8 Best DJ Speakers: Our Buyer’s Guide For 2024

best dj speakers

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Finding the best speakers for DJs can be a bit of a tricky proposition – on one hand you want speakers that will really lay down the bass, with the power and energy on the low end that will get people moving, and on the other hand you want speakers that are honest and neutral so that you can really hear and effectively tweak your latest mixes, and take your music production to the next level.

Luckily there are a handful of really special speakers that fill the bill perfectly, and end up being the best DJ speakers you can find, and I’ve assembled a list of what I think are the best of the best at all price levels.

If you’re eager to get to it, and just want my picks, here are my top recommendations for best DJ monitors:

What Makes the Best Speakers for DJs?

There are a few basic considerations you might want to keep in mind when selecting your next DJ speakers, and maybe the most important of them all is this balance between real neutrality and deep, powerful bass.

With the right speaker you can listen to music with real clarity, hear everything much more completely and accurately, and mix and assemble tracks with total control, confidence and effectiveness. And, when you’re up there actually doing it you can use those same speakers to fill the room with music that’s as powerful and intense as it needs to be.

But the perfect combination of bass and accuracy in a DJ speaker is just one factor, and you might want to think about all of these things:

Sound

As I’ve already said, slamming bass is great in the club or at a party, but when you’re at your studio or workspace you want to hear with more neutrality and with real clarity and resolution.

So while you should always be able to use your new monitors for honest and effective mixing, being able to equalize up the bass when you want is an absolute necessity, and your new DJ speakers should be able to really deliver the low end when asked to.

They should also have incredible musical energy and impact overall, with detail, clarity and excitement, so that your mixes come through with full effectiveness and people really feel them.

Durability

The top DJ speakers should be able to take some power and some abuse without blinking, and you should be able to push them for hours and hours, not to mention years and years, and have them sound as good as they did on day one.

Portability

A small monitor is great for studio work, and the best of them are a joy to work with, and though it might not seem possible they can also have more, better, deeper and faster bass than a lot of much bigger speakers.

In fact, a well made and well engineered small speaker with high quality drivers will always have better bass in every way than big monsters, and can even go a lot deeper, so the right ones will always be better for clubs, parties or any gig than almost any tower – which anyway would be absurd for production use.

There may be other things to think about, like connectivity, budget, appearance and style, but I think that if you can find a speaker that sounds great in all phases of DJ work, fits well into your workspace and is easy to schlep, and will hold up to getting moved around, to the sometimes interesting experiences of clubs and parties, and to real, sustained power and volume, you will have a pair of speakers you can trust, really work with and fall in love with.

All of my picks for best speakers for DJing – except for the least expensive, the nice little Pioneer DJ monitor – will have professional balanced connections, all will represent the very best you can get for that budget, and all of them – at least to me – are pretty cool looking.

So let’s have a closer look at my eight favorite speakers for DJs in 2024!

The 8 Best Speakers for DJs: A Speakergy Special Buyer’s Guide

Best Budget DJ Speakers

Pioneer DJ DM-40 – 21W 4″ Two-Way Active Monitor – Black (Pair)

At a Glance

  • Type: Two Way Active Speaker System
  • Driver Complement: 4 Inch Fiberglass Woofer ::  ¾ Inch Soft Dome Tweeter
  • Connectivity: Wired, RCA and Auxiliary Unbalanced Inputs
  • Amplifier Power: 21 Watts X 2

The first thing you notice with these small Pioneer DJ speakers is the bass, which is frankly amazing for their size, with actual extension, power and impact, and the kind of speed, definition and control you would only expect to hear on much more expensive professional audio or home audiophile speakers.

But this initial impression soon gives away to the whole picture, and in no time the Pioneer DJ DM-40 reveal themselves as a complete package, with the same kind of speed and definition, and the same amazing power, all the way up  the audio spectrum, and with real impact and excitement, and the ability to powerfully project their sound into even larger spaces.

