Best Active Speakers?

[Dukesy 0]

Anybody have any experience / suggestions for a decent set of active speakers, under £1000 a pair.

 

I'd really like a pair of QSC K12's / FBT MAxx but they are somewhat outside of my budget , although the 1000 watt per cab rating from a pair of 12" Cab's is very impressive and pretty much leading the industry in the case of the QSC K series.

 

Criteria:-

 

Be 15" cabs with reasonably good bass response (without using ext subs)

Lightweight - Having Class D or SMPS Amplifier modules seem favourite here

Ideally be rated at around 500W per cab, any more would be a bonus

Sound as good as is possible for the budget

 

I'm happy to consider second hand, if it gets me a bit more wattage or quality. Although stuff on the bay of fleas seems to be changing hands at almost the same price as brand new gear :wall:

 

Please don't do the boring thing and mention Mackie SRM450's, they used to appear on every other thread a few years ago, and TBH when I heard them I wasn't that impressed as to me they sounded more brash and in your face than smooth, tonally.

 

I've been looking at the new Class D powered Behringer range. But they haven't been launched in the UK yet, and don't seem to have any reviews and of course its too early to gauge their reliability. But for a middle of the road priced speaker they do seem a very attractive price - power combination.

 

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/B815NEO.aspx

[DJMickeyk 0]

Haven't used them myself but i have heard good things about the warrior psr 15 actives, think a pair will set you back about 600 pounds and they come with free bags, bit on the heavy side though at 30kg.

 

HTFR are doing a sale on the rcf 325 at 999 bang on your budget, i would go for those if your budget is 1000 pounds. Plenty of power and the 2" long throw horn will be better in bigger venues, I'm trying to shift some older jbls on ebay at the moment and the minute they're gone i'll be getting a set of these if they are still available at that price, although i am also considering a number of more expensive 12" + sub combinations, will see how much I can stretch to when the time comes.

 

mike

Edited August 14, 2010 by DJMickeyk

[gadget 0]

Haven't used them myself but i have heard good things about the warrior psr 15 actives, think a pair will set you back about 600 pounds and they come with free bags, bit on the heavy side though at 30kg.

 

HTFR are doing a sale on the rcf 325 at 999 bang on your budget, i would go for those if your budget is 1000 pounds. Plenty of power and the 2" long throw horn will be better in bigger venues, I'm trying to shift some older jbls on ebay at the moment and the minute they're gone i'll be getting a set of these if they are still available at that price, although i am also considering a number of more expensive 12" + sub combinations, will see how much I can stretch to when the time comes.

 

mike

 

I was going to buy a pair of the PSR 12's (passive), because they sounded really good for their money. When I came around to buying I couldn't find a pair for love nor money - out of stock everywhere...

 

Would like a pair of decent active 12inch speakers, a bit like MintyDave's RCF's, but I'd be happier with a slightly lower wattage than 700w per cab!

 

 

Cheers,

 

David

[PWES 0]

 

Although not EXACTLY what you are looking for, still worth a serious look if you need portable and compact - HK !

 

I used a LUCAS 1000 for 3 years until very recently, ok it's 3 boxes, but one compact sub with amps built in, and two tiny 8" tops, so still very portable. Lovely accurate but warm sound, and lots of punch !

 

I think around 1500 new, they often come up on ebay, and there are copies out their for the real cheapskates amongst us ;-)

[centrestagediscos 0]

another mention for the warriors you could get a pair of 15s for your main stuff but also add a pair of 12s for back up or smaller venues i had a listen to the 12s and i was very impressed but sound is very much down to each individuals perception.

[superstardeejay 0]

LD systems have class D powered cabinets in all shapes and sizes and are reasonably priced and good value. Samson also do some nice ones, as do Yamaha.

 

The cheap DJ brands will in general last through a warranty but shake themselves to bits eventually.

 

The worst-quality powered speakers I've seen by a very long chalk are Behringer.

 

Premium brands are usually well engineered such as RCF, Mackie, DB, JBL, GEM, HK, FBT, Nova, KV2, ElectroVoice/Dynacord and DAS.

