Buying DJ speakers (monitors)? These are your options!

As a DJ it is important that you hear exactly what you are doing. For that you use a DJ headphone but it is also nice that you have speakers that you can monitor on.

Especially with beat matching or the use of effects such as EQ, it is essential to hear the details well. These details are clear for the public and they will experience it even better. Also read our article about the best DJ software.

Are professional speakers necessary?

There are a number of factors that make it difficult to use normal speakers. Often it starts with the connection and you cannot connect normal speakers to a DJ set. In addition, you don't just need to hear the details as a producer. As a DJ you really have to be able to hear what you are doing and some power from the speakers is also nice. You also hear well what the bass in certain songs are.

Many studio monitors that are also used by DJs are active, this means that there is a built-in amplifier in it so that you do not need a separate amplifier and can connect them directly to your DJ controller or all-in-one DJ controller.

The size of the DJ speakers

The size is important for the power that comes out of the speakers. DJ speakers of 3, 4, 5 or 6 inches are great to use at home depending on the size of your room and your neighbors of course! The number indicates the size of the speaker woofer.

If you play at small parties where the space is larger and more people are present? Then it is advisable to buy larger DJ speakers. What can be smart is to immediately buy a large size so that you can use them at home and at parties. At home you do not put them at full power but at parties you can easily raise the volume. So you don't have to buy two sets of speakers.

Which connections do you use?

If you are going to look at the connections of your DJ speakers, it is important to check which connections your controller has. Make sure you go for XLR or Jack, these are reliable connections. RCA is less reliable, sturdy and can result in noise. So if you have the choice to go for XLR or Jack, go for it!

RCA is great for short distances in a home setup.

Which brands are good to use?

Almost all DJ speakers are normal studio monitors, if they are used for your own monitoring. For the audience you need other speakers, we will discuss this further in this article. It is therefore common that you buy studio monitors for DJ monitoring.

We advise you to choose for common and inexpensive brands. A number of commonly used brands for studio and DJ monitoring are:

• Pioneer
• KRK
• Adam Audio
• Mackie

We do not recommend brands such as Genelec and Focal to be used for DJ monitoring, as they are real quality monitors for studios. In addition, they are very expensive if you want a large variant.

DJ speakers for the public

Are you looking at speakers that you can use for your audience? Then you can see if you can manage sound with studio monitors. This is reasonable for home parties, but do you have a larger location or outside for example? Then you should quickly start looking at a DJ speaker set.

Professional DJs often own L’Acoustics speakers and a DJ headphone during performances.

Make sure you take a number of factors into account:

• A tripod to position them above the audience for a good distribution of the sound.
• Active or passive speakers? With passive speakers you have to ensure that you also buy a separate amplifier with active speakers, this is in the speaker.
• Do you have the right cables or are they included?
• Do you want a good setup for a medium-sized audience? Make sure you also have a sub woofer to supplement the bass.

Do you still have questions or do you want advice about which set best suits your situation? Leave a comment below!