Powerful loudspeakers are required in many public address scenarios. This could be a presentation, speech, concert, etc.
Because there is such a high demand for PA speakers, there are plenty of speaker brands that produce PA speakers. Although these speakers are relatively simple (compared to their more precise studio monitor and HiFi home-theatre counterparts), some brands certainly make better PA speakers than others.
With so many options, it's tough to cut above the noise. This article aims to share the best PA speaker brands worth knowing about when it comes time to decide for yourself about what speakers you'll be using.
The top 11 best public address loudspeaker brands you should know and use are:
In this post, we'll get into each of these brands in more detail to explain why you should know of and use their PA speaker. I'll also include a notable speaker model of each manufacturer in the process.
Related My New Microphone articles:
• Full List: Loudspeaker & Studio Monitor Brands/Manufacturers
• The Ultimate PA Speaker Buyer’s Guide
• Top 11 Best PA Speaker Stand Brands On The Market
Without further ado, let’s get into our top 11 PA loudspeaker brands you should know about and use.
Click here to return to My New Microphone's articles on musical equipment brands/manufacturers.
QSC
Since 1968, the American company QSC Audio Products has been making a name for itself as a trustworthy and quality manufacturer of loudspeakers.
The company focuses on many different audio products, including power amplifiers, loudspeakers, digital mixers and digital signal processors. QSC excels at many of these products, including professional PA speakers.
The AP-5152 (link to check the price at B&H Photo/Video) is a high-power, 2-way (15″ woofer and 3″ compression driver), 75˚ conical DMT (Directivity Matched Transition) loudspeaker. It is the largest of QSC's Acoustic Performance line with a maximum SPL of 123 dB continuous (129 dB peak) and a frequency response of 44 Hz – 18 kHz.
The Quilter Sound Company was founded in 1968 by Patrick Quilter, Barry Andrews and John Andrews in Costa Mesa, California, USA. The company is still headquartered in Costa Mesa today and officially changed its name to QSC, LLC in 2015.
Click here to visit the official website of QSC.
QSC is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 10 Best Loudspeaker Brands (Overall) On The Market Today
• Top 11 Best Subwoofer Brands (Car, PA, Home & Studio)
JBL
JBL has been producing loudspeakers since its inception in 1946. The JBL Professional division has several series of high-power PA speakers and line array speakers for live events.
The professional side of the JBL brand has seen great success in sales of its PA speakers. Its well-received public address systems are a sure sign that JBL is a superb manufacturer of PA speakers.
The JBL Pro PRX835W (link to compare price at B&H Photo/Video) is the 3-way powered PA speaker from JBL's PRX800 Series. Crown DriveCore amplification offers 1500 watts RMS (2000 peak) and a maximum SPL up to a whopping 137 dB SPL. This PA speaker's frequency response runs from 33 – 21,000 Hz.
JBL was originally founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing and his partner in Los Angeles, California, USA, where the company is still headquartered to this day. The brand is now owned by Samsung Electronics and managed by Harmon International Industries.
Lansing also founded the Lansing Manufacturing Company in 1927, which, in 1941, was acquired by Altec Service Corporation to become Altec Lansing.
Click here to visit the official website of JBL Professional.
Parent company: Harman International – Samsung Electronics (South Korea).
JBL is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 10 Best Loudspeaker Brands (Overall) On The Market Today
• Top 11 Best Home Speaker Brands You Should Know And Use
• Top 11 Best Subwoofer Brands (Car, PA, Home & Studio)
• Top 14 Best Earphone/Earbud Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Car Audio Speaker Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Soundbar Brands On The Market
• Top 8 Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker Brands On The Market
Yamaha
Since its founding all the way back in 1887, the Japanese-based Yamaha Corporation has become a global conglomerate. Yamaha is involved in sectors such as motorcycles, electronics, musical instruments and, of course, PA speakers (and other speakers).
Yamaha has a wide variety of speakers, including plenty of great options for PA systems.
The C115V (link to check the price at Musician's Friend) is a PA speaker from Yamaha's successful Concert Club V series. This 2-way speaker features a Cast-frame 15″ driver and a 2″ tweeter with titanium diaphragm and boasts a frequency response of 55 Hz – 16 kHz and 500W program handling (1,000W peak).
Yamaha Corporation was founded in 1887 as Nippon Gakki Co by Torakusu Yamaha. Today, Yamaha's headquarters is located in Nakazawacho, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.
Click here to visit the official website of Yamaha.
