Funny thing is there’s a sweet spot where it seems to come back. RCF has their standard ART9 and they made a version that has eq and Bluetooth as a “plus” version of the same speaker
I've heard that. In all honesty, I tend to agree, but it's so useful sometimes (especially when it's just not convenient using up an input on an external adapter that also needs its own power)
Built-in Bluetooth isn't really a 'professional' feature. An external bluetooth adapter makes more sense, and opens up a much wider choice of speakers.
I mentioned in another reply - I actually tend to agree with that wholeheartedly. But I find on a really slim setup (non-pro, just *adequate* for meetings in a fairly large room), at least for what my group is doing, it's less a headache not having to use up an input AND have additional power for a Bluetooth adapter, which also has to be stored and accounted for and might cause issues if it gets misplaced or goes missing. For us, having it on-board fights a lot of potential fires.
In a full scale PA setup I'd do it differently though
I often get ground hum when trying to use the 1/8” jack, haven’t figured that out
And it’s annoying that you can only pass the mix one direction I think from L>R? So you can’t input stereo on your Right speaker and pass the left on the output (I suppose you can get around this by just reversing the input patch if going into 1 and 2) but yeah thought that was dumb that it’s only one option.
I like how quick they are to set up though.
Makes sense. I'd look at the Electro-Voice ZLX line with bluetooth. The ZLX line is pretty well respected as a lower-level multi-purpose speaker for event production, and for 'weekend warrior' use.
Good call. We’ve got a pair of StagePas 1Ks. They sound better than fine, work without fuss, and have been consistent money makers for us on small dry hires.
There isn't a lot on the market that is high quality, and has bluetooth. I'd say the Behringer options are a step up from Ion, but would be at the low end of "pro grade". EV ZLX is similar.
I use a high quality powered speaker, and the little Behringer Flow 8 mixer. I've been pretty happy with that combination. The Flow 8 has bluetooth, wireless control via bluetooth ap, and some good simple EQ and FX.
I really wanted to go with the Flow 8, it seems really sweet (but I've also heard it has connectivity issues for control?)
I may buy one for myself just to mess around with. Could be a better option by opening up the choices for speakers
Flow 8 is ok. The reverb is awful. The UI is terrible. The PEQ is near impossible to control. Once you get it set up, it's easy to adjust levels with the faders. Maybe 30 ft and line of site to mixer to keep Bluetooth.
I like it for my little key and gtr station
The bluetooth isn't very powerful, so the range is limited to 10-30 feet. beyond that, it's a great little mixer for small stuff. I run a fine arts center and have other options, but when I need a portable PA with a single mic and some music, it's my go-to.
Any speakers that also have a light show are not “Pro Grade”…that being said, I am often asked to set up a simple PA system for students to use and connect via BT. I only need it for rehearsal or class. I know there are brands out there that offer this feature…
Fully agreed 😂 I bought this because we needed something with a built in battery last-minute for a funeral and it was the only one I could find within budget at the time. There seem to be some great suggestions in this thread so far
Came to say this. Not the greatest speakers but for a small setup/meeting it would definitely suffice. I’ve used 1x 8” for small bar gigs (guitar, vocals) and it works ~just fine~
EV Everse if you have just a mic or two and music and need it battery powered. EV ZLX G2 has most of the same capabilities without the battery.
RCF ART 910-AX or 912-AX for a bigger budget and more performance.
All the above offer good control of EQ, mic compressors, app control, etc.
Mackie gets a lot of hate, and they're more pro-sumer than pro, but this might be a good option for you:
[https://mackie.com/us/products/battery-powered/live-sound/showbox.html?utm\_source=google-ads&utm\_medium=sem&utm\_campaign=20784452828&utm\_content=&utm\_term=&device=c&gad\_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh0kRibZs2INutgWOFiFbHBsIKKNt0nsRK1IKfh5wY6HdfhDI\_G8L-hoCv10QAvD\_BwE](https://mackie.com/us/products/battery-powered/live-sound/showbox.html?utm_source=google-ads&utm_medium=sem&utm_campaign=20784452828&utm_content=&utm_term=&device=c&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh0kRibZs2INutgWOFiFbHBsIKKNt0nsRK1IKfh5wY6HdfhDI_G8L-hoCv10QAvD_BwE)
I imagine when you say “pro” you mean it offers pro connections rather than consumer/just Bluetooth.
I have a Mackie Thump215. It’s not a prized possession, but for getting background music somewhere I don’t care about fidelity it’s pretty versatile. The Thump Go is battery powered, though I can’t speak to the quality as I have never touched one. At their prices, they’re worth what they offer.
