A pair of bookshelf speakers work great in your room as they don’t have much space.
It’s better if you buy active speakers since they have a built-in amplifier and are much more compact. All they need is a power source or a battery.
You can still connect an active mixer with powered speakers if you’re working with multiple channels.
That said, you’ll have to bypass amplification either in the speakers or the mixer.
At the same time, you need good sound quality and an array of features from your speakers.
But can you find all these benefits from compact speakers for your table or shelf?
Yes, you can if you buy one of the best active bookshelf speakers. But which one are they?
Let’s review some of the best active speakers with acute design and innovative features.
Comparison Chart
Best Active Bookshelf Speakers: A Review
1. Edifier S1000 MKII Powered Speakers
Edifier is a well-known brand in manufacturing quality music equipment. It offers products at a reasonable price and with great quality.
The brand is famous for producing small and medium-sized speakers. But their specialty is cabinet size and bookshelf speakers with beautiful designs.
The Edifier S1000 MKII is another addition to the speakers catalog with a compact size and high-quality sound.
Review
Let’s look at some of the prominent features of Edifier S1000 so you can make the best decision regarding its purchase and use:
- Design
The speakers have an elegant design with wooden side panels, which give them a classic and sturdy look.
Their color blends in perfectly with wooden shelves and table tops. At the same time, the look is modern and clean.
The speakers are around 13 inches tall and eight inches wide, making them a good choice for side tables and a computer accessory.
At first glance, the speakers look a bit bigger than expected. But they produce high-quality sound with good bass and treble, so the size is not a problem.
- Wireless Connectivity
This pair of powered speakers comes with Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX, so you can connect it to your iPhone, iPad, or any other remote device.
The range of Bluetooth covers you within your home easily, so you can move around with your cell phone when connected.
The latency on the output is also low and stable, so you can have a seamless listening experience.
These desktop speakers come with a remote control that contains a power button, Bluetooth on and off buttons, and volume buttons.
The remote also has line 1 and line 2 buttons, which allow you to switch between two input sources.
- Multiple Inputs Options
The Edifier S1000 MKII Powered speakers have options for digital input, coaxial, line-in, and optical inputs, allowing you to connect them to many devices simultaneously.
You can connect them to your TV, DVD players, mobile, tablet, and game consoles.
You can find all the input options at the back of the right speaker, while the line-in option is at the top for both left and right.
Below that is an optical input plug and a coaxial input port. Digital and optical inputs perform better than analog input, making these speakers a better option.
The ports and dials are very high quality which you can see when you rotate them or plug in a source.
The Edifier S1000 MKII Powered Speakers’ base has four feet that hold the speakers down perfectly.
- Premium Bass and Treble
The speakers show their worth when you play music loudly. Audio on many desktop speakers starts to crumble at higher volumes but not on Edifier S1000.
The sound remains crisp, and the punching bass gives great feedback.
Edifier provides a two-year warranty, including parts and labor warranty available in the US and Canada.
Pros:
- Attractive design with a wooden finish
- Class D amplifier for better sound quality
- High-quality dials and control buttons
- Great bass and treble output
Cons:
- Volume, bass, and treble knobs on the back
- Slightly larger for table tops
2. Saiyin Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers
If you want a less expensive pair of speakers than Edifier S1000, these Saiyin bookshelf speakers are a great choice.
The brand makes high-quality speakers, mics, soundbars, and amplifiers, so they know how to make a quality shelf speaker.
Note that it’s a crossover design, so one speaker is powered, and the other is a passive speaker that connects to the first one.
All in all, it’s an incredible audio gear for TV sets, gaming, kitchen music, and other smaller purposes.
Review
Let’s break down the features of the Saiyin Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers and see how they stand out from the crowd.
- Design
The speakers have a nice, clean, classic wooden look and blend perfectly with your room settings.
Both speakers have a protective mesh grill at the front, which you can remove to reveal the design.
The front of the Saiyin Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers has a 0.75” soft dome tweeter, a 1.5” port, and a 4” mid-woofer.
This speaker set is also lightweight and smaller in size than Edifier S1000.
- Ports
On the back, the right-side speaker is powered and has all the input ports. These include RCA aux, coaxial digital, optical digital, subwoofer line output, second speaker output, and DC power input.
It’s easy to connect and comes alive as soon as you plug it in.
- Controls
There are no controls for bass, treble, or volume on the speakers, so you better not lose the remote control.
The remote contains a power button, a BT button, and volume controls. It also has three options for sound, including movies, music, and news.
- Certified Hi-Resolution Audio
The Saiyin Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers has a balanced sound with a thumping bass, even at higher volumes.
