Got some people over? What to look for in a party sound system

From casual dinners with a few friends to blowout housewarmings attended by half your friend list, music is always a key element for setting the right vibe at any kind of party or gathering.

You’ll naturally want your tunes to be loud and clear enough to be heard by all, but not so obtrusive that your guests have to strain to hear one another. Depending on the size of the party and the type of music you prefer, you may require an ample amount of bass from your speaker set-up; equally, you might prefer a more balanced sound to ensure that every subtle note and musical flourish in your carefully curated playlist is appreciated.

The good news is it’s never been easier to pick up innovative home audio technology that delivers versatility and quality, combining ear-pleasingly rich sound with the convenient app integration that the smartphone generation have come to expect.

A future-proof sound system will also extend the value of your investment, meaning you don’t need to splurge on another one a few years down the line. To help you make the right choice, we’ve compiled our best tips for picking a party-ready sound system for your home.

Avoiding an unbalanced sound

Ever been to a party or gig where the sound just wasn’t quite right? Overwhelmed by a rumbly bass or having your ears spiked with tinny treble tones?

It’s even more disappointing to lose out on half of a song due to badly designed or poorly placed speakers. Being too close to the left or right channel is the equivalent of listening to music with only one earphone in, nullifying the balanced stereo sound of your favourite artists and depriving you of the full composition.

This is an issue that sound engineers and audio technicians have wrestled with for years. When music is recorded, it’s designed to be listened to with a stereo system in mind, a two channel set-up with equal output given to both the left and right speaker. Yet at many events where music is playing, the sound system fails to deliver this, due to left and right speakers being placed randomly around the room without adequate thought of where people will be sitting or standing.

Consequently, the only people who benefit from the highest quality sounds will be those located in the ‘sweet spot’ – the precise point at which the left and right speakers are equidistant from one another. As you can probably imagine, this is a fairly small area, particularly at events in confined spaces such as house parties, and only a handful of lucky listeners will get to hear your choice of tunes as they were initially intended by the artists who recorded them.

Full stereo, no matter where you’re standing

At Orbitsound, we’ve designed a family of sound systems that not only avoid the issue of needing to stand in the sweet spot, but that deliver a powerful and fully-balanced sound wherever you’re stood in the room. We’re rather proud of this technology, which we call Airsound™. Invented by our founder, audio pioneer Ted Fletcher, we found it has the potential to revolutionise home audio by allowing music to be listened to in perfect stereo, no matter where you happen to be placed in relation to your speakers.

You might already be familiar with how Airsound™ works, but just in case you aren’t, here’s an explanation: it converts conventional stereo sound into ‘Main’ and ’Spatial’ signals, which are pumped out of both front and side-firing speakers to create a consistent stereo sound field. The side speakers increase the sound diffusion in the room, meaning you don’t need to stand in a particular spot to hear the music properly.

The whole space becomes enveloped in sound, giving you a rich and balanced audio experience. You’re free to move around as everywhere is the sweet spot.

This means that in the context of a party, all guests will receive a similar high quality listening experience. Whether they’re standing chatting, seated or wandering while mingling, an Airsound™ equipped speaker will deliver the same impeccable audio quality to every person within earshot of the sound system.

And by taking advantage of the fact that Orbitsound products such as the DOCK E30 and ONE P70W provide seamless, multiroom playback over Wi-Fi, you can ensure that every room in your house benefits from the same all-encompassing stereo sound.

Let your guests choose the tunes

If you’re not one for sticking to playlists and enjoy the flexibility of choosing from an endless library of music on the go, we recommend choosing a speaker for your party that lets you select your songs through a mobile app.

The Orbitsound app, for example, links with streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, allowing you pick the sounds you want to play through your speaker from a phone, tablet or other connected device. In a party environment, this digital integration can be a game changer power up your DOCK E30. Whoever is able to download the Orbitsound app can stream music directly either from their device or through a streaming service of their choice.

Attendees are also likely to appreciate the DOCK E30’s charging capabilities: all they need to do is pop their Qi-compatible smartphone onto the hub’s wireless charging pad for a quick boost of power. There’s also a handy USB-C port for gadgets that don’t offer wireless charging.

Whatever form of speaker system you decide to go for, the ideal solution is one that caters to parties of any size, in rooms of any dimension and irrespective of layout.

We’re confident that Airsound is the ultimate solution for a party speaker system, and we’re excited to see the DOCK E30 feature at dinner parties, housewarming, and everything in between when it’s release. Fancy a closer look? Free to check out our DOCK E30 pre-order page.