Types of speakers to create nightclub style sound?

Actually QSC makes a smaller powered speaker that would work really well and doesn’t cost too much- the CP8. I had a pair in my basement and thought they were very listenable and very very good at what they do. Very small footprint too. Pair them with a small equivalent sub woofer and you’ll definitely have a good party system. I wouldn’t say it is audiophile sound quality but it is pleasing sound and definitely would be great for parties. I enjoyed them for relaxed listening and was surprised at how nice they sounded. A real bargain

51 reponses, in over a week, and we have not heard back from the op ?

I am familiar with QSC CP8. I would rate the Tannoy V8 over the QSC's in terms of sound quality. Also the V8 can be purchased for around $350 used, for the pair. 

All that being said, the Tannoy V12 would outperform both of the above, no contest. Hence my original recommendation.

Who cares about the op? Aren't we just venting out in response to the usual audiophile equipment non-sense talk? 
Oh wait, no. OP had a good question so we all trying to help him. Yep, that's it!

I would like to recommend a pair of used JBL 4435‘s. I had a pair once and they really filled my 27 x 20 x 10 living room with great sound. These are big box speakers but I think they look great. 

I was told the 4435’s were used in a lot of disco clubs in the 80’s.

They were designed to cast a large sound field with the bi-radial horn. The Dual 15” woofs can mix concrete. Efficient enough to be driven by lower power amps. I was driving mine with a MC275. They sounded very natural to me.

You should be able to find a great pair for $2-2.5K.

Well, there's always This...

https://www.ebay.com/i/173923619637?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=173923619637&targetid=475515166461&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9010328&poi=&campaignid=6469750693&mkgroupid=79220282802&rlsatarget=aud-762207186714:pla-475515166461&abcId=1141176&merchantid=8448544&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrtDxtpLu5QIVDisMCh3srg3iEAkYECABEgLw0_D_BwE

It will be memorable...whoever survives having their drink mixed In Their Hand.....;)

Night club systems are PA systems, not audiophile systems.  That being said, the most musical sounding PA gear I've ever heard come from Bag End.  Buy their stuff.  Will easily fit your budget.

"Night club systems are PA systems, not audiophile systems"

Yes. But I find that good PA systems sound closer to live sound than almost any Audiophfile systems.  One exception that comes to mind would be Avangarde trio -- that one was good. 

OP wanted to have music parties. This is PA sound territory -- one needs to move some air!

My thought would be that if you want to bathe the room in sound you need to understand the dispersion pattern of your speakers and then place the speakers strategically through out the room to achieve the amount of coverage that is desired. The advantage of pro audio speakers is that they are designed to cover large areas and not a single listening position so they should make the task easier to achieve, assuming that you are using the correct speaker for your application. Some are designed to work alone and others are designed to work configured in arrays. Another plus for the pro gear is that the cabinets are designed to be suspended and the electronics are fully balanced.

Without knowing anything about your space I would start with some type of 4 sub system on the floor such as an inline configuration that mijostyn uses or a DBA arrangement. You may need more depending on desired volume level and room size. I would then go with either a front fill type of cabinet (i.e. the small speakers that are placed on the front edge of a stage in large venues to cover the front rows) or an under balcony speaker suspended from the ceiling firing straight down. The quantity being determined by the area needing to be covered. You could use any sub that you like, I would not use anything smaller than a 12" and I would highly recommend balanced in's and out's and a sealed cabinet would be a must.

Integrating the system to your room will probably be your biggest challenge. You will need some type of speaker management tool like an XTA DP424 or maybe a dbx unit if they still make something, which is how you will connect your source to the speakers system, and some type of room correction either passive or electronic.

The best PA speakers generally have fairly wide high frequency dispersion these days, and if you're using something small-ish like little powered "phased array" type boxes (common in newer installations as the lower profile makes them easier to fly above the crowd, stacked or otherwise), and a couple of good powered subs on the floor someplace, you're in there...all controlled by an iPad from anywhere in the room...you're likely to be surprised at the overall sound quality of this stuff.

