The 6 Best Bookshelf Speakers of 2025
Compared with passive speakers, powered speakers with built-in amplification allow for a simpler, cleaner setup. They eliminate at least one component (the receiver or amplifier) and at least one cable. All of them have one or more analog audio inputs for you to directly connect your audio source. Most add some sort of digital audio input, and a few even have a phono input for a turntable.
There are some technical merits to building amps into speakers. For example, speaker designers can use digital signal processing (DSP) to fine-tune the speakers’ sound, and they can limit the amplifiers’ output so that it’s impossible to overdrive the speakers. So-called “active” powered speakers have individual amplifiers for each speaker driver, which lets the designers tune the sound specifically for each driver. But in the price ranges we’re covering here, powered speakers can’t claim a clear sonic advantage over passive speakers.
However, it’s complicated to build a home-theater system around powered speakers. You’re usually better off using passive speakers and a multichannel AV receiver.
Top pick: Andover Audio SpeakEasy 4
Top pick
These compact speakers sound very good (though a bit trebly) and include a phono input for use with a turntable, plus an HDMI input for TV use.
The Andover Audio SpeakEasy 4 is a thoroughly modern powered-speaker system with satisfying sound at a surprisingly reasonable price. With Bluetooth support plus connections for a TV and a turntable, this audio system is all that many people will need.
The sound quality is very good for the price. The SpeakEasy 4 delivers a satisfying, lively sound. In our tests, its lower treble range seemed slightly elevated, which subtly emphasized high-frequency instruments like acoustic guitars and cymbals and also lent an extra touch of clarity to voices without making the sound thin or unnatural. Although this speaker is no bass powerhouse, it has enough bass to sound full with most musical genres.
The frequency response measurements were decent for an inexpensive model, at ±4.2 decibels. I found a dip of about -5 dB in the midrange, which was what made the treble seem elevated. I thought this might give the speaker a “boom and sizzle” sound, with boosted bass and treble, but it sounded more natural than the measurements suggested.
Incidentally, the SpeakEasy 4 is an active design, with individual amplifiers for each woofer and tweeter, but it doesn’t match the performance of the ELAC Debut ConneX DCB41, which is powered but not active.
It connects to almost any audio source. In addition to supporting Bluetooth, the SpeakEasy 4 system offers numerous connection options. It has two RCA stereo analog inputs: one for a turntable with a moving-magnet cartridge and the other for line-level sources such as a Wi-Fi music streamer.
An HDMI ARC port lets you connect the SpeakEasy 4 directly to a TV set, so it works much like a soundbar; in this setup, the TV’s remote controls the speaker’s volume. The system also has an optical digital input and a USB jack that lets you play MP3 files stored on a USB stick.
Through the RCA stereo output, you can connect a subwoofer or a second set of speakers, although you have no way to filter the bass out of the SpeakEasy 4 speakers for seamless pairing with a subwoofer.
It’s compact and convenient. The SpeakEasy 4 system measures just 10.5 inches high, 5.9 inches wide, and 8 inches deep, so it fits easily on stands, desktops, and many shelves. Note, though, that the SpeakEasy 4 has a bass port in the rear, so you shouldn’t shove the speakers back against a wall.
The SpeakEasy 4 comes with a small remote control with buttons for power, volume, source selection, and mute, plus play/pause and track-skip buttons to control playback on Bluetooth devices. The system also has a front-mounted knob that adjusts volume, turns the system on and off, and switches among the different inputs, so you don’t have to reach around the back of the speaker if you misplace the remote.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
This speaker pair can’t match the bass power of more expensive systems. In our tests, while the bass sounded fairly full, it couldn’t produce the visceral sense of kick we heard from more expensive pairs, such as our upgrade pick, the ELAC Debut ConneX DCB41. Music with deep, heavy bass, such as EDM or hip-hop, may cause the SpeakEasy 4’s woofers to sound somewhat strained and distorted.
This system isn’t for audio purists. The SpeakEasy 4 doesn’t measure as well, or sound as neutral, as any of our other picks. If you are pickier about sound, opt for our upgrade pick.
Upgrade pick: ELAC Debut ConneX DCB41
Upgrade pick
These powered speakers are costlier than our top pick, but they sound more natural, look nicer, and have a similar feature set.
If you are serious about sound quality, the ELAC Debut ConneX DCB41 powered speakers are a great choice. The DCB41 is similar to the Andover Audio SpeakEasy 4 in its feature set, with HDMI and phono inputs in addition to Bluetooth, but this system offers better sound and better measured performance. These powered speakers also look much nicer than most speakers in their price range.
This system has an especially clear sound, particularly for its size. The DCB41 is considerably more expensive than the SpeakEasy 4, but the performance improvement it offers is obvious. In our tests it had the natural, uncolored sound we expect from a well-engineered, high-quality speaker. Our listening panelists praised this system’s clarity, its surprisingly full sound, and its focused, realistic stereo imaging. “It’s hard to complain about this one. It’s pretty close to ‘just right,’” one listener said.
