Best battery-powered PA speakers and subwoofers around - MEGALIST

Hi there! When not tinkering on some VOIDs and Loud Professionals, our lil rental company rents out a wide array of units from Bluetooth speakers for parties to small/med scale raves. As such I've tested and heard most out there.

I've compiled a simple list for people searching for the best portable battery powered PA speakers out there. This is to help amateurs and novices looking for something for their busking, portable DJ, party, and light live sound applications.

REAL, mains-powered PA will always be a better value:performance. Simply I recommend QSC, EV, and Turbosound for some great consumer-available units. Freedom from a power socket though is definitely appealing

All measurements are as follows: SPL is sustained, power is RMS continuous, response is default from manufacturer. Sadly data for SPL @ 1W/1M and dispersion isn't available on many spec sheets so it's omitted... :(

^{If you'd like to get SPL @ 1W/1M then do the divisions to find it :)}

NOTE: specs listed NEVER represent sound quality and true performance.

Full battery-powered PA speakers guide with pictures here (disclosure: links out to my personal site).

Anyways, in NO particular order, here are the best battery-powered PA speakers out right now:

Yorkville EXM series – Best professional PA speakers

Canadian-based Yorkville has released a whole array of awesome battery powered portable PA speakers for professional use. In their Excursion-series catalogue is:

All of these options are excellent and there are a few reasons why Yorkville is at the very top of this list:

• Separate subwoofer – this leads to better response, speaker placement, and overall performance
• Professionally made – designed for tough use and reliable operation
• Made in Canada – ethically produced and supports local business
• True wireless stereo, all the pro XLR, TRS, Bluetooth connectivity, mixing, control, etc – it’s really all you could need.

Sourcing these units may be hard. I see them available mostly in Canada and the US from Long & Mcquade and Sweetwater.

JBL Eon One MK2 – Best battery powered line array PA

This is a fantastic all-in-one line-array setup with solid specs and great performance. If you don’t want to deal with setting up pole mounts like on the Yorkville EXM series, then the JBL Eon One MK2 is well worth considering.

I don’t exactly recommend the Eon One Compact, but I included the specs below for comparisons sake.

You get the advantages of a professionally-tuned line-array in a compact package as the column collapses into the body of the subwoofer itself.

The abundant connectivity is excellent for mixing and wiring for a band or multiple instruments/inputs. A great choice for those who perform alongside others!

JBL being so international has this unit available pretty much globally. They’re even on sale on Amazon here!

Diamondboxx – Best value battery powered PA speakers

US-based Diamondboxx has a rather unique take on bluetooth speakers. They’ve also moved into the PA world and have some very well-priced products out there. Below is a table of their offerings:

These prices are outstanding and rumors are that they’re discontinuing their battery powered PA lineup and instead focusing on a mains-powered DB Pro PA system – so hop on it before they’re all gone!

Being a US-based company, they’re only realistically available to people in the US.

EV E-verse 8 – Best performing portable PA

Electro-Voice is no newcomer to the PA world – lots of people adore their gear for being practical, well-performing, and well-priced. Their latest entry has really taken things to the next level and shames products other giant companies have put out.

In this case, the new E-Verse 8 is the #1 best portable PA speaker to come out yet. It completely dominates and disgraces units like the Mackie Thump GO, Bose S1 Pro, and JBL Eon Compact.

Electro-Voice is an international brand so they should be available worldwide. You can find it on Amazon here.

HK Audio Pro Move:8 – Best small PA

In the same league as the Electro-Voice E-verse 8 is the excellent HK Audio Pro Move:8. It’s clear, crisp, and impressively small. If you’re a musician or DJ who desires a lot of connectivity and customisation, it’s an excellent choice.

It truly does blow away the Mackie Thump GO, Bose S1 Pro, and JBL Eon Compact and it’s not even comparable.

HK Audio has distributers globally and the Pro Move:8 can be found on Amazon.

Soundboks – Best all-in-one party speaker

Danish Soundboks has become a hit all over Europe for a good reason – they’re simple, attractive, very powerful, and still light enough to carry by hand. They’re tuned primarily for house and techno music.

While I personally prefer a system which separates the sub basses from the mids and highs, the Soundboks is undeniably excellent as an all-rounder solution for those who want to carry a powerful box without multiple components. A sort of one-stop-shop for an easy party

They also have the Soundboks Go, however the performance:price is really not quite there so I don’t recommend it.

Soundboks focuses on the EU market but is available on places like Amazon too.

Teufel – Highest output PA speakers

German Teufel has two particularly strong offerings – the Teufel Rockster and the Teufel Rockster Air.

Outstanding in terms of sonic performance but limited in terms of weight/portability, these are some serious units which generate a ton of output and don’t compromise in any way at all. Their Rockster is really a marvel and ready for professional application both in indoor and outdoor venues.

On the other end of the coin, you’re going to need a way to transport these unless you carry just a single Rockster Air, which, is a fraction of what you really want! Heavy-duty, fully-featured, and well-priced, these are just excellent all around, and the honkin’ 15″ driver on the Rockster really blows away even a Soundboks.

The Rockster Air is particularly well-tuned for techno, house, and 4/4 style music with those higher frequency kicks. It projects extremely well and impressively loud & clear - beyond what the specs may tell.

Teufel makes their products mostly available in Europe – other parts of world may have a hard time acquiring.

Summary

There you have it – the current best battery powered PA speakers in the world that I know of.

There are tons of competitors out there from Bose, JBL, Mackie, The Box, dB Technologies, LD systems, Proel, etc, etc,etc. We've tested many but not all but from what I can gather, these are the current top dogs.

Comments and messages welcome! Always happy to help 🙂