DJs rely on a lot of essential equipment to perform.
If you want to deliver an incredible audio experience at your next event, then you need a reliable mixer, a decent controller, a laptop, an excellent set of effects, and so much more. One of the most important decisions of all is to pick the best DJ speakers for your needs. So doing your research is critical.
Your speakers ensure that your audience can hear the music that you play the way it’s intended. Without a good set of speakers, none of your hard work will come through.
Unfortunately, many DJs get so focused on looking for the right Pro DJ controller, DJ mixers, and decks, that they forget to search for the correct speakers. That’s why we’re here to help.
What are The Best DJ Speakers?
This is such an open-ended question as there are so many variables to consider. However, if you are just starting off we would definitely recommend the Presonus Eris E3.5 powered monitors. They sound great, pack a punch, look awesome, and are extremely well-priced.
1. Presonus Eris E3.5-3.5″ Near Field Studio Monitor
Best DJ Speaker according to Amazon Reviews
This sensational studio monitor gives you everything you need to make the most out of your tracks and discover new elements of your mixes. The reviews online really speak for themselves here.
The Presonus Eris is a near-field studio monitor with an excellent industrial design. Not only do these powered speakers sound great, but they look fabulous too.
Also, these powered speakers are the only monitors in this class that has acoustic tuning built-in. This means that you can get a pristine sound quality. You’ll be able to access stereo aux input, headphone jacks, and more. These speakers aren’t as ideal for bass quality as some of the larger options on the market, but they’re excellent for the price.
Pros:
- Fantastic reviews from happy customers
- Excellent high-performance industrial design
- Sound and look great
- Ideal for home studios
2. Yamaha DXR8 Powered DJ Speaker Cabinet
Best all Round DJ Speakers
Looking for a powerful and comprehensive DJ monitor? You’ve come to the right place. This DXR8 active speaker is one of the most compact options offered by Yamaha’s DXR series. This means that it’s much easier for you to carry your speakers to wherever they need to be.
The DXR powered speakers come with a fantastic high output, and 1100 watts of power. If you’re looking for front-of-house sound, ace sound quality, in a compact and functional design. With Yamaha, you can deliver the full power of your performance in excellent quality and clarity.
There’s detailed crossover management, time alignment, and EQ support too. The biggest downside of this speaker is that it comes with some delivery issues.
Pros:
- Fantastic high-performance solution
- Excellent compact design for portability
- High clarity and fantastic output
- Good balance of sound quality and versatility
3. Mackie c300z
Best Mackie DJ Speakers
The Mackie c300z is a high-performance loudspeaker solution, and one of the first lightweight options in the Mackie portfolio. The device contains all of the expertise of a team that has more than 25 years of experience making their loudspeaker’s sound quality great.
These are the kinds ofpowered speakers used at things like Iron Maiden concerts, and the Super Bowl.
This speaker comes with a diverse frequency range of 50 Hz to 3000 Hz. The 1.75” high-frequency titanium driver and horn provide a wide dispersion pattern and a brilliant reproduction.
The crossovers are tuned to perfection, and there are endless EQ options too.
Lightweight and durable, you won’t have a problem with portability when using this speaker either. Despite having a powerful custom-built Class-D amplifier, the monitor is surprisingly easy to transport.
There’s also a patented split baffle design for enhanced sonic impact.
This is a serious contender for best of class!
Pros:
- Fantastic dispersion pattern
- Brilliant for high-frequency ranges
- Good crossover tuning
- Designed for professional performance
4. Electro-Voice ZLX12P
Best Value For Money DJ Speakers
This fantastic and budget-friendly DJ speaker is one of the best-value options we’ve seen on the market. Featuring an LCD for EQ management, and a single knob DSP control with presets, you can make the most of your sound with this speaker. The Electro-Voice comes with a 1.5-inch high-frequency driver and a 12-inch woofer.
Pros:
- Excellent performance for a full-range speaker
- Tons of favorable reviews from professionals
- Great 12-inch woofer
- Durable and lightweight
5. QSC K10 2-Way Powered Speakers
The QSC K10.2 speaker is a sensational two-way powered speaker that offers DJs plenty of versatility for their shows. There’s a 75-degree vertical and horizontal coverage angle.
The 2000-watt continuous class D amplifier provides excellent outcomes for DJs and music producers alike.
You get a wonderful sound projection, an incredibly tough exterior, and the kind of portability that matters to a DJ on the move. There’s also discrete line outputs to help with building your set-up too. One slight downside is that the low-end is a bit lacking here.
If you want a bass boost, then you might need to add a subwoofer.
