBL 4305P and 4329P Powered Speakers

Like the Klipsch Sevens and Nines, the 4305P and 4329P powered speaker systems use essentially the same inputs and electronics, other than the 4329P being larger with bigger amplifiers and drivers. 

The 4305P uses the amazing 2410-H compression driver coupled with their High Definition Imaging horn and their 5.25” Pure-pulp Black Paper Cone Woofer with a Cast-frame. The 4329P steps up to the patented JBL 2409H, 1-inch compression driver and moves up to a larger 8” woofer. These drivers and associated amplifiers are derived from their extensive research at the famous Harman Northridge facility. Their studio monitors, which these speakers are based on, are used by audio engineers all around the world. Their compression drivers are world-class and every component is built to meet the specs of the best studios, as well as audiophiles. 

These speakers use professional-grade DACs with 24bit/192khz resolution. Input-wise, they have a pair of pro-level balanced XLR inputs and 1/4 “ phono plugs. In addition, you get a 3.5mm analog input, a Toslink digital input, and an asynchronous USB input for use with computer audio. They have Bluetooth 5.1 ,which enables great resolution with lower latency and longer distances than prior versions. What sets these apart from many powered speakers is they can play lossless CD quality or higher resolution music over your network using AppleAirplay2 or Google Chromecast using your phone, iPad or computer. 

This is simpler than you might think, allowing you to easily stream music to these speakers or to multiple sets of speakers around your house with just a couple of button clicks. These speakers also step up to Roon Ready for streaming.

As you step up to the more expensive JBL platform, you pick up a few key things. First, the speakers can be paired to each other wirelessly, allowing you to set them pretty much anywhere in a room without having to deal with a wire connecting them. Each speaker has its own electrical plug, so they each hold their own active crossover amplifiers without requiring a wire. However, you can connect them using an ethernet cable, which is included, to move the resolution from 24bit/96k to 24bit/192k. If you are an audiophile and are playing ultra hi-res music from Qobuz or somewhere else, use the ethernet cable to connect them. We also tested these in a room with the Peloton exercise bike. The 5.1 Bluetooth connection has very low latency so you can easily use these speakers to totally crank up the Peloton experience with your fave instructors (Robin Arzon, Jess King, or Christine D’Ercole are among staff favorites) as though you were in their New York studios, huffing and puffing next to fellow Peletophiles. 

To that end, unlike the Klipsch Sevens and the Nines, you can control the entire volume range of these speakers using Bluetooth from your phone, Peloton or other device without touching the speakers. Both of the JBL powered monitors have subwoofer outs that engage an 80hz crossover when you plug in a powered subwoofer. Honestly, most people won’t need a sub on either one. But, if you step up to the JBL 4329 powered speakers with the 8” woofer and dual front ports, you will be shocked at how much bass and slam they have going all the way down to 28hz at 6db down. The speakers measure incredibly well with flat frequency response across the spectrum, producing sweet neutral sounds with massive power that is totally controlled. We have matching speaker stands for the JBL powered monitors in-house and online. The larger 4329P powered monitors use a special stand that is low to the floor, but angles perfectly for ear-level listening either in a chair or working out. 

The downside of these speakers is the lack of an HDMI-Arc connection. So, you can’t control them using your TV remote. You can connect your television via optical to these, but it will require you to use the JBL remote control or speaker itself to change volume. These come in both black and walnut finishes.

KEF LS60 Powered Monitors

These are the most expensive powered speakers on our list. First and foremost, the KEF LS60 powered speakers do not look like the Klipsch and JBL models we’ve discussed above. The KEF LS60 powered monitors are very modern-looking and we think they could win awards just for their design. 

KEF designed these powerful powered monitors starting with the constraint of making them incredibly narrow at only 5.1” wide, so they will look great in a modern home or loft. To pull this off, the powered speakers have two 5.25-inch Uni-Core Force Canceling Drivers on each side of each speaker, meaning four 5.25” drivers on each speaker. Unlike most traditional speakers, which have separate tweeters and midranges, KEF uses their patented Uni-Q design to create one point source for superb imaging. The Uni-Q driver houses a .75”  aluminum dome tweeter in the middle and a 4-inch aluminum cone mid-range driver. 

Suffice it to say, KEF spared no expense leveraging all of the R&D from their famous over $30,000 Blade speakers. Like the JBLs, each of the speakers plugs into the wall and has their own amplifiers. The LS60 Wireless powered monitors also have power in abundance, with a highly optimized mixture of custom Class AB and Class D amplification to deliver a combined massive 1400 Watts of power, with amplifiers dedicated to high, medium, and low frequencies within each speaker. In addition, the LS60 bests everything else on this list with audiophile digital to analog converters, stepping up to 24bit/384khz resolution. Like the JBLs, if you connect the speakers wirelessly, you achieve 24bit/96khz and then move on to 24bit/192khz when you connect the speakers with the included ethernet cable. 

In terms of connections, these speakers have everything you would want, except a built-in phono input. However, if you are using these speakers as an upgrade for a better sound for your records, you would want a dedicated phono input for your turntable anyways. These speakers have Toslink optical, digital coax, and analog RCA inputs. In addition, they have a full HDMI-eARC connection. 

Also, of note, the KEF Connect App gives you every capability you would want as either a novice or expert to set them up. The KEFs have both Airplay2 and Chromecast so you can stream lossless music from your phone. Not only that, the LS60s, are Roon Ready so you can play ultra high-res music. 

Like the other speakers on this list, the KEF LS60 powered monitors allow the user to set either speaker to be the primary and you can plug in a subwoofer. Whereas the Klipsch powered speakers cross at 60hz and the JBLs at 80hz, the KEF LS60 powered monitors offer adjustable crossover levels and the slope if you want. 

Or you can let the KEF app just do it based on what it thinks is right.

Conclusion

Any of the powered speakers we’ve mentioned above are worth the cost - they are all showstoppers.

If you are not sure which is the right speaker for you, please stop by one of our award-winning showrooms or call or chat with our team at AudioAdvice.com. Our team loves to help people find the exact right solution for their situation and set up.