Yamaha is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
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• Top 11 Best DAW Control Surface Brands In The World
• Top 10 Best Live Sound Mixing Board/Console Brands
• Top 11 Best Mixing Board/Console Brands For Home Studios
• Top 11 Best Studio Monitor Brands You Should Know And Use
• Top 11 Best Subwoofer Brands (Car, PA, Home & Studio)
• Top 11 Best Synthesizer Brands In The World
• Top 9 Best Digital Piano Brands In The World
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• Top 11 Best Soundbar Brands On The Market
Bose
Since its founding in 1964, Bose Corporation has grown to become a famous brand of affordable, high-quality audio. Bose is best known for its home audio systems and popular noise-cancelling headphones, but it also produces PA speakers.
Bose is at the forefront of audio and loudspeaker technology, advancing the field forward while providing high-quality products that are affordable to the consumer and professional alike.
In terms of public address speakers, Bose has a small variety of excellent PA speakers that are certainly worth considering for events up to 1000 people.
A popular PA speaker from Bose is the F1 Model 812 (link to check the price on Amazon). This Flexible Array loudspeaker delivers a loud, clean sound with a vertical coverage pattern that can be altered by choosing one of four settings. The array features eight mid/high-frequency drivers and a 12-inch low-frequency woofer, all of which are powered by a 1000-watt Class D amplifier.
Bose was originally founded in 1964 by Amar Bose in Massachusetts, USA. Today, the company is headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts, USA.
Click here to visit the official website of Bose.
Bose is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 14 Best Earphone/Earbud Brands In The World
• Top 10 Best Loudspeaker Brands (Overall) On The Market Today
• Top 13 Best Headphone Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Home Speaker Brands You Should Know And Use
• Top 11 Best AV Receiver Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Soundbar Brands On The Market
• Top 8 Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker Brands On The Market
Electro-Voice
Electro-Voice has long been a big player in the world of loudspeakers and live sound systems.
Electro-Voice is an industry leader in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of professional audio equipment, including PA speakers. Their passion for sound quality is uncompromising in their efforts to produce best-in-class sound reinforcement solutions.
Electro-Voice is one of the few companies of their size to design all components in‑house and have numerous industry-leading loudspeakers.
The Electro-Voice ETX-35P (link to check the price on Amazon) is the largest full-range PA speaker from EV's flagship ETX series of speakers. It's a 3-way speaker (15″ SMX woofer, 6.5″ mid driver and 1.25″ titanium compression driver tweeter) with a 2000 W Class-D power amplifier with integrated FIR-Drive DSP capable of producing up to 136 dB SPL peak.
The subwoofer from this series (the ETX-18SP) is featured in My New Microphone's Top Best Subwoofer Brands (Car, PA, Home & Studio).
Electro-Voice was officially founded in 1930 by Lou Burroughs and Albert R. Kahn in South Bend, Indiana, USA. In 1998, the company was acquired by Telex Communications Inc. under the parent company Robert Bosch GmbH. Electro-Voice is headquartered in Burnsville, Minnesota, USA.
Electro-Voice (U.S.A) official website.
Parent company: Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany).
Electro-Voice is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 11 Best Microphone Brands You Should Know And Use
• Top 11 Best Subwoofer Brands (Car, PA, Home & Studio)
Yorkville
Founded in 1963, Yorkville Sound is focused on manufacturing audio amplifiers, loudspeakers and related professional sound reinforcement equipment. The company has been doing business in the United States since 1967.
Many of their loudspeakers are produced for public address applications, giving users plenty of PA speaker options. Each Yorkville speaker excels at what it is designed to do.
The EF215P (link to check the price at B&H Photo/Video) is the 2-way (dual-15″ woofers plus a 3″ compression driver) speaker model from Yorkville's flagship Elite series of PA loudspeakers.
It is an improvement upon the successful single-woofer EF15P (link to check the price at Musician's Friend) and has 1200 Watts (2400 Watts Peak) power handling with 133dB Peak SPL. It also featured multiband DSP limiting with 4 preset playback performance modes and Bluetooth connectivity with iOS and Android app for added cabinet control.
Yorkville Sound was founded as the brand ‘Trynor' in 1963 by Peter Traynor in Toronto, Ontario. In 1965, Yorkville was incorporated. The company headquarters is located in Pickering, Ontario, Canada.
Click here to visit the official website of Yorkville Sound.
PK
PK Sound is a Canadian employee-owned company that has made a big name for itself since its inception in 2000.
The PK brand is well-known for its point source public address speakers and is even better received for its awesome line arrays.
In large stadiums or festivals, PK Sound is an excellent choice to get the sound out to every corner of the audience.
The Klarity 12 (link to check out the speaker at PK Sound) is a standout point source loudspeaker from PK Sound. The 2-way speaker (12″ woofer and 1.75″ titanium compression driver) features 4 selectable DSP configurations and a 700W Class-D amplifier and is capable of delivering clean, crisp sound from 46 Hz – 18 kHz at up to 132 dB SPL max.
