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What is the best p/a system under $500?

September 20, 2011 1:41 PM PDT  ·  Flag  ·  6 answers
James Hughes
  Yamaha STAGEPAS 300 Portable PA System
  
Yamaha STAGEPAS 300 Portable PA System
The STAGEPAS 300 was the first in the line of complete compact PA system offerings from Yamaha. It was designed to give quality minded musicians, performers, speakers and other presenters a solution for their smaller performances, without sacrific... read more...
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I would say it definitely depends on what you are using it for. This is a great PA system that I have and it's great for speaking into or playing recorded music through. Easy to set up and take down, and in that sense it is very portable. It's definitely light and portable.
My only thing is I don't think it's great for singing into, especially with other instruments. It's okay.... don't get me wrong. It creates good sounds and decent volume levels.
The problems are A) it doesn't supply phantom power, so you can't use a condenser, and B) there are only 2 bands on the EQ, high and low. So you can't adjust the mids at all which is very frustrating because I can't get the exact sounds I want out of my voice.
Pretty nice sound output however, and overall I am pleased with it.... just consider what I have told you!
✔ Highest voted answer
Reply · Send thanks · posted 245 days ago · 12 people agree


Cassandra Valentino
  Fender Passport 150 Pro 150-Watt Portable Sound System
  
This little guy is the ultimate in portability and convenience. Everything packs right into it like a suitcase. It's pretty awesome.
As far as sound it's pretty darn good but I will say it's not the biggest sound. I knew this would be the case with such a small unit however, so i am not disappointed. I bought it to play a gig with my boyfriend playing guitar and for that it is perfect. Nothing too loud or crazy.
Remember it only has two mic inputs and two 1/4 inch inputs, and also the 1/4 inch jacks tend to be too quiet for some reason.
I like it though! It's great for me and my needs!
Reply · Send thanks · posted 245 days ago · 10 people agree
Lance Reynolds
  Peavey Messenger 100 Watt Portable PA
  
Peavey Messenger 100 Watt Portable PA
The Peavey Messenger® is a complete, portable sound system designed with the compact size and carry-on convenience of a briefcase. At 24" wide, the Messenger is portable enough for business travelers, and since it is completely self contained and ... read more...
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This system is designed for small group settings and medium sized rooms. At that it excels. Far beyond that and you can't expect much.
But the sound quality you can get out of this is fantastic and you certainly can't beat it for the price. It has a 5 band eq which I am very pleased with because I like to have control!
It is incredibly portable. Everything you need except the speaker stands will fit in the unit. It all packs up into one unit that you can carry from gig to gig...even the mics and cables fit inside a compartment on the unit. Great design, nice flexible sound. Ideal for guitar and voice, I would say.
Reply · Send thanks · posted 245 days ago · 8 people agree
Frank McPartland
  Peavey Escort 2000 Portable Sound System with Stands PA System
  
Hey this will give you some nice performance, not a huge sound but plenty for a medium sized room.
Good for public speaking or playing music in a small group setting.
Peavey is a good reliable company, they make good sound equipment.
It all packs up into one unit which is amazing for transporting it.... so easy. Also comes with stands which you don't se very often.
This thing will do you right! It's a fantastic starter system with pro sound.
Reply · Send thanks · posted 244 days ago · 2 people agree
Lindsay Stidham
  Roland Cube Monitor / PA
  
Roland Cube Monitor / PA
Versatile and portable, the new CM-30 CUBE Monitor delivers 30 watts of audio punch through a rugged, high-quality 6.5" coaxial 2-way speaker with stereo preamp. The CM-30 is ideal for home-studio and wide-ranging monitoring applications, but it c... read more...
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Reply · Send thanks · posted 245 days ago · 2 people agree
Angela State
  Samson XP308i Portable 8 Channel PA System, 300 Watts
  
Samson XP308i Portable 8 Channel PA System, 300 Watts
Samson XP308i Portable PA System; Have the power to perform wherever you are. With powerful, full-range sound in an all-inclusive portable package, the XP308i is an ideal single system solution for a variety of live sound applications. A compact ... read more...
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Nice tones come out of this system!!
This is a great purchase because it allows you to grow. 8 channels will allow you to add more mics as you get more and more famous and add more people to your band! (do you need it for live music? i just assumed)
it's got a big sound and is ideal for medium sized shows. obviously it's not a massive system for playing at an outdoor venue or anything but it does produce a good amount of sound, and the 8" woofers provide some depth to it.
I don't think you'll find a pa with more sound than this one at this price.... other than maybe the Yamaha Stagepas
Reply · Send thanks · posted 244 days ago · 1 person agrees



Voting Summary

1. Yamaha STAGEPAS 300 Portable PA System 31%
agree
2. Fender Passport 150 Pro 150-Watt Portable Sound... 26%
agree
3. Peavey Messenger 100 Watt Portable PA 21%
agree
4. Peavey Escort 2000 Portable Sound System with S... 7%
agree
5. Roland Cube Monitor / PA 7%
agree

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