The listening experience is good for the price, and the audio has a detailed sound.
We tested it for acoustic music, and they performed pretty well on that front. As a music lover, you’ll enjoy the bass, treble, and subwoofer output.
The speakers also give a decent sound with compressed files, so you can listen to Spotify with low-resolution settings without any problems.
- Premium Quality Accessories
The first thing you notice about the speakers package is the quality of the accessories. There are different cables and connectors for sound sources.
Accessories include an AC to DC adapter with a small cable. The length of the cable is not impressive, but the quality of the adapter is superb.
There’s an optical digital cable which is also of great quality. There is also a 3.5mm RCA cable with good-quality connectors.
You’ll also find a 20 AWG speaker cable in the package, which you can use to connect the two speakers.
Finally, the wireless remote is also of premium quality with sturdy buttons and good-quality plastic material.
Pros:
- Built-in amplifier
- Dynamic range of audio
- Easy setup and wireless connectivity
- Better sound than soundbars
Cons:
- No manual controls on the speakers
- Bass is too thick at high volume
3. SingingWood Bookshelf Speakers (2021 Version)
Bookshelf speakers are best when they are active and don’t need an external amplifier to keep a smart setup.
At the same time, these speakers should have enough audio range to give you a fulfilling listening experience.
SingingWood has done a great job making these small but powerful speakers with multiple input methods and an excellent design.
Review
Here are some of the key features of the SingingWood Bookshelf Speakers:
- Design
You can feel the excellence in your hands when you hold this pair of speakers. They are made with premium quality materials, and the finishing is exceptional.
The neat design also catches the eye immediately. You can get the wooden or black design at the same price.
We liked the wooden ones better as they have a classic look.
The pair has four base points each which hold them at the table and save the surface of the shelf or table you’re keeping them on.
A four-inch full-range driver and a 0.75” dome tweeter are on the front.
- Controls
If we compare this speaker set with the above two options, some differences make this set unique.
We saw that the Edifier S1000 had manual controls for volume, bass, and treble, but they were at the back of the right speaker.
Saiyin gave up on the idea of manual controls and completely switched to the remote option, which is wonderful unless you lose your remote control.
SingingWood have done a good job by providing these controls at the speaker’s side, which is the best option.
The audio controls, both on the speakers and on the remote, enable you to select the audio of your choice.
It’s not an expensive option. If you are looking for good quality, low-cost speakers, SingingWood is your go-to option.
- Perfect Treble Response
The SingingWood Bookshelf Speakers provides an enhanced listening experience through powerful bass and treble response.
The pair passes any listening tests with flying colors and produces a clean sound. The frequency response at higher volume is also amazing for this price.
If you’re a Metallica fan or like rock and roll at high volumes, these speakers will give you a decent sound within your room.
There’s almost no noticeable distortion at the top volume level, even with shrill sounds.
The 50-watt power is plenty for the size, and the dome tweeters are perfect for sound accuracy.
- Multiple Connectivity Options
The speakers have multiple connectivity options, including Bluetooth 5.0, USB, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The Bluetooth connectivity of the SingingWood Bookshelf Speakers is of good quality.
There are no lags and latencies when connected through Bluetooth, providing a seamless video viewing experience.
You can use the type A or Type C cable when connecting through USB.
USB and aux cables are included in the package, and both are of good length, so you don’t need to buy anything when using these speakers.
The volume button at the speaker’s side acts as the input selector. If you press it for three to four seconds, the input method changes.
Pros:
- Low latency Bluetooth 5.0
- Easy to access manual controls
- Smaller size perfect for computer table
- Impressive punching base
Cons:
- Remote control quality is subpar
- A little underwhelming midrange
4. Klipsch R-51PM Powered Speakers
If you are looking for larger speakers for your bookshelf, Klipsch should be your go-to brand.
The speaker we are reviewing here is not as large as some of the other speakers by the manufacturer, but it’s still a decent size.
Review
Here are some of the things you’ll expect from the Klipsch R-51PM Powered Speakers:
- Package Inclusion
The first thing you’ll notice when you open the pack is that Klipsch has included batteries in the pack too.
That’s a surprise for many customers because most brands do not include batteries.
The package also comes with a speaker wire, a power cord, a USB type A to type C cable, and rubber feet for the speakers.
A remote control is also included with the speakers.
- Design
The Klipsch R-51PM Powered Speakers has an elegant design with a beautiful and strong grill.
It’s a magnetic mesh grill and sticks to the frame without any holes.
The speakers produce a high-quality sound with horn tweeters and a 5.25” copper span woofer for mids and lows at the front.