PK Sound was founded in 2000 by Jeremy Bridge and is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Click here to visit the official website of PK Sound.
Mackie
If we're looking for affordable audio equipment that swings above its price point, Mackie is often the answer!
From its founding in 1988 up until 1996, Mackie was 100% focused on manufacturing audio mixers. This was before adding power amps, powered mixers and studio monitors to its product line.
In 1999, Mackie introduced the SRM450 powered loudspeaker, and since then, loudspeakers (including PA speakers) have become a large part of Mackie's business.
The Mackie SRM650 (link to check the price on Amazon) is one of many superb PA speakers by Mackie. This flyable 2-way speaker contains a custom 1.4″ titanium HF driver and 15″ LF driver with 1600 watts of power to produce up to 133 dB SPL across a frequency response from 50 Hz to 17 kHz.
Mackie was founded in 1988 by Greg Mackie in Seattle, Washington, USA. In 2003, Mackie developed into and became a subsidiary brand of LOUD Technologies (new LOUD Audio). The company is headquartered in Woodinville, Washington, USA.
Click here to visit Mackie's official website.
Parent company: LOUD Audio
Mackie is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 11 Best DAW Control Surface Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Mixing Board/Console Brands For Home Studios
Community Loudspeakers
Community Loudspeakers by Biamp is a lesser-known brand but an impressive brand nonetheless.
Though Community produces amps and software, their focus is on loudspeakers for public address and live sound situations where a lot of sound is needed. The listed applications for their speakers include sports venues, auditoriums, houses of worship, recreation, and performance venues.
Community Professional's IP8-1153 (link to check the price at Markertek) is a notable PA speaker. This 3-way high-power speaker has a 15″ LF cone and horn-loaded mid and high-frequency drivers. Part of the I Series, the IP8-1153 produces high-quality sound across 30 Hz – 21.8 kHz.
Community Professional Loudspeakers was founded as ‘Community Light and Sound' in 1968 by Bruce Howze in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. In 2014, Community was acquired by Audioprof Group International. The company headquarters is located in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA.
Click here to visit the official website of Community Professional Loudspeakers.
Parent company: Audioprof Group International
Alto Professional
Alto Professional is an inMusic brand that describes itself as a live performance reinforcement company.
They produce speakers, amplifiers and mixers for audio engineers and musicians alike. They also manufacture all-in-one PA systems for solo, duo and small group performance settings.
With modern manufacturing techniques and a focus on both audio professionals and musicians, Alto produces high-quality and intuitive PA speakers.
The TS315 (link to check the price at Musician's Friend) is the largest full-range PA speaker from Alto Professional's Truesonic 3 series. This 2000 watt powered 2-way speaker has a 15″ LF woofer and 1.4″ HF woofer with custom-engineered high-efficiency class D amplifiers and an integrated 2-channel mixer.
The TS318S (link to check the price on Amazon), which is featured in My New Microphone's Top Best Subwoofer Brands (Car, PA, Home & Studio), is also part of the Truesonic 3 series.
Alto Professional was founded in 2000 by a team of audio engineers. inMusic Brands (founded by Jack O'Donnell) acquired Alto Professional in 2010. Today, the company is headquartered in Cumberland, Rhode Island, USA.
Click here to visit the official website of Alto Professional.
Parent company: inMusic Brands
Alto Professional is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 11 Best Subwoofer Brands (Car, PA, Home & Studio)
• Top 11 Best Mixing Board/Console Brands For Home Studios
Peavey
Though perhaps best-known for its guitar amplifiers, Peavey Electronics is actually one of the largest audio equipment manufacturers in America and the world.
Peavey is far from lacking in the public address speaker department, with 9 different series and plenty of excellent PA speaker options within each series.
The Peavey PV215 (link to check the price at Sweetwater) is a quasi-3-way passive PA speaker system based on dual-15″ heavy-duty woofers, and an RX14 titanium compression driver mounted on a 60° x 40° coverage constant-directivity horn. It is part of Peavey's top-selling PV series of loudspeakers.
Peavey Electronics was founded in 1965 by Hartley Peavey. The company is headquartered in Meridian, Mississippi, USA.
Click here to visit Peavey's official website.
Peavey is also featured in the following My New Microphone article:
• Top 11 Best Mixing Board/Console Brands For Home Studios
Choosing the right PA speakers for your applications and budget can be a challenging task. For this reason, I've created My New Microphone's Comprehensive PA Speaker Buyer's Guide. Check it out for help in determining your next PA speaker purchase.
With so many loudspeakers on the market, purchasing the best speaker(s) for your applications can be rather daunting. For this reason, I've created My New Microphone's Comprehensive Loudspeaker Buyer's Guide. Check it out for help in determining your next speaker acquisition.
This article has been approved in accordance with the My New Microphone Editorial Policy.
