What Kind of Turntable Speakers is the Best? 2023 – Complete Guide

Turntable speakers are an excellent way of adding an aesthetic look to your home design, along with providing a solid foundation for a system you can grow with over time.

Most turntable users opt for minimalist setups that directly plug into powered speakers, detouring the traditional stereo. Such minimalist setups are cost-effective and encompass less stuff.

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PreSonus Eris E4.5-2-Way 4.5" Near Field Studio Monitor (Pair)
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Polk Audio T15 100 Watt Home Theater Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Premium Sound at a Great Value |...
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Best Seller
PreSonus Eris E4.5-2-Way 4.5" Near Field Studio Monitor (Pair)
PreSonus Eris E4.5-2-Way 4.5" Near Field Studio Monitor (Pair)
Our Pick
Audioengine A5+ 150W Powered Home Music Speaker System for Studios, Home Theaters, Bookshelves,...
Audioengine A5+ 150W Powered Home Music Speaker System for Studios, Home Theaters, Bookshelves,...
Good Choice
Polk Audio T15 100 Watt Home Theater Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Premium Sound at a Great Value |...
Polk Audio T15 100 Watt Home Theater Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Premium Sound at a Great Value |...
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Edifier R1280DB Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers - Optical Input - Wireless Studio Monitors - 4...
Edifier R1280DB Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers - Optical Input - Wireless Studio Monitors - 4...

But before shortlisting any item, do proper research to have an idea about what you want. The majority of the speakers need a stereo amplifier with a built-in phono preamp, but if your amplifier is missing a phono stage, you will have to add an external one.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Turntable Speaker

turntable setup modern powered speakers
Source: blog.discogs.com

Physical or Mechanized Turntable

A manual turntable is more complicated than an automatic one because it requires you to put effort into the tonearm by yourself. But a mechanized turntable works by itself. All you have to do is push a button and the record will start playing and stopping automatically.

Thankfully, there is no distinction in the quality of sound between both of them. However, a physical turntable requires you to be careful with the record. It means that you will have to decide how and where to place the stylus, for which you must have a scientific mind.

Straight-Drive or Belt-Drive Turntable

In a direct-drive turntable, you will find a motor under the platter. It is there to allow the device to work quickly and let the platter roll in any direction. Such devices are mostly loved by the DJs and are also an affordable option.

But in a belt-drive turntable, the motor and the platter are placed far away from each other. Here, the motor is joined to a belt wrapped around it, which makes it spin.

While a direct-drive turntable causes vibrations, which also causes distortions, a belt-drive turntable produces fewer vibrations because the motor and belt are isolated. But the problem is that they are delicate and take time to start up.

Upgrade Options

When considering your upgrade choices, you need to decide between an integrated turntable and the one that has an inbuilt phono preamp. A unified turntable doesn’t require an outer phono preamplifier. A phono preamplifier is an important part that amplifies and equalizes the signal to sound similar to the real track.

But many users complain that the phono preamps contained in their devices are of poor quality.

If you also think that you might upgrade some parts of your device in the future, consider the below-mentioned aspects:

  • A platter is a spinning plate on which you place your record. The heavier it is, the fewer vibrations it makes.
  • A tonearm is the one that swings across the record. Its quality can have a significant impact on the accuracy and consistency of the track.
  • A stylus is the easiest part to upgrade by yourself and is also worthwhile.

Digitize Analog Records

Turntable Speakers
Source: recordsoundpro.com

Another factor to consider when buying a turntable speaker is if you want a fully analog player with a separate digital music collection or one with an inbuilt USB port to digitize your tracks. If you buy the one with a USB port, you will record the playback to MP3 in real-time.

Your Budget

The decision to buy a particular turntable speaker is ultimately dependent on your budget. You may invest on a budget, a basic turntable that has an inbuilt phono preamp or choose to spend a bit more on a better one. Before finalizing a particular model, ask yourself is – what better features you’re getting by spending a bit extra?

If the features are worth spending for, you should not mind as the joy of listening to music on a turntable speaker is something else. Consider the stylus, phono preamp, tonearm, and phono cartridge of the device to reduce disturbance and study the track correctly.

FAQs

Turntable Speakers
Source: ltsale.2021onlines.com

What speakers can you use with a turntable?

The majority of people today are finding high audio fidelity with turntable sound systems. So, let’s look at some perfect speakers to create high-quality systems.

Your top-rated options are:

Can I join a turntable and speakers directly?

Yes, a turntable can be connected to the speakers without a problem, but only if it has an inbuilt preamp and an amplifier. However, if it only consists of stereo output, you will require an outer preamp or a receiver that has an inbuilt preamp.

How to connect a turntable and powered speakers?

Follow this procedure to attach a turntable with powered speakers:

  1. Join the RCA and the ground cables with the R-15PM.
  2. Set the switch at the rear of R-15PM to Phono.
  3. Put your device and the R-15PM into electric outlets.
  4. Now you may place the record on and relish the melody!

Can I use a soundbar with a turntable?

If your turntable has an inbuilt preamp, you may join it to any soundbar input which is labeled AUX, LINE, Audio, or anything else. You can do this by using a phono or an RCA cable.

