Plastic Speakers? (Portable PAs)

[strangebloom]

I used to see a lot more portable PA options for solo\duo playing, but it seems like now everything, even branded stuff, is all plastic now. Would be happy to hear thoughts on this stuff. I am looking to add a small PA to my gear, but this stuff all looks so cheap compared to what I remember.

Any experience with and suggestions for sub $500 systems for maybe 2-3 peeps, no drums?

[rmp]

yea I know.. everything is like this now for this stuff. No one wants things like Passive speakers, and cabs made out of wood. I have a pair of Club Series yamaha's I'd love to have someone take off my hands.



But I get it, that stuff is heavy and you have to drag around a whole bunch of other stuff too. (Power amps, and the likes)

based on your budget,

if you're looking new, for 2 or 3 people you could look for a pair of Behringer powered speakers, and you'd need a small mixer and a few speaker stands.
but even that is going to be past what you're looking to invest.

a fishman SA unit might do too I think those have four or five channels. but under 500? no way.


you'd need to look used I'm sure there plenty out there, but for any brands that were of higher quality, (yamaha, macki, bose etc) they start to involve some money.

[Robin, Wales]

Powered speakers (plastic casings) are heavy but very adaptable. I have a set of cheap Gear 4 Music branded 10" powered speakers that I've had for more than 10 years. They are really clear with very low noise. They can sit on stands or kick back as floor monitors. You can use them singly or as a pair. I used one last night to boost the electric piano at a choir concert so the members of the choir the other side of the stage could hear the piano.

Don't knock them - they are robust and very useful bits of kit......and the cheap ones work really well.

[Chriscom]

Originally Posted by strangebloom

I used to see a lot more portable PA options for solo\duo playing, but it seems like now everything, even branded stuff, is all plastic now. Would be happy to hear thoughts on this stuff. I am looking to add a small PA to my gear, but this stuff all looks so cheap compared to what I remember.

Any experience with and suggestions for sub $500 systems for maybe 2-3 peeps, no drums?

Yep a lot of plastic out there. It can be done well. The super-expensive Bose Pro line is an example--they sound awesome.

The Guitar Center house brand Harbinger is often recommended as a go-to on a budget. I've heard various Harbinger PAs and they sound good, the question mark is gonna be durability. That being said the Harbinger MLS900 is a decent budget stick, and their conventional PAs deliver too, from what I've heard in the field. Currently marked down to $399.

Even on the used market, the lowest price I see for (for example) a Fishman sa330x is $649 on Reverb.

[alexevans917]

Originally Posted by Chriscom

Yep a lot of plastic out there. It can be done well. The super-expensive Bose Pro line is an example--they sound awesome.

The Guitar Center house brand Harbinger is often recommended as a go-to on a budget. I've heard various Harbinger PAs and they sound good, the question mark is gonna be durability. That being said the Harbinger MLS900 is a decent budget stick, and their conventional PAs deliver too, from what I've heard in the field. Currently marked down to $399.

Even on the used market, the lowest price I see for (for example) a Fishman sa330x is $649 on Reverb.

Some of the Harbinger stuff I’ve heard is very good, and I’ve used Alto and Mackie “Thump” speakers in the past that are similarly low priced and quite nice sounding. $500 all in is a tough price point for a full PA. You could certainly get a decent pair of (possibly used) powered speakers for around that price, but mixer, mics, stands, cables, etc. all cost a fair amount too, particularly if you need enough mics, cables, and channels for a small group of performers.

Perhaps a single powered 12” speaker and a cheap mixer might do the trick? I played a few outdoor shows a few years back with a single Yamaha DXR12 on a stand and a Mackie 1202 mixer, and that had more than enough power for my needs. You might even consider contacting a sales rep at Sweetwater (or your preferred pro audio dealer) so see if they could put together a package based around a good compact speaker with the necessary peripherals for a discounted rate.

[strangebloom]

Thanks for thoughts. I'll look at these and give them a shot. It feels weird to me because wood was always a big part of how things sounded. but then again, if I haven't even listened to any of these plastic ones yet, maybe I'm just being stubborn for nothing.

Actually today has been a good learning experience for me. While wrestling with this, I came across this youtube from a bass cabinet maker too and its given me more perspective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc5QrQqRco4&t=612s

[L20A]

I went with 2 Bose S1 Pro PA Speakers.
Normal small shows only require 1 speaker.
That is enough for me and my guitar.

If I need more channels, I use a Yamaha mixer.
The small size of the S1 is awesome and I love the way it sounds.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by strangebloom

I used to see a lot more portable PA options for solo\duo playing, but it seems like now everything, even branded stuff, is all plastic now. Would be happy to hear thoughts on this stuff. I am looking to add a small PA to my gear, but this stuff all looks so cheap compared to what I remember.

Any experience with and suggestions for sub $500 systems for maybe 2-3 peeps, no drums?

i think the move to ABS cabinets is a huge plus. The cabinets lower the carrying weight substantially, and that makes me happy.

My Cube EX is feather-weight and packs a lot of volume in its small package.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by L20A

I went with 2 Bose S1 Pro PA Speakers.
Normal small shows only require 1 speaker.
That is enough for me and my guitar.

If I need more channels, I use a Yamaha mixer.
The small size of the S1 is awesome and I love the way it sounds.

same for me

two S1s on stands with a 12ch mixer for a solo acoustic gig.

the S1s can really throw a lot of sound and the area these things cover is remarkable.

It's almost too easy to be too loud on any given night.

not cheap, but easy to move, setup, and run.