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see any mention of room size as I scanned this thread.

I've seen some good suggestions:

Klipsch
Altec
Cerwin Vega
MTX
Ohm
... and a few others.

Pretty much any decent sized box speaker with a minimum 10" woofer works well.  Mount them in the corners horizontally at the ceiling to get bass gain.

I did this at my previous home.  Some neighbors loved me... and others hated me.

I also have this setup, (on a smaller scale), in the garage of my current home.  Great for informal "get togethers"... such as fish frys, hobo dinners, and yard parties.

Zu Omen Def. Done. 

This is not really in your budget range, but for the fun of describing what I have here, and it is in a 10,000 cu foot room with an 18 foot ceiling; it's probably better than any night club I have been too.  My brother, who is an audio/video engineer said that my system comes the closest to a live concert he has worked with the national bands.

Main speakers are Bryston Model T signature with PX1 external crossovers being driven with 2000 watts each from Anthem M1 mono blocks.  An Axiom Audio EP800V4 dual 12 driver sub with a linear power supply, no switchers here and to the left side.  An Axiom Audio EP500V4 to the rear, single 12 inch driver with linear power supply to the rear.  And A Bryston Model T subwoofer with triple 8 inch drivers and linear power supply to the right.  Total power in the system is around 7000 watts and trust me, you can not only hear very detailed music, you really feel it!

The largest improvement I made recently was the addition of a Whest PS.30 RDT SE 2019 phono stage... yikes!  the sound stage and imaging is simply incredible.  I have a huge collection of 1980's electronic club music and it just blows the windows out if needed.  The detail in the instruments is astounding. 

BTW, Axiom Audio builds all of Bryston's speakers, so the system is totally matched.  Again, this is not within your budget, but man is it fun to play this system with a party here.....

I’ve watched a few installations in Japanese nightclubs/bars on youtube.
They were using huge JBLs.

Dear community,

I hope some of you are expert in sound system and could help my choice. It follows the same question, hope you can help.

I am a fan of deep house and recently moved to a bigger house where i can dedicate a living room (28m2) to play with my mixer and throw small parties.

I am selling my Hi-Fi speakers which I feel are too weak and heat up after 6-8 hours set :)

My budget to install the new sound system is 5kusd. Trying to replicate a clean club sound. Unfortunately void and Funktion one small speakers are out of my budget.
I have looked into QSC 12.2 + sub and bose 812 + sub set up but I feel it is a more (mobile dj) set up.

Recently I have recieve this offer for 4.2kusd:
- X2 Martin Audio BlacklineX15
- X2 Martin Audio sub x115
- X1 Celto P4x1400 amp
- X1 Martin DX0.5 DSP (For a full control on EQ of the system)

I feel this setup I just listed will give better quality sound, than a typical x2 bose 812 with sub setup right?
Would appreciate your advise for all sound engineers and experts on this field out there.

That would be a kick butt system to throw parties. A bit overkill in a 28m2 room. So... if you need to save money or need to make it work on a smaller budget, get a pair of Tannoy V12  ($600)
+ Lab Gruppen E amp
+ pair of powered subs
+ an analogue active crossover.
You would spend half as much and get very good sound. I have Funktion One and Tannoy speakers so I've listed to both extensively. In a room around 28m2 you will be best off with a pair of Tannoys. V12 or V8 or  CPA15, those three models sound very nice. All need a subwoofer.

Big horns and big amp, no specifics. JBL and Altec Voice of the Theater come to mind. BagEnd is loud too.

I love Deep House as well, I have Legacy Audio Signature SE - dual 10" woofers and easy to drive. Basically those two are the main qualifiers, the speakers have to be easy to drive/fast and they have to be able to produce deep bass. these speakers are all rounders, they do everything well. With most "audiophile" speakers you're restricting yourself to a specific spectrum of music only. Audiogon users only listen to Diana Krall and Dire Straits, you can't just be limited to that.

