Looking for the best and most comprehensive karaoke machine reviews on the web? Just read on …
You like to sing, that’s why you are here. I am not sure how did you end up on my page, but in any case I am happy to welcome you and also I am confident this site will help you in a way or another achieve your goals.
If you are here to learn more and to search for information about Karaoke Machines, go straight this section. Otherwise, if you are more serious about singing and would like to learn few tips about how to get started or how to improve your singing skills, jump straight to this one.
I am an avid singer and started learning how to sing and practice few years ago. At the time, I didn’t know much about singing and my story started actually by falling in love with Karaoke Machines. If you want to know more details about that story, go here.
Long story short, extensive knowledge and passion for Karaoke machines combined with my singing skills, knowledge and experience were my main motivation to start this website.
My goal here is to help every fan and reader of mine getting better at singing and have fun with it. At the same time, I would love to help consumers who are looking to buy one of these wonderful singing machines and don’t know where to start and what to buy.
That’s why I am providing you all with the most comprehensive karaoke machine reviews you can find on the net. Read just one of my reviews and you will see what I am talking about. For every single machine I reviewed, I have not left any stones unturned and I have explained in detail what you need to know before you purchase one of these awesome machines.
For those who are not necessarily interested in Karaoke but are into singing, I have posted very comprehensive articles that provide tips on how to learn, improve and practice your singing skills
Read the rest of this section to understand better the structure of my website and figure out where to go to find the information you are looking for.
What Features to Look for When Buying a Karaoke Machine?
Karaoke machines are very fun and entertaining but like many electronic products out there, they can be confusing and the features they offer are not the most easy to understand. I receive tons of questions on a daily basis asking about the basic features of these machines because people are looking to buy but are not sure what are the best options for them.
Throughout this section, I will summarize the main features one needs to look for when buying one of these cool gadgets.
Type of Usage
This the first question to ask yourself. You need to know why and for what type of application(s) you are purchasing your machine. Is the karaoke machine used by kids, by adults or both? Is your intention to use it for large gatherings outdoor or this is mainly used for a small get together inside the house? Do you want your karaoke to be portable as you would like to move it around from one place to another or this does not matter much to you and you would be using it in a fixed place where the machine will be installed permanently.
As you will see in my reviews, for each karaoke machine, this is the first question I answer and explain exactly what type of usage would be a good match for a given machine.
Karaoke Microphone
Microphone is obviously one of the main parts of any singing machine. Generally speaking, karaoke machines mostly come with one or two microphones. This is something you definitely want to pay attention to when you are buying one of these machines. Getting two microphones is a great option as it allows the users to play duet. This will give you some more flexibility and makes things much more fun.
With that being said and most of the time, the machines that come with only one microphone have a second mic jack that would accommodate a second one. The second microphone in this case, needs to be purchased separately which may cause some inconvenience for some.
The microphone quality is also another factor to watch for if you are a serious karaoke machine user. If you are buying a machine for your kids, this may not be a huge factor.
Another thing to watch for is wireless vs. wired microphones. Obviously being able to use a wireless microphone would offer tons of flexibility and advantage over a wired one. The price to pay though, is a higher price you would have to pay. This is another factor to be careful about when you are making your decision to purchase one of these devices.
Monitor / Display
This is another important feature. This is where you see the lyrics streaming and sing along. Are you looking for a machine that has its own built-in monitor? Maybe you don’t care about a built-in screen and you would rather hook up your karaoke machine to your TV for a bigger screen? Or you would prefer having both options?
Perhaps you don’t care about any of those, and using your karaoke machine with your iPad or laptop is just enough and you don’t need more. Most karaoke machines come with the option of possible connections to TV. In this case, the question is quality as not all of them come with HD connection and you need to pay closer attention to this, if video quality is an important factor to you.
As you will see in my reviews, for each machine, I have described all the details you need to know about this as well as related trade offs and recommendations.
Song Sources and Media Compatibility
Typical sources for karaoke machines are: CD, CD+G, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-W, DVD-RWs, MP3 players, iPod, iPad, tablets, iPhone etc.
Most of these sources are known by most of you guys, the only thing you may not be familiar with is CD+G: these types of CD’s have not only the audio information but also graphics where the streaming lyrics information is captured. These are like regular CD’s but to be used by karaoke machines where you need to see lyrics in addition to audio, that’s all.
Depending on the type of machine you are purchasing, you need to pay attention to different song sources and formats your system will handle.