 

 

 

 

[Norfolk DJ 0]

Anybody have any experience / suggestions for a decent set of active speakers, under £1000 a pair.

 

I'd really like a pair of QSC K12's / FBT MAxx but they are somewhat outside of my budget , although the 1000 watt per cab rating from a pair of 12" Cab's is very impressive and pretty much leading the industry in the case of the QSC K series.

 

Criteria:-

 

Be 15" cabs with reasonably good bass response (without using ext subs)

Lightweight - Having Class D or SMPS Amplifier modules seem favourite here

Ideally be rated at around 500W per cab, any more would be a bonus

Sound as good as is possible for the budget

 

I'm happy to consider second hand, if it gets me a bit more wattage or quality. Although stuff on the bay of fleas seems to be changing hands at almost the same price as brand new gear :wall:

 

Please don't do the boring thing and mention Mackie SRM450's, they used to appear on every other thread a few years ago, and TBH when I heard them I wasn't that impressed as to me they sounded more brash and in your face than smooth, tonally.

 

I've been looking at the new Class D powered Behringer range. But they haven't been launched in the UK yet, and don't seem to have any reviews and of course its too early to gauge their reliability. But for a middle of the road priced speaker they do seem a very attractive price - power combination.

 

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/B815NEO.aspx

 

Sub £1,000 rules out QSC, RCF and FBT, which would be the high quality front runners.

 

I rate the QSC K10 and the RCF 310 but these are only 10'inch drivers.

 

I would go for the Mackie SRM 450. Well bult for life on the road decent enough sound. They also resell well and hold their price.

[vokf 0]

Sub £1,000 rules out QSC, RCF and FBT, which would be the high quality front runners.

 

I rate the QSC K10 and the RCF 310 but these are only 10'inch drivers.

 

I would go for the Mackie SRM 450. Well bult for life on the road decent enough sound. They also resell well and hold their price.

 

Not compatible with Dan's ears.. and also not 15" (450's are 12" I'm sure?!)

 

 

[gadget 0]

Not compatible with Dan's ears.. and also not 15" (450's are 12" I'm sure?!)

 

In which case, RCF ART 325A for 999 from HTFR it is then?

 

:)

 

David

[UKHero 0]

Not compatible with Dan's ears.. and also not 15" (450's are 12" I'm sure?!)

 

Yes they are 12" but they pack quit a punch. They do need EQing to get the best from them though as Dan says they can be a bit harsh.

 

Nik

Edited August 16, 2010 by UKHero

[Norfolk DJ 0]

Not compatible with Dan's ears.. and also not 15" (450's are 12" I'm sure?!)

 

Indeed, but should be considered as they do fir the price range and are reasonably high performing 12 inch speakers compared to some.

 

In which case, RCF ART 325A for 999 from HTFR it is then?

 

:)

 

David

 

A true great buy.

 

Difficult to buy real quality under £1k

[Partyprint 0]

What about JBL Eons?

Heard them a few times and they sound good! Think they're just over £1k but would be worth the extra pennys an meet all the criteria 15", lightweight, active

[Robster 0]

What about JBL Eons?

Heard them a few times and they sound good! Think they're just over £1k but would be worth the extra pennys an meet all the criteria 15", lightweight, active

 

 

I Had a pair of eon 15's but found them very bright and i also found that feedback was an issue more than other speakers i used in the same locations

[superstardeejay 0]

The thing about 'bright' speakers is that you can eq-them down. It is far more difficult to 'eq-up' dull sounding ones!

 

I recommended the EON15P's to one of the local radio DJs for his own use and after buying them he thanked me for the recommendation because he said he liked how they projected his voice (as he gets his gigs off the back of his radio work and is expected to talk-over alot!). EONs are sold world-wide and for many different purposes eg lectures, band, disco etc.

 

Best hear (and use) anything really before buying, that way if you hate them, you've only got yourself to blame!!

 

 

 

 

[Norfolk DJ 0]

 

If you can still (and a big if) get hold of a pair of RCF 325a's for less than £1k they will blow away the JBL's.

