Mini PA System Idea.

Howdy. I am interested in building a small (stereo) PA (<50w total) to use in pub session type scenarios or places that are a bit small for a full on rig. Can anyone suggest a setup? I get asked for something similar a fair bit by folks so I was trying to figure out solutions. I wanted to get a pair of full-range car speakers and put them in a box each and then have a small amp inside each box, a bit like powered monitors. They don't need to be great but they need to be pretty good. People and players that have asked me for such a set up have usually been from two camps; 1/ Table Quiz/Poetry Readings 2/ Trad musicians.

For my purposes the stuff that will be played through it will be of full range including electronic drums and some synth stuff, samples as well as acoustic guitar. I get fairly acceptable results from a pair of powered computer speakers I use at home and this is what is driving the idea. If anyone could offer some input I would appreciate it. Small is the thing. Maybe a bit like those small SR series Celestions that were out a while back... :?

A couple of those small "HotSpot" powered monitors (or a homebuilt equivalent) could be the ticket.

Do you have any link or info Dave?

Trigger;

I am trying to be practical here.
Yes that will work but it will be well a kluge.
Yes you could spend lots of time making it correct
but that is not a practical way to use your time. IMHO
Spend your time on music or DIY. I see no point
in DIY for a small club "pub" system when you can buy
the stuff so cheap.
http://www.behringer.com/B300/index.cfm?lang=ENG
Yes I know I hate to plug these guys because they
knock off designs from other people.
And when we buy the knock off's we help keep up the bad practice.

OK one of those should easy cover you pub and you will be happy.
Yes it is big but a 12" speaker will not do the bass freq. very well.
Yes it is bigger than you want but it is a ready to go solution!
Try to buy one used.
The JBL version EON is a good choice but I assume they are way out of your budget.

Note the B company above does make small powered stuff but it will not
reproduce low freq. music very well. It may handle voice OK for you.

Since the lower cost stuff may have some nasty response peaks.
Find yourself a older 1/3 octive EQ and use it to taylor the sound to suit your sonic palate.

I always like a bigger system coasting rather than a small system
being pushed to it limits as all of the odd order distortions grate on my
ears and will make your listening experence not pleasent.
At 1983 at the US Festival
http://www.woz.org/US/
They had 180Kilowatts of audio power!
The sound guys said they would have liked to have 3 more dB of headroom!

Remember two things when doing PA work;
"You can never have enough audio (acoustic) headroom."
"You cannot make chicken salad from chicken sh _ t
and if you do it will not taste the same."

To add to what Adrian said...

Don't laugh, but a little Peavey powered "box mixer" (XR-series) and a couple of small two-way PA speakers can make for a quite adequate coffeehouse-type system. Said box mixers are available used for cheap here in the States; I don't know if the situation is similar in the UK.

The older XR series are of simple design and not too hard to fix when they fail, which isn't often if they're not abused.

Thanks chaps. I think I may just bail given the research that I am doing. I saw a system in a pub just recently and it was pretty good but the guy said it was ?400 for the speakers second hand. Given that sort of wonga I'll probably bail. Thanks for the feedback though. ATB.