Yamaha Stagepas 500

Bought this StagePas 500 unit for use as FOH in small hotel lobby/restaurant venue. Very satified with portability and quality of materials, & ease of set up.

I do solo gigs and run a my guitar through a Digitech JamMan loop into the mixer along with my vocals. Also run Ipod w/ pre-recorded bass/perc tracks for a few tunes or when on break.

There is plenty of headroom and power to spare for this open air venue. Bass response was key in my decision to purchase over the Fender Passport models which I've also tested in similar venues.

The 10" speakers are very efficient for a the full sound of guitar lows to the highs. (both classical and steel acoustic) Midrange is excellent. I haven't noticed any distortion at normal levels. My set up is in a hotel lobby fronting a bar section that overlooks a restaurant on the beach. Volume is sufficient for the restaurant patrons to enjoy too.

Mobility is great and I'm glad that I'm able to carry the speakers in separate hands if need be. Currently I use a TriKart800 to stack and carry everything to wheel to my little Scion.

So I've got the 2 speakers/w mixer, Yamaha speaker stands $100 (very light), mic stand, music stand, collapsible stool, mini 6"fan, gigbag(wires, mics, pedals, 3"music folder,etc) all stacked and ready to roll all in one trip out to my car!

Real world application = great performance rating!
I would recommend it to other solo, duo, trio acts...and would definitely buy another one if this were lost or stolen.

I would have liked an effects send return...

Tough plastic housing, easy to carry light weight 2 speaker pa with detachable mixer amp in back of one speaker and storage compartment for power supply and 1/4 ins jack speaker cables in back of other cab. Speakers 2 way horn and 10" woofer.

Detachable amp is very light. I sit it on keyboard and control mix from there for the band. I guess amp bit is about 5kg tops, speakers 10kg each. Never had a lighter 250 w per side amp with 10 inputs overall. Basic two knob eq on each channel.

For gigging, I run 4 mic's and line level output from ac. guitar and kb amp ac guitar. For ceilidhs this includes one mic that is phantom powered (has phantom power option on 4 mic channels). For rock gigs I use 4-5 dynamic mics. Altogether 8 inputs are designated for microphones (4 jack and 4 XLR). However this is 4 channels with volume, high and low eq knobs as described in manual. Therefore limited to 4 mics really. However, I have input a mic on XLR and on jack where levels on mics are similar and also put ac. guitars in other two spare jack inputs - (where guitar eq and levels are set on guitar preamps). Also then put keyboard with two outputs into two inputs on 1st keyboard channel and 2 other amps on 2nd keyboard channel with 2 other amp outputs - (guitar and bass set low). Still have 4 jack inputs (2 channels) on CD/other system inputs spare.

Yes, you actually have 16 holes (4 phono, 12 jack) you can input a variety of sources into. This is not recommended except for low volume/high number of inputs - large ceilidh band.

For all gigs I output to pole mounted Stagepas 500 speakers. The Stagepas 500 has sockets with wingnut screw fixing - a big advantage of Stagepas 300 which doesn't and you have to buy separate kit for pole mounts. For gigs you need this to project above the heads of the crowd. For gigs, I output one monitor channel to my Stagepas 300 where (speakers are angled as floor monitors) and other monitor output to a 600w powered bass sub.

Typically only put 4 mics through system for rock gigs to 100-150 people.

However, my main use for the Stagepas 500 is to train children's bands and here for practice purposes I put guitars, microphones, keyboards and bass through the system. Everything needs to be set below the bass guitar here as high bass will distort/activate the safety shut down.

I leave the 1st two mic channels on compressor because I use quality dynamic mics for lead vox on these and they don't need limiting.

If a guitar is use on mic channel on its own (rather than with microphone in XLR for same channel) then I set the mic/line switch to line so the guitarist doesn't give it too much - it works well on either input level though.

Speaker cables (jack) and power leads go in back of one of speakers. I actually store 3 mics in there as well, so I don't lose them in my box of wires/Fx pedals/sus pedals etc.

PHONO inputs useful if you want to put background music from CD player in at a party during interludes.

For price ??549 this is a very versatile system.

Sound is excellent for just 10" driver and 1" compression driver.

However, for gigs I would definitely recommend pole mounting it and adding bass sub from one of monitor sockets to deliver rock band level sound to sit comfortably over top of drumkit (see above tips on sub and monitoring.

I manage 13 school age bands (5 primary/secondary/mixed) which I use this for practice without monitoring or subs. For school band practices I input everything except bass guitar through this. For real gigs 100-200 people I add monitoring and subs as above.

I also use in small church band where I put 4 mics, acoustic guitar and keyboards through it.

None of the gigs above requires really high chest thumping volumes and so the system makes me mix everything to a volume that will not damage children's hearing. i.e. mixed just above drumkit.

However, when my son uses the system for 2 of his bands (he has v. loud dw kit) the system is not adequate for larger pub venues or clubs - you need something like a >2k rig at ??2,000 plus. Many have house system anyway.

