Bullhorn Megaphone
Megaphone - ThunderPower 100 - 12 Watts of Power
I suppose it’s only natural that as a new ThunderPower megaphone is released, then we would put up a review of this great brand. We already have the ThunderPower 150 and 200 bullhorn megaphones reviewed here, so whilst this 100 is the baby brother of the group, it is definitely worth mentioning as it will surely satisfy someone’s need out there who does not need the power of the larger models, but is still looking for a great product and brand to back it up.
What we commonly see with the ThunderPower megaphones is that the clear and accurate sound projection is well above some of the more generic megaphone brands. There are a few bullhorn brands that set the bar high - they are of course Fanon, Pyle, Champion and a bit newer to the scene is ThunderPower. However, their relative “new guy” status does not mean their models are lacking in any way.
Obviously the lower power of this ThunderPower 100 means that it is not going to be the bullhorn megaphone to choose for large scale outdoor events. It is much better suited to indoor events, as the light weight and compact size of this ThunderPower has obviously lead to the sacrifice of raw voice projecting power.
ThunderPower megaphones are considered to be commercial grade kit, and we have not heard a bad thing said about them since we have started reviewing them here on Bullhorn Megaphone.info.
At this lower power end of the market, you have a lot more choice available as to what megaphone to get. However, a lot of choice is not always a good thing, as it can start to complicate things. The most important thing to think about is that you want your megaphone to be reliable, robust and most importantly still working next year - a lot of the cheaper imported generic brands will let you down in this department. ThunderPower are targeted the more light weight end of the market with this 100 model, but it delivers a lot more than those other megaphones in the same class.
The Fanon MV20S Megaphone
The Fanon MV20S Megaphone is - to be quite honest - by the most powerful, impressive and reliable megaphone that money can buy.
Having used quite a handful of different bullhorn megaphones over the years, it is always a pleasure to attend and marshal an event where the organizers have thought that only the very best would do when it comes to communication and crowd control.
To briefly summarize this beast, you have:
- 1000 yards range for amplification
- Entirely weatherproof construction, including the detachable mic
- Dynamic microphone and built in volume control to prevent you deafening the crowd
- Alarm, microphone hooks, and stand all come as standard
If you are in the market for a new megaphone and have a reasonably loose budget, then you really need look no further than the Fanon MV20s!
What's the best bullhorn megaphone?
In the run up to Christmas, many people will be looking to get themselves - or someone else - a megaphone or bullhorn megaphone. Naturally people want to get the best they can for their money, and in these dark economic times, that may not be as much as they hoped for.
In this post we will address a few points to make sure you get the best megaphone for your needs in the run up to Christmas.
Tips for buying the best megaphone
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Avoid the cheaper generic import brands. Although it is attractive when you consider the lower price, they really can be very unreliable, meaning that if it doesn’t break in the first few months, it will slowly fall to bits and won’t really stand up to much in terms of hard wear and wet weather.
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You do not always need the most powerful megaphone in the world. There are a number of different 20 watt or even 1000 yard megaphones on the market, but it is probably only a very small percentage of people that will actually need something this powerful. Instead, go for a good balance of power and portability that suits your purpose.
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Remember the batteries! Whilst the more powerful megaphones are very impressive, they tend to get through more battery juice than the lower power versions. The batteries are pretty heavy and can be expensive, so this is another consideration.
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Branded is best, and even if you manage to get a non-imported but quality megaphone, it is worth bearing in mind that these are quite complex bits of electronic kit, so you are better off with the more reliable and established brands.
Amazon has a great selection of some of the best megaphones, and offer pretty good prices too. You can check out their selection here.
Fanon MV-16S Megaphone
This is the third Fanon megaphone we have reviewed here on BullhornMegaphone.info. We have looked at the MV-20s and the MV-10s, so as you might imagine, the MV-16s sits between the two in terms of power, performance and of course the all important price.
As with other Fanon’s, you get a very reliable and sturdy construction with this model - they are some of the best megaphone manufacturers in the world, and many of their models are used by the US Armed Forces for outdoor exercises and coordination; certainly not a bad accolade.
This 16s model does not include the detachable microphone piece that we see on the more expensive 20s, but these microphones are not always that useful, and can add extra weight to something that is already quite heavy.
