What’s better than annoying original music with good old vinyl? What about enjoying your vinyl from cool-looking, vintage speakers?
Think about it, the best vintage speakers for vinyl will provide the most authentic sound you could ever hope for. Of course, these speakers aren’t built with massive subwoofers nor tuned passive radiators, or powered bass drivers.
They are built with low-powered amplifiers, but the intricate horn and other acoustic designs ensure maximum sound output and quality. This is why they make excellent gifts for audiophile dads!
Sadly, most of these speakers aren’t available for purchase today. However, there are still some vintage speakers on the market and we have rounded up the 7 best below. Let’s get to it!
1. Best Overall: Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speaker
First on this list of the best vintage speakers for vinyl is the Edifier R1280T is one of the best vintage powered bookshelf speakers, combining a retro look with a modern and reliable audio performance.
This versatile and affordable 2.0 speaker system comes with a 4-inch bass driver and it delivers a robust and rich bass.
More importantly, it allows you to play your classic vinyl while giving you a taste of modern audio technology.
To give you a personalized audio experience, the R1280T powered bookshelf gives you three control dials to allow you to adjust the volume, treble, and bass.
The in-built bass unit pumps out a tantalizing sound, giving you 21 watts of RMS power through each channel. This dual-channel bookshelf speaker also comes with two RCA inputs and it measures 14.6 x 23.4 x19.6 cm (WxHxD).
If you are interested in a bookshelf speaker for your vinyl record player, please check out our list of the best vintage bookshelf speakers.
2. Best Design: Edifier R1700BT Speakers For Vinyl Record Players
Built with a handpicked walnut Vinyl enclosure, the R1700BT is one of the best vintage bookshelf speakers from Edifier.
It’s constructed with a classic wood finish to complement the décor and it directs the sound directly to you.
The inbuilt 4-inch bass driver gives you clear highs and amazing lows, giving you an enhanced bass. Additionally, you can pair it with your Smartphone through Bluetooth.
When it comes to the listening experience, the Edifier R1700BT Speaker has three dials on the right side to allow you to control the bass, volume, and tremble.
To allow you to control the system with more ease, the R1700BT comes with a wireless remote control panel. It gives out a great sound while playing vinyl, reaching up to 15 watts of RMS power through each of its two channels.
3. Most Powerful: Klipsch R-14M Bookshelf Speakers
Klipsch manufactures excellent speakers, so it’s no wonder they have appeared on our list of the best speakers for vinyl record players.
If you want versatility and power in vintage-looking speakers, the Klipsch R-14M is your go-to unit. This bookshelf speaker packs a punch in a small unit, allowing you to enjoy playing your vinyl with a great sound.
It has a nice power handling capacity, allowing you to enjoy 50 watts of RMS and up to 200 watts of peak power.
This small and powerful bookshelf speaker unit measures 14.9 x 19.1 x 14.9 cm (WxDxH). It comes with a single 1-inch tweeter and an inbuilt 4-inch IMF woofer that gives you a wonderful sound.
The R-14M has a black polymer veneer cabinet, making it one of the best vintage bookshelf speakers on the market. It also features rear-firing ports, providing efficient and fast sound flow from the cabinet to give you clear and powerful bass.
4. Best Design: Klipsch RB 51 II Speakers For Vinyl Record Players
As one of the most affordable bookshelf speakers from Klipsch, the RB-51 II speaker set comes in a small vintage design.
This small and compact unit is perfect for playing vinyl, allowing you to enjoy a superior sound quality.
It features the legendary Tractrix technology that delivers a perfect combination of clarity, precision, and effortless power.
More importantly, it comes with an attractive wood grain vinyl cabinet with a beautiful black ash finish to complete its vintage look.
The RB-51 II comes with a 5.25-inch woofer and 1-inch horn-loaded tweeter, giving you a powerful sound of up to 200watts peak power and 75watts RMS.