Voice and Sound Controls
Most systems come with the following Voice and Sound Controls and related features:
- Echo Control: mostly used to hide imperfections when you are singing. If the added echo is at the right level, your voice sounds much better and richer. A very cool feature that most systems come with.
- Key Control: This is a key feature that changes the key in the song. This is done through steps and depending on the systems, the number of steps may vary. This is especially great when you are trying to sing a song which is out of your vocal range and by using this feature, your performance will sound much more impressive and natural.
- Balance Control: allows the user to set a balance between just the music up to music and song or anything in between. Very cool and entertaining feature to play with and have fun.
- Tone Control: offers a way to adjust the bass and treble sounds, i.e. the lower and higher frequency portion of the music. Play with this to set the outcome to your taste.
Speakers: Quality and Output Power
Many systems come with built-in speakers. This is very convenient as some may not like to worry about this. These systems may or may not offer the possibility to hook up to separate speakers. Some machines offer only hookups to external speakers.
So this is something to watch for as there are different combinations and you want to make sure you buy what you need. The output power of the speaker is a big deal. If the machine is used only by kids inside a room you don’t need powerful speakers but if you are using your system outdoor and for larger gathering this becomes a very important spec to pay attention to.
Special Effects, Disco Lights
Some karaoke machines offer built in disco lights, some dancing with the music. Cool features and both kids and adults would love to have. Add some color and more fun to your experience
Power Options
Some machines come with power adapter and need to be plugged in. Some use only batteries and some use both. Again depending on what your goals you need to take this feature into account. As an example, if you are mobile and want to drag your machine from one place to another and use it outdoors, the battery option may be a very important feature to consider.
Price
Needless to say, this may be an important factor for most of us. Make sure, based on what you have learned so far, what are the features that you are looking for. This will dictate the price range of the products that are available and offer your required features.
Then all you have to do is to see if the price range is something you can afford or not. If yes, go for it, if not, you will have to compromise some of the features on your list and go for something you can afford.
Consumer Reviews
This is very important to consider before you make a decision to purchase. The issue is there are tons of them and who has the time to read through these reviews and make sense of them? Well, I have good news for you.
For every single Karaoke Machine I have reviewed, I have gone through almost all of the existing consumer reviews and made a summary of most important ones that are worth considering.
This will save tons of time for you and also help you filter out useless information and only pay attention what really you need to know. I have also owned or played with many of these machines and therefore,
I have also included my own personal experience with them in the reviews. So there is not much else for you to do except for reading the “consumer review” section for each machine and you will be all set.
What Karaoke Machine to Buy?
I receive this question from my readers on a daily basis. This is a very general question and there is no simple answer to it. It all depends what your goals are and what you are trying to accomplish. As an example if you are looking to buy a karaoke machine for your kids, things are different than when you are buying a professional karaoke machine. Does that make sense?
Also, the other big question is the price range you can afford or you are willing to spend. Look at this page if you are rather looking for a cheap karaoke machine or else see here if you are willing to pay some more for a better performing machine.
So in general, you need to think about your usage and read through the features that I described above and then choosing the karaoke machine that is right for you will be easy and straightforward.
How Does a Karaoke Machine Work with an iPod?
Again another great questions that I have been asked several times. I have a written a comprehensive post on this subject that you can find here. In that post, I have answered most common questions about using smart devices as your song source and recommended a bunch of great karaoke machines. This one is a great example.
How to Hook Karaoke Machine to TV?
Many people are buying Karaoke Machines for their birthday parties, gatherings and celebrations. This would apply to both kids and adults. In the medium to large gathering people are looking to connect their karaoke machine to their TV so everyone can follow lyrics streaming on the large screen. Most karaoke machines allow for this. In this post, I have explained all the details you need to know about this topic with some recommendations. Take a look at it and let me know if there are any questions.
Where to Buy a Karaoke Machine?
I would highly recommend buying your karaoke machine from an online retail store. The best one I would recommend is obviously Amazon. Throughout this website and for each of my reviews, I have provided a link to this giant retail store when you can purchase. The only and main reason to do it this way is a convenience, that’s all.
Looking to Learn How to Sing Better and Improve your Singing Skills?
If you are more serious about singing, my website also provides tons of information, tips and techniques that are very useful for all levels. No matter if you are a beginner and just starting to explore or a very advanced singer, you will find several posts that will help you improve your skills.
Feel free to browse around, enjoy and take advantage of the comprehensive information provided for you on various singing topics. Drop me a line if there is any question and as always, I am very prompt to answer all my fans and readers.
To start with, you may find this post very useful and then follow this link for various posts offering tips and techniques to improve your singing skills.