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Can anyone recommend a good amp-powered speakers?  I want to run a pair of external speakers from my all-in-one-system, but I was told I need speakers that have a built in amp.

Well, what is your "all in one" system?  Could be you may be able to tap into your home receiver with a set of speakers designated for karaoke use only.  I'm assuming this is for home use.

What is the make/model of your system?

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The best out there are Mackie 450, but be prepared to pay.

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I would disagree that the Mackies are the best out there.  The Yorkville NX550 is a better speaker at a cheaper price, at least here in Canada and they are coming out with the NX750, a 15" version of the 550s.  Not to mention their warranty.

Plus I am sure there are other KJs out there who think something else is better

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My all-in-one-system is an RSQ SV-222.  I mostly use it for home use, but I want to expand to play some parties.  That's why I want to get a pair of decent external speakers and stands.  Yeah, I heard that Mackie is a good brand, but expensive.  Will any powered studio montior speaker work?

I trust and believe in my JBL EON's. Quality, clarity and all the balls you need in powered speakers.

The JBL EON and Yorkville NX550 both look like great powered speakers.

Has anyone heard the VocoPro PV 420 powered speakers?

For your purposes JBL10-G2's

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You don't want "studio" monitors, especially if you plan on doing parties.  JBL EON would make a good choice, the EON G series are better, the Mackies are great, personally don't care for the Yorkies - but others seem to like them fine, they also run around the same price as the Mackies & JBL G series.  You do get what you invest in.  Don't think cheap for good sound.

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Stay away!
But then again, this is just my opinion.  

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That's an easy answer, I took half a day testing these powered speakers not long ago:

Electro-Voice, JBL-Eon, Mackie, Peavey & Yorkville, the results? ELECTRO-VOICE not even a close match   After, you had the Yorkville, JBL, Mackie & Peavey

All the speakers were in the same price range, some with a 15 inch, some with a 12 inch, the EV were so smooth and rich I couldn't believe it, poor JBL-Eon, they were selling a lot more and just wish someone from the Harman company would have been there!!!

Sorry, don't agree, I had in mind to buy those until I compared with other brands selling for alot less, I wouldn't recommend this model at all, Yamaha will have a much better pair for less!

EV's Are a smoother sounding speaker in my opinion. Don't misunderstand a side by side of EV and ..... anyother speaker will leave you feeling the EV is not as loud as the others, and in a way your right, the others have a much higher mid range crossover point which makes them sound louder ( but thats not always better ) with EV You get less mid range (1k) feedback and these speaker can be listened to for a longer time at a louder volume whithout getting anoying, then lets say a Eon. Their all Good on their own when their the only ones playing music but when you put them up against eachother you can hear the difference. Another main factor is What can you afford? Good equipment isn't cheep but if its only a once and a while thing and your not getting big bucks to play then a cheeper speaker like the 550's might be your best bet.

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"There is a Law of the Universe:   CHEAP...   FAST...   GOOD...   pick any two."

Fully agree with you djpauly

Hey Guys:

We need to consider the intended use of the speakers.  While I agree to get the best quality you can afford, not eveyone is willing to spend $500-$700 per speaker to sing at home.  Peavey pro lites may do the trick.  Your best bet is to go to your local Sam Ash or music supply superstore and audition the speakers.  You may even find a deal on some used gear in good condition.  You will definitely need a mixer (mackie DFX12 or like) to maximize your sound.  You can also go the amp/passive speaker route.  There are many more options available for passive speakers as opposed to active systems.  Take your time in researching what you really need and then shop for the best price online and see if you can do better locally.

Cheers

There are plenty of options out there which only makes your choosing that much more confusing.

I did a karaoke show in a small venue and used a Fender PD-250.  It worked flawlessly for the small venue.  For home use even the Fender PD-150 may be plenty.

Admittedly, if you are looking for powered speakers there are plenty of excellent selections.  I'm considering the Yorkville NX750 myself, but I'll be doing some outdoor gigs where I'll need the extra wattage.  I was also considering the Mackie SRM450 and JBL Eon 15 G2 which are in the same general price range of $700 or so a speaker.  Lower priced products in the same families as these are available as the Mackie SRM 350, JBL Eon 10/12, and Yorkville NX550 line.  They will all work just fine for home use and even the occaisonal pool party.

You can also go to unpowered speakers and a small amplifier, perhaps even using your home amplifier to drive the speakers (wattage considerations are a BIG factor here since many home systems are designed to put out 100 watts or less so matching to speakers is a little more difficult).

I recommend you check the stores in your area, especially higher end stereo stores that carry DJ/KJ equipment.  I'd ask to listen to a couple of them side by side and remember that in a home you don't require much wattage because of the small listening space, but if you decide to move outside or to a larger venue you need to consider some of the larger speakers mentioned previously.

I would stay away from the bargain speakers as you do get what you pay for.  Especially the 'low-end' budget DJ/KJ package speakers like VocoPro.  You might be happy for a short time but having to repurchase or realizing you could get 10 times better for a couple dollars more will NOT make you happy on the long term.

Thanks for all the help and recommendations on the powered speakers.  Now I'm wondering if I should just step up to the plate and get a full blown KJ system instead of pussy-foot'in around.  What are good choices on full blown KJ systems (player, amp, mixer, speakers etc.)?

Well Now you opened up a whole other can of worms...... every one here's got a different setup which works for them, now with that being said you need to see what will work for you. First where are you going to play and for whom? second and a big one..... how much are you willing to spend on a full system? when you have these two nailed down your choices will have narrowed down a bit. On here it's like this.....my speakers will work with his amp and her mic's and his mixer, in short everyones stuff will mostly work with everyone else's stuff and will create as many different sounds as there are KJ's here on the forum. Now for you we can show you what is the most common items that we as KJ's use for our show's so I'll give you a quick rundown of a system i use and if you see a pattern of commonly used equipment you'll know it must be good "or they all wouldn't be using It"

Mackie 808m (powered Mixer)
EV 300sx, EV ZX5
Laptop with 1tb external drive
sure sm58 mic's

its small portable and (to me) sounds Clean and good.

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"There is a Law of the Universe:   CHEAP...   FAST...   GOOD...   pick any two."

If you're looking at a full setup you'll need:

1. A mixer - most people here use one with effects built in like the Mackie DFX-12.
2. A CDG player - most use players like the JVC 303, RSQ 333, or computer based players.
3. Power speakers or a mixer w/ unpowered speakers - as previously recommended in this thread.
4. Mics - opinions vary but the Shure PG58, SM58, Beta 58 and Sennheiser 815, 835 are all popular.   I use Fender P-51's personnally and will be adding wireless soon.
5. If your mixer doesn't have effects built in you'll need an external effects unit like the Peavey DeltaFex or something similar.

If you already have the player, expect a couple hundred on a good mixer w/ effects built in, another 100-200 on mics, and another couple hundred on a good player.  Speakers/amps are where it gets expensive but if you want to cut corners you can always look at something like the Soundcraft GigRack and a set of speakers.  It's a mixer, amp, and effects unit all in one.  Just add in the player and speakers and you're ready to go.  Doesn't take too much space either since the GigRack is a pretty compact unit.  As long as you don't expect to expand a lot in the future it's a great little unit for home and small gig use.