For any kind of electronic music party you cannot count on dual 10" woofers for bass. Real bass with impact and low distortion needs to be produced by a sub or a pair of subs. Pair of 15" should do. But also you need midbass with impact == big horns like Funktion one or high efficeincy PA cabinets like Martin Audio or Tannoy. Big horns wont fit your room size so go with good PA direct radiators like  Martin Audio or Tannoys. Lastly, an expensive but awesome option is Meyer Sound System. All powered so nothing to mess with. UPA1p or Upj1P + matching subs.

Ibiza type sound is going to need to be multiple PA speakers, and you're likely looking for mid bass slam that alot of people here cannot relate to as bass is too often asscoaited with subwoofers and most home speakers or even subwoofers wont get you that 130+ db slam

consider 1 sub per speaker also
a 4 + 4 set will have the cops at your place faster than a 911 call
a pair of QSC KW 122's alone will get you a ton of output

these types of setups can be super inexpensive compared to the home audio world and a ton of fun, super ugly though
most of these types of systems will be very easy to set up including all the neccessary amps , connections, and power cords, etc......ususally just requiring inexpensive baanced cables after purchasing the gear
the massive output (i.e. fun factor) will overcome alot of room integration issues

I'm also interested in hearing from members who have approached the above with home gear, particularly higher end home tower speakers that can slam and offer excellent overall bass

Thanks for all the info. I know the setup might be overkill (Martin 2x X15 + 2x x115 + amp + DSP) for a open space of 28m2. I guess I will be always at 50% of the capacity of these speakers. However I also plan taking them to beach houses and other places where I will be able to push them higher outside. No need to rent anymore.

I will check the Tannoy setup! If can get the same sound quality for cheaper why not

Cerwin Vega towers and add one of their earthquake folded horn woofers.


  QSC speakers and a subwoofer.

 Lots of brands you can work with. 

No QSC. Used and heard on a few occasions. They sound like crap. Jesus, who in their right mind and not deaf would recommend QCS? 

I saw the cerwin vega, they look great but difficult to find in France.

All Uk/french brands are easier to access (Funktion, void, l acoustic, martins). But for the budget Martins seems like the only high end accessible.

 Then the solution is obvious.  Martin audio which you have already found or if you need to be on a smaller budget, used Tannoys. 

love this thread...
forgive me if I aleready mentioned this, but I have a Yamaha DRX10 that sounds excellent and is powered. I use it for literally everything ... my bass rig, my guitar rig, stereo and PA duty. It has a bit of hiss (white noise) at idle with no input. I see that Tannoy has a powered version of the V12, the VXP12 and that may be my stereo upgrade in the future. One reason I really like these powered PA monitors is that I travel and work internationally and offloading a mid to high-end set of audiophile speakers in some of these countries is near impossible but these powered pro-audio boxes always have a market .. my bottom dweller will probably be a Behringer 15 inch powered sub .. or two. I figure for 3-4 K you can have an absolutely wall crumbling stereo, less $ used and even less $ if you move down in driver size.

130+dB? No thanks. I guess I’m an old fart. That would definitely rattle my stents loose. 

Altec lansing a 7 speakers of any vintage are the perfect club simulator for your home they will give you that live visceral experience every time.

For a club experience at home, set it up like a club.  Put a mackie srm450 in each corner top corner.  Its important to have the speakers above everyone so that when people are standing up dancing, they dont block the speakers.  Add 4 big accompanying mackie subs. Use a bluesound node 2i into a good dac and then eq or dsp.  Control the music from your phone or ipad.  Get spotify, tidal and amazon hd; that way you’ll have all your music covered.

Id add sound treatments from gik all over the place.  This will allow you to play music loudly, cleanly and for long periods without destroying everyones ears.

last tip, play to the audience / guests.  Whatever they like they’ll dance to so tune in on that then find a good playlist with that genre so that you can entertain guests rather than picking a new song every 3 minutes.

