2way or not 2way that is the question

[D.X 0]

Me and a friend are debating the merits of 3way speakers such as these here and was wondering what the general consesus is on here.

 

I'm favouring active 3ways at the moment due to ease of transportation and setup but my mate reckons passive subs + satellites are better. They probably are but are 3ways good enough for the job ?

[Welsh Audio Man 21 0]

Put it this way mate... i had a similar pair to those... wait until you get an upstairs gig... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/fear.gif

[DJ Marky Marc 0]

3 way designs in general give a better sound quality...

 

however 90% of your discos are in places where you wouldnt be able to tell the difference over the background noise and the public wouldnt know what was 1 2 or 3 way ...

 

chose your speakers based on the kind of work you do and the size of your transport and of course get the best quality you can afford...

 

 

[Kingy 0]

These are very good quality but VERY heavy!! They sound very smooth so if you can safely manage them (ie there are usually two of you at gigs!) they are a good option.

[Welsh Audio Man 21 0]

QUOTE (Kingy @ Jul 3 2006, 11:36 AM)

These are very good quality but VERY heavy!! They sound very smooth so if you can safely manage them (ie there are usually two of you at gigs!) they are a good option.

My point exactly... i made the mistake of taking mine to a gig on my own... when i reached the venue, found out it was upstairs... should have seen the fun i had getting them up there!! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/fear.gif

[Andy Westcott 0]

But above all, don't forget that Mackie are trying to sell speakers - it's their business after all - so they will produce whatever they think the buyers are looking for, and if that means 3-way designs, despite sounding worse than a good 2-way system (for argument's sake only, not from experience), that's what they'll produce. The customer dictates, but isn't necessarily the best judge.

 

In my mind, I think it's important to separate the bass frequencies from the rest, and amplify them separately, but as for midrange and highs? I feel this is a slight overcomplication for PA use.

 

I didn't like what I read on their site either:

"Tri-amplified systems always sound better than passive speakers driven by a single power amp."

-- Bit of a broad statement, that, and incorrect. A good passive system will probably sound better than a crap multi-amped system.

 

".....are constructed with extremely resonant 18mm Baltic Birch ply. Wood of this quality sings at high volumes....."

Huh???! That's exactly what you don't want it to do! Pandering to the technically uneducated or inexperienced, I dare say.

 

Grumpy old git, as ever. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif

[D.X 0]

Never mind. Went to a shop today and they had a clearance sale on their passive Mackie range as everyone was buying the actives. Got 2 15" satellites and 2 18" subs all at half price compared to what many online stores are knocking them out at.

 

Well sodding happy http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Jason v G 0]

QUOTE (D.X @ Jul 3 2006, 11:22 PM)

Never mind. Went to a shop today and they had a clearance sale on their passive Mackie range as everyone was buying the actives. Got 2 15" satellites and 2 18" subs all at half price compared to what many online stores are knocking them out at.

This will also give you a lot more flexibility in how and where you setup as well. Not every room has a designated DJ area, last week I had to shift a piano to get set up!