Line array systems - LD Maui 5 vs. Turbosound ip500?... Which one and why?

chris6120 · #1 09-04-2017, 11:30 PM

Hey all,

The title says it all...
I had convinced myself to buy an LD Systems Maui 5 over the long weekend, but started looking at the Turbosound ip500 and now i'm struggling to decide. With the 15% off which ends Tuesday, they are basically the same price. If I buy one and it doesn't work for me, I will return it and go with a more traditional powered top and sub arrangement.

Does anyong here have any first hand or personal experience with either of these... any opinions on either?

LD Sytems Maui 5 here:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-a...lumn-pa-system

Turbosound ip500 here:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...SAAEgKWA_D_BwE

Any input or advice is appreciated...
Thanks!

NotValid · #2 09-05-2017, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris6120

Hey all,

The title says it all...
I had convinced myself to buy an LD Systems Maui 5 over the long weekend, but started looking at the Turbosound ip500 and now i'm struggling to decide. With the 15% off which ends Tuesday, they are basically the same price. If I buy one and it doesn't work for me, I will return it and go with a more traditional powered top and sub arrangement.

Does anyong here have any first hand or personal experience with either of these... any opinions on either?

LD Sytems Maui 5 here:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-a...lumn-pa-system

Turbosound ip500 here:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...SAAEgKWA_D_BwE

Any input or advice is appreciated...
Thanks!

No direct experience but I have researched both items and read a few reviews in German that put these two units against each other and the L.D Maui came out ahead not only in sound production but in build quality as well. The Turbosound is built cheaply with cheap parts and materials whereas the Maui is built better.
Wish I could add more. Hope this helps.

chris6120 · #3 09-05-2017, 05:37 AM

Notvalid,
It does help.
Any links to those reviews you mentioned?

Puerto Player · #4 09-05-2017, 06:42 AM

I looked into both of those also. I ended up buying a Maui 5. I liked it so much I bought a Maui 28 for our other house.

I use a two channel RNP preamp for my mic and guitar into the Maui 5. Sounds pretty *****en.

Although I don't own either, I think the Mesa Boogie Rosette preamp or the new Boss AD10 would be pretty nice in front of it also.

I use a QSC Touchmix 8 in front of the Maui 28. At this point, the Touchmix is smarter than I am, I'm still learning all it's features.

martingitdave · #5 09-05-2017, 07:21 AM

Unless you are using a mixer, or vocal/guitar front end like the TC Play Acoustic, the TurboSound iP500 will be more limited in terms of features. The Maui 5 is ready out of the box for guitar and vocals.

JakeStone · #6 09-05-2017, 08:02 AM

Not to sound like a broken record.. But the Maui is a solid player in this "entry level" Line Array offerings. There are tons of positive reviews from all over.

It has nice inputs and controls... Sound is amazing! I can sing and play and feel confident.

I am using a Boss VE8 for Guitar and Vocals effects.. XLR out of VE8 into the back XLR of the Maui. The sound to me is best through the rear XLRs as opposed to the Hi-Z and Mic input. My guitar has a built-in preamp (Gibson J-45 with a Highlander pickup). So I didn't care for the sound into the Hi-z.

It comes down to cost.....$500... It is the best out there (IMO).

martingitdave · #7 09-05-2017, 08:07 AM

Jake, I agree with all of that. I will add that the Mackie Reach, which I got refurbished for $550, is also worthy of consideration. It does suffer from low gain high z inputs, so it works best with low z XLR connections. But, besides 5 channels of input, it has a shockingly flat response for a high dispersion speaker system. It's my current favorite small/medium venue (sub $700) system.

JakeStone · #8 09-05-2017, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Jake, I agree with all of that. I will add that the Mackie Reach, which I got refurbished for $550, is also worthy of consideration. It does suffer from low gain high z inputs, so it works best with low z XLR connections. But, besides 5 channels of input, it has a shockingly flat response for a high dispersion speaker system. It's my current favorite small/medium venue (sub $700) system.

Dave - Yep... That would be a contender and very versatile with added ins and output too. (Maui doesn't have output)... I see it's pretty lightweight at 30 lbs too. I imagine the Maui "may" pack a little more bottom end?

Sweetwater has some B-Stocks at $649
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...SABEgLr3vD_BwE

JakeStone · #9 09-05-2017, 08:23 AM

BTW, I wanted to add that you can remove the 2 extra columns and use the M5 with just the speaker system column.

Works great for rehearsal or practicing when sitting down.

chris6120 · #10 09-05-2017, 03:24 PM

Hey guys,

Dave - I am ordering the Alto Alto Zephyr Series ZMX122FX 8-Channel Compact Mixer with Effects. This will also feed out to a DBX GoRack before input into the speaker column, so I will be using it with an external mixer. I also have a TC Play Acoustic on my pedal board.

