Best Powered Speakers

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Are you on the hunt for a new speaker system or powered speakers that will blow your mind? If so, it’s time for you to look at our best powered speakers!

Powered Speaker Reviews

Comparison Chart

51ptmTeFtuL. SL500
(2) Rockville BPA10 10″ Professional Powered 400 Watt DJ PA Speakers w/Bluetooth
51K5yEeeiZL. SL500
QSC K10.2 Active 10″ Powered 2000 Watt Loudspeaker
41UlcLW 0oL. SL500
Amazon Basics AC Powered PC Multimedia External Speakers
41JdMdErl7L. SL500
Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers – 2.0 Stereo Active Near Field Monitors – Studio Monitor Speaker – Wooden Enclosure – 42 Watts RMS
419KoeFI qL. SL500
Micca PB42X Powered Bookshelf Speakers, 30-Watt RMS Power, Active Near Field Studio Monitors, 2-Way (Black, Pair)

1. ​Rockville BPA10 Powered Speaker

51ptmTeFtuL. SL500

If you need a really powerful speaker that can deliver awesome sound quality without fail, one that has some really good features, yet still does not cost all that much, this Rockville BPA10 Powered Speaker might be the right option for you.

Product Highlights

The Rockville BPA10 Powered Speaker is a super powerful 10 inch 300 watt speaker. This thing has 400 watts of peak power, 200 watts program, and 100 watts RMS. In other words, it has a whole lot of power behind it that can provide you with music volume that will blow your ear drums right out.

The Rockville BPA10 Powered Speaker also features a high power long throw 10 inch sub-woofer with a 1.5 inch KSV voice coil. In other words, this thing can provide you with amazing treble and bass sounds. They have a peak decibel rating of 102 decibels, with a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 KHz.

What is also cool about the Rockville BPA10 Powered Speaker is that they have Bluetooth connectivity, so you can easily connect any Bluetooth music playing device you have, plus you can also use an SD or USB input to play music. Even better is that this speaker also comes with XRL, TRS, and RCA inputs for your convenience.

You might also like the fact that the Rockville BPA10 Powered Speaker comes with a wireless remote control so you can control the action from afar. This speaker also comes with an additional XLR line so you can connect it to more powered speakers, a mixer, or a subwoofer.

The Rockville BPA10 Powered Speaker also has a built-in 2 band equalizer, plus a nice LED display as well. What is also surprising is that this speaker weighs under 20 pounds, making it somewhat portable, plus it even comes with an FM radio function as well.

What’s to like about the ​Rockville BPA10 Powered Speaker

Well, when it comes down to it, the Rockville BPA10 Powered Speaker has awesome highs, mids, and lows, plus excellent bass and treble sound. This thing is loud and has very good sound quality.

It’s a fairly portable speaker that allows for radio play, it can connect to virtually all music playing devices, and has no problems connecting to other mixers, speakers, or woofers, not to mention that it comes in various sizes and at a great price point too.

What’s not to like about the ​Rockville BPA10 Powered Speaker

One of the bad parts about the Rockville BPA10 Powered Speaker is that the included side carrying handles are of a low quality and easily break off. Moreover, they are not the best for live music, especially for DJs.

Pros

  • ​Great bass and treble
  • ​Very loud
  • Allow for multiple input types
  • Fairly portable

Cons

  • ​Bad handles
  • ​Not great for live shows

2. ​QSC K10.2 Active Powered Loudspeaker

51K5yEeeiZL. SL500

Ok, so just to get this out of the way, the QSC K10.2 Active Powered Loudspeaker is a very expensive powered speaker. It costs around 7 times as much as the one we just looked at.

However, do keep in mind that it has increased functionality, it is louder, has more wattage behind it, and has absolutely stunning sound quality too.

Product Highlights

Ok, so yes, the QSC K10.2 Active Powered Loudspeaker is very pricey, but you do get what you pay for, and here you get a whole lot. This is actually a 2000 watt speaker, so it has a whole lot of power behind it, more than enough for any needs really.

When it comes to peak output power, here you are looking at roughly 1800 Watts of peak power. Once again, this is a lot of power and it allows for great sound quality and loudness too.

Yes, the peak decibels here top out at around 130 decibels, which is insanely loud, so loud that besides for concerts, you will probably never turn it up to maximum volume.

What you might also like about the QSC K10.2 Active Powered Loudspeaker is that it is made with a very durable ABS case that really should never break down. It actually has quite a bit of impact resistance behind it.

Moreover, this is a fairly large and heavy speaker, coming in at over 32 pounds. It’s not the kind of thing you have for a small apartment. This is a big time speaker that is more than ideal for live shows with lots of viewers.

When it comes to overall performance, the QSC K10.2 Active Powered Loudspeaker comes with high-performance compression drivers and really strong woofers. The result here is that this speaker provides really great sound quality at all ranges, and it has some super powerful bass sound behind it as well.

Even better is that you can connect a variety of things to it. The QSC K10.2 Active Powered Loudspeaker comes with 2 locking XLR/F connectors, a Hi-Z line input, a TRS connector, 3 x XLR/M connectors, and 1 locking IEC power connector.

