Don’t Call it a Comeback – ‘The New Normal’ is Treating the PA Speaker Market Just Fine, Thank You Very Much

Based on our recent conversations with reps from some of the biggest names in PA speakers, it’d be accurate to describe folks who operate in that realm as being “bullish” on the market segment. A enthusiastic post-pandemic embrace of live performance of all types in venues big and small are seeing dealers ordering product at a rapid clip and end users snatching the speakers up even quicker.

MMR got the scoop on what specific models are connecting with customers in 2024, how clever MI retailers are making the most of this boom, and what’s likely to unfold in the coming months.

For your brand, what model (or models) of PA speakers are selling particularly well so far in 2024?

Jeff Cowling: We saw the portable PA market gravitating towards batteries and Bluetooth early on, and we now have a full catalog of battery-powered PA systems for musicians and DJs on-the-go, the most popular being our EXM Mobile8 and the EXM Mobile Tower. We’re also having great success with our powered subwoofers in the Elite and Synergy families. We’ve always been known for our subs, and two of the biggest-and-baddest models are the Synergy SA221S and the SA218S – a double 21” earth-shaking powered subwoofer, and a double 18” little brother.

Preston Gray: We have seen growth in all of our speaker sales, specifically our D-Series line of powered speakers. At Yamaha, we want to inspire peoples’ passion and help them step forward to express their individuality, emotion, and creativity. Yamaha is the only brand that provides artists and creators with the instruments to make music and the tools to amplify their work.

Ray van Straten: This has been a fantastic year across the board. Our K.2 Series continues to be our top-seller and has exceeded all expectations thus far. Our CP Series compact PA speakers have also been quite robust – particularly in markets where K.2 may be less accessible to certain customer segments. KS Subwoofers continue to fly out the door in all configurations. And as expected, the innovation and performance of the L Class line array has been incredibly well-received by customers in the event production market, as well as by mobile entertainers looking for a next-level solution for their larger events.

Samia Scoda: The well curated product line is experiencing strong sales across many of the market segments. The ultra-portable and powerful smaller models such as the SV9-MK3 Single 9” Main and BB15-MK3 Single 15” Subwoofer have proved extremely popular for mobile productions and smaller venues.

In live sound, our AT212-MK3 dual 12” Main, MFLA-MK3 dual 12” Line Array, and production series MK3 subwoofers are showing strong growth with regional production companies and larger venues.

Adrian Haselhuber: Both of our speaker lines are performing very well so far this year. Our CDL speakers benefit from the launch of the new, lightweight CDL 10P constant directivity top and powerful 18S subwoofers in November of last year. Customers love the clear sound, powerful performance, and flexible mounting options which make those speakers ideal for applications on the road or in fixed installations. Our venerable AIR speakers, tailored for working musicians who carry their own PA, continue to impress with a rich, extended low-end and natural high-frequency extension. Musicians love the flexibility of using full range speakers for smaller gigs or pairing with 15” and 18” subwoofers in larger venues. What’s more, all AIR full range speakers can also be used as stage monitors.

Have you been noticing any shifts in this market segment when it comes to preferences of end-users re: powered vs. unpowered, types and numbers of inputs, cab material, extra features, et cetera?

PG: Each artist, musician ,or venue has a unique set of needs when it comes to amplifying music. We at Yamaha want to make each of those applications easy to use, whether the musician needs a portable PA for an upcoming gig or stage wedges to be confident in their performance. We offer two different injected cabinet series within the D-Series line with DBR & DXR depending on performance needs. Then, we offer two different wooden cabinet offerings, DHR and our flagship powered offering, DZR. As we are committed to empowering people to make waves with their sound and music, we believe it’s important that we provide products that make it easy for the artist to sound their best. We want to support the trend of artists finding easy ways to sound their best and focus on their music.

RvS: Powered (active) loudspeakers have dominated for some time and we expect this trend to continue.

SS: We have seen a definite increase in the demand for powered products, wood cabinets, ease of use and streamlined functionality. These attributes combined with our MK3 series feature set have aligned tremendously well with the evolution of the market.

AH: Our customers love powered speakers due to the ease of setup and use. You can easily scale your system from just one speaker all the way up to flown line arrays, complete with cardioid subwoofer configurations. Aside from excellent sound quality, we see a lot of interest in solutions that are compact, lightweight and can be configured quickly. Nice-to-have features such as the additional Aux input found on our AIR full range speakers are very popular with DJs and more casual applications. 

JC: Powered cabinets are still the main focus of our business, and our engineers have found ways to jam a lot of power into both our subwoofers and full-range cabinets (not to mention battery-powered products, too). We incorporate a mini-mixer into the back of most of our full-range powered speakers, along with clever DSP settings for maximum performance and Bluetooth streaming.

For obvious reasons, sound reinforcement gear really took a hit during the pandemic. Do you feel we are 100 percent “back to normal?” Are sales still rebounding, or have they plateaued at this point?

RvS: I think if anyone is thinking “back to normal,” they are looking in the wrong places and missing out on the tremendous opportunity available to us today. Certainly, live events came to a standstill during the pandemic. But as the world came alive again, demand went through the roof. Post-pandemic supply chain issues resulted in a lot of volatility across the supply chain and some frenzied inventory accumulation by resellers who were just happy to have something to sell. Fast-forward to today where, for the most part, the better suppliers have things sorted out and can respond to the continuing, increased demand for live events and entertainment. The “new normal” is bright and we’re in a great place to meet this demand and grow market share.