The DCB41 system is no bass monster, but the bottom end is pretty impressive for a speaker of this size. On bass-heavy tunes where the SpeakEasy 4’s bass sounded strained and distorted, the DCB41’s bass sounded clean, punchy, and powerful — even though the DCB41 is slightly smaller than the SpeakEasy 4. It offers an XBass Enhancer button on its remote control, but in our opinion the DBC41 doesn’t need bass enhancement, and the function boosts the maximum bass output by only about 1 dB, anyway.
Our measurements showed that the DCB41’s frequency response is essentially flat, at ±2.3 decibels through most of the audio band, which means that no instruments or voices stand out unless they’re supposed to.
It connects to almost any audio source. The DCB41 has a stereo RCA input with a switchable phono preamp so that it can connect directly to any turntable, plus USB and optical digital audio inputs, a subwoofer output, and aptX Bluetooth support.
It also has an HDMI ARC port, which lets it connect to a TV and allows the TV’s remote to control the speakers’ volume, so you can use the DCB41 much the way you would a soundbar.
It looks sleek. Thanks to the DCB41 set’s minimalist, modern design, it’s one of the best-looking powered speaker systems we’ve seen. It’s available in black, orange, blue, and walnut finishes. At just 9.6 by 5.5 by 7 inches, it’s compact enough to fit on small shelves, although the rear bass ports make it impractical to shove up against a wall.
The DCB41 comes with a slim remote that controls power, volume, mute, source selection, and play/pause and track skip for Bluetooth sources.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Bass devotees are likely to want more oomph. The DCB41 produces excellent bass for its size, but it can’t match the bass power of speakers with larger woofers. Connecting a subwoofer via the mono RCA output helps. But you have no way to filter the bass out of the DCB41 speakers, so you’ll still hear some bass distortion if you crank up the system.
The only control knob is on the rear. If you can’t find the remote, you’ll have to reach around the back of the right-channel speaker to adjust the volume or change sources.
Budget pick: HiVi-Swans OS-10
Budget pick
These powered speakers perform shockingly well for their price, and they look great. But they have fewer connection options than our other powered picks.
The HiVi-Swans OS-10 powered speakers are a terrific choice for those who want excellent sound at a low price, or in a smaller speaker. The OS-10 system actually sounds clearer and looks nicer than the more expensive Andover Audio SpeakEasy 4 — but it lacks HDMI and phono inputs, so it’s much less versatile.
This system produces the best sound we’ve heard for the price. When we did a brand-concealed test of the OS-10 against the SpeakEasy 4 and the much larger Dayton Audio B65A, we were shocked to find that the relatively tiny OS-10 was our clear favorite. It had an exceptionally clear sound, with a strong but not overemphasized treble that made voices sound more intelligible yet still natural. Because of its neutral-sounding tone, this speaker system works well with most genres of music … except for bass-heavy EDM and hip-hop.
We were also shocked to hear how good the bass coming from the OS-10’s little 4-inch woofers sounded. No, it doesn’t play the low notes particularly loud or deep, but what bass it does have is well-balanced with the midrange and treble. It sounds clear and well-defined rather than boomy.
The OS-10 delivered one of the best frequency response measurements we’ve ever seen for a speaker, at ±1.6 decibels through almost the entire audio band, which means that the mix of instruments and voices will be preserved and nothing will sound unnatural.
It has enough connections to assemble a basic system. The OS-10 speakers offer Bluetooth, optical and coaxial digital audio inputs, and a stereo RCA input. That’s enough to connect a phone or tablet, a computer, and a TV. You can also connect a turntable, but you’ll have to include your own phono preamp or get a record player with the preamp built in.
This system looks terrific. Unlike most affordable stereo speaker systems, the OS-10 has a sophisticated, stylish design that doesn’t look cheap in any way. The molded, black front baffle and the absence of visible grille fasteners make it look like a much more expensive product.
At just 8 inches high, 7.5 inches deep, and 5.2 inches wide, this speaker is compact enough to fit almost anywhere. The speakers do have rear ports, though, so it’s a bad idea to shove them all the way into a shelving unit or against a wall.
A touchscreen on the top of the right-channel speaker lets you turn the power on and off, select the input, and adjust or mute the volume. The touchscreen is illuminated; even when the system power is off, the power button has red backlighting, so you can find it in the dark.
A slim remote control offers the same functions, plus a mute button and a button that turns off the touchscreen’s lighting.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
This speaker can’t play deep bass. Playing tunes with lots of deep bass made the OS-10 system’s woofers distort, and the system doesn’t include a subwoofer output — so there’s no way to augment the bass. It’s great for most pop and rock music, as well as jazz, classical, and folk, but hip-hop and EDM music with deep, synthesized bass tones will sound bad if you play it at full or near-full volume.
It lacks the inputs some people will want. Our other powered-speaker picks include two useful inputs not found on the OS-10: a phono input, which lets you connect a turntable without having to add a phono preamp, and an HDMI input, which lets you connect a TV and have the TV’s remote then control the speakers’ volume and power.
Other powered bookshelf speakers worth considering
If you want more bass and don’t need lots of features: The Edifier S1000MkII system, a former top pick, offers sound quality comparable to that of the ELAC Debut ConneX DCB41 speakers but with considerably better bass performance (roughly 6 dB more bass output in our testing). However, the S1000MkII system lacks HDMI and phono inputs and is comparatively bulky.
