ELAC DCB41-OR - Debut ConneX 4.5" Powered Speakers - Orange, Pair

Why it's worth it

The Debut ConneX DCB41 has 160 watts of amplification built in, plus HDMI eARC, USB audio, Bluetooth aptX, optical, and a phono preamp. Plug in a turntable and a TV and you're done, with no rack of gear.

This is the pick if the idea of shopping for an amplifier makes you want to give up. ELAC put 160 watts of total power inside these, per Sound & Vision, along with a DAC and a phono stage. Your turntable connects directly. So does your TV, over HDMI eARC, which also means your TV remote controls the volume. Wirecutter specifically recommends powered speakers like these for buyers who don't want a separate receiver, and that logic holds up.

The input list is the real feature. USB audio for a laptop, optical for a game console, Bluetooth aptX for a phone, analog RCA for anything else, and a switchable phono input for a moving-magnet cartridge. Most powered speakers give you two of those. Having all of them means the DCB41 can be the only audio device in a small living room, and you can rearrange your setup later without buying an adapter.

From our review of 8 bookshelf speakers

What we like

• +This is the pick if the idea of shopping for an amplifier makes you want to give up
• +The input list is the real feature
• +The drivers are modest by design
• +A custom waveguide sits around the tweeter to control how the treble spreads out

What to know

• –Owner feedback on this listing is thin and mixed, which is worth knowing before you commit
• –You're buying the amplifier and the speaker together, permanently
• –The 4.5-inch woofer sets a hard ceiling on bass and on how loud these get before they strain