The Yamaha Stagepas is in my opinion the best sounding and most versatile portable PA in its size. I've encountered many different situations when this product met the needs at hand better than any other of the competing choices.
Yamaha Stagepas Review
The design is very clever, the mixer and amplifier are packed in the same unit like a mini powered mixer. They come attached to the back of one of the monitors or can be taken out. 2 single twist screws hold them perfectly in place.
Have in mind that the powered mixer can be used independently from the speakers, as long as you make sure that power handling is correct you can plug any speakers you want.
The same for the speakers, you could use them separate as monitors. It comes in 2 options, a 300 and a 500 watt version. I've always liked how Yamaha has made it really simple for the layman to estimate their power needs. They recommend to consider a watt per person.
So if you need to address between 300 to 500 people the Stagepas 500 is the correct choice. Also consider this one for smaller outside gatherings as well. The Stagepas 300 comes with a 8 channels mixer. 4 channels feature a mic pre and a mono line input, 2 channels are stereo, one stereo input has a pair of 1/4'' line inputs and a pair of RCA inputs, the other has a pair of RCA inputs only.
All channels feature a 2 band EQ and the first 4 channels have a master reverb button which can be controlled by a single knob. Also a limiter is included to prevent the speakers from overloading. The Stagepas 500 mixer includes a second stereo line input with 1/4'' connections, phantom power and a compressor on the first 2 channels.
Have in mind that in both options in the first 4 channels you have to select between the mic or the line input. To make it more gig friendly you might want to consider the optional accessories, the very comfortable carrying case with wheels and the mic stand adapter for the mixer. Also a pair of speaker stands.
For more detailed info about the Yamaha Stagepas 300
please -->Click Here
For info about the Yamaha Stagepas 500
please -->Click Here
Also consider these accessories,
-->Yamaha YBSP300 StagePas 300 Transport Bag
-->Yamaha Rolling Case for Stagepas 500
Fender Passport Review
The Fender Passport in my opinion has always looked more attractive for speech applications. Also home entertaining situations like karaoke. The design of the package itself makes it very portable.A full PA system is included in 3 options, a 150, 300 and 500 watts version. The newer Passport Pro is more robust and very well suited for music applications. Also in the new Pro version is the capability of recording directly to a USB drive.
The old Passport can still be found in a 250 and 80 watts version but these might not be available for long. But I would highly recommend considering the new Pro version.
As I stated before, in my opinion for music purposes I've always preferred the Yamaha Stagepas, the speakers are constructed out of a harder material. But in the new version the Fender Passport has gotten a lot more solid and defined.
The layout of the mixer is very similar to the Yamaha Stagepas with the nice addition of a dedicated reverb control knob and a pad to lower the input via a single button per channel. The older Fender Passport 250 can still be found with a pair of microphones included.
For small gatherings, speeches, presentations, traveling expositions and many more other applications the Fender Passport is an obvious choice. Its compact and portable design makes it very attractive due to the fact that you don't need and extra carrying case.
For more info about the Fender Passport Pro 500 please -->Click Here
For more info about the Fender Passport Pro 300 please -->Click Here
Oceanic Reviews Privacy Policy