Best PA speakers

So, who needs a PA? Well, if you are a singer and want to get heard over a drum kit and any amplified instruments in your band it ain't going to happen unless you are singing into a microphone and that microphone is plugged into a PA. 

In case you were wondering, PA stands for 'public address' and unless you are a totally acoustic folky type playing to beardy real ale drinkers in the corner of a pub you are not going to address your public without one.

Now, we are all aware of the PAs with huge arrays of speakers at festivals and concert halls and also the installed systems seen in many smaller music venues, but those aren't our concern here – if you’re playing those sort of gigs, taking your own PA with you will not be a requirement. What we are looking at in this best PA speakers guide are compact mobile PA systems that would suit anyone playing in small venues; and that includes full bands with drums, solo artists, duos, trios or other ensembles that feature vocals, instruments like electro-acoustic guitars and keyboards that don't have their own amp and perhaps backing tracks...  and let's not forget playing outdoors – buskers need to be heard, too.  

Our focus is small self-contained systems rather than a PA you would put together by buying a separate mixer, amp, and speakers – the sort of gear that can be easily transported in a car and, for those who really need to get their music into the streets, that can be carried by hand or in a backpack.

Best PA speakers 2020: The MusicRadar Choice

Singer-songwriters playing indoor gigs won't go far wrong with the Bose L1 Compact system. The fact that it's easily transportable, rapidly set up and enables a decent degree of monitoring, as well as dispersed sound for the audience, makes it a real winner.

For anyone busking in the street with a guitar, the small size yet big sound of the  Roland Cube Street EX is hard to beat. OK, it may cost money in batteries, but if you carry fresh ones in your bag you won't run out of juice.

What to know before buying one of the best PA speaker systems

Think about just what it is that needs to be heard – unlike the big concert PAs you won't be amplifying every single instrument and voice that's on the stage, but you will need enough inputs for the vocals and any instruments without an amp that need to be plugged straight in or via a DI box. 

Check out the total number of XLR mic inputs and any instrument and line inputs and see if it's going to be adequate for your needs. Bluetooth connectivity may also be a useful asset if you plan to stream music before, after or during your set.

How powerful does your PA need to be – how many people do you need to reach? Think about the size of  venues you'll be playing (and your rehearsal space) and consider the rated power output – 50 watts may be adequate for busking in the street but it won't raise your vocals over the level of a drum kit.

Portability may be a major consideration for you, too; maybe not so much if you have a van or a decent-sized car, but if you are a town centre busker you'll need something compact and light enough to be carried. If you have mains power where you are playing there shouldn't be any issues, but if you plan on going busking or maybe just want to have some fun playing music outdoors it's worth checking out how long the batteries will last in those portable units that support battery power. 

Take a look at the other facilities too. Is there a useful amount of control over EQ. What about onboard effects like reverb? Take all these into consideration and you should be able to zero in on which one of the best PA speaker systems we’re recommending in this guide.

The best PA speakers you can buy today

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Portable and battery-powered, Roland's Cube Street EX PA speaker system features four independent channels for connecting a variety of mics and instruments, including iPhone or iPad to play backing music, but seems particularly aimed at busking guitar players with its modeled COSM amp sounds - Clean, Crunch, Lead and acoustic simulator options for electric guitar and a preamp for electro-acoustics.

There's also a tuner, 3-band EQ, reverb and a choice of chorus or delay. A 50W setting offers maximum output but there are also quieter 25W and 10W output power modes, saving on battery power. There's also iPhone/iPad recording via i-CUBE LINK and the free CUBE JAM app.

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The smallest and most easily portable of the company's L1 range, the Bose L1 Compact System combines a PA and monitors in one unit, with interlocking components that Bose says, can be easily set up in just one minute. 

The main component is a slimline array speaker that's about 2m high and features six small drivers mounted at precise angles. This is placed vertically and slotted into a power stand with an integrated bass speaker. The advantage of a line array is that it disperses sound spatially, not only to fill the whole room for the audience but also onstage for monitoring.

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With an easily-portable ghetto blaster size and rechargeable battery, the FreePlay Live PA speaker system gives you the chance to plug in and play music anywhere (or not plug in if you choose to stream music to it via Bluetooth). Just sit it on a table or on a mic stand using its included adapter. 

Two channels deliver amplification for an instrument and a voice. A master EQ has push-button selected presets for 'Music' or 'Live', and there's also a switchable global reverb. It's basic, but Bluetooth pairing to the free FreePlay Connect Android or iOS app offers extended control over levels and reverb plus 3-band EQ for each channel.

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This compact PA from Yamaha features the traditional PA format of a separate powered mixer and two passive speakers but with a twist – the detachable mixer slots into the back of one speaker for transport. 

Capable of 400 watts, it has 8 channels making it suitable for handling several vocals, with channels to spare for some instruments, perhaps even a drum mic or two – maybe to give the kick drum some punch. 

It's also equipped with a Bluetooth input for wireless audio streaming from smartphones or tablets. Monitor and subwoofer outputs allow expandability. There's also the more powerful 600BT to consider if you want a little more punch.

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JBL has covered many options with this compact all-in-one box which is ergonomically designed to be easy to carry and can be set up monitor-style or vertically. The battery offers 12 hours of operation and is rechargeable via an IEC mains socket while the unit is being used. 

Four channels allow a variety of uses although it seems ideally suited to solo vocal and guitar performers who may wish to take advantage of the onboard FX – all controlled from an iOS or Android app. There's a Bluetooth connection and a pair of USB sockets to charge attached mobile devices.

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Busking in the town centre and don't relish carrying your PA speaker system? How about rolling it? Behringer's MPA 40BT Pro has a retractable handle and wheels just like a piece of rolling luggage. 

It's a very compact 40-watt system with two mic/instrument inputs and an aux input for a music player if you don't want to stream music to it via the in-built Bluetooth. 

There are no effects, but you get an overall basic 2-band EQ. It's mobile busking made easy - guitar gig bag on your back, mic stand in one hand while you pull this with the other - making it one of the best truly mobile PA speaker systems.