Yamaha Stagepas 500

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.