This page ranks 2 large powered desktop speakers. These are stereo inside a single enclosure with woofers 6.5” or larger. They need significant desk space, have no battery, and no waterproofing. Larger woofers provide deeper bass but result in a bigger, heavier speaker. All include a built-in amp so you can play directly from your phone or laptop.
I generally recommend avoiding this class, they won’t have good imaging due to not having widely separated left and right channels like the Bookshelf class, and they generally aren’t tuned as neutral. These are more for someone who wants a speaker that is form over function and takes up as little space as possible. Also consider portable Bluetooth speakers with a battery and waterproofing.
For the best picks from this page see Best Powered Home Bookshelf Speakers
Also check out Small, Medium, and Large bookshelf speakers, or Medium Desktop speakers. For karaoke, check out Karaoke Setups.
Last updated: February 16, 2026
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#1 B&W Zeppelin [Amazon] [Used Listings]: $800
- Positives: Amazingly neutral, quite a wide soundstage due to the width. Bass extension deeper than all others in category.
- Negatives: Nothing besides the lack of battery, lack of waterproofing, high cost and the Earfun Uboom X that’s so close to it in terms of sound quality for 7x less money. Basically an indoor only speaker. Although at this price point I’d generally recommend some Top Recommended Bookshelf Speakers instead which will have even better soundstage.
- App: No
- Aux Input: No
- Bass Extension (-10dB): ~32hz
- Battery Life: No Battery
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Bluetooth Codecs: aptX Adaptive, AAC, SBC
- DSP: No
- EQ: No
- IP Rating: None
- Party Mode: No
- Power Bank: No
- Power Input: AC Power cord
- TWS: No
- Weight: 14.3lbs / 6.5kg
- Wifi: Yes
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Links
#2 JBL Authentics 500 [Amazon]: $600
- Positives: Quite powerful sound, and quite deep bass for the size.
- Negatives: No battery. Boosted upper bass. Peaky upper mids.
- App: Yes
- Aux Input: Yes
- Battery Life: No Battery
- Bluetooth Codecs: SBC
- Bluetooth Version: 5.3
- Dimensions: 17.60” x 9.45” x 10.07” (447 x 240 x 255.7mm)
- Dolby Atmos: Yes (virtual)
- EQ: Yes
- Ethernet: Yes
- Frequency Response: 40Hz - 20kHz (-6dB)
- IP Rating: None
- Midrange: 3x 2.75”
- Party Mode: Yes
- Power: 270W (Max @ THD 1%)
- Power Supply: 100 - 240V AC, ~ 50/60Hz
- Sound System: 3.1 channel
- Stereo: Yes
- Streaming Services: AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Alexa MRM
- Tweeter: 3x 1” (25mm aluminum dome)
- USB: Type-C (USB playback US only)
- Voice Assistants: Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant (simultaneous)
- Weight: 17.2lbs / 7.8kg
- Wifi: Yes (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4GHz/5GHz)
- Woofer: 6.5” (down-firing subwoofer)
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Links
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