In this post, we’ll compare the 5 best powered PA speakers on the market today. We’ll include extremely portable and lightweight speakers for performers on the go, all the way to professional PA speakers that will be reliable and output great sound quality. Small PA speakers, such as 8 or 10 inch PA speakers, may struggle to produce bass frequencies to the same standard as some of their larger counterparts. Likewise, larger more powerful speakers will be less portable and require more resources to set up and pull down. We will look at power ratings and bass reproduction throughout this PA speaker review.
UPDATED – 2022
Best Professional PA Speaker Range
RCF ART Speaker Range
Boasting RCF’s unique FiRPHASE Technology the ART range is a great choice for acts looking to fill a small to a medium-size venue full of crystal clear sound! The ART range is a Red Dot award-winning group of speakers from one of the best brands in the business, RCF. You can’t go wrong with one of these top branded quality products which are all priced extremely well. Made from high-quality durable materials meticulously designed to shape your sound.
PROS
1. RCF Quality Build and Reliability at a Low Price
2. Lightweight weighing only 12.4 kg (27.5 lbs)
3. FiRPHASE Technology
4. Award Winning Design
5. Doubles as a monitor speaker
CONS
1. No Built In EQ Controls Or LED screen
2. Not as powerful as the 710s (not really a con)
Where to buy?
From our research, Ebay has the best prices for the ART range new and second hand. The ART range has 10 Inch Speakers, 12 Inch Speakers, 15 Inch Speakers, and matching Sub Woofers.
Check Best Price & See Customer Reviews
Best Budget Professional PA Speaker
True Sonic Speaker Range
This is the most affordable speaker on our list. If you’re on a budget, need quality sound, and want something very lightweight and very portable – you should seriously consider the True Sonic series. The True Sonic series is well built and able to withstand the inevitable knocks and bumps whilst traveling around gigging. Not as powerful as the other speakers on our list, but for the price they still deliver a punch. Class d amplifier you’ll be able to fill small venues with your sound.
PROS
1. Cheap
2. Small and Really Lightweight (Only 7.6kg – 16.7 lbs)
3. A known brand (Alto)
CONS
1. Low powered
2. No built-in eq controls
Where to buy?
From our research, Ebay seems to be the best-priced outlet for this speaker series. The speakers come in 10 Inch Speaker, 12 Inch Speaker / Subwoofer, 15 Inch Speaker / Subwoofer, 18 Inch Sub Woofer.
Check Best Price & See Customer Reviews
Best Value 12″ PA Speaker (RCF ART 712-A)
The RCF ART range won a best design award for portable quality speakers (Red Dot). However, quality usually comes with higher prices, which makes this the second most expensive speaker in our list – but still nearly half the price of the QSC! The ART 710A is perfect for vocals, guitar, small bands and medium size venues. I can personally vouch for these speakers having used them in live performances for over 5 years they have never let me down and always delivered clear, professional-grade audio at my shows. They’re also built like tanks. The ART range has a cheaper, less powerful model, which we have included in our list further down.
PROS
1. 700 Watts RMS
2. FiRPHASE Technology
3. Transparent Sound & Clarity
4. Super Portable & Doubles Up As A Stage Monitor
5. Award Winning Design
6. Great Bass Reproduction For It’s Size
7. Great Value For Money
8. Top Quality Build
CONS
1. No Built In EQ Controls Or LED screen
Where to buy?
From our research, Ebay have the best prices for the ART 712-A.
Check Best Price & See Customer Reviews
Best Budget 12″ PA Speaker (Alto TS310)
TS310 is a beautifully made speaker, strong enough to withstand the most demanding gigging schedules. When testing the TS310’s we were impressed with the sound quality, even when pushed close to the built in limiter the output remained clear and free from distortion. Alto is another quality brand on the market, making professional-grade PA speakers even more affordable. On the back, the TS310 has a simple 2 track mixer with contour and floor (earth) switches. Contour adds an EQ setting to lower the middle frequencies. The floor switch is a technique used by some manufacturers to mimic the desired effects of removing a speaker’s earth, without the obvious dangers of actually removing the earth! After testing both of these switches, their effects are minimal but could be useful for mixing a large band sound. I liked the TS310 so much I kept one and use it as my stage monitor!
PROS
1. Great value for money!
2. Lightweight weighing only 11.8 KG (26 lbs)
3. Good bass reproduction
4. Great monitor speaker
CONS
1. For its price range, it’s hard to fault this one.
Where to buy?
From our research, Ebay and PMT Music seems to be the best-priced outlet for the Alto TS312.
Check Best Price & See Customer Reviews
Best Sound Quality (QSC K12.2 12″ Active PA Speaker)
Crystal clear high-frequency response, great bass reproduction for their size and only weighing 14.5 kg (32 lbs). If you need quality sound, lightweight professional-grade speakers look no further than the k12.2s. The K series from QSC is known as an ‘industry standard’ speaker and they got that name for a good reason. QSC have recently updated the K series to the K.2 series and they’re better than ever! This is the most expensive speaker in our list boasting flagship features such as their built-in CROSS-OVER, EQ, DELAY, PRESET CONTOURS, and LED settings screen. The k12.2 is no doubt a professional, portable, and high-quality product, which has been touted by many people as “The Best Money Can Buy”.
PROS
1. Trusted Brand
2. LED screen with EQ controls and more.
3. Powerful Class D Amplifier
4. Crystal Clear Top End
5. Top Quality Build
CONS
1. Expensive
Where to buy?
From our research, Ebay seems to be the best-priced outlets for the QSC K12.2 series.
Check Best Price & See Customer Reviews
Summary
Buying the right PA speaker heavily depends upon your needs. Whether you’re an artist, public speaker, dancer or even a DJ, your needs could be quite different. This is why understanding which PA speaker is right for you is important. If you’re still unsure what PA speaker meets your needs – take a look at our PA speaker buyer’s guide. We explain all the technical language so you can clearly understand what you’re buying.