 

RCF are top quality high-end performers.

[DJMickeyk 0]

The thing about 'bright' speakers is that you can eq-them down. It is far more difficult to 'eq-up' dull sounding ones!

 

I recommended the EON15P's to one of the local radio DJs for his own use and after buying them he thanked me for the recommendation because he said he liked how they projected his voice (as he gets his gigs off the back of his radio work and is expected to talk-over alot!). EONs are sold world-wide and for many different purposes eg lectures, band, disco etc.

 

Best hear (and use) anything really before buying, that way if you hate them, you've only got yourself to blame!!

I have owned both the Eon 15P and the Eon 15 G2's, and from my experience if you could get a hold of a pair of G2's second hand they would be a better buy, thunderous output and a better looking speaker than the original 15 P1's, but both get alot of bad press for some reason, with many people telling you they are crap, I was very happy with mine. My 15 P1's are in mint condition and I'd be happy to sell em if anybody is interested, I think Raymilkybarkid also has some for sale.

 

BTW OP HTFR sent out their catalogue last week and the 325 deal was still on it so they should still be in stock.

Edited August 17, 2010 by DJMickeyk

[gadget 0]

BTW OP HTFR sent out their catalogue last week and the 325 deal was still on it so they should still be in stock.

 

That's if HTFR actually have them in stock.

 

I've ordered stuff off there before thinking it was in stock when it wasn't... Which is annoying if you need it *that week*

 

If I had the spare cash I'd probably go buy them myself - but I'm happy on the sound side of things for the moment (Something that I will be improving later though).

 

Cheers,

 

David

[DJMickeyk 0]

That's if HTFR actually have them in stock.

 

I've ordered stuff off there before thinking it was in stock when it wasn't... Which is annoying if you need it *that week*

 

If I had the spare cash I'd probably go buy them myself - but I'm happy on the sound side of things for the moment (Something that I will be improving later though).

 

Cheers,

 

David

I have also had some bad experiences with this supplier, one time I ordered some wireless mic's, good thing I wasn't in a hurry looking for them put it that way LOL.

 

However if you email them first and confirm it's in stock they do send things out very quickly. I would never buy anything off them again unless I make contact first.

[gadget 0]

I have also had some bad experiences with this supplier, one time I ordered some wireless mic's, good thing I wasn't in a hurry looking for them put it that way LOL.

 

However if you email them first and confirm it's in stock they do send things out very quickly. I would never buy anything off them again unless I make contact first.

 

Oh when I called up they were "on order", but not in time when I needed them. Found an alternative supplier though in the end which were about the same price and didnt charge the delivery..

 

Cheers,

 

David

[Tonsk 0]

I got a pair of FBT Maxx 6a speakers secondhand, costing £900. 900watts and only 29kgs.

 

Only speakers I ever take to all my gigs....

[richard stringer 0]

I've never heard QSC's cabs, i've rang around shop after shop and no-one's got any in for demo, but the best active speaker cabs i've ever heard for a reasonable price, say under £1,300 each are the JBL PRX series and RCF's Art series. I've heard Skytec, RCL, American Audio, Kam, Gemini, Warrior Audio and many other cheap garbage manufacturers and really wasn't impressed with any of them.

 

The best active cabs i've ever heard for about £1,000 are the JBL PRX series. I've heard many Skytec, RCL, Kam, Behringer, Warrior Audio, Wharfedale and and few other cheap manufacturers and really wasn't impressed with them at all. I think for the money for a 15" 2-way cab JBL's new PRX615 should be a good bet, either that or RCF Art525A. I've heard a pair of Art series before and was definately impressed with them. I didn't like the Mackie SRM450, I thought they sounded less than impressive but the SRM450v2 to my ears sounded a bit better. I absolutely hated the JBL Eons, I thought sounded total garbage.

