Top Choice For
House Parties
250 Watts
Sony SRS-XP700
The Sony SRS-XP700 is a great all-around party speaker that best caters to the average house party with a moderate to a large number of guests.
Top Choice For
Children’s Parties
120 Watts
Soundcore Rave Party 2
The Soundcore Rave Party 2 is a relatively affordable option that can serve well as a dedicated children’s party speaker or for smaller house parties.
Top Choice For
Professionals
1100 Watts
JBL PartyBox 1000
The PartyBox 1000 is a large, loud Bluetooth speaker with many features. This speaker is best suited for professionals with high demands.
Top Choice For
Outdoor Parties
216 Watts
Soundboks 3
With IPX5 waterproofing and some massive sound, the Soundboks 3 is an ideal outdoor party speaker or college party speaker. What it lacks in colors, it makes up for in volume.
A party isn’t a party without loud music shaking up the neighborhood, so you need proper speakers. While you can probably provide music for a small gathering of friends with any of the thousands of portable Bluetooth speakers available on the market, we’ve deliberately excluded those from our selection and focused on speakers suitable for a 50 to 150-person house- or block party.
If your sole criteria for a party speaker is that it must be “loud,” then jump over to our article on the loudest Bluetooth speakers on the market, and you’ll be much better served. Yes, the speakers on this list are loud, with great bass, but they incorporate some features specifically targeted at throwing an epic party. Features like LED lighting effects and party chaining abilities where you pair multiple speakers together for greater coverage are naturally more important in a party speaker.
Our Category Winners
How to Pick the Best Party Speaker
Unsurprisingly, you’ll see some crossover between this article and our reviews of the best karaoke machines, best tailgate speakers, and even portable PA systems. The speakers on this list were selected based on our party speaker criteria below. Tell us which features you think are the most important in our poll below:
The Top 3 Features of a Good Party Speaker?
How to Pick the Right Size Speaker for Your Party
When you set out to pick a speaker for your next party, there are two important questions you’ll have to answer to help you decide what size speaker you should buy;
You obviously need a much more powerful system to ensure your music reaches 150 people at an outdoor venue, as opposed to 25 people in a single room indoors. For your convenience, we’ve put together the table below, which you can use as a rough guide to help size the speaker you’ll need.
| People | Indoor | Outdoor |
|---|---|---|
| 25 – 50 | 40 – 80W System | 80 – 120W System |
| 50 – 75 | 60 – 120W System | 120 – 200W System |
| 75 – 150 | 200 – 400W System | 300 – 600W System |
Remember that there’s no real “science” behind this, just years of experience. But also remember that while power (measured in watts) gives a general idea of the power the speaker uses, there isn’t a direct conversion to volume (measured in decibels). The efficiency of the speaker and how it handles its power varies between speakers. You know your venue and sound requirements better than we do, so apply your own criteria and buy a speaker you’ll enjoy owning.
How These Party Speakers Stack Up in Power
Since
Note that some reviewers contest the MX-T70’s claim of 1500 watts.
Editors Note: We constantly curate our content to keep it fresh and relevant. This list was updated on 18 January 2023 to include new products and improve our buyer’s guide. Click here for more information on our updates.
Our Selection of the Best Party Speakers
This article will help you choose the best party speakers for your event. We’ve attempted to include speakers for all types of party needs, you’ll find speakers that focus on lighting, others that focus on audio quality, and some that bring their own unique features to the table.
1. Sony SRS-XP700 X-Series
250 Watts*
150 People
Indoors
75 People
Outdoors
Weight:
37.3 Lbs
IPX Rating:
IPX4
Party Chain:
100
Battery:
25 Hours
Also available from Walmart
Sony has long been a player in the party speaker market with speakers like the Sony XB72. The X-Series, which includes the SRS-XP500, the SRS-XP700, and their big brother, the SRS-SV900, continues that legacy. We think the Sony SRS-XP700, which falls in the middle of the range, is a brilliant all-around party speaker that checks almost all the boxes we’d be looking for in a speaker designed to drive house- or small block party.
Incredible Battery Strength and User-Friendly
The XP700 is housed within an easily transportable cabinet that can withstand splashes, dust, sand, and high humidity. It can be placed in an upright or sideways configuration, and built-in adaptive equalization technology analyzes the speaker’s surroundings and compensates for any acoustically-difficult situations to deliver consistently great sound, no matter where the party takes you.
The XP700 can power your party for up to 25 hours on a single charge, and if you want to keep the vibes flowing even longer, a 10-minute charge will provide 3 hours of continuous entertainment.
