Looking for a powered Pa speaker for vocal

[myzone1958]

      Ok Guys and girls I'm looking for a 10 inch powered pa Speaker for vocal . Would be connecting a mixer to it .  Would like your input as to what would be a good one for around $300 or less. Would be using this in a 14x14 room. Any suggestions ?    I was going to go with passive speaker but I like the compact designs of the Powered ones and I think it would come in at a better price then Passive possibly. Thank You !

[Normanfernandez]

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PK115A--behringer-pk115a-800w-15-inch-powered-speaker-with-bluetooth

Within the budget and better specs. 
Could be a overkill.

[mikf]

Do you mean 14x14 meters For a 14ft x14ft room the 800 watt 15 inch Behringer is way way over the top. You could fill a ballroom with 150 people with that. Frankly a pair of small 6 inch power monitors costing less than 150 euros would be more than adequate. And a pair is always better. There are dozens of excellent choices, high quality from JBL, Maudio, Yamaha,...... the list is endless. Only you can decide which you like best
Mike

[MarkF_48]

Good.........
Stretch the budget just a bit for a used JBL EON610 at Sweetwater
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EON610--jbl-eon610-1000w-10-inch-powered-speaker?cond=EON610U1

Better........
Or stretch the budget a bit more and wait for a demo QSC CP8 at Sweetwater (I think I saw one recently for $339 as a demo)
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CP8--qsc-cp8-1000w-8-inch-powered-speaker

Good reviews.....
Another stretch of the budget. Haven't used this one, but is spoken well of on an acoustic guitar forum I'm on
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DBR10--yamaha-dbr10-700w-10-inch-powered-speaker

8" speaker is plenty adequate for a room that size and could even handle a small outdoor gig. I use a CP8 for vocals, guitar, plus a drum machine. Mount it on a speaker stand.

[myzone1958]

I was  looking at the QSC I notice this company makes their speakers in the USA. You mentioned that the  8 inch speaker would be enough for my room well that is good to know . QSC Makes an 8 and a 12 and I noticed there is a $79.99 marked down right now priced at $424.00 but its a 12 not an 8.

    12 inch on sale ----> https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CP12--qsc-cp12-1000w-12-inch-powered-speaker
      8 inch            ----->https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CP8--qsc-cp8-1000w-8-inch-powered-speaker

        The 12 is just a little bit more money right now so should I get the 8 or the 12 or hold off for an open box in an 8 ?

     

[mikf]

1000 watts for a 14x14 room - are you trying to blow the walls down?

[myzone1958]

What would you recommend ?

[myzone1958]

  The question is do these powered speakers really putting out that kind of watts.  Perhaps they do perhaps they don't . Take a look at this piece of junk unbelievable   ----------->  https://youtu.be/XqIUkr7JuDM

[myzone1958]

Here is something perhaps will fit the bill in a  14x14 room what do you guys think of this .

--------> https://youtu.be/X0ahDJQunEI

[Normanfernandez]

Here is something perhaps will fit the bill in a  14x14 room what do you guys think of this .

--------> https://youtu.be/X0ahDJQunEI

So 14 Ft I'm guessing.

I think 250 to 300 W should be good enough.

[MarkF_48]

Here is something perhaps will fit the bill in a  14x14 room what do you guys think of this .

--------> https://youtu.be/X0ahDJQunEI

I have a Behringer clone of that Mackie. I don't think it would get to the volume level you would want without getting close to distortion. It's not bad for quiet vocals and an acoustic guitar through it in a small room, but would have a hard time competing with louder types of music. A few gigging musicians will use these small amps as stage monitors placed in front of them.
Your first post mentioned the speaker is intended for vocals. Is the music going to be played through a different system? I think I know what your doing and you'll likely want some volume.

The watts thing is deceiving and maybe sort of a marketing trick. My CP8 although rated at 1000w, can be powered with a battery inverter pack rated at 200w for about 2-3 hours (good for where AC power is not easy). A steady 1000w would run down the inverter in short time if it could even supply the 1000w to begin with. Class D amplifiers draw next to nothing when no signal is pushed through them, but a capable of very high peak power transients.

The QSC CP8 I have was used from B&H Photo for $319 back in 2019. Prior to the CP8 I was using a JBL EON610 I got used from Alto Music for $204. If you should consider a used speaker, buy from a reputable seller with a good return policy and used warranty.

[mikf]

I agree that power numbers can be misleading, you have to hear them. But I have a pair of Maudio BX4, 120W, 4 inch studio monitors and have used them with a mixer for both keyboard and vocals at a party for about 60 noisy people in a high veiled room of over 50x30 and had tons of volume, and a good sound. 14x14 is a tiny room, I don't know why people are advocating such huge speaker systems.

