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Old 03-24-2010, 09:45 AM
WildPicker WildPicker is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2009
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Default New Shootout: Small Powered Speakers vs Bose, BagAmp, etc.

There have been some great discussion on these forums about some of the recent options for smaller, lighter sound systems. Thanks to all who have contributed! As a performer approaching the age of 50, I’ve been comparing some of these smaller options for a while. In April I’m facing 20 Earth Day performances out in Illinois in a span of just 10 days, all requiring sound set up for groups of 100-250. So any claimed breakthroughs in “lighter, simpler, better” PA equipment are of special interest. What follows are my opinions. As always, your mileage may vary.

The “Mini Line Arrays” by Bose, Fishman and BagAmp
The concept on these is intriguing enough that I’ve now tried all three of them. My short take on them is that they certainly set up easily. As others have mentioned, all are greatly improved by running through a decent little mixer. Something like the upcoming Allen Heath Zed 10FX mixer, or even the Mackie Pro FX8 are a huge improvement. At the higher end are the Dynacord CMS mixers (think Midas mixer with great effects). The little Bose digital mixer actually sounds good, and is incredibly compact. But it's expensive ($500) for a mono mixer, and requires scrolling through lots of screens and menus. I'm old fashioned enough to prefer an analog mixer with real faders and knobs. But the main thing is all three units greatly benefit from some separate mixer. Without one, the limited EQ and digital effects of these three units were frustrating for me.

Overall volume is loud enough for small venues (think 60 person coffee house) with all three. But the quality of the sound is simply not equal to what you can get from good powered speakers. In a side by side comparison with the powered speakers described below, the sound of these mini columns is colored and/or harsh as you turn up the volume. The lowest notes of an acoustic guitar require fairly flat frequency response down to around 70 Hz, and these little column speakers just don’t have it. Note: I haven’t worked with the more expensive Bose L1 Model 11 with the powered sub. But then again by the time you’re spending $2,500 for this mono system, or $5,000 for two of them to make it stereo, it’s neither inexpensive nor light weight.

Powered Speakers
While the earlier mini-columns are all somewhate similar in price and and weight, powered speakers vary greatly in size, weight, and price. They go from budget Behringer stuff under $200 up to ultra high end speakers by Kv2 Audio, Meyer Sound, Nexo, and the EAW NT series that can run $2,000 to $3,000 apiece. When done right, a good powered speaker sounds terrific. They are usually bi-amped, with separate amplifiers matched to both the woofer and the compression driver. The good ones use carefully designed electronic crossovers, EQ, and digital processing to get the fullest and most accurate sound possible for their size, weight and price.

Which ones make good sense for guitar players and singer songwriters? A good place to start is with some of the 10 inch speakers. The 10 inch woofer versions generally go low enough for bass, while still staying fairly compact and light weight. All else being equal, a smaller 8 inch or 10 inch speaker will do better in the critical crossover range (very important for vocals) than a big 15 inch two way speaker. The 15 inch speaker is better suited for the bass thump of pop music and wedding DJ’s, but is not a good choice for most acoustic musicians, even apart from size/weight considerations.

Recent Shootout Impressions:

Kv2 EX-12

At 60 lb and $2,400, this is my reference for just how good things can sound. As you’d expect at this price, the sound is very clean, detailed yet smooth. Nothing harsh, even at high volumes, and yet every nuance of tone and texture is there... truly like high end studio monitors, only in a PA speaker. These are my first choice if I’ve got a show in a larger 400-600 seat theater, church or hall. The cabinet is baltic birch, which helps with the sound, but also contributes to the weight. The interesting question is how close smaller, lighter and cheaper speakers can get to this level of sound for smaller shows.

FBT Maxx 2A (10 inch)
At 27 lb and around $750, this is an excellent all around choice for either main PA speakers, or as floor monitors. The sound is warm, not harsh, with plenty of low end and midrange detail. Sound quality at medium to moderately high volumes is surprisingly close to my reference Kv2 EX-12 speakers. The FBT Maxx 2A just won’t go as loud or as low. Other lightweight 10 inch speakers to consider in this price range are those made by RCF, who used to make the early Mackie speakers. Recent Mackie speakers have been dissappointing by comparison, as have been the JBL Eon series.