Jake and Puerto- You guys have had nothing but good things to say about the LD Systems Maui based on personal experience. The Turbosound definitely looks interesting at the same basic price as the Maui5. I actually think some of its features may even be better.

Both have 1 X 8 LF drivers for the sub
The Turbosound comes with carrying bags included. With the Maui 5 they are extra (around $75-80 bucks)

The Turbosound has a pretty cool DSP and interface w 3 band master EQ and different preset EQ curves. It also has an IOS app to control volume and EQ from you iphone or iPad. The Maui 5 does not.

Differences to consider:

LD Maui 5 = 4 X 3'' hf drivers VS. Turbosound ip500 = 6 X 2" hf drivers

LD Maui 5 = rated at 800 watts peak VS. Turbosound ip500 = 600 watts peak (yes, I know continuous watts RMS is what matters most) This makes me think the Turbosound may need to be driven a little harder at higher volumes...maybe more susceptible to clipping or auto protection kicking in? I dunno...

LD Maui 5 = 120 degree dispersion VS. Turbosound ip500 - 100 degrees dispersion (at least that what I see in the specs)

I've spent all morning comparing. I like a lot of the Turbosound's features better than the Maui 5, but in the lack of enough info and reviews of the Turbosound, I guess I'm gonna buy the Maui 5.

If I don't bond with it, I'll return it (I'll have to eat shipping though) for a powered speaker and a powered sub.

I'll check in with an update later...

Stratcat77 · #11 09-06-2017, 11:37 AM

For what it's worth I bought the Maui 11 and am very happy with it.

chris6120 · #12 09-09-2017, 03:35 PM

UPDATE:

So I pulled the trigger on the LD Systems Maui 5. I used a 15% off labor day coupon and got it for $505 no tax and free shipping.

I've had a few days to really put it through its paces.
I'm running vocals and a dreadnaught with a baggs M80 > TC Play Acoustic > DBX gorack > into the XLR inputs on the Maui 5.

I would say considering its budget price range, its not bad. There are many positives, but there are also enough negatives that are making me consider returning it and getting something else...

The positives:

-great weight and portability.
-sleek modular design.
-probably as good (or maybe better) than many other entry level line array sytems.

The negatives:

-I have taken a lot of time to properly gain stage the play acoustic and the dbx go rack... and even at its rated 800 watts peak and 200 watts RMS, I'm still a little bit underwhelmed with the overall volume of the Maui 5 when using it for vocals and guitar. When using the MP3 input for break music from an ipod, its is plenty loud, but it can't seem to reproduce anything close to that volume with guitar and vocals running into the balanced XLR inputs... doesn't matter how you gain stage the gear in front of it or whether you plug directly in and bypass the gear in front. I could see using this for small pub or coffee house type applications of 50 people or less in a smaller space, but using it outdoors or trying to cover a space with 150+ would be pretty doubtful to me.

-I had hoped to be able to use it without a monitor. This could definitely be done, but I am highly skeptical that it efficiently disperses sound at a true 120 degrees. I'm actually skeptical of any manufacturers claims of sound dispersion on their line array or coulmn systems and tend to believe they are all exaggerated. When testing while walking around it at different distances, there is a very clear and pronounced fall off to either side when you are not directly in front of it. It may be more efficient than a typical "point and shoot" type of speaker, but "room filling sound" is definitely not how I would describe it. I don't think you're really gonna get this from any budget line array system.

-It does produce very (surprisingly) good bass response for a small column array with only an 8" woofer, but its not very focused or articulate. It is loud, but can be a bit muddy. I suppose this is to be expected from a small woofer.

All in all, it's a pretty capable and super portable little system with a lot going for it...I wasn't expecting it to perform like a Bose system costing 2-3 times as much so I anticipated there would be compromises, but I'm not sure if the positives outweigh the negatives for me, so I may return it.

I really wish I had more thoroughly investigated the Mackie Reach before I bought the Maui 5. I've been pretty impressed with its unique feature set.

Martingitdave, I may PM you for your thoughts on the Reach.

Anyway, just thought I would share my 2 cents. Feel free to take it for whatever you feel its worth...

Thanks!

Stratcat77 · #13 09-09-2017, 03:38 PM

I thought about the 5 and bought the 11. In my opinion it's got plenty of power for acoustic rock. And I'm half deaf and get told to turn down a lot! Ha ha.

martingitdave · #14 09-09-2017, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris6120

UPDATE:

So I pulled the trigger on the LD Systems Maui 5. I used a 15% off labor day coupon and got it for $505 no tax and free shipping.

