Best powered speakers for the way you use them

HDMI volume control and USB audio make this pair a fit for a TV and a computer. The subwoofer crossover is automatic, which helps if the setup later grows past two speakers.

Best forShared TV and laptop use, with a simple subwoofer upgrade available

Unlike the newer Grand, the original TUK has both a phono input and a front headphone socket. That counts if you keep playing records after someone else has gone to bed.

Best forA turntable and computer setup where you also want a wired headphone output

This bigger TUK has two line inputs and USB-C audio. It works best with sources that already output line level. A turntable without amplification or wired headphones would each need an extra box.

Best forComputer audio plus several line-level sources, where larger cabinets fit

This is the smaller of the original YU pairs, with connections for a moving-magnet turntable and two optical sources. The USB socket supplies power only, which means a laptop has to connect another way for audio.

Best forA compact corner for records, with TV audio over optical

The bigger original YU offers the same turntable and optical connections as the YU4. What changes when you step up is cabinet and driver size, and the number of sources you can connect stays the same.

Best forAn original YU system where larger cabinets fit

Compact network speakers meant for a TV, a laptop and shared music services. Only one cabinet needs a wall socket, but the supplied C-Link cable must still link the cabinets.

Best forA small TV or desk setup with one power point nearby and a clear route for the cable

This compact LSX adds an analog input and can link its cabinets wirelessly, as an option. Going wireless only gets rid of a signal cable across the room if both sides already have safe access to power.

Best forCompact speakers placed apart on different furniture or on either side of a doorway, with power at both positions

These KEF speakers handle a TV, a computer and a turntable with no separate phono box. Don't read the W as built-in Wi-Fi music streaming, and note that the two cabinets still have to be joined by a cable.

Best forA TV and a record collection, plus another analog source kept plugged in

This bigger KEF network pair offers TV eARC and the option of a wireless link between speakers. Sort out how the laptop will connect before anything else, since the USB service socket doesn't carry audio.

Best forA TV and network music system in a space that can take deeper cabinets

In a fairly shallow cabinet, the original Fives packs HDMI control for the TV, a turntable input and computer USB. It still makes sense if you prefer wired sources to a built-in network streamer.

Best forConnecting a TV, records and a laptop with no receiver needed

The larger original Klipsch pair retains TV ARC, computer USB and a turntable input. A wider layout is easier thanks to the supplied speaker cable and extension, as long as the route is safe.

Best forA bigger wired setup for TV and records, where tall cabinets have room

Network music and a dedicated HDMI source input are what the Fives II adds. That input can save a console connection on a TV where the ARC socket is already one of the valuable gaming ports.

Best forShared use of a TV, a console and a turntable, with network music included

This networked Klipsch pair has optional wireless linking, two saved-input buttons and room-calibration hardware in the box. The upgrade that tends to matter is easier placement and easier handover from one person to the next.

Best forA shared TV room where saved source settings and flexible speaker placement help

With the large eight-inch Klipsch pair, the newer streaming and TV platform comes in substantial cabinets. Before you assume the biggest model is the easy upgrade, check furniture depth and how safely you can handle it.

Best forA fixed TV and music installation that has space for large cabinets

Powered Klipsch speakers that take a turntable, a computer and an optical source, no separate amplifier needed. TV volume control is not as tightly integrated as with an HDMI ARC system, though.

Best forRecords and computer audio, if you don't mind a separate remote for the speakers

Same connection types as the R-50PM, in a smaller powered Reference pair that takes up less width beside a monitor. Depth drops by much less than width does.

Best forTight desks or record shelves where USB and a phono stage are still required

This optical and Bluetooth pair has a body less deep than the HD6. A narrow console can work for it if the turntable already has a preamp and you accept managing speaker volume separately.

Best forShallower furniture holding analog music and optical TV audio

Optical and analog inputs carry over to the bigger Audioengine HD pair, which has no network setup. If it is replacing an HD5 on furniture you already own, check its deeper cabinet first.

Best forA fixed analog and optical system where deeper cabinets fit

These analog speakers add Bluetooth for a phone and keep two analog inputs open at all times. Shared access is convenient, but it also means computer alerts can play over another person’s music.

Best forA wired analog source, with phone music now and then

This wired A5+ is for an analog source you already have. People shopping for a laptop setup can easily overlook that its USB socket powers accessories and carries no computer audio.

Best forAn analog source that stays plugged in with no call for Bluetooth

Besides HDMI, this small pair plugs straight into a computer or a moving-magnet turntable. It suits a room with mixed uses where an extra amplifier would crowd the furniture.

Best forA compact setup serving a TV, a laptop and records

Adjustments through an app come with the bigger ConneX, which supports a TV, a computer and a turntable. You can choose which side holds the powered speaker, handy when the available socket decides the layout.

Best forA bigger ConneX system where sources may need to sit on the left or the right

Large speakers with USB and balanced XLR inputs and a wireless link between the cabinets. You can place the speakers apart without a signal cable, though each one still needs a wall outlet.

Best forListening from a computer or a balanced source, with power at both positions

These Edifier speakers stream music over the home network and have two pairs of analog inputs. A household that puts music first will find them a fit, as long as the plan doesn't include TV HDMI control or direct USB audio.

Best forNetwork music for a household, with two selectable analog sources

An ordinary optical, analog and Bluetooth pair that shows which input is active and comes with a remote. No network setup is part of daily use, but USB laptops and HDMI TVs have to connect some other way.

Best forEasy input selection for two analog sources plus optical audio

Six physical presets on these network speakers are there for repeat listening. Plan the setup around supported sources first, since AirPlay, Chromecast and Bluetooth can't be saved to those presets.

Best forA household that wants music or source choices it can recall with physical buttons

The smaller Borea Connect has separate phono and line inputs along with TV HDMI and computer USB. Its remote works by radio, so it doesn't need a clear line of sight to the speaker.

Best forA TV, laptop and record collection that have to share limited furniture width

Source separation, a useful trait of the smaller model, carries over to the larger Borea Connect. Pick it because your furniture is deep enough. Do not expect extra inputs from the bigger cabinet.

Best forA turntable and several wired sources, where a larger Borea pair fits

The original powered BR03 BT works with records, optical audio and Bluetooth. A radio remote is already included, so what the Connect adds is mostly about sources and TV control.

Best forRecords and optical audio, in cases where HDMI and USB aren't needed