Can I use computer speakers with a turntable?

Yes, you may enjoy music on your USB turntable through PC speakers. However, since PCs are playback devices and do not play through devices, you will have to change their settings for proper operation.

Conclusion

Selecting an ideal speaker for a turntable is a tough decision because numerous options are available nowadays. The good news is that not much space is needed for accommodating high-quality speakers on a turntable as they can easily fit on a desktop, shelf, or coffee table.

If you are purchasing a speaker what matters the most is if you’re enjoying its music or not. You can identify a good pair of speakers by its layers of detail and sonic nuance. That’s why you must pay attention to the quality of speakers. The better your speakers are, the more relishing experience you’ll have.

Take a look at the following list, you can find some good speakers that are suitable for your turntable:

Klipsch Synergy Black Label B-100 Bookshelf Speaker Pair with Proprietary Horn Technology, a 4”...
  • Dynamic .75" tweeter, single 4" high-output woofers
  • Highly-efficient design creates more output using less energy
  • Fills rooms of all sizes with lifelike music and sound reproduction
  • Accurate, non-fatiguing sound provides hours of listening pleasure
SINGING WOOD T25 Passive 2 Way Bookshelf Speakers with preinstalled Wall Mount Bracket- 4 inch...
  • IMPORTANT: Singing Wood T25 is a passive speaker which needs to be used with an amplifier or receiver. Speaker cables included.
  • 【CLASSIC WOODEN ENCLOSURE】 Stylish design speakers made with audio grade MDF wood to reduce cabinet resonance, featuring pre-installed wall mount...
  • 【4" BASS DRIVERS】4 inch full range bass driver for well balanced natural sound and powerful deep bass. 6 ohm impedance.
  • 【SILK DOME TWEETERS】High quality 0.75" (3/4 inch) silk dome tweeters provide accurate high frequency response and reproduces treble in every...
  • 【SINGING WOOD ADVANTAGE】America's leading audio brand based in California, 24 months warranty and easy to reach after-sales customer support team...
Sony SSCS5 3-Way 3-Driver Bookshelf Speaker System (Pair) - Black
  • Bookshelf speaker with Hi-Res Audio perfect for your home theater or music listening setup
  • Amplify your movie, music, and gaming experience with a speaker that provides full frequency audio with a three-way, three-driver speaker system
  • Create a robust 5.1.2 home theater setup perfect for Dolby Atmos with the complete range of CS speakers from Sony with 2 SSCS5 bookshelf speakers, 1...
  • ¾ in. super tweeter and 1” tweeter accurately reproduce high frequency sounds for an expansive soundstage
  • 5.12” woofer delivers deep, stable bass and detailed mid-range sounds
Fluance Ai41 Powered 2-Way 2.0 Stereo Bookshelf Speakers with 5" Drivers, 90W Amplifier for...
  • UNPARALLELED PERFORMANCE - With an integrated 90W amplifier, these active speakers deliver a balanced sound with refined detail and clean,...
  • PREMIUM NEODYMIUM TWEETERS - High-performance tweeters produce an immersive stereo soundstage while providing spacious off axis dispersion allowing...
  • RICH AND NATURAL MIDRANGE - Light and rigid 5-inch woven glass fiber drivers produce detailed midrange frequencies and clean undistorted bass with...
  • PRECISION-CRAFTED WOOD CABINETS - Enjoy warm sound from the internally braced MDF wood cabinets, meticulously engineered to remove unwanted resonances...
  • VERSATILE MUSIC CONNECTIVITY - Easily connect to your audio source through RCA and Optical inputs or Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless streaming without the...
Sale
Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers - 2.0 Active Near Field Monitors - Studio Monitor Speaker...
  • 2 x AUX INPUT - Convenient connection to any device that has a 3.5mm headphone output or dual RCA output. Connect to two devices via AUX at the same...
  • STUDIO SOUND QUALITY - Natural sound reproduction from 13mm silk dome tweeter and 4 inch full range unit
  • REMOTE CONTROL - Adjust volume at your figure tips. Bass and treble control located on the side of main speaker.
  • CLASSIC WOOD FINISH - High quality MDF wood build finished with wood effect vinyl serves as a great compliment to any home decor.
  • 2 YEAR WARRANTY - Guaranteed high quality and reliability with hassle-free parts and labor warranty for two years in USA and Canada.
Sony SSCS5 3-Way 3-Driver Bookshelf Speaker System (Pair) - Black
  • Bookshelf speaker with Hi-Res Audio perfect for your home theater or music listening setup
  • Amplify your movie, music, and gaming experience with a speaker that provides full frequency audio with a three-way, three-driver speaker system
  • Create a robust 5.1.2 home theater setup perfect for Dolby Atmos with the complete range of CS speakers from Sony with 2 SSCS5 bookshelf speakers, 1...
  • ¾ in. super tweeter and 1” tweeter accurately reproduce high frequency sounds for an expansive soundstage
  • 5.12” woofer delivers deep, stable bass and detailed mid-range sounds