Best Self-powered Bookshelf Speakers

Choosing the best self-powered bookshelf speakers is often a compromise between price, quality, and performance. However, it need not be. We have scoured the internet to bring you some of the best speakers out there.

When we were looking for bookshelf speakers, we wanted speakers which not only gave great performance but did so while looking good. While trying to keep the speakers affordable, we also acknowledge that you get what you pay for. Here are five of the best bookshelf speakers on the market.

​Best Self-Powered Bookshelf Speaker Reviews

1. ​Edifier Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers

These are amazing speakers. First of all, they look great. From the stylish side profile to the elegant front look, these speakers will look like a work of art in your home. With their great look also comes great performance. And, this performance comes over Bluetooth too.

The connection is easy and versatile. With the option for a Bluetooth connection, you can connect multiple devices with ease. If you are using a smart device, you will enjoy connecting that device without the need for wires. With multiple options for using wires to connect your devices, it is easy to connect to almost everything.

We love the loss-less connection. No matter what device you are listening from, you will hear the music as it is intended to be heard. You could be listening to your music over Bluetooth or a wired connection, and the audio will be rich and crisp.

When we tested this speaker against others at a similar price point, it was hard to find a speaker which compared. If you are looking for a top of the line speaker, then you may just have found it. Great sound and great control.

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

​The silk dome tweeters give you clear sound, even at low volumes. You will find that there is no distortion, no matter what you are listening to. If you find that the audio is not where you want it, you can also use the remote to control the levels on the speaker.

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

​The trebles in this speaker is a bit tiny to listen at and a bit expensive for some.

Pros

• ​Bluetooth connection
• ​Loss-less digital connection
• Remote controlled

Cons

• ​Expensive
• ​Lows can be muddy
• ​Trebles can be tinny

2. BESTISAN Powered Bookshelf Speakers

Here we have a pair of affordable yet powerful and crisp sounding powered speakers. They come complete with many different features to allow for clear and loud audio performance. Considering the low price they come in at, they perform exceptionally well.

Product Highlights

In terms of overall performance, these speakers feature 50 watts of continuous power. This allows them to achieve fairly high volumes with ease. They’re definitely loud enough for music, movies, and anything in between.

Next, they also feature a 1.25 inch silk dome tweeter unit, combined with a 4 inch bass unit. Keep in mind that the frequency range here is 40HZ-20KHZ.

These speakers feature a fairly low impedance level, combined with a great frequency range. This great frequency range is in part thanks to the balanced woven carbon fiber woofers. These allow for really deep and transient bass.

All in all, these speakers have really crisp and clear audio, with minimal reverb and distortion. They recreate the high notes just as well as the low notes. On a side note, these speakers do actually allow you to adjust the bass level. They also feature on board volume controls.

What is also convenient about these speakers is that they feature two line inputs. You can use the dual RCA input, or the aux inputs as well. You can easily connect anything that has a 3.5 millimeter headphone output.

Moreover, these speakers also feature Bluetooth 5.0 technology. This means that you can easily connect any type of device that features Bluetooth technology.

In terms of size, both speakers come in at 18.27 x 11.81 x 8.19 inches per piece. They’re big enough to ensure great volume and overall performance, yet small enough so that they don’t take up too much space.

The fact that they feature a premium wooden enclosure is a bonus as well. This enclosure is fairly durable, and moreover, it also looks very stylish.

What’s to Like About the BESTISAN Powered Bookshelf Speakers

What we like about these speakers is the fact that they perform extremely well, yet they don’t cost a fortune. They’ve got great treble and bass, they can get pretty loud, and they look nice too. They’re ideal for use of televisions, MP3 players, computers, and anything with Bluetooth.

What’s Not to Like About the BESTISAN Powered Bookshelf Speakers

One small thing that we don’t like about these speakers is that they don’t come with a remote control. Other than that, for the fairly low price they come in at, there is really nothing to complain about.

Pros

• Adjustable bass
• Great treble and bass
• Can get fairly loud
• Good frequency range
• Onboard controls
• RCA, AUX, and Bluetooth
• Fairly high quality wooden enclosure

Cons

• No remote control
• Included cables aren’t the highest quality

3. Edifier R1850DB Active Bookshelf Speakers

If you’re looking for high end speakers that perform exceptionally well, these might just be it. These particular speakers have great treble and bass, a great frequency range, and they can get really loud too. They might be a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for it, and what you get here is quality and performance.

Product Highlights

Right off the bat, these speakers come in at 6.1in x 8.8in x 10in apiece. This means that they are fairly compact. They’re more than compact enough to fit on a small bookshelf or even on an office desk. They’re also not overly heavy either.

Something that you might appreciate about these speakers is that they feature many different input options. Here, you got to dual RCA input lines, and optical input line, a coaxial input line, 3.5 millimeter headphone jacks, and Bluetooth as well.

This means that you should be able to connect any device with ease with any of those input methods. Moreover, they also feature an output so you can connect them to your own subwoofer. Speaking of a subwoofer, these particular speakers do have great bass capabilities. They come complete with high quality 4 inch bass drivers.

Moreover, they have a frequency range from 60 Hertz to 20 kilohertz, which is quite impressive. On that same note, they also come complete with 19 millimeter silk film treble drivers. In other words, these speakers produce the high notes just as well as low notes.

They allow for really crisp, clear, and distortion free audio. In terms of volume, these things can be easily reach 85 decibels or more. That should be more than loud enough for all your TV watching and music listening needs.

What is also worth noting is that these speakers come complete with onboard controls. You can easily control the bass, treble, and volume. Moreover, they also come complete with a highly functional remote control.

