Amp vs Active Speakers, Plus good speakers for small parties at home

[Robertspj0]

Hi, I'm a bit confused by my Google research....Would love some guidance please...

At home, I have 2 Technics 1210s connected to a mixer, connected to a very old large Technics Amp (also includes Radio/Tape...it's from the 1970's!), connected to 2 JPW speakers (no idea of watts...cost me about £150 for both 15 years ago).

I am considering ditching the Technics Amp unit (to save space) and replacing the speakers for something more modern and a bit louder (good enough for a group of 20 people at home...not looking at getting 'proper' large party speakers though).

I like the idea of buying speakers with amp built in (to reduce number of things I have on display and to keep things simple). I am not a connoisseur and don't need home studio quality set up.

Thoughts on whether that's a good idea, or whether I might regret it and should go for another amp?

Also, re the speakers, I want better than I have however I don't really know the quality of what I have so difficult to compare. So perhaps Monitor speakers with another bass to sound good if our front room has 20 people in it. I saw good reviews of KRK's Rokit 7 G4, and the Pioneer DJ VM 70. I suppose a bit worried I could buy them and be underwhelmed.

Any thoughts very welcome!

Cheers, Paul

[conanski]

Do you have a pro sound/musical instrument retailer nearby? A shop like that will usually have a selection of "studio monitor" speakers on display that you should be able to audition. Most of these monitors are self powered these days and they sound pretty darn good, and these would likely be comparable in size and SPL capability to what you have now. This is the one sure way to know if speakers like this would meet your wants/needs so it's worth the effort even if you have to travel a little. Speakers like KRK Rokit fall into this category, they can get pretty loud in a home environment but you will push them to the max to get party level sound and they won't last when used that way, so you have to be honest with yourself about what you really want. If you really want a party system then some small PA speakers would be a better choice, on the lowend boxes like the Alto TS408 may be a better choice. These will easily get quite a bit louder than a similar KRK model but they won't produce as much lowend, so a dedicated sub will be required.

[light-o-matic]

What Conanski said ^^^^. See if you can hear them at a shop.

And yea, you say 20 people.. but what are those 20 people doing? If you're really rocking out, then a pair of monitors alone may not quite meet your expectations. They'll sound good and loud when you're ******ly testing them, but when it's party time, it won't be the same. However.. most studio monitor brands offer a powered subwoofer that goes with their powered monitors, this makes a huge difference. I used to have some pretty raging parties in our apt (a decent sized loft) from 30 to as many as 70 people.. and my system here for many of those parties was a pair of 7 inch monitors on monitor stands.. and.. at first I had one double-8 subwoofer.. I later added a second one. So yea, if you get yourself a decent pair of monitors + matching sub.. let's say a 12 or even 10 inch sub.. you'll be able to handle your small parties with ease.

One thing to consider is that if you commit to a sub, you can get smaller monitors.. which saves you money. For example, let's say you have a pair of 8 inch monitors in mind, alone. If you buy a sub, you can get 5-6 inch monitors.. which are smaller and cheaper. When paired with the sub they will outperform the 8 inch monitors by a mile. It'll cost more, but not as much more as you might think.. since the cost of the sub is offset by the savings of getting the smaller monitors. Since you want small, this might be better for you. The sub can go under a table...