[Can Be Used Outdoors!] A Thorough Review of Mackie’s Portable PA Products

The breeze in the mornings and evenings is starting to bring a sense of coolness to the air.
Autumn is the season for outings, and the event calendar is packed.
Sound House became the official import agent for Mackie as of June 2025.
As we ride through this big wave, this time I’m going to introduce Mackie’s portable PA products that are just right for autumn events—and write a full review.
(I won’t let you say I’m late! ☆)
Alright, let’s go!

This time there are 3 products.
First up is FreePlay LIVE

Mackie / FreePlay LIVE Portable PA Speaker

FreePlay LIVE is a powered speaker equipped with a 6‑inch woofer and two tweeters, delivering 150 W output.
Its size is 198 × 356 × 178 mm, and it weighs 4.0 kg, making it compact enough to carry with one hand. I recommend it for street performances and outdoor shows.
Despite its compact appearance, it produces a surprisingly powerful sound.
There are two sound modes. In listening tests, the “Music” mode felt like a typical scooped EQ with boosted lows and highs, while the “Live” mode felt like the upper-mid frequencies (important for vocals) were boosted.
When comparing the same audio source, “Music” mode emphasizes the depth of the low end, and “Live” mode brings out the sparkle in the highs.

Next up is the SRM150.

Mackie / SRM150 Powered PA Speaker

The SRM150 is a lightweight (3.4 kg), compact (203 × 284 × 173 mm) speaker equipped with a 5.25‑inch woofer and a 1‑inch driver, making it very convenient to carry.
Its sound can be adjusted with a 3‑band EQ, allowing you to shape the tone to your preference. Because the midrange is especially easy to tweak, it can also be used as a monitor speaker for vocals.
It supports mic input, line input, and instrument input, so you can connect guitar or bass directly without needing a DI box, which is extremely convenient.
Given its size, it’s surprisingly powerful, and it can cover small sessions or rehearsals with minimal gear, which is a major plus.

Finally, here’s Thump GO.

Mackie / Thump GO Battery-Powered Speaker

The Thump GO is equipped with an 8-inch woofer and a 1-inch driver that’s capable of delivering a high-power output of 200W.
After trying it, one of the standout features is the music ducking function.
When this function is turned on and a mic is connected to Channel 1, the volume of background music input to Channel 2 automatically decreases whenever voice is detected. This makes voices easier to hear without having to manually adjust the mixer on the back panel, which is especially useful for events.
There are a wide variety of EQ presets available: “MUSIC”, “SPEECH”, “MONITOR”, and “SUB”—a total of four types. Including the ON/OFF toggle for OUTDOOR MODE, you can enjoy up to eight different EQ configurations.
“MONITOR” shines when using the speaker as a floor monitor.
By suppressing certain low frequencies and avoiding stage sound bleed, it provides a more monitor-friendly sound. If you're placing the speaker as a side fill or floor monitor on stage, it’s recommended to enable this mode.
“SUB” mode functions like a channel divider when using the Thump series subwoofer to optimize the output accordingly.
When OUTDOOR MODE is turned on, it reduces the horizontal spread of the sound, giving the impression that the audio projects more directly forward, creating a sense of depth.
Another key point is the ability to easily connect a second Thump GO via the LINK button for stereo use.
This makes it a highly versatile, all-around portable PA speaker that can perform well across a wide variety of events.

Seeing all three products side by side like this should help you visualize their size more clearly.
(I also placed the 12-inch Thrash212 GO for size comparison.)

What do you think?
These products spark all kinds of ideas, such as using the SRM150 (which doesn’t run on batteries) for background music in a classroom during a school festival, or maybe for a small quiz game. The FreePlay LIVE is light and battery-powered, making it a great choice for street events. And the Thump GO is perfect for DJ events.
All the products introduced here are available for demo listening at the Sound House Narita showroom!
(*Please note that display items may change without notice. If you plan to visit, we recommend contacting us in advance to confirm availability.)

Perfect for sports days, school festivals, picnics—you name it.
Since it’s the time for “autumn music”, we hope you will find the perfect event partner this season.

See you next time.