If there is a drawback to using these as professional studio monitors or on-site speakers, especially when fed from a board, it is that they only have RCA and auxiliary inputs – no balanced phone or XLR connectors.

But honestly I would rather, at this price point at least, have the money and resources put into the amplifier, speaker drivers and cabinet, and the Pioneer DM-40 DJ speakers are incredibly high quality in all of these ways, and sound tight, clear and wide open, with an overall presentation that’s extremely high in energy and excitement, while still being honest and revealing.

For this low price, the Pioneer DM-40 DJ speakers are a slam-dunk – easily the best budget DJ speakers for both mixing and performing, and highly recommended.


Extreme Accuracy and Serious Power!

PreSonus Eris E4.5 BT-4.5″ Near Field Studio Monitors

At a Glance

  • Type: Two Way Active Speaker System
  • Driver Complement: 4.5 Inch Woven Composite Woofer ::  1 Inch Silk Dome Tweeter
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth Wireless and Wired – Phone Jack Balanced, RCA and Auxiliary Unbalanced Inputs
  • Amplifier Power: 25 Watts X 2

As brilliant as the JBL 40s are – they are pretty much unrivaled at their low price point for bass and for real excitement – for a few dollars more you can get a significantly more accurate pair of studio monitors in the PreSonus Eris.

That’s not to say that the Eris aren’t exciting, or that they can’t bump the bass. In fact, they have a bit better deep bass extension than the JBL, if not the same bass boost – though with proper equalization they can become big, beaty monsters!

And in terms of energy and excitement, the PreSonus don’t need any tweaking at all. Right out of the box their light, low distortion drivers and their powerful, fast and punchy amplifier provide amazing power and impact, and so much detail – even the ability to cleanly articulate the most complex mixes – that everything comes through with intensity.

Please know that the Pioneer DJ DM-40 speakers, at about fifty dollars less, are quite accurate, but these PreSonus Eris 4.5 studio monitors take this to the next level, with a kind of reference-level honesty and neutrality that will take your mixes to the next level as well, and will perfectly deliver your sound to all but the biggest rooms.

Amazing accuracy, powerful and fun sound and superb material and construction quality, along with great connectivity and room tuning options, make the PreSonus Eris 4.5 a perfect inexpensive DJ speaker, and probably the best value there is at this low price point.


Best Mid-Priced DJ Speakers

KRK RP8 Rokit 8 G4 Professional 8″ Powered Studio Monitor

At a Glance

  • Type: Two Way Active Speaker System
  • Driver Complement: 8 Inch Kevlar Woofer ::  1 Inch Kevlar Tweeter
  • Connectivity: Wired – XLR Balanced
  • Amplifier Power: 100 Watts X 2

It may seem a little strange that my choice for mid-priced speakers is about three times more expensive than my budget picks, but honestly I’ve found nothing in between that offers significantly better performance, more value or higher overall quality than the Pioneer and PreSonus speakers above.

But at this next level, wow! The KRK Rokit speakers are simply awesome, with intensely deep, powerful bass and astonishing clarity, detail and presence in the mids and high frequencies – and, for all their bracing clarity and impact, not even the tiniest hint of glare, distortion or strain, even when properly cranked.

I know that the bass is what so many of us are looking for, or at least think we are looking for, and the KRK Rokit 8 speakers are as good as it gets in this category, with honest, fast and tight bass that is way deeper and stronger than should be possible for this sized woofer – or for this price. But what really strikes me about the Rokit 8, even more than that bass, is their – well, if I had to use a single word, I would say transparency.

Even the most complex electronic polyphony and layered mixes come through with absolute clarity and perfect balance, and I myself – as well as other DJs and electronic artists I know – have been a bit amazed in hearing and appreciating new aspects of our own music and mixes. Inner details, relationships between lines and sources, even the most subtle dynamic shifts, these all become so apparent, and the music gains so much in terms of effectiveness, power and beauty as a result.