I looked at and tried Fender Passport 150 and 250 - performing arts service have a number and local shop had second hand one. Both were more expensive (Passport 150 now down to ??459 at one supplier still ??570 at most so can get it cheaper than Stagepas). Passport 250 still at ??629 minimum. Both rated less powerful than Stagepas 500 and 300 and to me Passport 250 sounded less powerful than Stagepas 500 by long way but same or slightly louder than Pasport 300 which retails at 259. Clarity very similar between Yamaha and Fender except at higher volumes where passport 250 deluxe sounded more distorted than 500 with less bass. My Yamaha system also had more options than Fender Passport - comp/limiter, more inputs etc.

Other systems to compare - Behringer Europort 800, originally sourced through Thomann. This system offers less inputs but I was put off because my fixer friend who services York found there were alot of Behringers coming in to fix and they were nearly impossible to fix - Everything on one board and tended to blow big time. However, I haven't tried it. Didn't have enough inputs for me anyway. Worth trying as Behringer provide cheapest gear per watt. Price now around ??450. ??100 cheaper than Stagepas.

Tried out Behringer PMP 2000 with Mackie SRM 350 active speakers and Behringer 212 A speakers to compare with StagePas 500 before buying. Found the Mackie system at ??850 was much more powerful but fans at back were really noisy and there seemed to be more feedback and distortion. Also tried with Behringer B212A active speakers but here felt that yamaha provided better quality sound, less noise. Behringer active speaker system with PMP 2000 were similar price to Stagepas - about 550.

Active speaker systems should provide more punch and scalability though.

Yamaha system was also lighter had more useful options and inputs on amp, better handles for carrying and storage and tech friends say is more reliable than behringer.

I also have a Meridian amp with phantom rated at 150 per side. I bought this for ??300. It has very noisy fan, useful no of inputs - 6, four with xlr and jack. However, its fan is really noisy, the build quality poor and I have had to replace tweeters/compression drivers twice. It now cuts out a lot. Sound not as good as Stagepas 300 or 500.

Also compared with Thomann's The Box 6" satellite powered speakers plus sub and with Behringer mixer purchased by a friend at ??450 300w and similar but more powerful own badged Gear4music powered sub plus 8" satellites 500w tried on-site. However, decided against these as satellite speakers on Gear4Music system were powered from sub and weren't more powerful than Stagepas 500 to listen to and had to take sub everywhere with you. Satellites a little thin. Box system was surprisingly loud for 6" but again required sub to drive anything other than vocals. Not as powerful as Yamaha system with sub either.


Yes I think Stagepas is the best at present.

It works with a range of bands and styles for me, with a range of inputs and setups. Is brilliant for portability and sound per kg. For me in a live situation one of the major advantages is the detachable amp is so light for its power that it perches on the side of my keyboard so I can tweak levels for band - no cables from stage to sound desk at back. Yup, phantom power, comp/limiter, good reverb, 16 usable inputs, rugged design - taken loads of knocks, lack of noise and reasonable price, though not as amazing a price as Stagepas 300. This system still seems to beat its rivals on nearly every front.

Stagepas 300 still at 250.

This is an incredibly compact and lightweight portable pa unit comprising a 10 channel powered mixer and a pair of 2 way speakers. The mixer slots into the back of one of the speakers and is removable. The other speaker has a storage compartment for leads and mics. The speakers are tough molded plastic in a matt black scratch-resistant finish. It's suitable as a front-of-house rig for smaller venues or as backline for a guitarist or keyboard player etc.

The amp delivers 2 x 250w in true stereo (2 x 200w RMS) and is nicely configured for a variety of uses. It features 2-band eq, compressor/limiter, digital reverb, phantom power and low gain outputs for monitoring. It has a good range of inputs supporting XLR, 1/4" jack and phono. The amp has a pair of led arrays to display input/output level and features a cutoff circuit to prevent damage by overloading.

The 2-way bass reflex speakers are rated at 200w and comprise 10" full-range cones and 1" HF compression drivers. They are comparatively small in size and can be floor-standing, tilted back (like monitor wedges) or mounted on stands (optional accessory).

The sound quality is amazing for such a small rig. The bass is deep and full, the mids clear and have good prescence and the top end is sharp and clean. Distortion, even at high volume, is minimal, and there's no discernable hum. Max volume is rated at 116db which is more than enough for smaller venues such as pubs or small clubs.

The proprietory moulded speakers have built in carry-handles and polemounts which makes transporting and mounting them extremely easy. Their slightly rounded design can cause them to move around a bit in the back of a moving vehicle, but the finish does seem to resist scratching well and the overall build-quality is very robust.

I particularly like the way that you can lean the speakers back to use them in monitor-type positions. This is very handy if you're using the monitor outputs to route through front of house and need some foldback. Good thinking Yamaha.