There is, of course, the usual pistol trigger style talk switch, which ensures you are not wasting any battery as you stand around with the megaphone and not actually speaking through it. There is a built in volume control, which is particularly effective in the Fanon devices - some of the more generic ones do not havea very accurate control; it’s either full blast or inaudible.
There is a built in alarm system to quick grab attention from a crowd, and the weather proof construction insures you won’t be left in the quiet on rainy days.
As the Fanon MV-20s is regarded as a 1000 yard megaphone and the MV-10s as a 600 yarder, it makes sense to hear that this MV-16s - nestled in the middle - is capable of amplifying voice over 800 yards, which is a claim we don’t often see on the more generic brands.
Overall this a is a great bullhorn megaphone, and if you can afford it, we would strongly recommend it as a high end, robust performer. You can check it out here on Amazon, who offer the best prices and shipping options.
Getting a megaphone on your iPhone
With the explosion of iPhones over the last few years, more and more people are turning to them to use as portable electronic gadgets no matter what the need. It seems that the iPhone has now started taking on the megaphone market, with apps abound to turn your phone into a bullhorn megaphone!
Needless to say - and sorry to be sour about this one - but an iPhone will never replace the utility of a proper megaphone, at least not in the near future. Whilst a megaphone amplifies and projects your voice over great distances (and uses up a lot of battery juice at the same time!), these iPhone apps only just amplify your voice a little, and add a sort of megaphone style distortion to your voice. Definitely a cool gadget, but probably not going to win any loudspeaker competitions anytime soon.
You can check out the app over on the Apple app store, but don’t go expecting to do any crowd control with the app!
Where to buy megaphones
Whilst technically this site is dedicated towards bullhorn megaphones, it seems that increasingly the world is referring to them as just “megaphones”. So, in order to help you buy our next one, here are some quick tips on where to buy your next megaphone.
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There can be no substitute for actually getting your hands on a device and actually trying out for yourself. Back in the day, there were no electric portable megaphones - they all used the conical shape to project sound, but in this day age, so much is dependent on the electronics and build quality, that being able to try one out is very helpful
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That said, there are relatively few stores and outlets that actually stock bullhorn megaphones, and fewer still that will let you try them
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If you are unable to find a stockist locally, you should turn to the Internet, where - luckily - other users and consumers are able to share their stories about various products with us all. This is especially useful when you are trying to weigh up between two different models or brands with similar specs - the added benefit peoples hindsight can really help you reach a decision.
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Due to the relatively nice nature of these megaphones, it is often not possible to buy them directly from the manufacturers - thy simply do not have the supply chain systems. There are a number of different options online for buying, but you should always look for customer service and support in case your megaphone is not quite right
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Shopping and buying via Google Products or Amazon* is the best ways to go, really. You can check out the selection - ranked in order of popularity over here on Amazon
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Remember, there are many different features to modern megaphones these days, so be sure to do your research before you buy. On this site we have a number of different articles for bullhorn megaphone reviews, so feel free to browse them at your leisure.
Best megaphones in the world
What is the worlds best bullhorn megaphone? This should not really be a subjective question, but the answer is always going to be based on the fitness for purpose of what you need a megaphone for.
In many instances, people can get by with a hand held, manual custom megaphone (one that is not electronically amplified), as these are able to project a loud voice over sufficient distances.
However, when it comes to projecting and amplifying voices over distance and for a prolonged duration, it is worth spending time thinking about what the best megaphone is for the job.
There are countless cheap bullhorn megaphones around, but beware the poor build quality and lack of projection that comes with a reduced price tag. Also, since the boom of manufacturing in the far east, there are a lot of low quality imitations flooding the market in the US.
Given that it is best to avoid these poor quality bullhorn megaphones, what options are left? Well, some of the more reputable brands such as Pyle, Fanon and Champion actually make a range of affordable bullhorn megaphones, and you also get the quality guarantee.
They might be renowned for their more expensive 1000 yard megaphone and most powerful megaphones, but they do offer plenty of less powerful and more affordable models too.
So remember, when shopping around for a bullhorn megaphone, you don’t have to go all out on the most expensive model, but you should also beware of the cheap imitation models that will provide a false economy and will only last so long.
Check out this range