[myzone1958]

 Mark I am using a pair of Klipsch computer speakers in front of me with sub on floor under my desk top for the karaoke music .  So the powered speaker would be place above me but facing me.  So you think the SRM150 Will distort  or bottom out when I turn up the volume to balance out with the music ?   Here is the system I will be using but I don't want to send vocal into it just the Karaoke Music  . The powered speaker what ever I go with will be used strictly for a vocal of 2 people

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[MarkF_48]

I had envisioned a much larger speaker system for the music which would have been capable of significant volume. Where this is just a small desktop set of speakers (ProMedia 2.1 I think?), then perhaps an SRM150 or similar directed at you and not intended to fill a space/room might be adequate. I just setup my Behringer B205D in the way you would be using the Mackie and with it facing me at about 3-4 feet I think it could give enough volume to compete with small desktop speakers. Had you tried vocals through the Klipsch speakers?

[myzone1958]

Mark I have no yet tried singing into the Klips. i bought this unit on the market place Facebook  used for $20.00
The wires are missing that connect to the Satllight speaker and subwoofer. I contacted the Lady to see if she forgot to put them in the bag but she said she does not seen any wires laying around the house. She said her husband left her and she knew nothing much about it. I orders the wires on Amazon for 13 bucks and will be receiving Saturday hopefully. I'm hoping once it's hooked up everything will work. I took a chance for 20 bucks.   Ha !!  Be my luck the thing Will catch fire . Ha !!  I will trying hooking my mixer into it and see how it sounds but I was trying to figure out a way to separate the two for better separation.  I was thinking of buying SRM 150 but was watching a review on YouTube and there was problems ,breakdowns on them. It's hard to find something with quality anymore.  The QSC powered speakers get very good reviews and I think they have around a 5 year warranty on them which is fantastic. They must have a lot of confidence in their product.  Made in the US also most other brands are manufactured in China !  What's not made in China anymore so sad.

[OmbDave]

Hi Myzone
It's a pity that you're in USA as I have a pair of QSC k10's for sale in the UK. They are incredibly brilliant speakers which can fill a ballroom but also sound just as good at low volume and included with them are two steel speaker poles and a wharfedale 8 channel stereo mixer. I cannot rate these speakers high enough so please go with the 8" ones you'll not be disappointed.
Cheers
Dave

[myzone1958]

  Hi Dave and thanks for your input. Right now QSC is offering their 12 inch one for only $45.00 more its like $75.00 off right now  So I really have to think about the 8 inch cause that one is $399.00 So  they sound good at low volume , Interesting.  How are those 8's on the low end the bass?  I know some of those pa speakers you have to push up the volume to get any bass out of them and in the house I would not be able to push them hard so I would think the bass would not be there . Would think the 8's would need a sub connected to it.

[MarkF_48]

I would suggest going to a music store and taking a listen to some speakers. A 12" is a physically large speaker and for a room the size you mentioned is overkill. For the singing range of most human voices you don't need a lot of bass.

Looking at Sweetwater's site I came across this 8" JBL speaker which gets good reviews on Amazon. JBL makes good stuff and may be worth looking into. It has Bluetooth also so you could play music from a phone or tablet.
https://www.amazon.com/JBL-Professional-Portable-Bluetooth-IRX108BT/dp/B081TLWZR3

And a vid of the JBL IRX108BT which gives an idea of size and sound....... (this has the music program through the speaker as well as the vocals)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcg76ktVKVo

Read up a bit more on the JBL and one thing to note is it doesn't have a typical rocker ON/OF switch. To turn on a button is pushed for a couple seconds. If the speaker is on a power strip and the backside isn't easy to get due to location it may present a small problem turning the speaker on. Not a big issue, but something to consider.

[myzone1958]

  Thank You Mark for the information . I agree with you the 12 is over kill for my room size . Most likely I will go with the 8 inch QSC. They are running a sale on the 12 inch and even though its just a little more money then the 8 . You have QSC  8  don't you Mark ?  I see they make a  k series 8 and a CP series 8 what's the difference besides price ?

[MarkF_48]

K-series has more features and presumably better sound.

[travlin-easy]

For a 14 X 14 room with an normal ceiling height and sheet rock walls, anything over 20 watts is overkill. I have performed at dozens of living room parties in rooms 20 X 35 feet, using nothing more than the onboard speakers/sound system of my arranger keyboard and still had lots of headroom. The sound quality was always exceptional, no distortion.

Good luck, Greg,

Gary

[mikf]

Completely agree Gary, these massive speakers and power ratings for such a very small room only make sense if you want to speed up your loss of hearing. LOL. I think the Beatles had 175 watt amps at Shea Stadium.
Mike

[myzone1958]

              Wow I was about ready to order the QSC CP 8 inch powered speaker. Glad I read this thread again. I do know I will most likely order the Edifier S350 db for my computer audio. That will play my karaoke . Now all I have to figure out is what I will use for my vocal . I want to run 2 sperate units . One for the music and one for the vocal . I don't want to run music and vocal out of one system.  I was hanging on the fence with the Logitech cause it is way less money then the Edifier but I have a feeling the Logitech components in side could be a cheap build. The Edifier seems to look more beefy not as cheap looking.  What is out there that would take care of my vocal in a house room I only need one speaker powered Speaker ?