The KRK Rokit 8 are professional monitors, with only fully balanced XLR inputs – no RCA or auxiliary unbalanced connectors. A superb graphically presented digital room-tuning app completes the package, and makes these easily the best and most useful DJ speakers at this level for both large rooms and close engineering, mastering and mixing work.

Extremely well made, with a beautiful look and a truly premium fit and finish, the KRK Rokit 8 are quickly becoming a bit of a legend among working DJs, and are a fantastic speaker for any serious musician or sound engineer.


A Beautiful Balance Between Power and Control

JBL Professional 308P MkII Next-Generation 8-Inch 2-Way Powered Studio Monitor

At a Glance

  • Type: Two Way Active Speaker System
  • Driver Complement: 8 Inch Proprietary Woofer :: 1 Inch Proprietary Soft Dome Tweeter
  • Connectivity: XLR & Phone Jack Balanced
  • Amplifier Power: 112 Watts X 2

We can say that there are two basic approaches to DJ sound, especially when it comes to the best DJ speakers – pure accuracy and honesty, and letting your music and your personal sound speak for themselves, and hype, a big, bassy and perhaps somewhat enhanced approach which lets (makes?) any and all music sound amazing.

The KRK Rokit 8, just above, are the best example I know of the former in this highly competitive mid-priced range, and the Earthquake MPower just below – as the name might indicate – are a perfect example of the latter, but these JBL Professional 309P Mark 2 powered studio monitors are, to me at least, a perfect balance between the two approaches.

The bass is deep, fast and extremely well defined, and clearly has a strong boost, but is never overwhelming – a very important quality, considering the intensity of bass layers and beats we can mix in! Despite its power, the low end will never swamp the details or the tonal character of the mids or highs, and the enhancement is very tastefully done and sounds fantastic.

The overall sound is very clear and open, with great detail and resolution, and while the inbuilt amplifier circuitry might make things a bit more punchy than they really are, it never takes away from the dynamic expressiveness of your mixes, and lets everything – detail, dynamic and tonal relationships, timing and impact – come through with all their own quality, effectiveness and beauty.

And yet, for all of that fidelity, everything does sound slightly bigger and stronger, deeper, more dynamic, larger in space and time somehow. So really, for pure honesty the similarly priced KRK Rokit 8 may be a better choice, but these JBL Pro 308P gen 2 speakers are still far more accurate than almost anything at this level, and they do make for an undeniably thrilling listen!

A true professional monitor, the JBL Pro 308P Mk 2 have only balanced inputs, though they do offer both Phone jack and XLR connectors, and also have high frequency trim and level control on the back panel. All in all, a fun, powerful and exciting speaker for DJs, as capable in the studio as on site, seriously overbuilt and made to sound great for many years to come.


My Favorite DJ Speakers

Earthquake Sound MPower Series 8-inch Studio Monitor (Pair)

At a Glance

  • Type: Two Way Active Speaker System
  • Driver Complement: 8 Inch Aramid Glass Fiber Woofer ::  2 Inch Ultra-Fast Ribbon Tweeter
  • Connectivity: XLR & TRS Phone Jack Balanced, RCA Unbalanced Inputs
  • Amplifier Power: 250 Watts X 2

This is the problem with generalizations. I’m recommending three speakers for DJs in this important middle range – the KRK RP8 Rokit 8 G4 Professional, the JBL Professional 308P and this Earthquake Sound MPower 8 inch, and I can, and do, describe them as more accurate, more balanced and more exciting respectively.

But the KRK, while still having a very flat and neutral overall sonic signature, in fact has rocking bass and tons of excitement, and these Earthquake Sound monitors, while absolutely thrilling to use, are in fact incredibly accurate, and may well have the highest level of detail retrieval of them all – perfect for mixes that are at once very high power and very complex and/or very expressive.