The Sony Fiestable App or Music Centre App allows for control of the speaker’s built-in lights, while you can also build playlists and customize the EQ of the XP700 from your mobile device.
Insane Low-End and Extremely Loud
The XP700 can comfortably reach a listening level of 99dB while remaining fairly balanced and clear. In addition to this, front and rear-mounted tweeters provide multi-directional sound that will easily fill any space you place it in. X-Balanced speaker technology by Sony handles the low end, where a tight and powerful bass is to be expected. If you invite the whole town to your party, up to 100 XP700 speakers can be linked wirelessly, creating a massive sound system that’ll go as loud as you want all night.
The lighting effects of the Sony SRS-XP700 may not be the best and boldest, but they are still bright enough to create a good ambiance and add some mood to the room.
Versatile Connections and Features
While the XP700 is primarily used with Bluetooth technology, it also supports USB playback and a microphone and guitar input, permitting use as a portable guitar amp or a karaoke system.
Our Thoughts
We think the Sony SRS-XP700 is the ultimate party speaker. It is large, powerful, and loud, yet still portable, versatile, and party-friendly. Its sound profile excels across the entire frequency spectrum, with rich mids and highs, and bass that can shake your windows. The XP700 Is larger, louder, and stronger than its previous version, the XP500.
Read Full Review
* Please Note: Sony does not typically detail the particular watt power of their products. However, we have provided an approximate estimate of 250 watts to 300 watts.
2. JBL Partybox 710
800 Watts
150 People
Indoors
100 People
Outdoors
Weight:
61.3 Lbs
IPX Rating:
IPX4
Party Chain:
2
Battery:
12 Hours
Also available from Walmart
JBL’s PartyBox family of Bluetooth speakers has taken the portable party speaker market by storm; delivering a wide range of convenient additional features and possessing JBL’s signature powerful sound characteristics, the PartyBox speakers should be on every party host’s wish list.
The 710 model is the largest of the group, standing around chest height for most party-goers. This unit isn’t exactly designed to be thrown in your car and taken to the beach but rather kept on hand for a rocking house party. Transportation is possible, however, due to fitted smooth-running wheels and an easy-grip handle. Due to the ideal placement of the PartyBox 710, its weatherproofing abilities only allow for some gentle splashes.
Customizable Lighting Effects
The PartyBox 710 incorporates mesmerizing lights into the speaker’s front grille, and several effects are available. They can be toggled using the control panel or PartyBox app: music-synchronized light show, starry night effects, club-style strobes, and custom settings.
Can Be Used for Karaoke and Instruments
While the 710 won’t have any trouble powering a large outdoor party by itself, it can also be linked with another to establish a stereo pair or joined with a larger series to form a ground-shaking army of JBL speakers. The 710 supports Bluetooth connectivity and auxiliary playback and can accept up to 2 microphones or electric instruments. One can also charge their mobile phone using the USB output on the rear end of the speaker.
Bass Boost, Warm Midrange, and Crisp High-End Sound
The 710 carries JBL’s memorable sonic qualities, including tight and up-front bass response, warm midrange, and crisp high-end. In addition, the 710 features a ‘Bass Boost’ feature to further enrich the subsonic energy. However, this severely impacts the general clarity of the upper midrange and highs.
To compensate for such an effect, JBL has included a 2-band equalizer on the control panel where ‘Bass’ and ‘Treble’ can be independently adjusted to find your personal sweet spot. Next door to the EQ, you will find an Echo knob, which processes the incoming signal from your microphone or instrument, aiding in the blending process between your voice and a backing track when enjoying a karaoke session.
As with all JBL devices, the battery strength is powerful enough to easily last an entire day, even when the lights, charger, and other additional features are in use.
Overall, the 710 is an all-around beast of a Bluetooth speaker. I wouldn’t recommend this for those looking for a device to take along to the campsite or beach, but for a house party of any scale- the 710 will, without a doubt, create some long-lasting memories.
Our Thoughts
If you’re planning to throw a large block party or lift the roof on your next house party, the JBL Partybox 710 is hard to beat. It is a phenomenal speaker, bringing the characteristic JBL sound curve to the masses, literally. This is a large heavy speaker that delivers large, heavy beats. Remember that this is not the most portable speaker out there due to its size. That being said, JBL also offers a slightly smaller PartyBox310 and 100.
3. Soundboks Gen 3
216 Watts
150 People
Indoors
100 People
Outdoors
Weight:
33 Lbs
IPX Rating:
IPX5
Party Chain:
5
Battery:
40 Hours
The Soundboks (3rd Gen) is the loudest, biggest, and most impressive large Bluetooth speaker on the market. While it is not the most portable, the Soundboks make up for it in volume and additional features.