- Controls and Connectivity
The speaker pair has Bluetooth wireless connectivity and doesn’t have too many buttons and controls, and the company keeps it as simple as possible.
At the back of the main speaker, you’ll find the port for USB audio, optic audio, a subwoofer, aux input, RCA input, and line inputs.
The volume knob is also at the back, which is not the best, but it’s not as important because you mostly use the remote control.
There is a grounding port at the back of the speaker. The frequency response on this speaker set is 68 Hz to 21 kHz.
- Tractrix Horn Tech
Klipsch produces stunningly accurate acoustics by using its signature Tractrix Horn Technology.
The tech is amazing when it comes to generating power, precision, and clarity. The horn improves efficiency and reduces distortion.
It also directs the audio to the listener, thus improving the listening experience by saving high-frequency sound energy in the process. It also reduces the artificial reverb.
- Dynamic Bass EQ
This signature Klipsch technology is only present in some models, including R51 PM.
The purpose of dynamic bass EQ is to pronounce the low frequencies at lower volumes.
If you like low-volume music and just want to relax with your favorite song at a low volume, this technology will enhance your experience.
Klipsch recommends keeping the source volume at the maximum while listening at low volumes for the best response from the speakers.
Pros:
- Custom-tuned built-in amplification
- Sleek design with spun copper woofers
- High-quality material and finish
- Seamless Bluetooth connectivity
Cons:
- No controls for bass adjustment
- Shrill sound without the mesh grill
5. Pyle PBKSP22 HiFi Bookshelf Speakers
Pyle has been around for decades, and most musicians and music lovers know the brand from one instrument.
They produce budget speakers, mixers, amplifiers, and many other products that enjoy trust and prestige in the music market.
These Pyle PBK SP22 are in line with the style and quality the brand provides to its customers.
Since their release, they have consistently received praise from users.
Review
The Pyle PBKSP22 HiFi Bookshelf Speakers has a lot to offer its users, including:
- Design
The speakers have a pitch-black color which sits well with most table tops and computers. Both speakers have a mesh grill at the front, which you can easily remove and replace.
Under the grill, the speakers have a monitor speaker driver of 5.25″ and an aluminum tweeter driver dome of 1.0’’.
The speaker size is not big, so you can easily adjust it anywhere on your table or shelf. The height is 10.6”, and the width is 6.7”.
Note that the speakers are shown mounted on the wall in the pictures, but they cannot be mounted without an external frame.
There are no mounting holes in the back of the Pyle PBKSP22 HiFi Bookshelf Speakers.
- Controls and Ports
There are no controls on the front side, and all the buttons and ports are at the back of the active speaker.
- Connectivity
The right speaker is active, while the other is passive. The active speaker has a built-in digital amplifier and a built-in Bluetooth receiver.
The speaker system has a good wireless range which extends up to 35 meters but is much less when there are obstructions in between.
You can also connect it with an aux cable or a USB cable and play music from your iPhone or any other supporting device.
The Bluetooth is 4.0 and not the current 5.0 version, which is a drawback for this speaker system, and the company should upgrade it.
- High-Quality Loud Sound
The power on Pyle PBKSP22 is 300 watts which enables these speakers to play a very high sound without distortion.
Pyle knows how to make mixers, and they have equipped this active speaker with a high-quality, two-channel amplifier that boosts the signal to a good level.
The pair has a 50 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response which is also good considering the size and price of the system.
- Simple and Easy Pairing
Although this pair of speakers has Bluetooth 4.0, pairing and connectivity through Bluetooth are extremely easy.
One problem that the manufacturer needs to look into is resetting the input method every time there’s a power interruption.
The connectivity goes to Bluetooth even when connected through another source, which is annoying.
Apart from that, the Pyle PBKSP22 HiFi Bookshelf Speakers provides a great listening experience without any hassle.
Once you have paired the speakers, they connect automatically when you switch them on with the source. The other connections work fine too.
Pros:
- Volume, bass, and treble controls
- High-quality digital audio
- High-tech but inexpensive design
- Built-in digital audio amplifier
Cons:
- Bluetooth 4.0 instead of 5.0
- Input resets to default Bluetooth with power interruption
Which Active Bookshelf Speaker Should You Get?
The best active bookshelf speakers are the ones with compact design, Bluetooth connectivity, multiple input options, and a beautiful exterior.
The above powered bookshelf speakers have these specifications and are relatively inexpensive too.
The best powered bookshelf speaker is Edifier S1000 MKII which has the most features and the best sound quality even at full volume.
It’s larger, so if you want a smaller speaker pair, you can go for SingingWood Bookshelf Speakers.