I've had a few days to really put it through its paces.
I'm running vocals and a dreadnaught with a baggs M80 > TC Play Acoustic > DBX gorack > into the XLR inputs on the Maui 5.

I would say considering its budget price range, its not bad. There are many positives, but there are also enough negatives that are making me consider returning it and getting something else...

The positives:

-great weight and portability.
-sleek modular design.
-probably as good (or maybe better) than many other entry level line array sytems.

The negatives:

-I have taken a lot of time to properly gain stage the play acoustic and the dbx go rack... and even at its rated 800 watts peak and 200 watts RMS, I'm still a little bit underwhelmed with the overall volume of the Maui 5 when using it for vocals and guitar. When using the MP3 input for break music from an ipod, its is plenty loud, but it can't seem to reproduce anything close to that volume with guitar and vocals running into the balanced XLR inputs... doesn't matter how you gain stage the gear in front of it or whether you plug directly in and bypass the gear in front. I could see using this for small pub or coffee house type applications of 50 people or less in a smaller space, but using it outdoors or trying to cover a space with 150+ would be pretty doubtful to me.

-I had hoped to be able to use it without a monitor. This could definitely be done, but I am highly skeptical that it efficiently disperses sound at a true 120 degrees. I'm actually skeptical of any manufacturers claims of sound dispersion on their line array or coulmn systems and tend to believe they are all exaggerated. When testing while walking around it at different distances, there is a very clear and pronounced fall off to either side when you are not directly in front of it. It may be more efficient than a typical "point and shoot" type of speaker, but "room filling sound" is definitely not how I would describe it. I don't think you're really gonna get this from any budget line array system.

-It does produce very (surprisingly) good bass response for a small column array with only an 8" woofer, but its not very focused or articulate. It is loud, but can be a bit muddy. I suppose this is to be expected from a small woofer.

All in all, it's a pretty capable and super portable little system with a lot going for it...I wasn't expecting it to perform like a Bose system costing 2-3 times as much so I anticipated there would be compromises, but I'm not sure if the positives outweigh the negatives for me, so I may return it.

I really wish I had more thoroughly investigated the Mackie Reach before I bought the Maui 5. I've been pretty impressed with its unique feature set.

Martingitdave, I may PM you for your thoughts on the Reach.

Anyway, just thought I would share my 2 cents. Feel free to take it for whatever you feel its worth...

Thanks!

Chris,

I would try the TC Play Acoustic directly into the left and right line inputs on the back of the Maui 5 before you return it. You can set the gains higher on the mic and the guitar from the TC menus. I found the DBX go rack to provide less than stellar performance for small systems like the Maui.

The Reach is only good from a gain perspective when you use the XLR connections which use a +30 dB preamp circuit. This is not an issue if you use the TC Play Acoustic with its dual low Z DI outputs. If you are using an active pickup you can use the Planet Waves XLR to TRS adaptor. Otherwise, you need your Play Acoustic.

I found the the TC Play Acoustic and the Mackie to be a very useful combination. But, at the sub $800 price point for these systems we have to recognize that they are not for super high SPL applications. For instance, I did a concert for 100+ people in a large ball room and maxed out the Mackie. I suspect the Maui would have been the same.

chris6120 · #15 09-09-2017, 05:10 PM

Hi Dave,

Thanks for chiming in on the Reach. With the Maui 5 I have tried it without the dbx go rack in between the play acoustic and the powered speaker.

I have it properly gain staged with the overall output from the play acoustic set to maximum (I run it in mono mode out which seems to sound the best) and the guitar output in the setup menu bumped up to between 16 - 20 db. The input gains on the play acoustic (and the go rack when its in the chain) are set to correct levels and the lights that let you know if its gain staged correctly repond exactly as the manuals indicate they should. In my experiments, I have found that the balanced XLR inputs on the Maui 5 seem to provide the best volume, but its still a bit underwhelming.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the Maui 5 I purchased, I just think this is probably somewhat inherent in using a small portable line array.

Depsite the mixed reviews on the Reach, I am still interested in it.

I don't fully understand the whole "volume level pad thing" that everyone reports with the Mackie Reach. If someone would care to explain that and the workaround that has worked for them, I would really like to know. Are the people reporting a lack of volume only getting this because they are using a high Z quarter inch cable for their guitar instead of some kind of TRS-to-XLR cable that would allow them to plug in to the balanced low Z inputs on the Reach???

I believe I saw reference to a work around in some other threads on the Reach, so i will use the search function and try to decipher what its all about.

If i knew I could use the Mackie Reach without experiencing the whole built in pad issue that seems to hamper its overall volume (or at least a dependable workaround) It would be a contender for me.