Pros:
- Great coverage angle
- Powerful amplifier with a good sound range
- Durable and portable design
- V-lock power cord to prevent accidental unplugging
6. Mackie THUMP15 Thump
Best under $500 DJ Speakers
The Mackie Thump15 from the Thump series is a 15-inch loudspeaker with plenty of impact. Designed to provide class-leading low-end bass, the Mackie is particularly compelling for those who want to make the most of the lower frequencies in their mixes.
There’s integrated precision crossover, and a transducer time-alignment solution included for better sound quality. What’s more, you also get a 3-band EQ that’s ideal for vocal and acoustic applications.
With a robust and rugged enclosure to help your investment stand the test of time, the Mackie speakers will be with you for years.
What’s more, there is a Bluetooth connection, although it’s not ideal in some cases. You may also find that the sharp edges on this speaker scuff quickly.
Pros:
- Integrated precision crossover
- Fantastic EQ performance
- Ideal for lower-end bass performance
- Good durability
7. Behringer Eurolive B210D Active
Best under $200 DJ Speakers
The Behringer Eurolive B210D is another sensational speaker, this time available for an even lower price. If you’re searching for a full PA system that won’t break the bank, then you’ll love this durable and versatile solution.
Although it’s intended to be compact and lightweight, the Behringer is a bit bulkier and heavier than some people would expect. Additionally, it’s worth noting that the Tweeter drive isn’t as durable as it should be.
However, you do get fantastic Class D amplifier technology, amazing sonic performance, and a great internal switch-mode for noise-free audio control.
Pros:
- Full PA system for a low price
- Versatile and durable design
- Great for Class D amplification
- Internal switch-mode included
8. Pioneer S-DJ60X Active Studio Monitor
Best bedroom DJ monitor
Looking for the best speakers to support mixing in your bedroom? You can’t go wrong with the Pioneer S-DJ60X Studio Monitor. This compact but the high-performance desktop monitor will deliver excellent quality to your home setup.
Made by one of the leading companies for DJ equipment, the Pioneer DJ studio monitors inherit all the best features of the S-DJX series.
There’s plenty of rich and tight bass to discover, as well as an impressively wide reach for home-based technology. You also get these speakers as a pair, so you can get a better stereo experience when you’re mixing and experimenting with sounds.
Pros:
- Great for home studio mixing
- Contains incredible class-leading tech from Pioneer
- Broad reach for such a small set of speakers
- Good stereo sound
9. KRK RP7 Rokit G4
Best KRK DJ Speakers
Probably one of the most popular options on our list of the best speakers. The KRK RP7 Rokit monitors are professional studio-level speakers designed with matching drivers made with Kevlar.
This means that you get the same high-performance sonic integrity across all frequencies, for minimal listening fatigue.
The Rokit speakers come with graphical EQ settings to minimize any problems for your acoustic environment. You can even use the KRK app for extra control.
There’s even a brick wall limiter to automatically engage at the maximum amp level to provide the most balanced sound and protect the system at the same time.
Pros:
- Matching drivers made with Kevlar for sonic tuning
- Graphic EQ settings to minimize problems
- Excellent KRK app
- Powerful class-D amplifier
- Brick wall limiter
10. JBL Professional 306P Mk2 Next-Generation
Best JBL DJ Speakers
Promising next-generation performance for modern DJs, the JBL Professional 306P comes with powerful HF and LF transducers, for a great all-around sound.
The new design for these speakers drives optimized damping for a more powerful response, as well as plenty of deep bass.
Not only do you get a sensational sound quality, but the JBL kit also comes with a sleek and modern design that’s sure to enhance your studio.
You can unlock a broad sweet spot with a natural frequency response across a wide area that allows you to fine-tune your mix perfectly.
Pros:
- Powerful HF and LF transducers
- Excellent for bass performance
- Unique appearance for an aesthetic touch
- Broad sweet spot performance
11. KRK RP5 G4 Powered DJ Monitors (Bundle Pair)
The KRK kit Generation 4 bundle comes with a full pair of KRK RP5 G4 active speakers. You can adjust the DJ speaker volume level to suit your room setup using the room control switch, which is excellent for more accurate mixing. There’s also the option to increase or reduce high-frequency performance with a high-trim switch.
The bass is smooth and powerful, rather than muddy, and the trebles are also noticeably clear. Vocals are crisp and sharp, enough to give you a full depth of insight into the vocal range of the artist in your mixers.
Pros:
- Great Pricing
- Tuning Options
- Ideal for Personal Home Studio Setup.
Cons:
- Slight Colored Experience
12. Yamaha HS5 Powered Studio Monitor
Best DJ Yamaha Speakers
The Yamaha HS5 is a powered studio monitor with 2-way bass reflex performance. For a relatively minimal cost, you get a powerful 2-way performance with a 5-inch cone woofer and a 1-inch dome tweeter. There’s broad frequency response, and 70-watt power amplification from a bi-amp system included.