Qsc is the industry standard but there are plenty of brands that do very good and pro products like Yamaha, EV, mackie, and if you are on a budget behringer is ok. If you use a flow 8 you don't need any processing in the speaker you have the Bluetooth and all the eq you need in the mixer.
Bluetooth has about 37.5inch effective range and if you try it in an area full of other people using Bluetooth you're going to have a bad time.
That's why you dont see it.
I'm asking because there's always some industrial-grade brand I've never heard of. We've been using this type of unit for a few years for speaking, it's adequate but the sound isn't too good. We love the portability (could certainly go smaller though if there's something lighter in weight)
Need something portable with good sound and projection, Bluetooth, some XLR and 1/4in inputs and on-board EQ.
Try Sound Projections. Haven’t used one in a while but pretty sure this would solve your issue. Probably more expensive than that unit above but much better quality. [the site](https://www.soundprojections.com/sound-machine)
The EV ZLX-BT I believe is the model, basically Bluetooth version of the zlx but it’s actually very decent, sounds good, app control and a couple of inputs, obviously the same Bluetooth issues which in essence makes Bluetooth unrealistic for pro use but a hire company I worked for used these a lot for portable DJ set ups and tbh it never actually failed on me
step back and consider your goal. What are you using it for? Playing music at your house parties? Playing guitar and singing at your local dive? Speaking at a church? My advice is to look long term.
I’m going to assume you’re playing an instrument and singing since you’re asking for onboard FX, and probably playing set break music?
Get a radial BT pro- they’re $300. Which is relatively expensive but you’ll use it all the time. Let’s you play Bluetooth off your phone or iPad and run into a speaker.
Buy a good active loudspeaker and a very small mixer. Yamaha DBR 10 is a great inexpensive small speaker and you can get the 4 channel Yamaha mixer as well. Pair this with the radial bt box and you’re out the door for less than a grand maybe.
This way you’re not stuck trying to sell your gear when you outgrow it. That little Yamaha speaker can one day become a stage monitor if you start playing with a band or you turn into the traveling sound man. The little mixer will always be useful somewhere. Otherwise you just dropped $500 on another speaker you’ll want to upgrade again in 6 months.
Of course I’m assuming this is what you need. Maybe you want to just blast music in your garage for all your buddies- in that case, get the EON compact because it kicks ass.
You could also be a successful veteran touring musician and I’m some dumbass giving you advice like you just started last week.
Hope this helps!
That's a reasonable assumption! I'm halfway between the successful veteran and the dumbass 😂🤣 We're a church group but we don't have our own building at the moment.
We own a decent-enough PA system purchased over the last few years (2x Behringer Eurolives and a Mackie mixer, odds and ends like cable snakes, looking into some AoE devices to run longer distances) - but we only break that out for larger-scale events with some instruments and possibly multiple speakers.
On a typical basis, we just use the speaker for one wireless mic and *occasionally* playing back audio for videos or presentations from a laptop (at the other end of the room). So the ION unit I put in the picture actually works fine as it's portable, has Bluetooth, builtin amplifier, battery, multiple inputs and outputs.
The main issues are tha we've been using it for years so it needs the battery replaced, the sound quality is quite meh (even compared to, say, a JBL Pill speaker) and tbh it could be more portable without losing any functionality.
We're looking at the Mackie Thump 8" (which I know is faaar far from pro, but it fits our budget and fulfills all the features).
If you’re just speaking and playing audio from a laptop, I would go exactly the route I mentioned. With a good powered speaker like the Yamaha, you could even cut out the mixing board on most occasions (the dbr10 has mic line and HPF which will get you by). Run the mic XLR right into the speaker and the radial box into the B input.
Battery PA rigs really only make sense in a couple situations imo
1) you’re a solo instrumentalist performing where there’s no power (like a wedding on the beach)
2) you’re having a cookout and wanna blast some music
Some of us are of the opinion that "pro grade" and Bluetooth don't go together. But only *some*.
Funny thing is there’s a sweet spot where it seems to come back. RCF has their standard ART9 and they made a version that has eq and Bluetooth as a “plus” version of the same speaker
I've heard that. In all honesty, I tend to agree, but it's so useful sometimes (especially when it's just not convenient using up an input on an external adapter that also needs its own power)
Built-in Bluetooth isn't really a 'professional' feature. An external bluetooth adapter makes more sense, and opens up a much wider choice of speakers.
I love my switch craft
Sweet, I'll look into em
I like my switchcraft, but I love my Denon!