If people are into it crank it up.  If everyone is trying to converse, either change music or turn it down or both.  

I have a set of Zu Omen Defs that could prolly recreate a jet engine, but I rarely wind them up. Mostly jazz. However, I do now & then, on EDM / beats type stuff. They're seemingly limitless. They don't have pounding bass like a sub will but from ~35 on up or so, buckle up.

Zu Omen Defs are good speakers at 101 dB/watt. But, I would not compare them to some others like JBL, Altec, Cerwin-Vega or BagEnd. Not even very close for "club" or concert volume. You wouldn't even hear the Zu's in a room with the others. In your house they are fantastic speakers for the $$.

I reno’d my basement 2 years ago. My goal was a home theater/bar in the theme of a basement club/bordello and hosting parties. Art work is all framed 12x18" concert billboards of artists that have influenced me through out my life etc. I have also decorated with guitar’s , mic stands, horns etc, along "the wall of sound" to emulate a stage. The 5.1 sound system consists of heavily modified Klipsch Lascala’s (new X overs, tweeter and mid driver from Bob Crites). The Lascala’s are powered by a Bryston 3B. I also have a pair of passive EV 18" sub’s, each sub is powered by an older restored Bryston 4B's configured in bridge or mono (800W per sub). I am using a Crites horn loaded center and Klipsch wall mounts for the rear channels, each powered by Bryston 2BLP’s. Also have a 3rd powered sub, utilizing a Axiom 600. I would love to have hung the lascala’s , but the basement ceiling height would make it difficult. The room is about 25’ x 60 with a variable height ceiling. The system will pressurize the room just fine, never even get close to clipping any of the amps, but the Lascala’s will get a little "horny" if pushed hard. I have been working on that by placing area rugs (as you see on many stages during live venues ) . Covid has kept me from having a large party, but it is giving me a great excuse to have one once it is safe to do so! With 1 watt or less the system sounds pretty good within the sweet spot. 10 watts or more the club sounds starts to kick in. I use the pre-processor to adjust sub output depending on the activity, usually I have them boosted with about 3db of gain over the Lascala’s. A few years prior we were hosting a party celebrating "A National Celebration" the final Tragically Hip concert ( Yes I am Canadian). We hosted the party in our family room 20x25 with vaulted ceilings. I ended up renting a EV powered 15" or 18"? sub , and a pair of EV "highs" which I sat on my PSB Stratus Gold towers. The PSB were just used as speaker stands. I used the aforementioned Bryston 3B to power the EV "highs". We had close to 25 people , sitting dancing etc watching the show on a 65" tv. I was told by several people that the sound was as close to a live show as they ever heard/felt. What I ever learned throughout the years, use high efficient speakers with lots of dynamic range, and lots of clean power. It will sound a lot better if you are not pushing the system to hard. What I would do different? Class D power for the subs , (Crown XLS series etc.) . They are cheaper and lighter.

Listen to davidbrinknyc- he's the one with the right idea.  Funktion One dominates the club business worldwide and QSC is a quality company building good sounding alternatives for less money.   

Ignore the Klipsch suggestions. And tbh F1 sucks at midrange. Martin Audio, L Acoustics, D&B Audioteknik, Danley… or just go with JBL.

You willing to step up to the plate?
I don't know how it would work with your budget....but...

Pretty much unobtanimum HOWEVER, if you can find them:  

Klipsch KP-600's

Two would probably do very nicely indoors (HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA  inhale, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA)

Four would be absurd.

(TWO would be absurd)

I once heard these indoors at the Klipsch listening room at their factory.  What was amazing is (and I am speaking VERY literally here) the hair follicles on my arms were feeling the pressure and though it was 'loud', it was nowhere near what they're capable of.

I recall actually looking at my arms and rubbing them from the vibrations.

Do a google search, salivate, and begin your quest.