Monstrous Sound
Containing 2 x 10-inch woofers and a 1-inch tweeter, the Soundboks have no problem producing incredibly loud sounds while maintaining clean and crisp sound quality across the volume range without distortion or other unwanted artifacts. The Soundboks drivers are powered by 3 independent power amps, drawing an incredible 216W of power to deliver loud and quality audio. Up to 5 Soundboks devices can be paired to form a stereo pair or get your party’s sound to the next level!
Versatile Connections
Onboard the Soundboks. You can connect using Bluetooth, XLR, or 3.5mm Auxiliary input. The 3rd Generation model can also be linked to the mobile app, which can control the speaker or perform upgrades. The XLR input can connect a microphone for karaoke or speeches, features not available on the previous Soundboks model.
Strong Battery Life
The Soundboks can be purchased with two additional batteries, allowing you to swap the battery once it has been depleted rather than putting the party on pause so the speaker can charge. This allows for an additional 40 hours of playtime- more than enough for a weekend-long party or various bursts of musical enjoyment over a weekend.
Our Thoughts
The Soundboks 3 may lack the flashy appearance that many of its contenders offer, but if you’re not one for lighting, then the Soundboks 3 offers a massive amount of volume that can easily power large parties. Its rugged design will also offer peace of mind if the party gets crazy near the speaker.
4. JBL PartyBox 1000
1100 Watts
150 People
Indoors
100 People
Outdoors
Weight:
76.5 Lbs
IPX Rating:
IPX4
Party Chain:
5
Battery:
None
Leaving the PartyBox 1000 off this list just wouldn’t be right. The PartyBox 1000 is arguably one of the most party-centric Bluetooth speakers on the market. What it lacks in portability, it makes up for in features – with a DJ pad, multiple inputs, and even a gesture-based wristband that can change the lighting effects of the speaker on the fly. The PartyBox 1000 brings some seriously impressive volume capabilities too.
The Ultimate Party Speaker
A few things keep us from recommending the PartyBox 1000 as our top pick. Firstly, this is a very large speaker and doesn’t suit all party environments. In fact, it’s best suited as a professional party speaker for use by DJs, event organizers, and musicians. Additionally, the PartyBox 1000 isn’t very easy on the wallet. That’s not to say that it’s not a good value, but it will simply be overkill for what most people look for in a party speaker.
However, if you are in the market for something that can cater to a really large gathering and are intrigued by the multitude of features offered by the PartyBox 1000, there is a lot it has to offer, and it may be exactly what you need to bring your profession to the next level.
Packed With Features
Taking a deeper dive into the features offered with the PartyBox 1000, we’ll start by addressing the lighting effects, which are second to none. The PartyBox features a large lighting display that covers the majority of the front panel, with the exclusion of the woofer cones. These lighting effects aren’t just the usual RGB pallet you can select from. Instead, it offers dynamic light show features that make your speaker and party stand out from the crowd.
At over 40 inches tall, JBL wasn’t shy of real estate for functionality to be added. On the back panel, you’ll find 1 x USB-A (input),1 x Stereo RCA (input), 1 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm Stereo (input), 1 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm Mono (Microphone input), 1 x 1/4″ TS (input), 1 x USB-A (output), Stereo RCA (output). While the PartyBox 1000 is limited to one play source at a time, you can still use a microphone or guitar to play along with the music.
The pad atop the PartyBox 1000 is another interesting feature, which depending on how it’s used, can be a little novelty. This doesn’t replace your MIDI controller or anything, but it can still prove useful.
The Sound
JBL’s PartyBox range is well-respected for its balance in sound quality, party features, and reliability. The PartyBox 1000 is the most powerful of the range, driven by a massive 12” subwoofer, along with two 7” midrange drivers. It’s rare to see this kind of configuration in a Bluetooth speaker, but it really does cement the PartyBox 1000 as a party monster.
The PartyBox 1000 sounds surprisingly bright for this configuration despite opting for larger drivers. It remains primarily a bass beast due to the massive 12” sub, but the 7” drivers can still produce intelligible audio across the mid and high-frequency ranges.
While the PartyBox 1000 needs to be plugged into a power outlet and is not battery-operated, it can utilize up to 1100W of power, which is a serious amount of juice.
The PartyBox 1000 plays in a similar space as the Soundboks 3 in terms of volume capabilities and can easily power a large party. If you’re looking to shake up the whole block, you can pair two of these speakers together for an even more impressive sound.
Our Thoughts
The JBL PartyBox 1000 is the ultimate permanent party speaker in that it embodies everything we look for. If you’re holding frequent parties or events at a single location, the PartyBox 1000 is a great choice. However, this speaker is not well-suited for those who need a portable option.