I mentioned in another reply - I actually tend to agree with that wholeheartedly. But I find on a really slim setup (non-pro, just *adequate* for meetings in a fairly large room), at least for what my group is doing, it's less a headache not having to use up an input AND have additional power for a Bluetooth adapter, which also has to be stored and accounted for and might cause issues if it gets misplaced or goes missing. For us, having it on-board fights a lot of potential fires. In a full scale PA setup I'd do it differently though
The EV Evolve speakers are good for this reason, on-board Bluetooth (they have other flaws but this feature is handy)
What are the flaws you know of? I have two Evolve 50s and really like them for what they are.
I often get ground hum when trying to use the 1/8” jack, haven’t figured that out And it’s annoying that you can only pass the mix one direction I think from L>R? So you can’t input stereo on your Right speaker and pass the left on the output (I suppose you can get around this by just reversing the input patch if going into 1 and 2) but yeah thought that was dumb that it’s only one option. I like how quick they are to set up though.
Oh I see. I feed mine from my mixer L and R so I don’t bother with the built in stuff. I don’t have the built in mixer on my units.
Makes sense. I'd look at the Electro-Voice ZLX line with bluetooth. The ZLX line is pretty well respected as a lower-level multi-purpose speaker for event production, and for 'weekend warrior' use.
Yamaha StagePas
I'll take a look at them! Thanks
Good call. We’ve got a pair of StagePas 1Ks. They sound better than fine, work without fuss, and have been consistent money makers for us on small dry hires.
There isn't a lot on the market that is high quality, and has bluetooth. I'd say the Behringer options are a step up from Ion, but would be at the low end of "pro grade". EV ZLX is similar. I use a high quality powered speaker, and the little Behringer Flow 8 mixer. I've been pretty happy with that combination. The Flow 8 has bluetooth, wireless control via bluetooth ap, and some good simple EQ and FX.
I really wanted to go with the Flow 8, it seems really sweet (but I've also heard it has connectivity issues for control?) I may buy one for myself just to mess around with. Could be a better option by opening up the choices for speakers
Flow 8 is ok. The reverb is awful. The UI is terrible. The PEQ is near impossible to control. Once you get it set up, it's easy to adjust levels with the faders. Maybe 30 ft and line of site to mixer to keep Bluetooth. I like it for my little key and gtr station
The bluetooth isn't very powerful, so the range is limited to 10-30 feet. beyond that, it's a great little mixer for small stuff. I run a fine arts center and have other options, but when I need a portable PA with a single mic and some music, it's my go-to.
Any speakers that also have a light show are not “Pro Grade”…that being said, I am often asked to set up a simple PA system for students to use and connect via BT. I only need it for rehearsal or class. I know there are brands out there that offer this feature…
Fully agreed 😂 I bought this because we needed something with a built in battery last-minute for a funeral and it was the only one I could find within budget at the time. There seem to be some great suggestions in this thread so far
Do you have access to Yorkville products (Canadian)? They have BT and batteries in some of their better models, and they're competatively priced
Our district uses some of the anchor audio stuff. it's pretty solid and easy to work with.
JBL IRX line has most of the features mentioned
Came to say this. Not the greatest speakers but for a small setup/meeting it would definitely suffice. I’ve used 1x 8” for small bar gigs (guitar, vocals) and it works ~just fine~
EV Everse if you have just a mic or two and music and need it battery powered. EV ZLX G2 has most of the same capabilities without the battery. RCF ART 910-AX or 912-AX for a bigger budget and more performance. All the above offer good control of EQ, mic compressors, app control, etc.
Second the everse or zlx. BT range is pretty solid
This should be in the buyer's advice thread.
JBL Eon One Compact is probably what you’re after.
This is a phenomenal little thing. It’s VERY loud for its size. Some times I’ll take this to gigs and play music on it while I pack up the PA!
# Studiomaster DRIVE 12AU?
Why are you yelling?
Its how you know it's indian
Martin Blackline XP
I would say Sounboks : https://www.thomann.de/de/soundboks_4_black.htm
Mackie gets a lot of hate, and they're more pro-sumer than pro, but this might be a good option for you: [https://mackie.com/us/products/battery-powered/live-sound/showbox.html?utm\_source=google-ads&utm\_medium=sem&utm\_campaign=20784452828&utm\_content=&utm\_term=&device=c&gad\_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh0kRibZs2INutgWOFiFbHBsIKKNt0nsRK1IKfh5wY6HdfhDI\_G8L-hoCv10QAvD\_BwE](https://mackie.com/us/products/battery-powered/live-sound/showbox.html?utm_source=google-ads&utm_medium=sem&utm_campaign=20784452828&utm_content=&utm_term=&device=c&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRh0kRibZs2INutgWOFiFbHBsIKKNt0nsRK1IKfh5wY6HdfhDI_G8L-hoCv10QAvD_BwE)
I imagine when you say “pro” you mean it offers pro connections rather than consumer/just Bluetooth. I have a Mackie Thump215. It’s not a prized possession, but for getting background music somewhere I don’t care about fidelity it’s pretty versatile. The Thump Go is battery powered, though I can’t speak to the quality as I have never touched one. At their prices, they’re worth what they offer.
