8 Best Active PA Speakers For Mobile DJs

We take a look at 8 of our most popular Active PA Speakers for mobile DJs, with designs and features that are perfect for the demands of mobile DJ work. Mobile DJs need speakers that are durable build, and capable of sustained use night after night. Good audio quality and plenty of power available are essentials, along with tough cabinets and simple to use controls.

Mobile DJ work can see you playing a huge variety of musical genres, with the requirement of a speaker system being directly affected by the type of work you take on. For example, a DJ that only performs to children's parties will not have nearly the same volume and bass needs from their rig when compared to a wedding DJ.

Our selection showcases some of the best Active PA Speakers with varying specifications and at a wide range of price points.

Best Active PA Speakers:

• Power Dynamics PD415A 15" Active Speaker

  Starting with a real performance bargain, the Power Dynamics PD415A 15" Active Speaker is a great unit for DJ work, with a rugged build and built-in carry handles to the sides and top for easy transport. The strong poly enclosure and punched metal grille give the PD415A a real professional look, with its imposing 15-inch woofer and large horn tweeter dominating the front view. Utilising the latest amplifier design, these speakers use a hybrid system of Class D for the woofer, and Class AB for the midrange and treble. This allows superb bass response and focussed high-end sound with the minimum of heat production and mains power draw. With built-in Bluetooth and dual-channel inputs there's plenty of connections, and a 4 preset DSP gives you instant EQ adjustment to suit different situations. Specs at a glance:

  • Output Power (RMS) - 350W / 700W Max / 1400W Peak
  • Woofer Size - 15 Inch
  • SPL - 125 dB
  • Frequency Response - 45Hz to 20kHz
  • Hybrid Amplifier - Class D 300W & Class AB 50W
  • 4 Mode DSP Presets

  The PD4 range are really great speakers. A classic workhorse unit with a rugged build and high-quality components. The hybrid amplifier ensures excellent low-end response and minimal heat buildup during use, and features like DSP offers great tone scaping.

• Power Dynamics PD415A 15" Active Speaker

• RCF ART 315A Mk4 - 15 Inch Two Way Speaker

  For DJs that perform at a wide variety of functions and cover all the music genres, the RCF ART 315A Mk4 - 15 Inch Two Way Speaker is a superb choice for the professional rig. The ART3 series gives you award winning RCF performance in an affordable package, with the classic linear response that provides supreme tightness of bass and midrange from the 15" woofer with its 2.5" voice coil. This is matched to the wide dispersion HF driver that offers low compression and highly accurate stereo imaging from both recordings and live vocals. Heavy-duty composite resin cabinets are smartly designed for a modern look, and feature strong carrying points and flush mount steel grilles for protection. The amplifier module is the latest Class D design, split into 300W RMS for the woofer, and 100W RMS for the horn driver for stunning full-range sound reproduction, and a huge 129dB max SPL with soft signal limiter to prevent overloading. Specs at a glance:

  • Output Power (RMS) - 400W
  • Woofer Size - 15 Inch
  • SPL - 129 dB
  • Frequency Response - 45Hz to 20kHz

  RCF are the only mainstream manufacturer to build their active speakers completely in-house, with every component designed and built in Italy to award-winning results. These are seriously good speakers for the money.

• RCF ART 315A Mk4 - 15 Inch Two Way Speaker

• Ekho RS15A 15 Inch Active Speaker

  For the mobile DJ, Karaoke host or live performer, a good set of speakers that don't cost the earth and are reliable is the core of your rig. The classic Ekho RS15A 15 Inch Active Speaker has been one of our most-loved speakers for several years now, as its just such a workhorse of performance and durability. The 15-inch woofer gives superb bass response with all types of music and is matched to a high compression horn tweeter unit for great top-end clarity. The built-in amplifier ensures the RS15A is never struggling for power, and it's simple back panel controls keep setup time and adjustments to a minimum. Hooking up to a mixer or DJ controller is kept nice and easy, with stereo RCA input and balanced XLR line socket with signal level adjustment pot, and there is direct input for a microphone, along with balanced and unbalanced line output. Specs at a glance:

  • Output Power (RMS) - 400W / 800W Max
  • Woofer Size - 15 Inch
  • SPL - 126 dB
  • Frequency Response - 40Hz to 18kHz

  The RS15A is a lot of speaker for the money, and still sets the bar for performance and build quality in this budget price range. A pair of these will provide you with a powerful and reliable sound system that's perfect for small to medium venues.

• Ekho RS15A 15 Inch Active Speaker

• Mackie Thump 15A Active Speaker

  An iconic brand in the DJ and live band scene, the Mackie Thump 15A Active Speaker has proven its worth over several generations, with its high-quality build and serious performance making them a favourite of many over the years. High power hybrid Class D and Class AB amplification with 2-way crossover system and 4 selectable EQ modes allow for an extremely versatile setup. The Class D section powering the main woofer helps keep heat production to a minimum and provides superb dynamics, whilst reducing overall weight at the same time. The Thump range is famous amongst DJ's for its bass reproduction, with its high voltage power supply design giving amazing response times for heavy bass moments all the way to 39Hz. The built-in 2-channel mixer on the Thump 15A features high-grade Vita preamps with Wide-Z technology, allowing direct connection of line-level, microphone, and instrument level signals without the need for an external audio mixer. Specs at a glance:

  • Output Power (RMS) - 650W / 1300W Max
  • Woofer Size - 15 Inch
  • SPL - 127 dB
  • Frequency Response - 39Hz to 20kHz

  Mackie Thumps are popular for a reason. They are just incredible value for money, with power and performance that many speakers twice the price cannot match. Their bass handling is pretty epic, making them a favoured choice for modern dance music DJ's.