What’s to like about the ​QSC K10.2 Active Powered Loudspeaker

Well, what we like about the QSC K10.2 Active Powered Loudspeaker is the insane amount of power and volume which it delivers. It has a whole lot of watts, it can hit big time decibels, and the treble and bass which it provides are nearly unmatched. The fact of the matter is that this is one of the best powered speakers out there for live shows.

What’s not to like about the ​QSC K10.2 Active Powered Loudspeaker

Something we do not like about the QSC K10.2 Active Powered Loudspeaker is of course that it is so expensive. When it comes to powered speakers for your home, we would say that it is total overkill.

Also, the carrying handles on this thing has the speaker facing down when carrying it, which can lead to it being dropped.

Pros

  • ​Lots of connection options
  • Awesome bass sound
  • ​Can go super loud

Cons

  • ​Too much for a smaller room
  • ​Quite expensive
  • ​Carrying handles are not ideal

3. Amazon Basics AC Powered PC Multimedia External Speakers

41UlcLW 0oL. SL500

Here we have an extremely affordable pair of speakers that are ideal for use with computers and MP3 players. They aren’t the biggest or loudest speakers out there, but they work really well for basic needs.

Product Highlights

What you get here is a pair of small speakers, each of which come in at 3.47 x 4.26 x 9.34 inches. They are quite small, which means that they don’t take up much space. They can easily fit on a small desk in your office or in a gaming room. Although they technically aren’t designed for portability, they are small and lightweight enough to be portable nonetheless.

In terms of overall sound quality, the Amazon Basics AC Powered PC Multimedia External Speakers feature dual 2.5 inch drivers. They have a decent frequency range, fairly low impedance, and they can get pretty loud too. For the record, the frequency range here is 57 Hz – 20 KHz. No, they aren’t the highest quality speakers in the world, but they work well for basic needs.

Thanks to those dual drivers, they do have quite deep and low bass. They certainly work well for gaming, watching movies, and even for listening to music at fairly high volumes. They’re also built well enough to ensure that they won’t suffer from much distortion or reverb.

In terms of connectivity, they feature basic 3.5 mm ports, or in other words, AUX ports. This means that you can plug them into any device using a simple AUX cord.

They even have dual inputs so you can connect two devices at once. They’re simple plug and play speakers, which many people are absolutely going to love. For those times when you don’t want to disturb anybody, you can even plug your headphones into them. To finish things off, these speakers have a simple on/off switch, as well as onboard volume controls.

What’s to Like About the Amazon Basics AC Powered PC Multimedia External Speakers

What we like about these speakers is that they come to us at a rock bottom price. Sometimes you might just need basic speakers for a bit of sound without having to spend a fortune. This is exactly what you get here. Although, for the price they come to us at, they actually perform much better than can be expected.

What’s Not to Like About the Amazon Basics AC Powered PC Multimedia External Speakers

Ok, so one thing that does need to be made clear is that these speakers aren’t designed for heavy duty use. You don’t want to connect them to your home theater system to blast music with. They just won’t be able to handle it.

Pros

  • Great price
  • Awesome performance considering the low price
  • Loud volume with good frequency range
  • Good bass
  • Onboard controls
  • Simple plug and play functionality
  • Space efficient

Cons

  • Can only go so loud
  • Not ideal for heavy duty use such as with big home theater systems

4. ​Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers

41JdMdErl7L. SL500

Ok, so here we are changing our tune a little bit, as these are powered bookshelf speakers meant solely for home use. The other speakers we have covered so far are usually only used for venues, and thus they also cost a lot. The Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers are small, compact, super affordable, and meant for home use.

Product Highlights

What stands out about the Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers is that they are really small and compact, yet still manage to deliver a fair amount of power and volume.

They are more than small enough to fit on a bookshelf or in a small space in your room, thus making them perfect for home use. Now, they are not the loudest or best speakers around, at least not for a venue, but they do fine for home use.

In terms of specs, these things have a total power output of 2 x 21 watts, they feature a max decibel rating of 85 dBA, with a 13 mm silk domed tweeter, a 4 inch woofer, and a good frequency response too.

As you might be able to recognize, when it comes to treble, bass, and overall volume, these speakers are alright, but not the best. Their sound quality could be a bit better, but do keep in mind that these things cost only around 100 bucks, which is really good.

In terms of inputs, these are not wireless, but you can put the RCA to RCA or RCA to UX capabilities to good use. What is pretty cool is the amount of control you have here, as the Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers allow you to separately adjust the bass, treble, and volume. And yes, they are powered speakers, so they do not need a separate amp.

What’s to like about the ​Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers

The good part about the Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers is that they are small, compact, and quite portable. They are great for at home use, especially if you like loud music and a good bass sound. Moreover, these are very simply speakers that anybody can use with ease.

What’s not to like about the ​Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers

The bad part about the Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers is that for one, they are not all that durable. We definitely wouldn’t crank up the volume too high or be too rough with them. Moreover, they just are not large enough for an actual venue.

