Best battery powered PA available now
 

Looking for something that be set up for singer songwriters and duos playing small gigs outside (gardens/parks/woods/ etc.) I think 3 channels would be a minimum, but battery power is essential in this case. I see the S1Pro and the JBL Eon are popular options, but there seem to be a few other contenders around, including the HK Audio Move 8. What would be your recommendations? Best quality option and maybe best value too?

Looking forward for this thread! I'm after one of these portable pa system, but with Phantom Power, so the Bose wouldn't work for me.

I think I might be able to get by without the phantom power by using other options, although it would be useful if available. Just another option to balance.

You might look at the Elite Acoustics product—particularly their flagship model. No personal experience, but they seem to get highly positive reviews.

http://www.eliteacoustics.com/portfo...amplifier-2-2/

Yes, that looks like a strong contender. Quite pricey, but lost of great features. Is there anything else that we should be looking at?

Roland Street Cube EX
 

Take a look at the Roland Cube Street EX. I’ve been using one for outdoor rehearsals and street shows for a year. It’s got three inputs, and the acoustic guitar channel sounds great. The battery life is amazing. No phantom power, tho.

I don't really see the Roland mentioned on here as much as the JBL and the S1Pro. I'll check it out for sure.

I have the EX too and it is a GREAT OPTION for a solo performer. It can work for a duo too, but inputs 3 & 4 are mono and have about 1/4 of the output of channels one and two. Even boosted with preamps, they don't get close to as loud as the first 2 channels.

Mark, not sure where you are getting 3 inputs from unless you are using a splitter to combine 3 & 4. Also, I believe it as an aux in to boot.

These things are workhorses though, and we've used them at small gigs and in the street. Had it for years and the AA batteries last long enough for a regular 3-4 hour gig easily. Vocals are not as clear as they are on our very small Samson PA.

The 2 choices you list seem like favorites here. There are several threads you can search for one these 2.

Sweetwater has the JBL Eon One Pro for $499. Battery powered. 4 xlr inputs. Line array system. People complain that the built in mixer doesn't provide enough gain though, still - a heck of a deal as they were $1199 when they came out and many of the negative reviews are based on cost/performance. They do seem to have a high failure rate as well but may be worth a look.

How about a battery and inverter?
 

Note: I have not tried this, but...

Has anyone considered using your existing, regular amplifier plugged into an inverter plugged into one of those lithium-ion car starters? (e.g. Car Jump Starter, BUTURE 800A Peak 12800mAh Portable Car Battery Starter, costs about $50 powering a BESTEK 500W Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Converter $44)

I know it would require two more pieces of gear, but would not require purchase of another amp with its learning curve, etc.



Edit: I looked around to see if a jump starter could power an inverter. Answers are ambiguous. But I found a 500Watt battery-generator "Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 500". It is pricey at $500. A 300 watt version is quite a bit less. The least expensive I found so far is "Tenergy Portable Power Station, 300Wh Battery, 110V/200W(Surge 400W)" Considering that the Fishman Battery-powered Loudbox Mini Charge is (full retail) $500 and a portable power station would make any of your existing amps battery-powered, might be worth considering going with this option. Of course, amps designed from the ground up to be battery powered might be set up to be more power-conservative. I don't know about that.

It’s a creative idea, but probably too much effort for a essentially lazy old dude like me. I think an S1 Pro would be a bit less hassle.

2 of these ones...... acoustic guitar and vocals sound really good.....can be put on stands as well.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...er-mpa40bt-pro

There's another Roland, the BA330, that's really good.

Cheers. Looks decent, and certainly cheap, but a a few reviews mention reliability issues. I'll check it out in a bit more detail.

A new one to me. I shall investigate. Thanks.

Though I don't have the patience to look, there have been a couple threads in the past on batteries and inverters--the kind of thing that used to be the only alternative for remote ops. And it's not a bad route if you're into it. But you see much less of that now with so many battery alternatives.

Definitely feels like in the battery realm, the Bose S1 gets the most love around here, followed by various Elite Acoustic$. And the Roland fans usually show up for sure. But man that's crazy how much the JBL Eon One Pro has been marked down at Sweetwater--that has to be a clearance price. The plug-er-in JBL Eon One is still going for $999 there.

Always blows my mind that the Roland Cube Street EX can run on AA's. One thing in its favor, to my mind, is that it seems built for a little abuse. Its natural environment, and where I've seen them in the wild, is something like a subway platform or street corner. The S1 seems to be more comfortable on a stand, or next to a sensitive singer-songwriter (me) at a coffee shop.