I play guitar and keyboards in small to mid-size venues and this is perfect for my needs. It is a little on the quiet side for my liking, but the lack of volume is compensated for by the richness and warmth of its delivery. I tend to use mine as backline/monitoring and use the monitor outs to connect to our main rig in larger venues. I've also used it as monitoring in my recording setup as it's so clean and noise-free! I would definitely replace it if anything bad happened. However, if Yamaha decided to do a STAGEPAS800 ie same features but more power, I'd snap one up. So how about it chaps?

Got this system recently for a 4-5 piece bluegrass group...Compact 500 watt head a 2 - 10" speakers...Was aprehensive about the smallness at first and had been looking at a Passport 500...BUT...An amazing little system so far...Enclosures are a heavy plastic...

Have used it inside at a American Legion hall with power to spare...We use one condenser mike for the whole group and the phantom power works fine...Vocals & instruments are clear & precise...Connections are 1/4" which I liked because I already had plenty of cables...I haven't run my upright through it...Though I feel that I can...

See above...The last gig we used it for was 250-300 people...Which is really more that I had purchased it for...I have a larger system...But...We said...What the heck...It handled everything well...

If there MAY be a weakness...It might be the pole mounts...BUT...Not as yet...Mobility & cases are great...The speakers fit in them like a glove...

No complaints so far...This system has already exceeded my expectations...Will be using it outside for smaller gatherings and I am confident it will perform well...AND...The little compact 500 watt (250 + 250) amp also works well with my heavy 15s...The whole thing is like a gutsy bulldog...Looks small but don't sell it short...

The Stagepas 500 is a portable PA setup with 2 x 10" speakers and a 10 channe1, 4 XLR input mixer that puts out a total of 500 watts -250 going to each speaker. The cabinets are molded.

The mixer is encased in one of the speakers and is removable. It also provides the 500 watts of total power for the speakers. The speaker enclosures contain a 10" woofer with horn and are relatively light -the entire system weighs in just over 50 lbs. Speaker cables are included and can be stored in a compartment on the opposite speaker as the "mixer/speaker." It uses quarter inch jacks for the speaker cable.

For a portable, all-in-one PA system it sounds exceptionally good -the kind of sound you would expect out a "real" larger standard PA system. It is surprisingly loud for its size and to me is an easy choice over the Fender Passport and Passport Deluxe systems when being used for anything musical. The sound is overall well balanced with good bass for 10" drivers. With proper elevation it could cover a good sized conference room with over 200 listeners or a club with roughly 100 rowdy folks -I have also seen it used for little league and city baseball games for the announcing.

I appreciate the fact that it is separated into two pieces as larger portable PAs should be. When you have something about as large as the Stagepas 500 and over 50 lbs in one contained piece it is much more awkward to carry. The one piece suitcase design is most useful for the very small public speaking and corner-coffeehouse-acoustic PA systems. With the stagepas 500, you have the convenience to break up the weight and carry one speaker per hand or split the load between two people if available. The Stagepas 500 can also use standard speaker stands with adjustable tightening screw. (The stagepas 300 requires adaptors for either speaker stands or mic stands.) The bags designed for the system are "OK" -the wheels are prone to melting in hot environments and the material is a little prone to tear. I've found the Gator GPA777 bag to be a better more rugged choice for carrying the entire system -Both speakers fit tightly in the wheeled bag and can therefore be rolled to location.

In real world applications -as stated above- its performs very well, especially for being an all-in-one more expensive type setup. This is the kind of setup you get when you are on the fly, move around for gigs alot, have limited space, and need more guts than something like the stagepas 300. I kinda think it would be cool to see those little yellow compressor knobs on it that Yamaha has been putting on their latest mixers, but its not really a vital thing... We'll probably see those on later models.

Great size. Transportability is the first benefit you notice. Easy to operate.

Plenty of power 500 watts RMS( 250 watts per channel). I only wish it had a sub out for a powered sibwoofer. I have used one of the monitor outs when I needed extra low end.

Crystal clear highs. Decent lows for a 10 inch woofer.

I opted for the roller bags. I can conserve my energy for the gig versus lugging a boat load of equipment. The flat respponse from the speakers allows for loud volume without feedback.

I recently used the Yamaha Stagepas 500 for our 3-4 piece combo for smaller venue w/ the optional roller bags, and mic stand adaptor at a private office holiday party. It was a breeze to transport and set up (less than 15 minutes...two guitars, keys, bass, drum machine, two vocal mics and a CD player). The sound was pure/clear in a room of over 150 guests. Great highs. The vocals cut through with ease. I was surprised at the level of bass this system pushes w/ 10in speakers. Guests, some of whom are musicians, commented on how great the sound was. Plan to use it in another small venue this week. An added benefit is its small size doesn't scare coffee house owners/restaurants. If you want great quality sound for small to medium venues that won't break your bank or your back, look no further. There's nothing better for the price. I did a lot of homework and heard them all at a local music store before making this purchase. I' buy it again if it cost twice as much.