Pros

  • ​Good quality for the price
  • ​Small and compact
  • ​Great for at home use

Cons

  • ​Not the loudest or best bass sound
  • ​Limited durability and longevity

5. ​Micca PB42X Powered Bookshelf Speakers

419KoeFI qL. SL500

This is the last option on our list today, but still a relatively good one. These are another pair of bookshelf speakers meant for home use, ones that come in at a relatively good price and are great for at home music listening.

Product Highlights

The Micca PB42X Powered Bookshelf Speakers feature a 0.75 inch silk dome tweeter, a 4 inch carbon fiber woofer, they have a frequency response of 60Hz-20kHz, and have a power rating of 15W x 2 RMS. When it comes down to it, although these things are quite small and inexpensive, they still manage to deliver a whole lot of volume and good sound quality.

Of course, they are not as loud, as clear, or do not have as good of bass as the venue powered speakers (first 3 reviews), but for at home use, they are more than fine.

What you might also appreciate about the Micca PB42X Powered Bookshelf Speakers is that they are very small and compact. They can easily fit into pretty much space that you might want to put them in.

Of course, they come with the amplifiers built into them, and they feature RCA and AUX input jacks as well. The shell on these things is quite durable, but their quality is somewhat lackluster.

Just make sure that you don’t drop them or turn them up so high that you break the interior components, which can cause buzzing noises.

What’s to like about the ​Micca PB42X Powered Bookshelf Speakers

The good part about the Micca PB42X Powered Bookshelf Speakers is that they are small, compact, affordable, and great for basic at home music listening needs.

What’s not to like about the ​Micca PB42X Powered Bookshelf Speakers

Although they are good speakers for the price, for at home use, and for basic music listening, do not expect to use them for a venue. They just are not that powerful, or that durable either.

Pros

  • Good price
  • Decent sound quality (for the price)
  • ​Small and compact
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • ​Limited durability
  • ​May buzz at higher volumes

Powered Speakers Buyer’s Guide

Before you go out and buy any powered speakers, there are some considerations and factors that you definitely want to keep in mind, just so you don’t go out and waste money on something that does not suit your needs.

​1. Types

Ok, so first you need to know about the types of speakers out there. When it comes down to it, there are 2 main types of speakers, these are active or powered speakers, and passive speakers.

Now, passive speakers are ones that are just speakers, and are intended for things like basic music listening. However, powered or active speakers come with built-in amps and various connectors for live shows, mixing, and other such properties.

​2. Size & Style

Another thing to keep in mind before you make a purchase here is the size of the powered speaker. We are going to include power and wattage here, as this does relate to size.

Simply put, a smaller speaker is going to be better for smaller places, as they are more portable and are not quite as heavy, but of course, they also do not have the same power or volume as a very large and heavy speaker intended for large events. It is a tradeoff that you must think about here.

​3. Sound Quality

Of course, when you are buying powered speakers, you need them to have really good sound quality. First off, active speakers have built-in amplifiers, EQ, and woofers too, so they are going to have good sound quality no matter what, at least when compared to passive speakers.

Here, you are looking for the frequency or Hz specs, how they perform in terms of mids, lows, and highs, and how good their bass is. It’s something you will want to research in some greater detail.

​4. Build & Design

When it comes to the overall build and design of the powered speakers in question, you do of course want something that is going to suit your home décor or suit a club venue. This really comes down to personal preference and what you want out of your speaker.

​5. Durability

What you are looking for here is a durable speaker, one that has a durable ABS housing, or something of similar quality. Simply put, a strong shell with high-quality wiring and connectors is what you need. Keep in mind, you get what you pay for.

F.A.Q.

1. What are powered speakers?

Powered speakers are all in one speaker systems often used for live music venues. As opposed to passive speakers which require a separate amplifier, powered speakers come with the amplifiers built in. They usually have a whole lot more power, volume, and way better sound quality than passive speakers.

2. How to connect multiple powered speakers?

Doing this does require some skill and know how. It is a lot to explain in words, so for this, please take a look at the video which we have included. 

3. How to connect powered speakers to a mixer?

This is another one of those things that is a bit difficult to explain in just a few words. To find out how to connect powered speakers to a mixer, please take a look at the included video. 

4. How do powered speakers work?

Generally speaking, a powered speaker works in the same way as a passive speaker, with the only real difference being that powered speakers come with the amplifier built into them.

5. Powered speakers vs passive speakers?

As mentioned above, the only real difference is that you need to connect passive speakers to an amplifier if you want to connect them to a mixing board. This does not have to be done with powered speakers as they come with the amplifiers built into them.

Final Verdict

When it comes right down to it, the powered speakers which we would most highly recommend today are the QSC K10.2 Active Powered Loudspeakers. Yes, they are very expensive, but based solely on quality, volume, and overall performance, they are undoubtedly the number one option.

If you want something a bit smaller and less expensive, but still for venues, the Rockville BPA10 Powered Speaker makes for a good option. Also, if you just want powered speakers for at home use, we personally would go with the Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers.

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