[myzone1958]

 
  What are your opinions about this unit --------->https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/B105D--behringer-b105d-50w-powered-monitor-speaker

[MarkF_48]

Completely agree Gary, these massive speakers and power ratings for such a very small room only make sense if you want to speed up your loss of hearing. LOL. I think the Beatles had 175 watt amps at Shea Stadium.
Mike

Each Beatle had special built VOX AC100 amp with (4) EL34 output valves/tubes that pushed 100w. Not sure if McCartney used an AC100 for bass or not, but definitely would use a different cab for bass. Vocals were presumably sent through the house PA system. It is said that the screaming of the fans drowned out most of the music.

The QSC CP8 is about the size of a typical speaker used on a stereo system and by most musicians that use one thought of as 'compact', not 'massive' by any means. Generally a good all around speaker for vocals and acoustic guitar that works well in small coffee house gigs as well as outdoors. The Mackie SRM150 Greg mentioned has a much smaller footprint, has a 5.25" speaker and rated 150W. If this is positioned so it's directed at the singer(s) it may be adequate (be careful of feedback). My Behringer B205D is essentially a clone of the Mackie. Good speaker as a personal monitor, but I would not use it for the singing with guitar that I do. Much will depend on how loud the music will be that is played in respect to how loud the vocals need to be to compete for volume.
I still recommend going to a decent music store and trying a few speakers out if possible.

Greg, didn't you already try an Edifier speaker system or was it something else?

[MarkF_48]

  What are your opinions about this unit --------->https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/B105D--behringer-b105d-50w-powered-monitor-speaker

You could try one, but I would suggest buying from a retailer with a good return policy like Amazon (not sure if Sweetwater would have a restocking charge or not). It might be OK or it may not. It's difficult to know what your expectations are for how loud you expect to play the music and sing. The video I linked was typical of what I've come across for other home setups like you want to do, but if you're going to sit directly in front of a computer monitor with speakers to each side, then perhaps the B105D or a B205D like I have might work.

[DonM]

I've had the same Logitech system in my office/studio for eleven years, and it still works like new.
They have excellent customer service if you ever need it.  You may not want to buy Logitech but the quality is not a good reason.  It is excellent.

[myzone1958]

           Mark yes I had the Edifier S350DB and it was remarkable. The bass was clean and tight with no distortion even at high volume. I can not say enough about it . The sub was Heavy and it felt like quality. Knobs were not loose even when I turned them you could feel the quality. Don that's remarkable you had the Logitech for all those year with out any problems. I know the Logitech really get good reviews. Mark the reason why I returned the Edifier was because I was trying to sing through it along with my karaoke and it could not handle the both, its just not made for that. Playing music through them no problem it was great. When the sub hit bottom it was clean.  I  never herd the logetec in person so I cant give my opinion on them one way or another but I herd they got good reviews and to be honest I don't know how they can make a speaker system like that to only be a little over 100 bucks and put good sound. I would have  to order those and try them . Amazon offers free shipping and free returns. Only then can I give my opinion on them. A lot of musicians in here Marvel over them.  Getting back to the  B105D  that is something I may consider . Mark that is possible it may be enough to carry my vocal but if I have 2 people singing into it then what would it sound like could it handle 2 microphones through an external mixer ?   If I were to get that I would not be running any instruments into it just vocals.  I have not doubt running guitar and vocal into that little speaker would not sound good to me just a guess. How does it carry the vocal there is no tweeter or horn in it ?   

[myzone1958]

  Here we go I found  a very good demo        Logitech VS  Edifier S351DB


    Demo Test ----------> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Qdh7ZjplU 

                                         Logitech or Edifier  ??  You be the judge

[MarkF_48]

If you intend to play the music at fairly high volumes I 'think' a small speaker may disappoint you, although I could be wrong. It depends on what your expectations are and what sort of sound you're trying to achieve. A small speaker won't have the fullness of sound like you're in a karaoke club environment if that's what you're going for (the video in the previous post is what I'm speaking of), but will likely give a decent representation of the vocals as a small monitor speaker is intended to do. If you can get either a B105D or the slightly bigger B205D, give it a try and see if it works for you.
Have you and your wife tried headphones? If either myself or my wife are doing karaoke for singing practice alone or as a duet we use headphones. I use a headphone amp that has two outputs and each set of headphones can be adjusted in volume for the persons preference.

What couldn't the Edifier speakers do when you tried vocals through them? Did the vocals sound 'weak'? Could it be just a matter of EQ and possibly adding a bit of compression to the vocal would make it fit into the mix better?