Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers -2.0 Near Field Studio Monitor

Why it's worth it

The R1280T has a 42-watt-per-channel amplifier inside, two RCA inputs, a remote, and bass and treble knobs on the side. It's a simple, honest way to get real stereo separation instead of sound from a single Bluetooth box.

Nearly 20,000 people have rated these, and the enthusiasm is remarkably consistent. TechHive notes the built-in 42-watt-per-channel Class AB amplifier, which makes the R1280T a complete desktop stereo system on its own. Plug in your computer, plug in a turntable through a preamp, and you have music. No receiver, no speaker wire runs, no research required.

For a desk, the small drivers are an advantage. A 4-inch full-range unit and a 13mm silk dome tweeter, sitting two feet from your face, put a clean and surprisingly wide image between the two boxes. Big woofers on a desk mostly excite the desk. These don't. If you've been listening to a laptop or a single smart speaker, the jump is dramatic.

From our review of 8 bookshelf speakers

What we like

• +Nearly 20,000 people have rated these, and the enthusiasm is remarkably consistent
• +For a desk, the small drivers are an advantage
• +The controls are on the side of the powered speaker rather than buried in an app
• +Two RCA inputs mean two sources connected at once with no switching

What to know

• –There's no Bluetooth on this model
• –Bass is limited in the way a 4-inch driver always is
• –The amplifier and speaker are one unit, so a failure takes out both