Buying Guide for a Portable Karaoke Machine

Posted by | Posted on 1:47 AM

By Jonathon Hardcastle

It can be fun shopping for a portable karaoke machine. With just a small amount of research, you will find that you are informed well enough to make a good buy. Prior to shopping for your new karaoke machine, consider these factors:

1. Features

Any karaoke unit is loaded with features. Some of these features you will need and other you will not. Features to look for include an adjustable gain for microphone inputs and onboard effects, such as reverb. Reverb is a feature that adds a touch of echo to the sound, which can make singers sound much better.

Another feature to look for is the type of microphone input. Many lower-end machines, especially portable Karaoke machines, tend to make do with 1/4 inch inputs. These can limit your choices of upgraded microphones later.

Better karaoke machines have an XLR input. An XLR input gives you a better signal path; this enables you and all singers to get better results from any microphone used. A karaoke machine with XLR inputs is recommended if you intend to upgrade microphones or if you want the microphones that bands use. Coming in at about the size of a dime, XLR inputs have three holes. On the other hand, a ? inch input looks like a headphone jack.

2. Flexibility

In terms of flexibility, consider how well the machine holds up to different locations, different television sets, and different music file types. A good portable unit is one that can hookup to any type of TV, including today?s latest digital TVs. With that said, even modern televisions have the ability to play video from the single yellow cord that comes with an RCA input. What you may want to consider is if the machine can send signals to numerous TVs at once. Quality portable karaoke machines should have at least two outputs; this enables the singer and the crowd to watch separate screens.

Another flexibility element to consider is the music flies played; can you play a collection of karaoke songs you burned on a CD? It is easy to find and buy karaoke music online, but you must consider the added cost of shipping and the time spent waiting for your music to arrive. Luckily, newer karaoke machines have USB ports, meaning no CD burning is required. Just plug the memory device into the karaoke machine and you are ready to go.

3. Price

Finally, your purchase is going to boil down to how much it costs. Especially with portable units, the prices vary quite a bit. The features and flexibility dictate how much the machine will cost. You will want to decide on a budget, as well as which features are must haves. From there, you will want to find the karaoke machine that best balances those needs.

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