5. Soundcore Rave Party 2
120 Watts
75 People
Indoors
50 People
Outdoors
Weight:
14.67 Lbs
IPX Rating:
IPX4
Party Chain:
100
Battery:
16 Hours
Also available at Walmart
Released late in 2022, the Soundcore Rave Party 2 is one of the latest offerings from Soundcore and provides a similar offering to their previous Trance model, with a few exceptions.
An Affordable Party Speaker
While many party speakers cost in excess of $500, the Rave Party 2 comes in at just over $200 and brings with it all the important parts of a party speaker. There are impressive lighting features that can sync with your music to provide extra life to your party and large pairing features.
The Rave Party 2 utilized the PartyBoost 2.0 feature that allows the speaker to be synced with up to 100 others to create a large area of synced audio (an improvement from the Rave Mini) This can be very useful for larger outdoor gatherings and help prevent drop off of audio in certain areas of the venue.
The Soundcore Rave Party 2 also comes with some basic waterproof protection. An IPX4 rating doesn’t protect you from the rain, but it will protect the speaker from minor accidental spills. We’d have liked to have seen the same IPX7 rating that the Trance offered, brought across to this model, but we can understand the focus being more towards the indoor party crowd.
Portable Power
The Soundcore Rave Party 2 is a relatively small Bluetooth speaker, 19” tall and less than 10” wide. In addition, it’s ergonomic to carry, thanks to the built-in carry handle and the weight of only 14.67 lbs. This makes it one of the more versatile speakers on this list, and it can easily be carried around to your friend’s place or with you when you go camping.
Despite the fairly small nature of this party speaker, it’s still capable of producing impressive volume and sound. The Rave Party 2 can utilize up to 120W of power, with the speaker featuring two 4” woofers to cover the low and midrange, while two 2” tweeters take care of the treble.
We find that one can reliably get around 15 hours of battery life in an average session, which isn’t bad, but we’d have really liked to see that reach closer to the 20-hour mark. We understand that this results from having more drivers to power, though, especially when compared with their older Trance model.
Regarding sound quality, the Rave Party 2 is really good at providing audio quality that exceeds the speaker’s budget. This is something we’ve found true for a number of Soundcore products over the years. While the Rave Party 2 isn’t a bass-centric speaker by any means, we were a bit surprised by the quality of low-end response, given the smaller driver size. The overall sound quality is impressive, with a punchy low end and fairly bright midrange.
Rave Party 2 vs. Trance
It is difficult not to compare these two speakers. The Soundcore Trance has been featured on our list for years, and also offered great value. But there are some fairly substantial differences between the Trance and the Rave Party 2.
Firstly, the Trance was more limited in its connectivity features and couldn’t pair with such a vast array of speakers. But at the same time, the Trance had the benefit of offering IPX7 waterproofing, which was a real selling point for us. We’d have preferred to have seen IPX7 protection with the Rave Party 2 as well, as it could extend its outdoor usability.
The battery life was also slightly better on the Trance. Still, we need to consider that the Rave Party 2 offers a lot more lighting and power, so it’s not surprising to see that there is a sacrifice one has to make on battery life.
When it comes to sound, the Rave Party 2 sounds better than the Trance, which was driven with a single woofer and dual tweeters. Even though the Trance had a larger driver (5.25” vs. 4”), the overall sound quality brought by the dual woofers in conjunction with dual tweeters does leave the Rave Party 2 the winner in the end.
Our Thoughts
The Rave Party 2 is a relatively affordable Bluetooth party speaker that is suited for those looking for a relatively small speaker with great value for money. The Rave Party 2 is versatile enough to use as a home Bluetooth or party speaker.
6. Ultimate Ears Hyperboom
229 Watts
125 People
Indoors
75 People
Outdoors
Weight:
13 Lbs
IPX Rating:
IPX4
Party Chain:
50
Battery:
24 Hours
Also available at Walmart
An elegant, loud, and versatile speaker from Ultimate Ears that is considered an upgrade in all areas from previous models in the ‘Boom’ range and is housed in an attractive cabinet that can complement any environment or theme.
Portable and User-Friendly
Up to 50 speakers within the ‘Boom’ range of all sizes and shapes have the ability to pair with one another to create the ultimate house party setup. The speakers’ buttons and controls are incredibly straightforward to navigate, and the mobile app provides additional support and control over the Hyperboom. Up to 4 devices can connect simultaneously, using various connections, including Bluetooth, a 3.5mm auxiliary cable, or an optical cable. The USB charging port can provide power to mobile devices while the speaker is in use.