And yet I still pretty much stand by my original assessment about this fantastic Earthquake Sound 8 inch monitor – with 250 watts of power, an extra deep cabinet and exceptionally high quality woofers these are real maniacs, with amazing volume and dynamics, incredible deep, powerful and accurate bass and almost overwhelming energy and excitement on all levels.

I don’t want to fail to mention, however, that the Earthquake have this audiophile-grade ribbon tweeter, which is one of the best I’ve ever heard at resolving micro-details and micro-dynamics,  and representing tonality in a pure and uncolored way. They also feature both XLR and TRS balanced and RCA unbalanced inputs, a volume control and a high frequency level adjustment.

The Earthquake Sound 8 inch studio monitors have the most volume and energy of any DJ speaker I’ve heard at this level, and the best and most bass, and are a truly stunning speaker to hear. Back to generalizations, I do love the KRK Rokit 8 for their honesty, and the JBL for their fun and revealing sound and great balance of qualities.

But for bass, power and raw excitement, while giving up very little or nothing in terms of expressiveness or accuracy, the Earthquake Sound MPower Series 8 inch studio monitors can’t be recommended strongly enough, and are in fact my favorite DJ speakers overall.


Big, Loud and Tons of Fun!

JBL PartyBox 1000 – High Power Wireless Bluetooth Party Speaker

At a Glance

  • Type: Two Way Active Speaker System
  • Driver Complement: 12 Inch Woofer ::  2 X 7 Inch Full Range Drivers :: 1 Passive Radiator
  • Connectivity: USB Port, Wireless Bluetooth & Wired – TRS Phone Jack Balanced, RCA Unbalanced & Mic Inputs
  • Amplifier Power: 1,100 Watts (!)

I’m so into accuracy and neutrality, with the idea that my music will always work best if it is presented as close as possible to how I originally laid it down, but honestly sometimes I just want to stop thinking and stop judging, get over myself and just have fun, and that is exactly what the JBL PartyBox 1000 is all about.

By far the loudest product on this list of best speakers for DJs, with a drum-shattering 121 decibels maximum SPL, the JBL PartyBox 1000 also has some of the most impactful bass, including a bass boost circuit (which is a bit like putting a turbocharger on a Lamborghini Aventador), lights that are actually cool, and even a bit trippy, and genuinely usable – if somewhat limited – DJ controls, like a sound panel and basic two input mixing.

The JBL PartyBox 1000 may not have as accurate of sound as even the mid-priced speakers on our list, but in that great JBL tradition it does have accuracy and transparency far beyond what you’d expect from a party speaker, and your own mixes will really come through with full effect.

A big, ACl-powered (no battery) “portable” speaker on wheels, with a retractable handle, the PartyBox 1000 is about as tough and durable as it comes – almost like the JBL designers have themselves been to a few real parties – and can handle moving, hard playing and even a bit of rough handling with absolutely no problem, and still last seemingly forever and sound great.

For professional DJs who want a simple all-in-one portable speaker system with awesome power and amazing sound, or for less serious jocks or people who just want to host a memorable party, or a thousand of them, the JBL PartyBox 1000 is a great choice. It’s not cheap, but its sound, build quality, power, features and tech and its over-the-top fun factor make it a great value as well.


Best DJ Speakers Overall

Mackie HR824mkii 8-inch2-Way Studio Monitor

At a Glance

  • Type: Two Way Active Speaker System
  • Driver Complement: 8 ¾ Inch Low Distortion Woofer ::  1 Inch Titanium Dome Tweeter :: Passive Radiator
  • Connectivity: XLR & TRS Phone Jack Balanced, RCA Unbalanced Inputs
  • Amplifier Power: 250 Watts X 2

Ok, I admit it – these are possibly not the best DJ speakers overall. In fact, the Adam Audio S3V, just below, are in a class of their own – and for more than twice the price they absolutely should be!

But if budget is still at least somewhat of an issue, and you want truly no-compromise speakers that will offer the very highest levels of accuracy and transparency for producing and mixing, the best, deepest and most powerful bass, the most palpable mids and the sweetest most detailed high frequencies, the most amazing combination of sheer dynamic energy and subtle dynamic expressiveness and so much more, these Mackie HR824 Mark II speakers are the best choice imaginable.

