Several times a month I get asked by DJs all over what my favorite speakers are. Before I answer, I always ask a few questions:

1- What types of events are you doing?

2- What is the audience size?

3- What kind of look are you wanting?

The majority of the work that we do at Bunn DJ Company is weddings and corporate events. The average crowd size is about 100-150. The look that we are going for is clean and classy.

Currently, my speaker of choice (as well as several of my top DJs) is the Electro-Voice (EV) Evolve 50. If you have never seen it, Google it now. As you can see, it has quite a different look than your typical “speaker on a stick” tripod look. Personally, I hate tripods. I don’t think they look good and they are always going to be a trip hazard no matter where you place them.

Not only do the EV Evolve 50 speakers look good, but they sound amazing for crowds up to about 200 people. The low-end is ample since it actually has a separate subwoofer, and the highs and mids never get too “crispy” or painful. A bonus is that they come in black and white so you can create the exact look you want.

If you still want a more traditional speaker, I suggest the EV ELX200 12” powered speaker. You are going to need tripods for these. I highly recommend the Gator Frameworks “hydraulic” stands if you are going the tripod route. They literally raise themselves, saving your back a lot of effort. These speakers are again perfect for a crowd of about 200. The low-end is nice, but not too much.

Speaking of low-end, let’s say you are DJing for bigger crowds, younger crowds, or just need more boom. The EV ELX200 18” subwoofer paired with the 12” mentioned above is the move! You can run one if you want some punch or two if you want to shake the walls. The beauty of having two subs is, once again, you can get rid of the dreaded tripods and instead use the threaded pole on top of the subwoofer holding the 12”. Make sure to get the height-adjustable threaded pole.

There are tons of brands out there. I just really prefer EV right now. If you have a local music supplier like Guitar Center or Sam Ash, I suggest you go by there and set up a demo during a non-busy day (not during the weekend). Let them A/B the speakers for you and make your own decision!

For more tips, check out djjoebunn.com or any of my other articles on BPM Supreme.

About Joe Bunn

Joe started his DJ career at the age of 14 in his hometown of Wilson, NC. He did shows all throughout high school, college at UNC-Chapel Hill, and eventually moved to Raleigh, NC in the late 90s where he started Bunn DJ Company. The company grew from a couple of DJs to 15 of the area’s best mobile DJs. Over the past few years, Bunn DJ Company has expanded to Charleston, SC, Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA. The company performs at over 800 weddings a year and another 400 private, corporate, and charity events.

In addition, Joe is a writer for many national DJ publications such as Disc Jockey News, Mobile Beat Magazine, and DJ Times. He has given seminars at Mobile Beat Las Vegas, Wedding MBA, DJ Times Expo, local/regional organizations, NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill. Joe has also been hired by DJs all over the world to help their businesses in every aspect from branding to sales.