The Hyperboom has a battery life of up to 24 continuous hours- all you could really need for a loud house party, a relaxed gathering in the garden or on the beach, or a classy dinner party with friends and family. The carry strap and lightweight design make for easy transportation, and its ipx4 water-resistance rating means it is safe from gentle splashes and exposure to some elements.
Adaptive EQ Sounds Great Everywhere
Ultimate Ears have adopted cutting-edge technology that analyzes the speaker’s surroundings to shape the tonal qualities to suit its environment best. This is done through an onboard microphone that examines incoming reflections from surfaces such as tiled floors, windows, mirrors, or countertops that may negatively impact the sound quality. It uses its adaptive equalization methods to combat this. The Hyperboom sounds amazing at all listening levels and maintains tight low-end and clarity across the frequency spectrum when pumped to insane house party volume levels!
Our Thoughts
The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom may not be flashy, but it has pristine sound quality that sets it apart from many other speakers in its market. The Hyperboom is a great example of a versatile speaker that can be out of place as a traditional home Bluetooth speaker or a party speaker. It has what one could consider a more mature appeal, with a clean, minimalist design.
7. Samsung Sound Tower MX-T70
1500 Watts
150 People
Indoors
150 People
Outdoors
Weight:
58.4 Lbs
IPX Rating:
IPX4
Party Chain:
10
Battery:
AC Only
Also available at Walmart
The MX-T70 is the largest and most powerful of the MX-T range of Bluetooth speakers by Samsung. Fed by a 1500W power amplifier, this speaker possesses enough strength to shake the building and attract the attention of the entire neighborhood!
Powerful Speakers Transmit Sound Through a Bi-directional Pattern
While you have the choice to pair up to 10 Sound Tower speakers together to create a ground-shaking house party, the power and bi-directional pattern of one of these Sound Towers alone is enough to fill any room.
The MX-T70 runs a series of speakers, each occupying a section of the 15000W of power and running at different impedances:
- 1 x Woofer at 600W, 1.3 ohm
- 2 x Midrange Drivers at 300W each, 2.6 ohm
- 2 x Tweeters at 150W each, 2.12 ohm
This total of 5 speakers is used in collaboration to deliver quality sound characteristics that are not only clear and crisp enough to enjoy a good movie with but also provide enough low-end to get some bodies moving on the dancefloor.
The Sound Tower MX-T70 has an optional Bass Boost function, which can be activated at the press of a button and will transform your house party into an earthquake-like event.
Multi-Connection Capabilities
Bluetooth Multi-Connection technology allows for up to two source devices to be connected to the Sound Tower simultaneously, and up to 10 Sound Tower speakers (MX-T70, MX-T50, and MX-T40) can be linked via a wired or wireless connection to form a network of speakers capable of powering house parties of serious scale.
The Sound Tower App, compatible with practically all modern mobile devices, further grants you control over various aspects of the speaker, including lighting modes, sound effects library, and an interactive equalizer to fine-tune the sound of your party.
Designed for Party Atmosphere and Vibe
The Sound Tower MX-T70 hosts a variety of features designed to enhance your party environment and do more than the average speaker can.
The MX-T70 is splash-proof tested, thus removing the unnecessary stress of spilled drinks or splashes from the pool damaging your speaker. The built-in karaoke mode can accept up to 2 microphones at a time and allows for your inner pop star to be showcased to your friends (or crank it up and show your neighbors too)
The onboard LED light show can be controlled using the Sound Tower mobile app to adjust patterns to best suit your party environment and mood.
The MX-T70 vs. The PartyBox 1000
If we look at the MX-T70 compared to the JBL PartyBox 1000, there are a lot of similarities between the two speakers. But when it comes down to raw performance, the PartyBox 1000 takes the lead on this. Not only is the PartyBox 1000 louder, but the audio quality is also better overall.
The MX-T70 does have the benefit of being a cheaper speaker and typically retails for around $400 less, putting it a little more closely in line with the Sounboks 3 in terms of pricing.
Our Thoughts
The Samsung Sound Tower MX-T70 is best compared with the JBL PartyBox 1000. They are both large and heavy party speakers that compensate for their lack of portability with big sound. With that said, the JBL PartyBox does offer an overall better and bigger sound but does cost several hundred dollars extra.
8. Sony XB72
120 Watts
100 People
Indoors
50 People
Outdoors
Weight:
20 Lbs
IPX Rating:
None
Party Chain:
2
Battery:
AC Only
Also available at Walmart
Sony’s XB72 may not be the loudest on this list, but it sure is packed full of many party-friendly features to make up for this. Fitted with funky lighting, modern features, and great sound, the XB72 is a great choice for small to mid-sized gatherings indoors or outside.