We do also like the high gloss black finish that these speakers feature. It just looks very nice and stylish. They fit really well with all sorts of modern decor. Moreover, that exterior is also quite durable. Just in case something does go wrong with them however, they come complete with a complete two year warranty.

What’s to Like About the Edifier R1850DB Active Bookshelf Speakers

What we like about these speakers is how they sound. They can hit those high notes with ease, they have really deep rumbly bass, and they can play audio at very high volumes as well. This is the case all without any severe distortion or reverb. At this price point, there’s some of the best sounding speakers out there.

What’s Not to Like About the Edifier R1850DB Active Bookshelf Speakers

Now, if you are working on a limited budget, then these might not be the right speakers for you. On a side note, the remote doesn’t always work that well.

Pros

• Very loud
• Super high quality sound
• Hits highs and lows with ease
• Really deep bass
• Precision onboard controls
• Comes with a remote
• Tons of input and output options
• Great warranty

Cons

• A bit pricey
• Remote control could work better

4. SINGING WOOD BT25 Bluetooth Powered Bookshelf Speakers

Going back in the other direction, here we have high performance powered speakers that come in at a very reasonable price. If you are working on a limited budget, but still need speakers that sound good, then these might be the right ones for you.

Product Highlights

A great feature here is the fact that this unit allows you to connect to the speakers using Bluetooth. Any device that has Bluetooth capabilities can be easily connected. That said, they also allow for wired connections with dual AUX inputs. The fact that you can choose whether to use a wired or a Bluetooth connection is quite beneficial.

Something else that you might like is that these speakers feature a classic wooden enclosure. It is made out of engineered wood, medium density fiberboard to be exact. It’s not the most durable type of engineered wood out there, although it can definitely hold its own. It’s got good impact and moisture resistance. There is also the fact that they feature a classic brown wooden appearance. They do actually look quite nice.

In terms of controls, the main speaker features onboard bass and treble controls for easy adjustments. You can also switch the volume, the inputs, and other settings using the included remote control.

Furthermore, in terms of performance, here you get 4 inch full range bass drivers. They also come complete with 0.75 inch silk dome tweeters. The result here is extremely high performance and accurate sound reproduction. They feature minimal distortion and reverb, while excelling at hitting both the high and the low notes.

They have a frequency range of 66Hz – 20KHz, which is not too bad at all. They have some really deep bass, but can hit those super high notes as well. There is also the fact that they can put out a good bit of volume, over 84 decibels to be exact. For those of you who don’t know, 84 decibels is actually very loud.

On that note, both speakers each feature 25 watts of RMS total audio output power. That’s quite a bit of power for fairly small speakers such as these. Speaking of size, each speaker comes in at 5.23 x 7 x 8.9 inches. They are therefore fairly small and compact, which means that you could easily fit them virtually anywhere.

What’s to Like About the SINGING WOOD BT25 Bluetooth Powered Bookshelf Speakers

What is to like about these particular speakers is that they have exceptional performance for a limited price. Not only do they have exceptional performance, but the fact that they have precision adjustment capabilities is a bonus as well. They’re just all around great speakers without costing you an arm and a leg.

What’s Not to Like About the SINGING WOOD BT25 Bluetooth Powered Bookshelf Speakers

One on the only issues here is that these speakers always revert back to Bluetooth connectivity when the speakers have been turned off. They don’t automatically use the input that you were using when you shut them off last. Other than this, they really don’t have any issues.

Pros

• Great price
• Good bass and treble
• Hit highs and lows very well
• Precision treble, bass, and volume controls
• Bluetooth capable
• Remote control included
• Loud
• Compact

Cons

• Some minor connectivity issues

5. Audioengine Powered Speakers

The thing we like most about these speakers is the warm sound which will fill the room. As soon as you hook these up to an audio device, you can tell straight away that they are crafted from quality components.

These A5+ speakers give you the bass that you need, not the bass that you think you want. You do not get the booming bass that we all associate with DJs.

Instead, you get rich bass which is warm and allows you to hear the music being played. What you receive is what the creator intended it to sound like. The punchy bass will sound amazing, no matter what volume you are playing your music at.

There are dual analog audio inputs which will connect to almost any device. Once you are connected, you will appreciate the high-quality sound coming from the silk tweeters and aramid fiber woofers.

When premium materials are used for the tweeters and woofers, you can hear that when the audio is being played. You could connect it to your smartphone to listen to Spotify or your professional turntable, and you would get a rich sound like nothing else you will hear.

What’s to like about the Audioengine Powered Speakers

The sound is amazing, will be produced from any device, and needs minimal setup. The sound from these speakers is among the best we have found at this price range.

What’s not to like about the Audioengine Powered Speakers

This is a bit expensive as compared to others. And  even though the sound is amazing, the audio seems to be a bit plain.

Pros

• Good thermal management
• Great compatibility
• 50 watts per channel

Cons

• Expensive
• Audio can sound plain
• Not active monitors

Conclusion

We like all of the speakers on this list, so it was hard to choose just one. In the end, we had to, and that was the Edifier set. They are more expensive than some of the speakers on our list, but there is a reason for that.

High-quality materials and components cost more money, but that is an investment in your sound. These high-quality components give you a sound like no other, and they will last too.

The problem with cheaper speakers is that the components wear out easily. With this pair from Edifier, you are investing once for great sound. They also look great on a bookshelf.

The design has been a big factor in these speakers. Not only will they give an amazing performance but they will look good doing so.

Not everyone can afford the best speakers out there, so, if you are looking for something more affordable, then you cannot go wrong with the Bestisan Powered Speakers. They may be cheaper, but there has been a focus on quality too.

They cannot compare with our number one for sound quality but, for the price, you will not find anything else which comes close. They also look good too.