Vintage stereo or small PA?

[RJC1811]

My music room is in my basement. I want something that I can play backing tracks, youtube or spotify audio or amplify vocals on the rare times the band practices here.

If I went vintage stereo I would get a small mixer to use as a preamp before the input and some beefy speakers.

The other option is a powered mixer (6 channel probably peavey or yamaha) and mid size PA speakers. I could run the audio into the stereo channel inputs.

Budget is under $500 and I would be looking used. It would need to be loud enough to hang with a band as loud as we could play in a confimed space with a live drummer. My 2 concerns are would the stereo have enough power to amplify the non-compressed vocal signal well? And would the PA do a good job acting as a stereo playing audio?

Any reccommendations?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[WayneP]

It’s not just an issue of amplifier power, but speaker efficiency. If you’re not familiar with the term, it has to do with the amount of output (SPL) a speaker can deliver with a given input (wattage). Few home stereo speakers are as efficient as PA speakers. A typically home stereo speaker has an efficiency rating of 85-87 dB, while PA speakers typically are 100 dB or better. In the real world this means that if the home speaker puts out 85 dB with “xx” watts, the PA speaker is putting out 15 dB more with the same wattage.

Bottom line, if you intend for the playback music to be on par with the band playing, you’d better go with some PA speakers. You need all the volume you can get.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt


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[Bufalo]

Get a powered speaker, many of the ones in that budget range have a stereo audio input built into them already. One box solution.

 

[4Mal]

I'm soundcraft gigrac and a couple of used pa traps...

 

[seanm]

When we practiced in my basement I just ran the vocals + guitar + bass through a small powered mixer into one full range bass cab (EA CXL112). We where close together and practiced at very low volumes. No complaints at all.

But you need a guitar player that doesn't need a tube amp for "his sound" at practice and a drummer that controls the volume.

Man I miss that band