• Mackie Thump 15A Active Speaker

• Vonyx AP215ABT Dual 15 Inch Active Speaker

  For the bass loving DJ, the unique charms of the Vonyx AP215ABT Dual 15 Inch Active Speaker is hard to ignore. These imposing speakers are over 1m in height, and make quite a statement, even when off. Featuring two 15 inch woofers and wide dispersion horn tweeter, the AP215ABT has a stylish poly resin enclosure with built-in castors to help with transport. It can be left floor standing in use, or has a standard 35mm pole mount allowing stands to be used Great for use in social clubs and halls, the unit has Bluetooth connectivity and an aux input, so music from phones and tablets can be played back easily. There is also a built-in MP3 player with USB and SD card readers, and professional microphone input for talk over and event speaking. With 600W RMS powering each AP215ABT, you can be assured that lack of volume or bass will never be an issue. Specs at a glance:

  • Output Power (RMS) - 600W / 1200W Max
  • Woofer Size - Dual 15 Inch
  • SPL - 130 dB
  • Frequency Response - 30Hz to 20kHz

  These dual 15's from Vonyx are a serious choice for any DJ or venue that doesn't mind having larger speakers. They have tremendous capability with all styles of music, and the onboard features mean there's no need for a mixer in most situations. Are you bold enough?!

• Vonyx AP215ABT Dual 15 Inch Active Speaker

• Power Dynamics PD612A Active Speaker

  Some DJs prefer the tighter dynamics of a 12-inch speaker and favour the more rounded tones of a wooden enclosure, yet these are not the norm for active PA speakers, as the majority are moulded ABS plastic composite. The Power Dynamics PD612A Active Speaker mixes the old and the new, with the latest hybrid amplifier technology and selectable DSP modes, encased in a solid plywood cabinet with textured rubber coating for complete durability. The 12 inch woofer features a 2.5" voice coil giving superb frequency spread and power handling and is matched with a titanium compression driver for the top end. The active crossover and preset EQ settings allow precision tuning to your particular use, and the master output features anti-clipping management to stop any distortion related damage happening. These active 12's are much punchier than a 15 inch system, and really enhance vocals and the often lost midrange, which makes them sound extremely detailed. While not as capable on low bass, they create a superb soundstage, and can easily be enhanced with the matching PD active subwoofer should you wish. Specs at a glance:

  • Output Power (RMS) - 300W
  • Woofer Size - 12 Inch
  • SPL - 124 dB
  • Frequency Response - 44Hz to 20kHz

  Lovely wooden boxed active 12' from Power Dynamics professional range. These are powerful and detailed, with excellent midrange and bass response from the hybrid amplifier. Great for DJ work and for bars and small music venues.

• Power Dynamics PD612A Active Speaker

• RCF ART 715A Mk4 15 Inch Active Speaker

  The second RCF in the list, but a very different unit. The RCF ART 715A Mk4 15 Inch Active Speaker is a total weapon of a speaker, with its custom neodymium magnet woofer giving it immense power and near perfect linear response. The ratings and figures given by RCF for the ART 715A are definitely on the conservative side of things, as it offers up a truly staggering output when you're in its vicinity. The wide dispersion compression driver delivers a hugely detailed soundstage that's amazing with recorded music and live performance. The onboard DSP and FiR PHASE filtering system ensures they sound neutral and balanced at any level, with any type of music, which is quite an achievement for a non-HiFi speaker system. Highly durable and stylish composite resin enclosures with professional fixings and mounting options, and the standard RCF soft clip limiting and thermal protection make the ART 7 series a really serious piece of live audio equipment. Specs at a glance:

  • Output Power (RMS) - 700W
  • Woofer Size - 15 Inch
  • SPL - 130 dB
  • Frequency Response - 45Hz to 20kHz

  The ART 715A is an incredible speaker system, that's performance far outweighs the figures stated on its spec sheet. While its not as heavy bass centric as say the Mackie Thump, its power and detail is unmatched. Make sure you audition a set before you bu

• RCF ART 715A Mk4 15 Inch Active Speaker

• Vonyx AP1200A 12 Inch Active PA Speaker

  The second 12" speaker in the list, for those DJ's that prefer a smaller cab, or intend to have a top and sub speaker setup, the Vonyx AP1200A 12 Inch Active PA Speaker is a great choice. A powerful 300W RMS amplifier feeds the main woofer and wide dispersion compression horn, with bass and treble controls for tone adjustment. You have direct line input and microphone connections, both with individual level controls, and a master volume control. It's simple yet functional design here, helping keep costs ultra-low and operation easy. Primarily designed for pole mounting (as are most 12" cabs), the AP1200A features a threaded locking clamp for secure pole attachment, which can be a floor stand tripod or a pole from a subwoofer. They are also extremely lightweight at just 9.7kg. Perfect on their own for smaller gigs, parties and venues, the Vonyx offer a clear and defined sound with excellent midrange. Low bass lovers will likely want to partner the AP1200A with a subwoofer, or pair of subwoofers, which would make for a hugely capable sound system for very little cost. Specs at a glance:

  • Output Power (RMS) - 300W
  • Woofer Size - 12 Inch
  • SPL - 122 dB
  • Frequency Response - 50Hz to 19kHz

  The AP1200A is a great speaker and is an amazing bargain for the amount of power and the overall quality you're getting. Easy to transport and solid construction make it ideal for mobile work.

• Vonyx AP1200A 12 Inch Active PA Speaker