Electro Voice ZX1A (8 inch)
At only 19 lbs and around $450, this new 8 inch speaker got my hopes up. It’s wonderfully light and compact. The sound is extremely open, clear, bordering on hyped on the high end. EV claims the speaker is only 3 dB down at 60 Hz. If true, this would be a great achievment. But in two different batches I tested, the bass really fell off dramatically below 100 Hz. Vocals sounded clear and open; a good guitar sounds clear but thin on the bottom. Ukulele would probably do great. Overall this speaker strikes me as a good bet for a floor vocal monitor, but not the best choice for main speakers, even for small shows, unless run with a sub. Note: the earliest batch of these have a recall out from EV due to concerns about a possible electrical gounding fault. This is a safety issue. If you buy a pair, make sure yours have been fixed or weren’t in the affected run.

QSC K8 (8 inch)
At 28 lbs and around $650, this is the smallest and lightest in the recent QSC K series. The larger K10 is also a strong contender, if you don’t mind the extra weight and expense in exchange for a little more low end and throw. These speakers are smooth sounding, very clean, and very powerful. Not quite as much mid range detail as the FBT Maxx 2A, but a very nice, open sound. Their dispersion patterns are unique amidst the other speakers, which will be a plus for some users and a minus for others. The K8 has an very wide, conical dispersion. For a small show, say in a library, or small coffehouse, I can use a single one of these up on a speaker stand, angled slightly downward, a little behind me and just off to the side, kind of the way most folks use the “mini line array” products. No feedback problems at moderate volume, and beautiful sound quality for me and the audience. If it was a choice between one of the “mini line array” columns behind me or one of the K8 speakers, the K8 would win hands down. In a pinch, you can even run a vocal mic and a guitar directly through these, and "mix" them together in the speaker itself, but without any EQ or effects. As with the mini columns, I'd sure prefer a real mixer. But for a minimalist application, a number of these powered speakers are virtually plug-n-play.

For larger shows it’s necessary to put up two speakers, one a bit to either side. The wide dispersion still allows me to hear plenty of what’s going on, without bothering with a separate monitor. The downside of wide dispersion is if you’re playing to a large group in a deep hall or 400 seat theater, the sound won’t “throw” as far as with larger tighter dispersion speakers. But if you’re getting up to 400 person shows, it’s time for bigger main speakers and/or a powered sub, and monitors as well.

FBT Jolly 8BA (8 inch)
At 19 lb and around $450, these are similar in size, price and weight to the EV ZX1A speakers, but totally different in sound. These are much warmer sounding, though not as clear and open. They have a bit more low end response than the EV’s. Overall I like them better than the EV for something like piano, guitar or fiddle, though I like vocals better on the EV’s. If the budget were limited to around $400 per speaker, these might be my first choice in a compact 8 inch speaker. But if the budget allowed more, then the QSC K8 would be my next option. Note: the Jolly 8BA also works well as a floor monitor, in constrast to the K8 which isn’t angled properly for floor monitor use.

Conclusions
So... after all the listening, which speakers am I taking with me for the 20 show extravaganza in Illinois next month? If someone else with a good back were setting up sound for me, it would be the Kv2 EX-12 speakers. Or if I were only settting up one show each day, I’d probably go with the FBT Maxx 2A speakers and something like the EV or Jolly as a floor monitor. But for setting up and breaking down two shows a day, I’m actually going with the QSC K8 speakers. For me, their smaller size wins out, combined with not having to set up a monitor speaker at each show.

In the end, any speaker decision comes down to how you’re going to use it, and which tradeoffs matter most to you in terms of weight, size, price, and simplicity. If possible, rent or borrow several different systems and work with them in different spaces. A quick "audition" in a noisy Guitar Center store doesn't tell you much, and the sales kids usually lack the time (and experience) to try and understand your specific needs and application. Talk to folks you trust, but develop your own ears and knowledge.

If you're just starting out with an inexpensive guitar and playing a couple open mics, don't go nuts on your first sound system. But if you really care about your sound, you've searched long and hard for the perfect sounding guitar, and it's your career, then know that everything in the signal chain affects the final sound heard by you and the audience. Microphones, pickups, cables, speakers... don’t forget a good mixer!

Good luck and keep playing!
Steve Schuch
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