The 6 Best Speakers For Parties - Fall 2022 Reviews

The JBL PartyBox 310 is the best speaker for parties we've tested. This large party speaker offers a boomy sound profile with its Bass Boost feature set to 'Deep' and can produce the thump and rumble typically present in bass-heavy music like EDM or hip-hop. You can customize its sound profile to your liking, thanks to the graphic EQ featured in its companion app, and it can also get loud enough to fill large crowded spaces and gets even louder while wired to a power source. Like most party speakers we've tested, it's fairly large and bulky. However, this battery-powered speaker comes with a telescopic handle and wheels to help you wheel it around to your next party.

It's rated IPX4 for water resistance, which certifies it for protection from small water splashes, so you can use it at outdoor parties without worrying about it getting a bit wet. There's even a 12V DC In port to charge the speaker via your car's lighter port. It features 'Mic', 'Mic or Guitar' inputs, and karaoke-related settings that'll please musicians and karaoke lovers. You can also connect the PartyBox to other compatible speakers when you want your audio to cover even larger spaces.

Looking for something a bit more affordable? With its Bass Boost feature set to 'Deep', the JBL PartyBox 110 has a boomy sound profile that's great for bass-heavy music lovers. Its mid-range is balanced too, so vocals and lead instruments reproduce clearly and accurately in the mix. Like the JBL PartyBox 310, if you like having more control over your speaker's sound, you can customize it using the graphic EQ in its companion app and use the app to customize its RGB lights. The speaker is smaller than the JBL PartyBox 310 and doesn't produce a low bass that's quite as thumpy and rumbling. It also doesn't come with a 12V DC In port to charge the speaker via your car's lighter port.

Like other party speakers we've tested, it comes with a mic and guitar input, each with its own volume knobs. It's rated IPX4 for water resistance, meaning it's certified to withstand small splashes of water, so you can use it at outdoor parties without worrying about getting it a bit wet from some light rain. If you're looking for an even more affordable option, the slightly smaller JBL PartyBox 100 is a great choice and performs fairly similarly. However, it isn't compatible with the JBL PartyBox app, so you can't customize its sound profile and its RGB lights to your liking.

If you're looking for a speaker to use at your next party without breaking the bank, check out the ION Pathfinder 280. While it doesn't produce as deep a bass as the larger party speakers on this list, like the JBL PartyBox 110, this budget-friendly party speaker can still get mighty loud. It can fill large crowded areas with little compression at max volume, so your audio remains clear and pure-sounding when the volume is maxed out. It comes with a telescopic handle and wheels to help you transport it, and its incredible, long-lasting battery life of almost 70 hours makes it great for multiple long parties, though this varies depending on your usage habits and chosen volume levels. It also comes with RGB lights and radio capabilities that let you save up to 16 radio stations.

Out-of-the-box, both vocals and lead instruments sound present in the mix, though there's some unevenness in the mid and treble ranges, causing them to sound alternately honky and dull at times. That said, there's a graphic EQ and presets you can use to customize its sound to your liking. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with any inputs to wire external instruments to the speaker like the PartyBox 110. If being able to connect an external microphone or guitar to the speaker is important, check out the Monster Rockin' Roller 270X. It can produce a more extended low bass too. That said, its sound profile is more uneven than the ION's and doesn't get quite as loud. Also, while there are bass and treble adjustments to tweak its sound, you don't get the full graphic EQ you would with the ION.

Looking for the loudest speaker to blast at your next party? The SOUNDBOKS (Gen.3) can get a touch louder than the JBL PartyBox 310, making it louder than all the other speakers on this list, and can fill large crowded areas with ease. It can also produce the deep thump and rumble in low-bass that fans of bass-heavy music enjoy, and you can customize its sound to your liking thanks to its graphic EQ and presets. There's significantly more compression at max volume in the low-bass and higher treble ranges, meaning you can hear some pumping artifacts in the bass and treble ranges when you max out its volume, so your audio doesn't sound as clean or clear when you blast the speaker.

It comes with two XLR ports you can use to wire instruments like a guitar, microphone, and DJ mixer to it. Its rechargeable battery is replaceable and lasts an incredible 43 hours from a single charge, so you don't have to worry about it dying on you in the middle of your party. Its metal grille is removable, and you can switch it out or different colors that suit your style, which you can purchase from the manufacturer. While it doesn't come with an IP rating for dust and water resistance like the PartyBox 310, the manufacturer claims its internal parts and electrical components are coated to comply with an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance, so it'll withstand some spills at your next party.

If you're looking for a loud party speaker that's more portable than the SOUNDBOKS (Gen. 3) or other large speakers on this list, the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM is the best portable party speaker we've tested that can get loud. This stereo speaker can get as loud as the JBL PartyBox 110, with less compression present at max volume, so your audio sounds cleaner and clearer when the volume is maxed out. It's battery-powered and has a strap built into its side to help carry it in one hand. It's well-built, with an IPX4 rating for water resistance that certifies it as protected from small splashes of water, so you don't have to worry about it getting a bit wet from some light rain when bringing it outdoors with you.

Its sound profile is neutral overall, making it suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content, though it lacks some low bass. Fortunately, you can customize its sound to your liking thanks to the graphic EQ and presets featured in its companion app. However, it doesn't come with RGB lights or any mic or guitar inputs like the PartyBox 110. If you're looking for a portable party speaker you can wire a mic or guitar to that has RGB lights, check out the Sony SRS-XG500. However, the audio quality isn't as clean or clear at loud volumes as the Ultimate Ears. Its soundstage isn't as open and spacious-sounding either.

If you want to feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music like EDM or hip-hop, the JBL PartyBox 710 is the best Bluetooth Party Speaker for Bass we've tested. With its Bass Boost feature set to 'Deep', its sound profile is boomy and can produce slightly deeper bass than the JBL PartyBox 310 and the SOUNDBOKS (Gen. 3). It has a balanced overall mid-range too, so vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix. Like the PartyBox 310 and the JBL PartyBox 110, it's compatible with the JBL PartyBox app, which lets you access a graphic EQ to tweak its sound and light show effects.

It gets as loud as the PartyBox 310 and can easily fill large crowded parties with sound. It comes with 'Mic', 'Mic or Guitar' inputs, and karaoke-related settings, which are great for musicians and karaoke lovers. There are built-in wheels to help transport it, though it's larger and bulkier than the PartyBox 310 and isn't battery-powered, meaning it needs to remain wired to an outlet to work. It's also rated IPX4 for water resistance, meaning it's certified to withstand small splashes of water, so you don't have to worry about it getting a bit wet at your next pool party.