In this guide, I have picked the very best powered speakers to pair with Pro-Ject’s entry-level performance turntables like the Debut Carbon, Essential, T1 and Primary.
Pro-Ject are arguably the best turntable manufacturer in the world at making high performance turntables that sells for an affordable price. When we choose speakers to pair with a Pro-Ject turntable it is crucial that we look for high quality items from leading manufacturers so we don’t waist the great efforts done by the engineers at Pro-Ject.
Below are the best picks I have found through all my research and testing on great powered speakers for vinyl. All of them are high-quality powered speakers with built-in amplification and Bluetooth connectivity for ultimate versatility.
1. Audioengine A5 Plus Wireless
Best Overall
Our pick for best speakers overall is the Audioengine A5 Plus Wireless.
When I researched great powered speakers to use with my turntables, the Audioengine A5 Plus eventually became the obvious choice.
They have received the best reviews of any powered speakers I could find in this price range.
And they simply tick all the boxes for great vinyl speakers.
- Fully analog built-in amplifier
- Looks great
- Sound great
- US made
- Available with and without Bluetooth
- Loved by owners
- Highly rated by trusted Hi-Fi publications
The Audioengine A5 Plus features a fully analog built-in amplifier, which almost no powered speakers in this price range do. This means that the signal path is completely analog, all the way from the record to the speakers. For vinyl spinners, that fancy rich analog sound, this is a very cool feature.
The Audioengine A5 Plus are awesome purist vinyl speakers with an X-factor.
They probably deliver the deepest bass in their price range, with a drop of only 1.5dB at 50Hz.
You can buy them with or without wireless Bluetooth. You save a bit of money if you can do without. The black and white finishes are also less expensive than the Bamboo finish.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Type | Powered |
| Category | Midrange |
| Bluetooth | Yes (Optional) |
| Amplifier power | 100W (Analog) |
| Frequency response | 50Hz-22kHz +/-1.5dB |
| Size | 11 x 7 x 9 in |
| Finish | Black White Bamboo |
If you want better powered speakers than the Audioengine A5 Plus to use with your Pro-Ject turntable, you simply have to pay a lot more.
Click here to check price on Amazon.
2. Edifier R1280DB
Best Budget Option
Our pick for best budget speakers is the Edifier R1280DB.
If you looking for the best budget powered speakers to hook up with your Pro-Ject turntable, there is nothing that beats the Edifier R1280DB in my opinion.
I became so fascinated about the Edifier R1280DB during my research for great powered speakers that I eventually had to buy and test them myself. And they are simply amazing for their price.
I initially wanted to include several budget options in this list of recommended speakers, but I ended up with only these because I honestly can’t find any reason to recommend anything else at this price point.
All Pro-Ject turntables will require more expensive speakers than the Edifier R1280DB to unleash their sonic potential. But if you are on a low budget or looking for a budget secondary speaker setup, then the Edifier R1280DB stands out as the best option.
These speakers will not deliver the same deep bass as the other speakers in this guide, but selling for a very attractive price, that might be an acceptable trade-off if you are on a tighter budget.
When you open the box and pick up the R1280s for the first time, you never believe that you got them so cheap. And the same feeling continues as you put them on sound.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Type | Powered |
| Category | Affordable |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Amplifier power | 42W RMS |
| Frequency response | 55Hz-20KHz |
| Size | 10 x 6 x 7 in |
| Finish | Natural wood Black wood |
The Edifier R1280 can be bought with and without Bluetooth. The Bluetooth version is called R1280DB. And the non-Bluetooth version is called R1280T. The Bluetooth version costs about $30 more than the non-Bluetooth version.
Simply click on the links above if you want to check current pricing on Amazon.
3. Edifier S1000DB
Runner-Up
Our pick for best runner-up is the Edifier S1000DB.
Edifier receives great reviews from both Hi-Fi critics and owners for their whole speaker range, and might be the top selling powered speakers manufacturer on Amazon. Edifier definitely know what they are doing. And the S1000DB is likely the best pick from their range of speakers.
Edifier categorizes the Edifier S1000DB as their Hi-Fi and audiophile speaker that offers a much more premium feel than any other Edifier bookshelf speakers. And that makes these speakers a great choice for Pro-Jet turntables.
They sound amazing for their price, like all Edifier speakers do. They are well built and come standard with features like Bluetooth and tone control.
They deliver deep bass all the way down to 48Hz (-4dB).
SPECIFICATIONS
| Type | Powered |
| Category | Midrange |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Amplifier power | 120W RMS |
| Frequency response | 48Hz – 20kHz (+/- 4dB) |
| Size | 12 x 8 x 13 in |
| Finish | Wood |
The Edifier S1000DB might lack some of the X-factor of the Audioengine A5 Plus we reviewed above. But with a lower price tag and a slightly bigger list of features as standard, they might still be the first choice for many of us.
Click here to check price on Amazon.
4. Klipsch R-51PM
Best with Preamp
Our first pick for best speakers with preamp is the Klipsch R-51PM.
If you have a purist Pro-Ject turntable that doesn’t feature a built-in phono preamp, it might be a good idea to choose powered speakers with a preamp built-in.
