Best Speakers for DJing at Home

Delving Deeper: DJ Speakers for Home Use

Let's continue with some of the considerations you should factor in and the features to look for in the different types of speakers to best suit bedroom DJ use:

Space Constraints and Speaker Size for Bedroom DJs

When DJing in a bedroom, managing space constraints is a common challenge. The size of the speakers, therefore, becomes a crucial factor in creating an effective setup without overwhelming the room. It's important to select speakers that fit comfortably in the available space, offering the best sound quality without sacrificing too much room.

Bookshelf speakers or studio-style monitors are the perfect option for smaller rooms as they can be shelf or wall-mounted so they arent taking up limited desktop space. If you want more bass than they can provide, its a good idea to consider a small subwoofer rather than trying to find room for larger speakers. Bass is non-directional, so a compact subwoofer can easily be hidden under a bed or desk.

Speaker Size and Output Power

Generally, speaker size directly correlates with the performance level it can generate. For bedroom settings, 5-inch to 8-inch speakers are usually more than sufficient. These sizes strike a balance between sound quality and physical footprint. For instance, a 5-inch monitor speaker is capable of delivering clear, detailed sound at a volume that is adequate for practice and personal enjoyment without disturbing others outside the room.

Though you should ideally be looking at SPL ratings for an idea of volume capability, we will go with wattage as that’s what most people look at with speakers and amplifiers. In relation to the average bedroom or living room size, a pair of 50W speakers will provide more volume than you will ever really need, so long as they are paired with a suitable amplifier, or are an active design. The main driver (woofer) can be between 4 to 8 inches, with most monitors and bookshelf speakers being within that range, and either of these types will usually be a 2-way design with a domed tweeter unit.

It’s actually hard to even buy speakers these days that wouldn't be loud enough for a bedroom or living room, so you are better to look at what design suits your needs the best, with say 3” to 4” speakers being perfect for use with a subwoofer, or 6” to 8” speakers for stand-alone use.

Sound Quality vs Space

While larger speakers might offer a broader frequency range and more powerful bass, in a bedroom environment, the priority should be on clarity and accuracy rather than sheer volume. Features such as bi-amplification and built-in EQ controls found on active speakers can help tailor the output to suit the room’s acoustics, optimising the sound quality irrespective of the speaker’s physical dimensions.

You can also factor in that your DJ Controller or mixer will include EQ adjustment to dial in the sound to your preferred taste, boosting the bass a little and taming the top-end, all without the need to drastically increase the overall volume.

A well-driven set of compact speakers will sound significantly better to your ears than a set of large PA cabs that are barely ticking over. It is simply a case of the right tool for the right job, and speakers designed for home use will always give you the most rounded sound and full frequency range at standard listening volumes compared to a PA speaker designed for a wide throw and large area sound projection.

Even for larger rooms or small gigs, large speakers aren't always the best answer, especially when on a budget, as an increase in physical size doesn't directly relate to an improvement in output level or quality. Low bass especially is a real test of any speakers capability, and you will often be disappointed with what a lower-cost PA speaker can put out. A combo system of subwoofer and compact mid-tops can get you much more impressive results for small to medium venues, giving you the type of sonic separation that lends itself perfectly to bass-heavy dance and pop music, so ideal for the party DJ.

Speaker Placement Considerations

Effective speaker placement is paramount in maximising sound quality, in any size of room. Speakers should be positioned at ear level to ensure the most direct path of sound to the listener. This can be achieved using stands or adjustable mounts that also save desk space.

It is also advisable to keep speakers away from walls and corners where possible, as these can artificially boost bass frequencies and create a muddy sound, especially with smaller speakers that have rear bass porting.

If using monitor or bookshelf speakers, isolation feet or studio-style foam pads can be advisable, which help soak up unwanted vibration transfer to shelves and work surfaces, which can cause annoying rattles and shakes.

For larger speakers, you may have fewer options for placement, especially if you want to use them for home parties and even small gigs, and often the only choices will be the floor or on stands if they are 12” or 15” speakers. This obviously limits where they can be used or even stored in the home, so it should be considered carefully.

Acoustic Treatment

Even the best speakers can be compromised by poor room acoustics, and especially in small rooms like bedrooms, where sound reflections can cause phase issues and frequency build-ups.

Using basic acoustic treatments such as foam pads under speakers, and acoustic panels on reflective surfaces, can significantly improve sound fidelity, help manage any unruly bass, and prevent unwanted natural echoes, ensuring that the sound remains clear and true to its source.

Using sound-absorbing materials also has the benefit of shielding the rest of the house somewhat from the noise, and is often used by musicians for the practice rooms for just that reason.

Adding a Subwoofer

Adding a subwoofer to your setup can significantly enhance the overall sound by extending the lower frequency response and allowing the main speakers to be more efficient in handling mid and high frequencies. Active subwoofers designed for home cinema and HiFi use start at 8” and are often more than enough for most users, producing a surprising level of performance.

This is particularly advantageous for home studios and bedroom DJ setups, as the subwoofer produces bass while at low volume, allowing the main speakers to also be used at lower volume. This type of sub and mid-top setup produces fantastic results and should be high on the list for any beginner DJ.

Connectivity Options

Modern active DJ speakers offer various connectivity options, including XLR, TRS, and RCA inputs. These allow for easy direct hook-up to DJ controllers or DJ mixers with either balanced or standard non-balanced cables. (balanced is better at blocking unwanted noise)

For those using passive speakers and an amplifier, the controller or mixer master output will connect to a line-level input on the amplifier, which will usually be via RCA, with the speakers connected to the amp with speaker cables.

For speaker cable you should use the best connector option that your chosen equipment has available, which can be a locking NL2 Speakon plug, 6.35mm (¼”) jack plug, 4mm binding post, or it may only have the ability to accept bare wire if fitted with spring terminals or clamps. The end connectors on speaker cable can be mismatched, so it's quite normal to have a jack plug to bare wire lead for example.

Conclusion

Choosing the right speakers for DJing at home depends on a variety of factors including the size of the room, the type of music, and the specific needs of the DJ.

Budget usually plays a factor for most, and this will obviously limit the range of speakers and equipment slightly, but it's not as restricting as you may think, with a huge selection of high-quality, affordable, bookshelf speakers, DJ amplifiers, active monitors and complete DJ PA systems available.