Whether you're hosting a weekend karaoke party for a small group of friends in your basement or are tasked with putting together a karaoke night at a small club or venue, you'll find that one of the most important pieces of gear on your list will be a system for amplifying your voices. And though dedicated karaoke machines do exist, they're more and more becoming a thing of the past, replaced instead with higher-quality PA systems and streamlined computer software.
But the market for PA systems is vast, and with so many different models at different price points designed to suit a variety of applications, figuring out what system will best suit your circumstances can be complicated. Today, we're here to help. We've compiled a list of the most budget-friendly and portable all-in-one PA systems below that will put you one step closer to grabbing the mic and belting out Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" until your remaining friends and family beg you to stop.
| What is it? | What makes it cool? | What does it cost? |
| Powerwerks PW50 | Best on a budget. | $179 |
| Peavey Audio Performer Pack | Bundles everything you need. | $349-$399 |
| Behringer Europort MPA40BT-PRO | Can't beat the portability. | $175-$180 |
| Yamaha StagePas 400i | The most powerful yet portable. | $399-$499 |
| Fender Passport Event | Designed with flexibility in mind. | $529-$699 |
The Powerwerks PW50 is a 50-watt personal PA system and is this list’s most budget-friendly option. It features a built-in three-channel mixer, with two channels for mics or instruments and an eighth-inch aux input for a pre-recorded music channel (like from a laptop). Each channel, including the music channel, features an independent volume and its own high/low EQ.
Though the PW50 only comes with one speaker, it features “System Link” technology that allows for users to daisychain multiple speakers together using just an XLR cable. Doing so sums the channels of linked units together, controllable by the master volume knob.
One critique some users have of this PA is that it doesn’t provide a super deep bass response, but if you’re using it for vocals-driven karaoke, this shouldn’t be a big detractor for you.
As its name betrays, the Peavey Audio Performer Pack is a PA system bundle that answers all of your karaoke sound system needs in one swoop, featuring the company's PVi 4B mixer, a pair of PV-series microphones, two 100-watt speakers with 10-inch woofers, two speaker stands, and two 10-foot XLR cables.
The PVi 4B mixer features four channels and a master section, each with its own rotary controls for adjusting level, reverb, and tone. Each channel features a balanced microphone and a quarter-inch input, and the mixer also has a tape/CD input with a level control, a line out for connecting to external amplifiers, and a record output.
And being that the bundle includes two dynamic cardioid microphones (the minimum required for a solid karaoke setup), with a high-frequency range and steady tone coloration, you don’t have to worry about searching for the right vocal mics to complete your setup.
The Behringer Europort MPA40BT-PRO is an all-in-one PA system that made this list primarily for its portability, weighing just over 19 pounds and featuring wheels and a built-in handle.
Despite its size and how little it weighs, the two-way speaker puts out a powerful 40 watts of Class D amplification—enough for a karaoke party in your basement, at the park, or at a small venue—with a rechargeable battery promising to last up to 12 hours.
The Europort features a built-in two-channel mixer, promising the same ultra-low noise and high headroom that Behringer standalone mixers are known for, with a two-band EQ. It’s also Bluetooth-capable for streaming music from your device and is equipped with Behringer’s proprietary ULM wireless tech, which allows for integration with the company’s ULM Series of digital mics.
The Yamaha StagePas 400i is another portable all-in-one PA system but it's rated at 400 watts, making it capable of pumping out quite a bit more volume than the Behringer Europort.
The StagePas 400i features two lightweight speakers with eight-inch woofers and a detached powered mixer with eight channels (four mono/line and four mono or two stereo line) and a two-band EQ (with a one-knob master EQ with virtual bass boost). The system also features a USB connection for your iPod or iPhone as well as monitor and subwoofer outputs, which makes it flexible and versatile for more than just karaoke.
If you’re looking for even more power, Yamaha offers a 600-watt model, the StagePas 600i, and both models also come in Bluetooth versions—the StagePas 400BT and 600BT, respectively.
While the Fender Passport Event is the most expensive PA included on this list, it's also the one that compromises the least with its feature set. First, it's a super portable suitcase design, featuring two full-range speaker cabinets and a powered mixer that unlatches when you flip open the cabinet release.
The mixer features a robust seven channels, with XLR and quarter-inch mic/line inputs as well as a stereo eighth-inch input for playing recorded music—though this can also be done via Bluetooth—and a stereo eighth-inch output for headphone monitoring and sending stereo mixes. It also features a sub out with an automatic high-pass filter for connecting a subwoofer and a mono out with level control for connecting a powered monitor.
The speaker cabinets are eight inches and the total power output is a powerful 375 watts. If you're just looking for a respectable system for hosting a karaoke party at your house, this PA might be a bit too much for you. But if you're hosting a larger event in a small to mid-sized venue or if you're looking to pick something up that can comfortably double as a gigging PA, look no further than the Fender Event Passport.