Then you don’t need to use a standalone phono preamp.
It allows for a cleaner setup. Less cables. And less boxes.
We have included two recommendations for powered speakers with built-in preamp, and the first one is the Klipsch R-51PM.
These are very versatile powered speakers from the respected home audio manufacturer Klipsch. Designed in Indianapolis US.
They have that typical Klipsch design and look that has made them thousands of fans all around the world. A real high-quality item.
In typical Klipsch fashion, these are loud.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Type | Powered |
| Category | Midrange |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Amplifier power | 240W |
| Frequency response | 68Hz – 21kHz |
| Size | 13 x 7 x 9 in |
| Finish | Black |
These are probably the obvious option for Klipsch fans. Another quality item from a highly regarded home audio and home theater speaker manufacturer. These are very good companions for your Pro-Ject turntable.
Click here to check price on Amazon.
5. Kanto YU6
Runner-Up with Preamp
Our second pick for best speakers with preamp is the Kanto YU6.
Another speaker brand that has become very popular to use with turntables is Kanto. They offer two different powered speakers models with a phono preamp built-in. The Kanto YU4 and the bigger Kanto YU6.
(They also have the YU2, but that doesn’t have a built-in preamp.)
The Kanto YU4 is the most budget friendly of the two. While the bigger and more expensive YU6 will offer a bigger sound and a deeper bass, if you want to spend the extra money. I highly recommend that you stretch for a YU6 for use with Pro-Ject turntables.
These speakers have received great reviews across the board. Just as all the other speakers in this article.
And with a built-in preamp, they connect to turntables that don’t have a preamp built-in without the need of a separate preamp.
SPECIFICATIONS (YU6)
| Type | Powered |
| Category | Midrange |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Amplifier power | 100W RMS |
| Frequency response | 50Hz-20kHz |
| Size | 11 x 7 x 8 in |
| Finish | Many colors |
You can watch a YouTube video where Audio Advice explains the differences between the YU2, YU4 and YU6 here.
Click here to check price on Amazon.
6. KEF LS50 Wireless
Best High-End Option
Our first pick for best for big budgets is the KEF LS50 Wireless MK2.
The KEF LS50 Wireless is one of KEF’s flagship speakers and has received fantastic reviews by Hi-Fi critics around the globe. Designing these is arguably one of KEF’s best efforts ever.
These will require a bigger budget than the speakers above, but they will also deliver a better experience when it comes to sound quality, look and feel.
The KEF LS50 Wireless are genuine active speakers. That means that there are one amplifier or each driver in each speaker. In each speaker, a 30W analog amplifier drives the tweeter while a 200W class D amplifier drives the bass.
You can read more about the difference between powered and active speakers in this guide.
These should be considered by those that want a compact speaker setup that doesn’t compromise on sound quality. These will enable you to unleash all the sonic potential from your Pro-Ject turntable in most cases.
Personally, I am considering replacing my rather high-end amplifier and passive speakers setup with a pair of KEF LS50 Wireless. It would be super neat to have something this compact, without loosing much on sound quality.
I strongly recommend that you read What Hi-Fi review of the KEF LS50 Wireless if you are looking for an awesome sounding compact speaker setup for your Pro-Ject turntable.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Type | Active |
| Category | High-End |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Amplifier power | 460W |
| Frequency response | 45Hz – 28kHz (±3dB) |
| Size | 12 x 8 x 12 in |
| Finish | Black White Gray |
Spending this much on speakers is absolutely not necessary to enjoy your Pro-Ject turntable. The more affordable recommendations above will do a great job for most people. But for hardcore audiophiles that are tired of finding space for their stereo racks, these are definitely something to consider.
Click here to check price on Amazon.
7. KEF LSX
Runner-Up High-End
Our second pick for best for big budgets is the KEF LSX.
The KEF LSX is a smaller and cheaper version of the KEF LS50 Wireless we reviewed above.
They will not fully deliver the audiophile experience of their bigger brother, but these are still very high-quality compact speakers.
If you looking for very good compact speakers for your Pro-Ject turntable, but think the LS0 Wireless are too expensive, these might be the perfect sweet-sport between cost and quality.
Just as the LS50 Wireless, there is one set of amplifiers in each speaker. A 70W amplifier drives the bass while a 30W amplifier drives the tweeter.
| Type | Active |
| Category | High-End |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Amplifier power | 200W |
| Frequency response | 54Hz – 28kHz (±3dB) |
| Size | 10 x 6 x 7 in |
| Finish | Many colors |
Several major Hi-Fi publications have rated these as the best in their class. You won’t go wrong with these.
Click here to check price on Amazon.
Conclusion
In this guide we have looked at great powered speakers for Pro-Ject turntables ranging from very affordable to very high-end.
The best powered speakers for Pro-Ject turntables are:
- Best Overall: Audioengine A5 Plus Wireless
- Best Budget Option: Edifier R1280DB
- Best Runner-Up: Edifier S1000DB
- Best with Preamp #1: Klipsch R-51PM
- Best with Preamp #2: Kanto YU6
- Best for Big Budgets #1: KEF LS50 Wireless
- Best for Big Budgets #2: KEF LSX