The speaker plays beautifully in loud volumes and it has very little sound distortion compared with the competition. Its dimensions are about 11.4 x6.5 x10.75 inches (H x W x D) and it comes with a keyhole bracket to allow you to mount it on your wall.
5. Best Classic: Marshall Stanmore Bluetooth Speaker
The Marshall Stanmore is one of the finest vintage-looking speakers with a classic design that sends you back to the golden rock’n’roll days.
It’s indeed one of the best budget speakers for vinyl record players.
It’s also one of the best vintage speakers for vinyl record players.
Its analog control panel gives you the power to easily customize the sound of your music, allowing you to fine-tune the treble, bass, and volume.
Even better, this Bluetooth speaker features aptX technology for faster pairing with Smartphone and you can pair your vinyl player using RCA input.
Aside from being built in the classic Marshall design, the Stanmore Bluetooth speaker delivers punchy bass and clear midranges.
It comes with two 15-watt amplifiers for the tweeters and a powerful 50-watt amplifier for the woofer.
The 3.5mm input allows you to connect your phone or stream music from other external devices. Moreover, it only weighs 5.1 kg and its average dimensions are about 35 x 18.5 x 18.5 cm (DxWxH).
6. Best Floorstanding: Klipsch R 24F Speakers For Vinyl Record Players
Listed as one of the best vintage floor speakers, the Klipsch R-24F is also one of the best vintage speakers for vinyl record players.
It is a classic floor-standing speaker system that has a durable veneer finish.
This tower speaker system measures 16.5 cm x 9.5 cm x 25.5 cm (WxHxD), giving it a large acoustic chamber to create a room-filling sound.
Its power handling capability reaches 300 watts peak and 75 watts RMS. More importantly, it features a horn-loaded tweeter and dual woofer drivers made of copper.
As one of the finest 5.1 speaker systems, the Klipsch R-24F features an incredible sound system in a durable MDF cabinet. The cabinet gives it a beautifully classic touch and allows the users to enjoy a great look while using this floor-standing speaker.
It also features two 5-way binding terminals that allow bi-amping and bi-wiring. This means that you can easily use the speaker for playing vinyl through the RCA input.
7. Best Classic: Pyle PUNP34BT Retro Classic Style
Last but by no means least on this list of the best vintage speakers for vinyl is the Pyle PUNP34BT is an elegant bookshelf vintage speaker that resembles a classic radio with inbuilt high-tech features.
This speaker really screams vintage. You will be wrong to pass it off as simply ‘old looking’ because it’s one of the best vintage speakers for vinyl record players.
This vintage sound system allows you to wirelessly stream your music through Bluetooth and you can connect to any device within a 30 feet range.
It comes with dual inbuilt stereo speakers and RCA connector jacks, to allow you to enjoy a full range sound experience while playing vinyl.
With a retro classic style, the PUNP34BT features a simple button control center and simple rotary knobs. This means you can quickly adjust the volume and personalize your audio experience.
It also comes with a USB port, AM/FM radio, and an SD card slot that can read all audio digital files, including MP3 and WMA. This sturdy and durable speaker unit weighs 3.2kg and measures 18 x 30 x 18 cm (LxHxW).
Budget Speakers For Vinyl
If you are seeking a purely budget option, check out our article on the best speakers for vinyl under $500.
Why Vintage Speakers For Vinyl Record Players?
Vinyl record players are vintage devices and as you may know, devices designed around the same time are likely more compatible. Some people prefer vinyl over CDs because of the warmth of the audio and the fact that it is not digitized. This is why some people even prefer cassettes over CDs as well.
This is why it is a better option to use vintage speakers with vinyl record players. Moreover, there are many advantages of using vintage speakers compared to modern speakers.
Bottom Line:
There you have it, the best vintage speakers for vinyl record players in 2020. These speakers are not only excellent for playing vinyl but will bring with them a sense of nostalgia.
They will surely bring you back to the days when you used to enjoy the crisp, clear sounds of your vinyl records. We hope you enjoy it!