Modern Design and Features
The XB72’s mid-size makes for an easily carryable speaker, with help from the molded handle. However, the absence of a battery is quite disappointing for me. The lack of battery power not only means it can’t be taken to outdoor locations or even around the house without dragging around its AC adaptor, but it also means that there is no need for water-resistance properties, which is always a great feature for portable Bluetooth speakers nowadays.
Aside from this slight disappointment, the other features of the XB72 are great, considering its size and price. Onboard LEDs that can run on three different light show patterns are a great function for house parties, and the power bank feature is a nice touch. Up to 3 devices can connect via Bluetooth at once, and a microphone input provides extra fun with friends.
Tight, Dynamic Sound Qualities
While the XB72 may not be the loudest, it can reach serious volumes while maintaining its quality and minimizing distortion and pops, clicks, and other unwanted noise. It is clear that Sony paid specific attention to the low-end response of this speaker, as it sounds amazing for dance and hip hop, or any other bass-heavy style of music for that matter! However, the XB72 still performs well with other genres- just be prepared for a reasonable enhancement of low frequencies.
Our Thoughts
The Sony XB72 is the most affordable of our AC-powered party speakers. While the XB72 is not the largest or loudest on the list, it serves as a relatively portable speaker. If you’re not too concerned with having a battery but still like to move your speaker between locations, the XB72 may be worth considering.
Party Chain Vs. Single Speaker?
PartyChain, also referred to as TWS (True Wireless Stereo) and other names, is where multiple speakers are connected wirelessly for the following reasons:
To form a stereo pair: This links two wireless Bluetooth speakers together to establish a stereo setup where each speaker carries left or right channel information respectively. This creates a wider stereo field than that produced by a single Bluetooth speaker and promotes a listening experience that is more aligned with how the music was intended to be heard.
To build a louder system: This method keeps the speaker’s mono characteristics; however, the sound will be projected from more than one speaker at a time, resulting in an overall louder experience. Remember that double the speakers do not necessarily mean double the volume!
The options for ‘chaining’ speakers together ultimately depend on the device in question, as this feature is not supported on all Bluetooth speakers. The potential maximum number of devices within a system depends on the speaker (some only support up to 2 speakers, while some can accommodate up to 100)
It is also important to double-check if the speakers you plan on pairing will be compatible with one another, as some can only link with identical units and some with previous models within the same range or brand.
Things to Keep in Mind when Buying a Bluetooth Party Speaker?
Your Budget
Yes, the mighty dollar rules. Ideally, we would all own a B&W Nautilus, but that’s not the way the world works, and everybody cannot spend $50k on a speaker. So when we buy speakers (or most consumer products actually), we often look at our budget and then limit our options to what we can afford. Since we know how important it is to stick to your budget, we’ve added an option or two that caters to a more limited budget while still making sure our list best represents the best party speakers out there.
Thankfully Bluetooth speakers intended for parties are available at affordable prices, and even on a budget, you’ll have a good amount of options available to you.
Party Size and Location
A person throwing a small house party for 20 people would not have the same audio needs as a person who invited 100 guests. So consider the number of people you typically entertain before making a final purchase decision.
Hand in hand with this, consider the location of your party, more specifically, whether it will be held indoors or outdoors. Some speakers sound amazing indoors, but once you remove the acoustic effects of four walls and the roof, the sound “falls flat.” If you plan to host an outdoor party, buy a speaker that will excel in that environment.
Additionally, if you’re looking to use this as a permanent solution to something like a dance studio or storefront – your requirements will be a bit different from the home party-throwers. For these larger spaces where portability isn’t a concern, you may need to fork out a bit more, but you’ll also have many options. Products like the PartyBox 1000 & 710 and Soundboks 3 do a great job of covering these types of spaces.
Weatherproofing
Something to take into consideration when buying a party speaker is your need for waterproofing. If your speaker isn’t going to be outdoors at any point and doesn’t need weatherproofing to cater to that, you will have a few more options available to you. For outdoor events where weather may be a concern, we would suggest that your speaker offers at least IPX5 weather protection or higher. We’d feel comfortable running the Soundboks 3 in light rain. For protection from the average stray splash of liquid or drink spill, an IPX4 rating would suffice.
Connecting Multiple Devices
Some speakers allow for multiple devices to connect at once. Obviously, we can’t play more than one song at a time through the same speakers, but it’s a great feature if you’re sharing music duty with a friend at a party or bouncing songs off one another and sharing some music discovery moments together.
