A party speaker is a different animal from a pocket Bluetooth speaker. It has to fill a room or backyard, survive a spilled drink, run for hours on battery and, increasingly, double as a karaoke rig with microphone inputs and vocal effects. Picking the best party speaker means balancing loudness against weight, battery life against price, and deciding whether you need mic and guitar inputs or just big bass. Below are seven strong options across budget bands, with honest notes on who each one is not for.
What makes a good party speaker
Three things matter more than the wattage number on the box. First, bass that stays clean at volume: larger woofers and a dedicated subwoofer driver hold up when the music is loud. Second, inputs: if anyone will sing, you need at least one microphone input with its own volume and echo control. Third, portability: wheels and a telescopic handle become essential once a speaker passes a certain size. Lights, apps and stereo pairing are nice extras, not the core.
Our picks for the best party speaker
JBL PartyBox 110
The JBL PartyBox 110 is the sensible middle of the PartyBox range. It is rated at 160W with two bass levels, about 12 hours of battery, an IPX4 splashproof body and the PartyBox app for light shows. Mic and guitar inputs on the top panel make it a ready-made karaoke speaker.
Best for: living rooms, patios and anyone who wants one speaker for both music and karaoke.
- Pros: strong, clean bass, mic and guitar inputs, splashproof, good app.
- Cons: heavy enough that you will notice carrying it more than a short distance.
JBL PartyBox Stage 320
The JBL PartyBox Stage 320 adds wheels and a telescopic handle to a bigger cabinet with two 6.5-inch woofers and two tweeters. JBL rates it at up to 18 hours of play with a replaceable battery, so a second battery can keep a long event going.
Best for: backyard parties and events where the speaker has to roll from car to garden.
- Pros: wheels and handle, swappable battery, loud enough for large spaces.
- Cons: sits in the splurge band; the spare battery is sold separately.
JBL PartyBox Encore Essential
The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential is the compact entry point: 100W, a ring light with strobe, IPX4 splash resistance and True Wireless Stereo pairing so two units can play as a stereo set.
Best for: small rooms, dorms and people who want the PartyBox sound in a lighter box.
- Pros: compact, punchy, stereo pairing.
- Cons: battery is rated around six hours, well short of bigger models; no wireless mics in the box.
LG xboom Stage501
The LG xboom Stage501 is built around singing. Its AI Karaoke feature reduces the vocal on your own music without a separate app, two 5.25-inch woofers and two full-range drivers handle the sound, and LG rates the battery at 25 hours. The tuning was developed with will.i.am, and the carry-friendly shape suits moving between rooms.
Best for: karaoke fans who want to sing over their normal playlists, not just karaoke tracks.
- Pros: built-in vocal reduction, very long rated battery, performer-focused design.
- Cons: vocal reduction quality varies by song; check what microphones are included before you buy.
Philips TAX5000
The Philips TAX5000 is a karaoke-ready box with dual 8-inch woofers, two tweeters, dual mic inputs and a quarter-inch guitar jack, each with independent volume and echo. Wheels, a handle, IPX4 splash resistance and a rated 14 hours of battery make it easy to wheel out to the garden, and Auracast lets it broadcast to other compatible speakers.
Best for: mid-range karaoke and jam nights where two people sing at once.
- Pros: two mic inputs plus guitar, big woofers, wheels, runs on battery or mains.
- Cons: microphones not included; a newer name in party speakers than JBL or Sony.
Soundcore Boom 2
The Soundcore Boom 2 is the budget outdoor option: 80W with a dedicated subwoofer, BassUp tuning, a rated 24 hours of battery and a built-in power bank for charging phones. It is light enough to carry to the beach or campsite.
Best for: picnics, camping and small gatherings on a tight budget.
- Pros: very long battery, portable, charges your phone.
- Cons: no microphone input, so it is a music speaker only.
Ultimate Ears Hyperboom
The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom is built for big, room-filling music. It is rated for up to 24 hours of battery, is IPX4 splash resistant and has two Bluetooth inputs plus aux and optical, so you can switch between devices or connect it to a TV.
Best for: music-first parties and people who want one speaker for TV and gatherings.
- Pros: huge sound, long battery, optical input, multi-device switching.
- Cons: no dedicated mic input, so karaoke needs a separate mixer.
Comparison table
| Product | Best for | Key feature |
|---|---|---|
| JBL PartyBox 110 | Music and karaoke at home | Mic and guitar inputs, 160W |
| JBL PartyBox Stage 320 | Backyard events | Wheels, replaceable battery |
| JBL PartyBox Encore Essential | Small rooms | Compact, stereo pairing |
| LG xboom Stage501 | Singing over any playlist | AI Karaoke vocal reduction |
| Philips TAX5000 | Duets and jam nights | Dual mic inputs, guitar jack |
| Soundcore Boom 2 | Outdoors, cheap | 24-hour rated battery |
| Ultimate Ears Hyperboom | Music-first parties | Optical input, huge sound |
How to choose a party speaker
Size the speaker to the space. Wattage ratings are not standardised between brands, so treat them as rough guides. A compact unit suits a bedroom or small flat; a living room or patio wants a mid-size cabinet; a backyard or hall wants a large speaker with big woofers. For a deeper dive into how much power a space needs, read our explainer on how many watts of PA you need.
Check the inputs if anyone will sing. A dedicated mic input with its own volume and echo is the difference between a karaoke speaker and a music speaker. Pair it with low-latency wireless mics from our best karaoke microphones guide, and avoid routing vocals over Bluetooth.
Battery versus mains. Battery ratings are measured at moderate volume with lights on or off depending on the brand. Expect less at full volume. If you party outdoors often, a swappable battery or a power bank function is worth paying for.
Weight and handling. Anything over medium size needs wheels and a handle. Check the weight against who will carry it and how far.
Party speaker or PA? Party speakers lean toward bass, lights and fun. PA speakers lean toward clear vocals and flat sound. If you are playing live or running events, see our best powered PA speakers; for mixing music in a club style, the best DJ speakers guide is a better fit. Want an all-in-one karaoke box rather than a speaker? Browse the best karaoke machines for adults.
Setting up a party speaker for the best sound
- Get it off the floor. A speaker on a table or sturdy stand at roughly ear height sounds clearer and carries further; on the floor, bass builds up and vocals get lost.
- Use the corner carefully. A corner boosts bass, which is great for a thin-sounding speaker and too much for a bass-heavy one. Pull it out a little if the sound gets boomy.
- Match bass boost to the space. Open spaces swallow low end, so bass modes help outside but tend to muddy small rooms.
- Keep singers behind the speaker. If you are using mics, point the speaker toward the crowd and keep microphones behind or beside it to avoid feedback.
- Stream from one phone. Pick one person as DJ and turn off notification sounds, or every message will blast across the garden.
FAQ
Can a party speaker be used for karaoke?
Yes, if it has a microphone input or ships with wireless mics. Models like the JBL PartyBox 110, Philips TAX5000 and LG xboom Stage501 are designed for it. Speakers without mic inputs need a small mixer in front.
Is more wattage always louder?
Not necessarily. Brands measure wattage differently, and speaker efficiency, woofer size and tuning all affect how loud a speaker sounds. Compare within one brand, and read real-world size guidance rather than trusting the number alone.
Can I pair two party speakers together?
Most major brands support linking two of their own speakers for stereo or more volume, but cross-brand pairing usually does not work. Check the stereo pairing or multi-speaker feature before buying a second unit.
