Choosing the Right Speaker or Amp for Your Blair Digital Chanter
One question we hear all the time from Blair Digital Chanter players is: "What speaker should I use?" The short answer is that it comes down to your budget and the kind of tone you're after. Since the Blair Digital Chanter is built for high-quality audio, it's worth pairing it with the best speaker you can afford — the better the speaker, the better it will show off what the chanter can really do.
Here's our rundown of the options, broken into three budget ranges: small, bigger, and biggest.
Quick Takeaways
- Your choice typically comes down to budget and the sound you prefer.
- Because the Blair Digital Chanter has such high-quality audio, it's worth investing in the best speaker you can.
- Acoustic amps give the most accurate, natural sound reproduction.
- Generally, the higher the price of the speaker or amp, the better the sound quality.
Small Budget: Portable Bluetooth Speakers
Every year brings a new crop of portable speakers designed for streaming music on the go. These are handy for Digital Chanter players — mostly mono, easy to carry, and decent for casual use. That said, some fall short on sound quality, particularly in the bass and high-frequency range where the chanter really shines.
If you're shopping on a smaller budget, try before you buy where you can. This is especially important because some Bluetooth speakers introduce latency, which can throw off your timing when playing along.
A few standouts worth trying:
- Fender Newport — known for a crisp, lively sound
- JBL Flip series
- Sony XB3 series
One to avoid: the small mono plug-in speakers that connect directly into the chanter. Beyond delivering subpar sound, they can actually risk damaging the chanter's circuit board.
Bigger Budget: Acoustic and Guitar Amps
Acoustic and guitar amps are the two main portable amplification options for players wanting to step things up. Both offer louder volume, better sound quality, and extra features like effects, Bluetooth playback for backing tracks, and even loopers — but they take very different approaches to tone.
Acoustic Amps
Acoustic amps are built to keep your instrument's natural sound intact rather than colouring it. They typically have a flatter frequency response, sometimes paired with a small tweeter to capture the finer details in your tone. For a sound that stays true to the Digital Chanter, solid picks include:
- NUX Stageman AC80
- Fender Acoustic 100
- AER Compact Mobile 2
Guitar Amps
Guitar amps, on the other hand, are known for adding their own character to the sound. Brands like Marshall, Fender, Orange, and Vox each bring a distinct, iconic flavour. They can get loud and tend to sound best pushed to a certain level. While not the ideal match for the Digital Chanter's natural tone, they can still produce a great sound if you're after something with more personality.
Biggest Budget: PA Speakers
At the top end, PA speakers offer plenty of volume, precise tonal control, versatile inputs, and the flexibility of running on mains or battery power. Entry-level options like the JBL EON ONE include four inputs and Bluetooth playback, so you can stream backing tracks for seamless play-along sessions — this is what we personally use.
PA speakers generally have a flatter frequency response and can be paired in stereo, letting you get the most out of the Blair Digital's built-in features like stereo PAN, reverb, and metronome. There's a wide range of quality options from brands including JBL, Yamaha, Behringer, RCF, and Electrovoice.
The Bottom Line
- Try before you buy on smaller portable speakers where possible.
- Watch out for Bluetooth latency on smaller speakers — it can affect your timing when streaming playback.
- Skip the small plug-in speakers — poor sound quality and a real risk of damaging your chanter.
- For the best overall sound quality, go with an acoustic amp or a PA system.
- Our personal picks: the Fender Newport, NUX Stageman AC80, and JBL EON ONE — all deliver excellent sound for the Blair Digital Chanter.