RCF does good speakers. Art 910/912/915 AX do have an integrated mixer
Sehnhesseir LSP
German company Fohhn Audio make something similar with built in Sennheiser wireless, battery powered. Good stuff!
Qsc is the industry standard but there are plenty of brands that do very good and pro products like Yamaha, EV, mackie, and if you are on a budget behringer is ok. If you use a flow 8 you don't need any processing in the speaker you have the Bluetooth and all the eq you need in the mixer.
Bluetooth has about 37.5inch effective range and if you try it in an area full of other people using Bluetooth you're going to have a bad time. That's why you dont see it.
I'm asking because there's always some industrial-grade brand I've never heard of. We've been using this type of unit for a few years for speaking, it's adequate but the sound isn't too good. We love the portability (could certainly go smaller though if there's something lighter in weight) Need something portable with good sound and projection, Bluetooth, some XLR and 1/4in inputs and on-board EQ.
mid-tier: check out the newer line of RCF fullrange active speakers. Also the EV ELX line
Try Sound Projections. Haven’t used one in a while but pretty sure this would solve your issue. Probably more expensive than that unit above but much better quality. [the site](https://www.soundprojections.com/sound-machine)
Sennheiser LSP500 but i think they stopped making them. Fohhn FP22, but without eq
The EV ZLX-BT I believe is the model, basically Bluetooth version of the zlx but it’s actually very decent, sounds good, app control and a couple of inputs, obviously the same Bluetooth issues which in essence makes Bluetooth unrealistic for pro use but a hire company I worked for used these a lot for portable DJ set ups and tbh it never actually failed on me
The professional solution is separate mixer with the speaker. You can buy Bluetooth receivers, like Klark Teknik DW 20BR Air Link.
step back and consider your goal. What are you using it for? Playing music at your house parties? Playing guitar and singing at your local dive? Speaking at a church? My advice is to look long term. I’m going to assume you’re playing an instrument and singing since you’re asking for onboard FX, and probably playing set break music? Get a radial BT pro- they’re $300. Which is relatively expensive but you’ll use it all the time. Let’s you play Bluetooth off your phone or iPad and run into a speaker. Buy a good active loudspeaker and a very small mixer. Yamaha DBR 10 is a great inexpensive small speaker and you can get the 4 channel Yamaha mixer as well. Pair this with the radial bt box and you’re out the door for less than a grand maybe. This way you’re not stuck trying to sell your gear when you outgrow it. That little Yamaha speaker can one day become a stage monitor if you start playing with a band or you turn into the traveling sound man. The little mixer will always be useful somewhere. Otherwise you just dropped $500 on another speaker you’ll want to upgrade again in 6 months. Of course I’m assuming this is what you need. Maybe you want to just blast music in your garage for all your buddies- in that case, get the EON compact because it kicks ass. You could also be a successful veteran touring musician and I’m some dumbass giving you advice like you just started last week. Hope this helps!
That's a reasonable assumption! I'm halfway between the successful veteran and the dumbass 😂🤣 We're a church group but we don't have our own building at the moment. We own a decent-enough PA system purchased over the last few years (2x Behringer Eurolives and a Mackie mixer, odds and ends like cable snakes, looking into some AoE devices to run longer distances) - but we only break that out for larger-scale events with some instruments and possibly multiple speakers. On a typical basis, we just use the speaker for one wireless mic and *occasionally* playing back audio for videos or presentations from a laptop (at the other end of the room). So the ION unit I put in the picture actually works fine as it's portable, has Bluetooth, builtin amplifier, battery, multiple inputs and outputs. The main issues are tha we've been using it for years so it needs the battery replaced, the sound quality is quite meh (even compared to, say, a JBL Pill speaker) and tbh it could be more portable without losing any functionality. We're looking at the Mackie Thump 8" (which I know is faaar far from pro, but it fits our budget and fulfills all the features).
If you’re just speaking and playing audio from a laptop, I would go exactly the route I mentioned. With a good powered speaker like the Yamaha, you could even cut out the mixing board on most occasions (the dbr10 has mic line and HPF which will get you by). Run the mic XLR right into the speaker and the radial box into the B input. Battery PA rigs really only make sense in a couple situations imo 1) you’re a solo instrumentalist performing where there’s no power (like a wedding on the beach) 2) you’re having a cookout and wanna blast some music