Really, I’ve spent a lot of time with the Mackies, and with a lot of other expensive professional speakers, and these are as good as it gets at this admittedly pricey premium level, and have power, beauty, control and definition on such a high level that they sound better than most home audiophile speakers I know – even ones that are significantly more expensive.

But the Mackie HR824 studio monitors have an unrestrained power, and an absurdly deep and powerful low end, that a typical audiophile speaker could only dream of, and offer a totally inexplicable combination of superb openness and accuracy on one hand and almost vicious power and excitement on the other. They’re at times almost too much to bear, and yet you begin to realize that what you’re hearing after all is still just your music, presented without coloration or enhancement and in all its original glory.

Everything I’ve mentioned up to this point on my list of best DJ speakers is as good as it gets for its respective price level, but the Mackie HR824, a real favorite among serious DJs and music producers, is at a whole new level of transparency, resolution, power, bass and tonal beauty. Again, the frighteningly expensive Adam Audio S3V below are, in some ways and by a small margin, better speakers, but all things – including price – considered, I strongly feel these HR824 are the best choice overall.

If you can afford them, and you are really into your art, don’t hesitate – the Mackie HR824 are superb in every way!


Best Premium DJ Speakers

Adam Audio S3V 9″ 3-Way Powered Midfield Studio Monitor

At a Glance

  • Type: Three Way Active Speaker System
  • Driver Complement: 9 Inch Hexacone Woofer ::  4 Inch Carbon Composite Midrange :: 4 Inch S-Art Ribbon Tweeter
  • Connectivity: XLR Balanced and AES3 Digital
  • Amplifier Power: 850 Watts X 2

Adam Audio, which is one of the most respected and widely used brands in all of professional sound work, makes several different lines and levels of studio monitors, and they are all just fantastic.

But their S series is the best of them all, and the 9 inch 3 way S3V, with its freakish clarity, earth-shattering bass and absolutely astonishing power, is the single finest, most effective and exciting speaker for DJ work I’ve ever heard. I guess they also make an S5V, but it’s hard to imagine that even with a bigger 12 inch woofer it could have better, deeper bass or more impact than this one!

Somewhat strangely, even though the low end on this S3V is as good as it gets at this price point – exceptionally deep and extended, with even powerful sub-bass components, and as powerful, fast and controlled as anything I’ve heard, the bass may not be the most impressive part of this stunning product.

I had the opportunity to play some of my own tracks through an Adam Audio S3V recently, as well as some other music – especially quite complex electronica, noise and avant garde stuff – and I instantly heard things I didn’t even know were there. Not just details, though that was a big part of it, but the relationships between those details, voices and layers in time and space, tonality and dynamics, were all opened up and made beautifully apparent, and music came together in a way I haven’t heard on even far more expensive systems and speakers.

Even though I didn’t have the chance to do any production work with the Adam Audio monitor, I can see how its incredible accuracy, resolution and transparency could raise my game as a composer and mixer more than with any other speaker I’ve used.

Just as obvious is the way playback reaches such sublime heights – such incredible power, such intense bass, such startling clarity and presence, such detail and such dynamic energy, and the most perfect balance between raw excitement and exquisite beauty I’ve ever heard on a studio monitor – not just perfect for mixing, but totally over the top for gigs as well.

Though they’ve been in business for over twenty years, Adams Audio, which makes their own monitors, drivers and components in Berlin, Germany, is somewhat new to me as a company, and I have only had a short time with their superlative speakers, but the Adam S3V is so good I feel a strong urge to go back and rewrite some of my earlier buyer’s guides.

But for now I am happy to name the Adam S3V 9 inch studio monitor not just without a doubt the very best speaker for DJs, but quite probably the very best studio monitor I’ve heard on any level.