Active speakers

Best value for money active speakers

One of the most recurring questions to our sound and image specialists is what is an active speaker and how it differs from passive speakers. As we said at the beginning, the Active speakers stand out for having an internal amplifier and, as a general rule, a wide assortment of connections that allow their combination with the most used domestic devices in our day-to-day lives, such as a PC, TV, smartphone, Hi-Res player , etc. a turntable or a CD player , among others.

Brands like Edifier , KEF or Klipsch lead the list of best value for money active speakers, with models ranging from €60 to €3,000. For our sound specialists, these are the most recommended hifi active speakers:

- Edifier R1280DBs : they are one of Edifier's best-selling speakers and a renewal of their great entry-level model with Bluetooth and now, in this new version, also with a subwoofer output . In bluetooth v5.0 and with a power of 42W , its connection panel with optical, coaxial and dual RCA inputs is added. In addition, its Soundfield Spatializer function , simulates and extends the sound stage to obtain the best sound quality.

- Edifier R1855DB : The Edifier R1855DB feature Bluetooth 5.0 so you can pair your active speakers and combine them with your Hi-Res player, smartphone or tablet, to ensure the perfect balance between function, design and connectivity . Its approximate power of 70W and its dedicated components have the purpose of directing all the sound to the ears.

- Edifier S1000MKII : these 2.0 active speakers integrate Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD support and Hi-Res certification, with DSP processing technology and a selection of analog, optical and coaxial inputs. In addition, it has chips that manage to achieve 24-bit/192kHz sampling frequency figures, with a signal-to-noise ratio of up to 110dB.

- Edifier S3000 PRO : the great novelty of these Edifier S3000 PROs is the integration of KLEERNET technology , which involves the wireless interconnection of the left and right channel, as well as its ability to use two frequency bands of 5.8G and 5.2G. Its bluetooth 5.0 supports wireless Hi-Res codecs such as aptX and aptX HD , for signals up to 24-bit/96kHz. In the connections section, we find digital USB, coaxial input and fiber optic input , as well as a couple of analog inputs. Its internal design and construction make the S3000 PRO a perfect alternative.

- Klipsch The Fives V2 : improving the sound of your TV is possible thanks to speakers such as the Klipsch The Fives V2 and its HDMI-ARC connection , so that you can take advantage of its combination with television and its pure Plug-and-Play design. It also integrates a phono preamplifier , Bluetooth 5.0, RCA analog and optical digital inputs. With its 1' titanium tweeters and 4.5' long-throw woofer, you'll get the best sound performance. Thanks to its retro design, you can combine your Klipsch active speakers with any corner of the home.

- KEF LS50 Wireless II : The KEF LS50 Wireless II is a true all-in-one system . They stream directly from Spotify Connect and through their proprietary KEF Connect app via Tidal, Amazon Music, Qobuz and Deezer. It supports MQA, DSD256 and Roon Ready, and is the first speaker on the market to feature revolutionary metamaterial absorption technology, eliminating distortion for a purer, more natural sound.

Tips on Active Speakers for Turntables

Active turntable speakers are the key to your system as long as the turntable incorporates a phono preamp. Through the RCA connection, you can directly connect powered speakers and enjoy the quality of your favorite vinyl, without the need to add a separate preamp.

With this, we propose a series of tips to take advantage of your pair of active speakers and turntables:

- Allocate your budget in a balanced way: from the beginning, the budget is the great handicap when we want to set up our hifi equipment made up of speakers and turntables. So the best option is to allocate it based on our needs, but above all, do it in a balanced way . For example, it would not make sense for our turntable to cost €1,000 if we are going to combine it with €150 speakers. As always, we offer you our turntable packs with active speakers so that you can finally dust off your vinyl collection.

- By cable or Bluetooth: another of the questions that should be asked when buying active monitors for turntables is whether we prefer to connect them by cable or we opt for bluetooth connectivity . The recommendation is that you opt for the cable to guarantee full quality sound transmission without interference , although if you prefer to choose Bluetooth, our advice is to make sure that the version of both the turntable and the active speakers is advanced -from 4.1- and that the sound is reproduced without cuts or alterations.

- Technical specifications: the third tip to acquire the perfect equipment is to look at the technical specifications of the speakers , focusing on aspects such as power and SPL. The power dictates the volume level that our speakers reach and is measured in W. In addition, combined with the SPL levels or sound pressure level, we can ensure the volume that our speakers reach without breaking, to enjoy our vinyl with full guarantee.

Buy self-powered speakers

To buy the best quality-price active speakers, it is worth taking into account some tips that allow us to get the most out of our pair of speakers.

- Use: analyzing the use that we are going to give to our pair of active speakers is the starting point when considering the purchase, since, in addition to aspects such as size or aesthetics, we will have to look at its components and your connectivity options . Do we want to use the speakers for the TV for its digital output? Do we prefer the convenience of Bluetooth? Are we looking to improve the output audio from our PC? If you are asking yourself all these questions, we encourage you to answer them, and take advantage of all the benefits of active monitors.

- Connections: the most advanced hifi active speakers have assorted connections that offer our team total versatility. The analog 3.5mm or RCA connections allow you to connect the speakers to your computer or a CD player without the need for electronics. On the other hand, digital, optical and coaxial connections are present in the new television models, and are necessary to obtain the best sound quality, which is very limited on TVs, giving sound value to our favorite content.

Lastly, and regarding wireless audio, we must highlight the freedom of Bluetooth and WiFi , the former being the wireless connectivity most in demand and used by users, thanks to advances in high-resolution codecs such as aptX or aptX HD. Regarding WiFi, more and more manufacturers are making integration with the most used streaming platforms such as Spotify or Tidal available to users with their Connect alternatives.

- Components and power: aspects such as components and power are also relevant when choosing that pair of active speakers that we want. As a general rule, the speakers have a tweeter and a woofer . The first is responsible for emitting high or treble frequencies and is located at the top of the front panel of the speaker. For a good listening experience, the tweeter should be at ear level .

The woofer, for its part, is in charge of reproducing low frequencies and its dimensions can vary. A woofer with considerable inches, will maximize the impact of the bass and a richer bass response. For power, we must pay attention to the so-called RMS, which refers to the real watts and the continuous power that a pair of speakers can reach without breaking. It is important not to confuse the RMS watts with the so-called peak power, figures that are claimed by manufacturers but should never be decisive when choosing our active speakers, since this value offers the maximum power figure that they reach the speakers before breaking.