AH: The live sound market has staged a good comeback last year, and we feel there still is room for additional recovery. All of our indications are that 2024 will be a very good year in the live sound category and we look forward to continuing to deliver great PA speaker and mixer solutions.

SS: While there are very few industries that are back to normal and so many landscapes have been altered, BASSBOSS continues to rapidly grow market share. With our major dealer base expansion over the past year we’re seeing dramatic demand increases in both retail and installer markets. 

JC: Sales are rebounding, but I don’t think we’re 100 percent back yet. Component shortages during the pandemic are still creating longer delivery windows, but we feel confident the way our market is performing.

PG: The need for music to enrich our lives continues to be stronger than ever. Partnering with musicians and artists, we focus on our passions and what matters most to people, namely expressing themselves and making an impact, progressing personally as a listener and player, and coming together with others. The live events market set records in 2023 and continues to be on pace to set new records in 2024, providing a unique way to come together with others.

What are some effective strategies employed by MI dealers who are especially successful at marketing and displaying PA speakers?

SS: MI Dealers with demonstration models and those who are active in content creation continue to grow their market share. Building customer relationships with confidence inspiring policies and value adds is a wonderful formula for success.

AH: We all know the old adage that “hearing is believing.” Giving customers an opportunity to experience speakers before they purchase can make a big difference. Even if speakers are not connected to audio, customers appreciate being able to examine size, weight, and connectivity options.

 PG: It all starts with listening to the artist’s or engineer’s needs and applications and then helping match the appropriate product with the applications the customer needs to amplify their music. This is the same approach we take when building products: we start with understanding how the artist will use the product and carefully select features, materials, and functions to meet those needs in a way that makes it easy for them to amplify their music and share it with others!

JC: Rental departments are the go-to solution for getting more PA products out into the hands of end users. With rentals, you get the benefit of more people learning how to use a PA system, and then a word-of-mouth wave starts rolling, producing more rental customers. Retailers also get the benefit of making money twice: first with rental revenue, and then the profits of selling off the used gear (and restocking your rental inventory with fresh equipment).

RvS: Loudspeakers are big boxes largely filled with air. So, a smart B&M retailer with dedicated floor space had better be looking for market-leading products that are in demand and can turn quickly (from back-stock… please don’t dismantle your displays) instead of waiting for that one customer who is going to buy your high-priced margin bomb. For all dealers, I also recommend leveraging widely-available AI tools to listen to the market, develop your GTM differentiation strategies, and make good decisions in an ever-changing retail landscape.

Any recent or upcoming models of PA speakers for your brand you’d like to highlight?

AH: As of November 2023, we introduced two new members of our CDL speaker line: the ultra-compact CDL 10P full range speaker and the powerful CDL 18S subwoofer. The result of years of research and development, the CDL Series combines the best attributes of point source and line array technology into a unique patent-pending design. The constant-directivity radiates a highly focused pattern with consistent SPL throughout the frequency response range, both on-and off-axis. The result is clear, articulate speech intelligibility and natural music reproduction. Further details on the CDL series can be found at https://www.presonus.com/en-US/loudspeakers/cdl/ 

JC: Our reputation for offering great sound solutions with the most reliable designs stretches from the smallest 6” EXM-series powered cabinets up to our Synergy scalable array series. New additions this year will include powered cabs and subs from the NX family, and new powered cabinets from the Paraline array series.

RvS: I’d like to tell you what I know, but we’re just a bit premature in this publication. That said, what’s coming soon may very well be some of my personal favorites in over 20 years at QSC. How’s that for a teaser? This is what happens when you let the marketing guy answer the questions. [Ha! – Ed.]

PG: Our latest series of DHR speakers brings the tonality of a premium plywood cabinet into an accessible price point. Specifically, when an artist is looking to have a consistent sound on stage, the DHR12M powered wedge makes this possible with a coaxial design, ensuring the frequency response is consistent on and off-axis, giving the musician freedom to move around on stage without compromising the quality of the monitor mix they hear off-axis of the wedge.

SS: Our new Makara-MK3 double 21” Subwoofer, CCM-MK3 12” Coaxial Monitor, and the MK3 series performance improvements with multi-preset 96 Khz DSP and weather resistant I/O have been tremendously popular with customers. This year promises to bring a number of new products both small and large. We will be releasing a number of new products both large and small in 2024!

Thoughts on what the rest of the year will bring for this market segment?

RvS: We’re really bullish and excited.

PG: As noted, the live events market set records in 2023 and continues to be on pace to set new records in 2024. We are excited to be a part of the artist’s journey to express themselves and make an impact, progressing personally as a listener and player, and coming together with others through live events and music.

 SS: We see a continued focus on live music experiences and expect growth to continue with an emphasis on festivals, venues, gyms, and HOW.

JC: Festivals, live shows and parties are back with a lot of enthusiasm, so we expect the portable PA business to be robust. We have solutions for gigs of all sizes, and look forward to helping our customers create a lot of sound!

AH: As discussed above, we expect further recovery of the live sound market. It is an exciting time to make live sound equipment, and we look forward to getting to know many new customers.