For those purposes, it is great to have the ability to connect more than one device, as there will be no need to go through the steps of disconnecting, pairing, and waiting every time it’s someone else’s turn to play a song.
Power Output and Volume
The speaker’s power, measured in Watts (W), is a very important factor to consider. While the loudness of your speaker, measured in decibels (dB), is not directly related to the number of Watts it generates, in most cases, there is a correlation. The most important for you to remember is:
The more powerful your speaker, the higher you can crank the volume without sacrificing sound quality.
You get low-power speakers that can generate quite a fair amount of decibels in volume, but the problem is that they quickly lose sound quality and starts to sound clanky when you dial them up to their party-level volumes. This is somewhat of a generalization, though, as the engineering of some audio products offers better efficiency and can therefore push more volume with less power.
There are many things to take into consideration when determining just how powerful you would like your party speakers to be, and honestly, there isn’t an exact science to it.
Bass – The Party’s in The Low End
Think about a serious raging party and you probably think of chips, beer, and bass. You want people to be dancing and feeling the music rather than just hearing it. Imagine picking some great bass-heavy songs and having virtually no bass produced by your speakers. It would sound incredibly disappointing.
What determines whether a speaker has good bass or not? First, let’s clarify exactly what bass is before exploring it further. Bass notes are the notes that fall on the lower end of the audio spectrum. An easy way to explain this is that it is usually the guttural drum parts of a song or the low explosions that can be heard in a movie. These sounds can be felt vibrating through your body if the sound is powerful enough. You will generally be able to identify the bass in a song by the thumping beat.
The main component that determines the bass of a speaker is the subwoofer, combined with the physical size of the speaker drivers. The “sub” produces low thumping sounds, and if you want to buy a party speaker with a powerful sub, you need to look mainly at the size, quality, and wattage. The PartyBox 1000 offers a whopping 12″ subwoofer, which brings plenty of low-end response.
This isn’t to say that bass requires a dedicated subwoofer, though. The Soundboks 3, for instance, uses two large woofers that drive the low and midrange and can still produce some really impressive bass.
Sound Quality
With sound quality, we’re referring to the mids and highs of the music and how clearly and distinctively a speaker is able to produce these sounds. If the sound quality is good, then the mids and highs will be clear and flawless without any distortion at high volumes. This is important; otherwise, once your speaker goes above a certain volume, you’ll start hearing what resembles a “scratching noise” that’ll ruin your music.
If you’re new to frequency response ranges and do not know what mids and highs are, I will make it simple for you.
Highs: These are the high pitches or high-frequency sounds that are often produced by the soprano, violin, flute, etc.
Mids: These are the medium pitches or middle frequencies that are often produced by the viola, cello, alto, tenor, oboe, etc.
Lows: These are the low pitches or low (bass) frequencies that are often produced by the bass, bassoon, bass drum, baritone, etc.
So before buying a speaker, make sure to read some reviews to ensure that the speaker has good sound quality and will not distort when you turn the volume to max.
Portability
We made a point of ensuring that each of the party speakers on this list is Bluetooth-compatible. Some speakers are more portable than others, with the Soundboks Gen 3 trading some portability in exchange for loudness.
While some of the speakers come with batteries and can be played anywhere, even if there is no power source, others can be moved, and they are completely portable, but once you have transported them, they will need to be plugged in.
You’ll need to decide just how portable you need your party speakers to be. Will you need them to fit in the back of your car? Do you need them to run on battery power, or can they be plugged in at your party destination?
Consider how easy it is to carry. Some speakers can get pretty heavy so take a look at the weight of a speaker when you buy online in order to ensure that you will be able to carry it. It is also useful to check if the speaker has a handle, and you can even look for a party speaker with wheels and a telescoping handle so that you can just drag it around.
Access To Power
Whether your new Bluetooth speaker needs access to continuous power or not is a big deal. If you plan on using your speaker in only one location (desktop, bedside, or as part of your entertainment system), then a battery-powered speaker may be unnecessary for you. However, you never know if the need arises for you to transport your speaker to alternate locations.
If you plan on taking your speaker to the beach, camping, road-tripping, or even somewhere else in your home, having to carry a cable, adaptor, and extension lead can be quite annoying. I would recommend going for a battery-powered speaker just to be on the safer side.
Battery Life
We just mentioned that a hand full of the party speakers on this list do not run on battery, so when it comes to the battery, it is obviously important to check if the speaker actually has one. Checking whether that battery is a rechargeable battery is important. While the chances of getting a proper party speaker that runs on a non-rechargeable battery are slim, I still check.