The Yamaha includes an XLR and TRS phone jack input for balanced and unbalanced signals. There’s also room control available so you can adapt your speaker to suit the style of your room.
Pros:
- Beautiful Design. Very much a piece of understated elegance
- Ideal for Producers
- Installable Versions
Cons:
- Missing a proper sound shield
What are the Best DJ Speakers?
There are a lot of great speakers out there to pick from. Each has its own negative and positives and it does boil down to personal preference and need. One of our favorites is the Presonus Eris E3.5-3.5 studio monitor pair.
These powerful speakers are popular with DJs for a reason. They provide studio-quality design, are very well priced and look just as good as they sound.
What Things To Look Out For
So, what kind of things should you be looking for in your killer speakers?
Well, your exact needs will vary depending on what you want to accomplish. However, there are a few elements worth considering.
- Studio Speakers/ PA: Studio speakers are designed primarily accurate playback at moderate and low volumes. These speakers work best for studio use and aren’t designed to play music at loud volumes. Alternatively, PA speakers can play at much louder volumes, and support venues with bigger crowds.
- Bass Sound: Bass-heavy speakers can produce a bass line that’s easy to hear. The bass generated by speakers can be very disturbing when your subwoofer starts acting up. This disturbance happens due to a high power supply in a strange set up or a lackluster design. With that in mind, bass is an essential factor when searching for speakers.
- High frequencies: Speakers need high frequencies that sound clear and crisp. This means that you can deliver excellent clarity and fantastic audibility to your audience.
- Stereo Fold: The Stereo Fold should be good enough to differentiate the various elements that you put into a track. You can determine how well your elements are placed into the mix too. Bass, dialogues, ambiance, and other aspects of a song appear more clearly with stereo fold solutions.
- Range: They need to have a varied selection of frequencies so that they can reproduce all of the sounds in the DJ track. They should have both a low-range woofer and low frequencies and tweeters for the higher frequencies.
- Power: The wattage of your DJ speaker will make a massive difference to your outcomes too. A 400-watt DJ speaker is fine for a home studio solution. Larger venues might need more watts.
Portability and Compatibility
Another major point to consider when you’re searching for compact speakers is how transportable do you want the system to be. Traditional PA systems consist of kits of modular best-of-breed options. This means that you need tons of separate items for individual functions.
Unfortunately, while this diversity means that you can build the perfect sound system for your needs, it also means that you have a lot more to transport.
The more items you need to carry around, the more work it takes to make the most out of your sets.
The good news is that there are compact options out there that are easy to transport. However, these tools are often smaller and closer to a home use or studio use speaker than the ones that you would adopt for a venue.
Additionally, if you can find a PA that’s big enough for your venue, you also might not have as many customization options with compact tools.
DJ Speaker Budget Considerations
Although the budget shouldn’t be the only concern when making your DJ speaker choices, it will be a significant consideration for most people. Whether you’re just starting as a DJ or just pursuing new opportunities, you’ll have a limited budget.
Decide on a budget and look for a set of speakers in the bracket that’s suitable for you. Remember that the lower your budget is, the fewer options you’ll have. The most advanced technology requires a bigger investment.
Cheap speakers won’t always be able to deliver the best quality of sound in a live setup. Before you buy anything:
- Check the bass: Does the bass sound controlled and tight, or is it muddy? The speakers need to produce a great bass sound.
- Is the stereo fold good enough: Can you tell the different elements of the tracks apart? Speakers should allow you to distinguish the details in your track.
- How do the high frequencies sound: Since you’re listening to these frequencies at high volume, they must sound crisp, not harsh.
- Can you unlock new parts of your tracks: Can you hear elements that you never noticed before in your tracks?
- How big are the speakers: Sizes can massively vary depending on your budget options. Size often matters, as bigger speakers can deliver more power.
- What connections are available: Do you connect your studio monitors through USB connections, digital solutions, phono, XLR, or basic jacks? Are these speakers intended to be hooked directly into your audio interface?
Best DJ Speakers: The Verdict
With a little luck, the reviews above will have given you an insight into the kind of factors to consider when buying the best DJ speakers for your DJ set-up.
There are tons of great speakers out there to choose from, each with its own pros and cons to think about. However, who is the top dog when it comes to the best speakers?
Our number one top pick for this guide has to be the Presonus Eris E3.5-3.5 studio monitor pair. These powerful speakers are the top-rated on the market for a reason. They provide studio-quality design and look just as good as they sound.
Which speakers will you be using for your setup? Let us know in the comments section below.