[DJMickeyk 0]

I've never heard QSC's cabs, i've rang around shop after shop and no-one's got any in for demo, but the best active speaker cabs i've ever heard for a reasonable price, say under £1,300 each are the JBL PRX series and RCF's Art series. I've heard Skytec, RCL, American Audio, Kam, Gemini, Warrior Audio and many other cheap garbage manufacturers and really wasn't impressed with any of them.

 

The best active cabs i've ever heard for about £1,000 are the JBL PRX series. I've heard many Skytec, RCL, Kam, Behringer, Warrior Audio, Wharfedale and and few other cheap manufacturers and really wasn't impressed with them at all. I think for the money for a 15" 2-way cab JBL's new PRX615 should be a good bet, either that or RCF Art525A. I've heard a pair of Art series before and was definately impressed with them. I didn't like the Mackie SRM450, I thought they sounded less than impressive but the SRM450v2 to my ears sounded a bit better. I absolutely hated the JBL Eons, I thought sounded total garbage.

Lol just what I was talking about above, I've used eons for a while and have never had a problem or a complaint about sound quality, and they are one of the biggest sellers around so surely they can't be that bad, although I agree they can sound harsh if you push them, nothing a decent sub wouldn't fix. At the end of the day 99.99% of clients won't notice what speakers you are using or comment on sound, unless the sound is truly awful. The OP asked about speakers under 1000 pounds, the RCF's and JBL's you're recommending would be more than that, the PRX 615 look awesome though, 135db peak and under 20kg! Hadn't even heard they had launched a 600 series, can't find a retail price on them anyone know what they are selling for?

Edited August 22, 2010 by DJMickeyk

[Norfolk DJ 0]

 

The FBT and RCF use better components.

 

FBT use B&C drivers, which are the best in the world.

 

RCF 422,722,725A 522 & 525A use a top 2 inch long range throw driver which delivers a fantastic sound.

[DJMickeyk 0]

The FBT and RCF use better components.

 

FBT use B&C drivers, which are the best in the world.

 

RCF 422,722,725A 522 & 525A use a top 2 inch long range throw driver which delivers a fantastic sound.

Yes and side by side in a comparison the RCF's would win hands down over most speakers I am sure, but at a noisy function would clients really notice or care about sound quality or speaker brand? Like I said if you are driving your speakers to within an inch of their lives and the sound is horrendous I'm sure people would notice and possibly comment, but otherwise cheaper speakers should be perfectly fine for most functions. That said I would love a set of RCF's and hope to purchase some as soon as I clear some older stuff I have for sale, but I think this is as much for myself as it is for the clients. I will notice the difference, but does anybody actually get clients coming up to them after a gig saying, "the sound was excellent, are the the XYZ speakers you are using?" I often get comments about the music I have played, but never the sound quality. Not directing it at you or anything, just a point that sometimes DJ's possibly make too much of the equipment we use. I'm a sucker for shiny new toys and would have every gadget going if I could afford it, but I'd probably make just as much money with a basic system.

Edited August 22, 2010 by DJMickeyk

[Norfolk DJ 0]

Yes and side by side in a comparison the RCF's would win hands down over most speakers I am sure, but at a noisy function would clients really notice or care about sound quality or speaker brand? Like I said if you are driving your speakers to within an inch of their lives and the sound is horrendous I'm sure people would notice and possibly comment, but otherwise cheaper speakers should be perfectly fine for most functions. That said I would love a set of RCF's and hope to purchase some as soon as I clear some older stuff I have for sale, but I think this is as much for myself as it is for the clients. I will notice the difference, but does anybody actually get clients coming up to them after a gig saying, "the sound was excellent, are the the XYZ speakers you are using?" I often get comments about the music I have played, but never the sound quality. Not directing it at you or anything, just a point that sometimes DJ's possibly make too much of the equipment we use. I'm a sucker for shiny new toys and would have every gadget going if I could afford it, but I'd probably make just as much money with a basic system.

 

I suspect the punter wouldn't notice but it is a selling point to a client who wants a high quality disco with the best sound system. Personally if I was not buying RCF's again I would settle for the 712's and save the extra cash as the improvement in the 722 is not worth the extra £500.