Batteries come in different sizes; some can be extremely powerful, while others are sadly very weak. Check how powerful the battery is and how long it will last on max volume. Bear in mind that the volume you are playing music will affect how long the battery lasts. Another thing that you should note in regard to the battery is that if the speaker has accessories such as lights, it will use far more power than when only the music is playing.
This can actually have a dramatic effect on the battery life. For example, the ION Audio Block Party Live, which is an amazing speaker, gets about 70 hours of playtime from a charge when the light dome is switched off. However, when you switch it on while playing music, you only get 6 hours of playtime. Take this into consideration when buying a party speaker.
Accessories
Many party speakers these days have a ton of really cool features and accessories that give them an edge over competitors. Some of these features seem downright silly, while others are actually pretty great. Some speaker speakers have cool strobe lights while others have multicolored LED lights like some of the Sony SRS-XP700 X-Series, and then you, of course, the Sony XB72 party speaker which has both these lighting features.
There are many other accessories like remotes, speaker stands, microphones, etc., but the accessories you would like your speaker to have, depending on your taste and needs. Not everybody wants a party speaker with a bunch of lights. Luckily, we have a large variety of speakers on this list so you are bound to find something you like.
Are lights important on a party speaker?
Whether you need lighting on your speaker comes down to the type of party you want to throw. Listening parties around a table of food may be better suited towards a more discrete speaker, while if you’re looking to throw on some tunes and get weird with your friends, lighting can do a lot. Similarly, professional party hosts can benefit by adding some life to their venue with lights.
How many watts do I need for a party speaker?
That depends on the size of your party. You can find our rough guide on recommended watts here.
Can I rent party speakers?
Some places offer speaker rentals; this is a great choice if you’re looking to throw a single party. But it’s often best to invest in a quality speaker if you’re going to be throwing parties consistently, as renting can cost more in the long run.
Update History
01/18/2023 – Added new recommendations and improved the buyer’s guide to be more informative.
06/22/2022 – Better clarified why our selected picks were chosen. Swapped several products with better options.
02/08/2022 – Replaced the Best Overall JBL PartyBox 300 High Power Audio System with the updated JBL Partybox 310 Speaker version. All ten products on the list have been removed and replaced with seven updated and better products. Added Party Chain vs. Single Speaker, Access to Power, and Connecting Multiple Devices information.
05/22/2020 – Added our Indoor or Outdoor Party Speakers Sizing Guide
05/09/2020 – Replaced the Altec Lansing XPEDITION 8 with the Anker Soundcore Rave Mini
04/28/2020 – Replaced the Sony GTKXB7BC with the newer Sony XB72. Added the JBL Partybox 300 to the list that edges the Sony XB72 for our Top Pick! Removed the Sylvania SP328.
Have fun during parties and make sure every person fully participate by using a high-quality speaker which is audible and produces a balanced sound.
Thank you so much for this… Very in-depth and informative, also very easy to understand… This just changed the game for my party next month!! Thanks again!!
Hello,
Great blog post…!!!I went through your post on Marshall Killburn and found it to be really informative and unbiased. I feel that this review of post would help the customers .
Very nice speakers . Thanks for sharing .
I love all of the options on the SuperSonic IQsound Wireless Bluetooth Portable DJ Speaker System (Bluetooth, USB, mic, both cord or battery), and the price is great. However when I go to Amazon, there are only a few reviews and several say the sound is not very loud. I also can’t find whether you can link two of them to make it louder.
I’m planning a party for about 100 people, outdoors, and I want to make sure this will be loud enough. Any additional info, thoughts or feedback would be appreciated!
Hey Katelyn, thanks for your question!
I would say The SOUNDBOKS 2 and Altec Lansing EXPEDITION 8 deliver some serious sound and might be the best options for you from our party speaker list. Also, check out our list of best PA systems and, if you perhaps want to install some speakers, then consider a decent pair of patio speakers. It also depends whether you want speakers to get people on the dancefloor or if you just want some background music?
– Matt
Thank you for this comprehensive list. I have an old JBL Partybox 100 and was considering the JBL Partybox 300 as I just love the speaker and the brand. it seems to have quite a bit in common with the Sony which is your pick. Did you consider the Partybox 300 for this list? If so, is there any reason it didn’t make it onto the list?
I don’t currently own a party speaker but I am on the hunt for one. I am looking for a speaker that is modern and looks like a party. I want my music to feel like it’s touching the inner party animal in all of my guest. The music gets in their soul and makes them dance. I want it to be Bluetooth enabled and have excellent connectivity. I want to be able to click play and not have to worry about my music all.
Which one would be good for a party of 40? Outside in a large back yard