ive had the v1s for 3 years now... ive had to replace the diaphram..but that was my fault... i also have a pair of srm 350s i think mackies are great speakers.... Get a 56 too.. youll be in good shape with the new additions to your dj setup.

Depends on the condition of the old units. I'd usually prefer new anything except when it comes to the Mackies. The V2's have quality issues (I've personally seen a brand-new/directly out of box unit die in less than 10 seconds) and what was Mackie thinking make a blueberry colored speaker.
If you want to get a house party capable and personal speaker AND save a ton of loot, I'd strongly consider the Tapco Thump 15" speaker. $265 each and very decent bottom end. I'm DJing at a Mercedez Benz dealership for an outdoor event tonight and I'll be using some Thumps. The bass is stellar.

Mackie's are great... V1 has overheating issues. If you are going to be playing using them in a hot environment (like outside in the summer) or always have them turned up very high then go with the V2. I have the V1 still and overheating has always been an issue.

How about neither. Save a little more and get the new QSC K Series. The QSCs sound WAY better and are lighter and go louder.

Mackie is on the ropes and about to get their knockout blow. Warranty service takes forever if anything goes wrong and ordering parts is a pain also. QSCs come with a 6 year warranty and they handle business promptly.

+ 1 on the QSCs, dont try to save a few bucks and kick yourself when you pay for it later

mackie's are done.

big no on version 2 and big no on latter version ones. The Italian ones are decent, but now old.

Here is something to consider. I have never seen a Mackie speaker not break. At some point the woofer, the amp, or the tweeter goes. Thats all fine if you are under warranty and you have time to wait. I have seen costs get up to $350 to repair a 450. Not worth it if you ask me.

I went to Skip's in Sac to do a side by side and they don't even carry Mackie anymore. Thats says a lot because that is where Mackie recommends repairs when you are in little ol' Humboldt like me.

These "what speakers should I buy" threads are getting as bad as the "Mac vs PC" threads

DAFS

Mac and JBL's (prx's)

Let's begin.

PC and Peavy's

Mac vs PC is a realistic debate. Mackie are done. They are no longer in large chains and are having major manufacturing issues. Parts are hard to find and service takes forever. No need to take my word for it. Call a dealer like sweetwater or even PSSL. Guitar center no longer carries them.

I wonder if mac vs pc will be realistic once snow leopard and windows 7 drop.

first off $29 upgrade price is very user friendly
and
OSX already kicks windows but. W7 will add more files and clutter and 10.6 will take away files and clutter. Some of the "features" of 10.6 are pretty damn cool.

not wondering too much, so no debate is necessary

+1 to the QSCs, either the K-series or the HPRs

also +1 to the JBL PRXs

great sound and durability,

I've heard that the v1s overheat like crazy
I picked up a pair of Samson 500s and I love them

I wanna talk to samson!!

In my experience, the V1's have been known to overheat from time to time, but I always thought they were pretty much solid.

As far as the V2's, they are lighter than the V1's, and the blue color didn't bother me much, but the few pairs I've used have a hum problem, and it never seemed to be a problem with the mains, as switching with a V1 or another speaker would get rid of the problem. They don't overheat like the V1's. I also heard a while ago that Mackie was having problems with their Chinese suppliers, and due to this parts might be scarce.

I've used the Tapco's only once and had no problem with them.

I personally have the Behringer B412DSP's, and while Behringer doesn't have the most spot free rep, I've never had a problem with them either.

I have a pair of SRM 350's. Pretty good sound to me.

I have a pair of SRM450s (v1) and must have gotten lucky with them because I have never had an overheating issue or any other problem. I have had them about 7 years. If they were to die now, I would feel like they probably have earned it (although I hope that they do not - I don't want to spend money on speaker replacement right now).

That being said, I would probably not buy them now. Experience has taught me that they run out of bottom end pretty fast as the volume goes up so if you do mobile work, you will also need a sub(s) to round out your sound. I also think that the possibility of overheating would steer me towards another manufacturer (I was was unaware of the overheating issue when I bought mine, and luckily must have bought the one pair that doesn't overheat), but there is rarely a return policy when you buy used gear so if you purchase a pair of v1's that does overheat, you are screwed with sub-par speakers and out $800 or so. As far as the v2's go, it seems that Mackie quality has gone downhill over the last few years and I just don't trust many of their products anymore.

I think some of their smaller mixers are still ok; I have one of these guys for some shows that I do with a 3-piece band and it has help up pretty well so far: www.mackie.com
Of course, this mixer was pretty inexpensive so at this point, if it were to die, I still would feel as though I've gotten my money's worth from it.

Thanks grrillatactics, that was really helpful. I appreciate all the input you guys. Seems like I'm back at square one with choosing a pair of powered boxes but I guess it's better to do more research now than dish out a grand on on stuff that really isn't all its cracked up to be. Any other brand suggestions or pointers would be really, really helpful! thanks

Like I mentioned in another recent thread, I'm hearing a lot of good things about QSC's powered speakers...if I was in the market for powered speakers now, I'd start there.

I wouldn't call the sound I've heard from any plastic-box speaker "good". The original (1998/99 era) Mackie 450's definitely raised the bar at the time for inexpensive self-powered speakers. But they always had the overheating issues, and always sounded ear-shatteringly harsh in the high end when levels were pushed. The JBL EON's always sounded just plain terrible to me (at any volume level)...serious harshness, and very irregular frequency response that makes using them even just as booth monitors a very unpleasant experience.

I still have a 1993-vintage Mackie studio mixer, and 2000-vintage HR824's...both made in the USA, and they still work perfectly. But after Mackie moved all their manufacturing to China a few years ago, quality went totally to hell.

If it's just between those two models then GO FOR THE V1s !!! The v2s have the same tweeter and a better woofer but it doesn't matter cause the new amp is Garbage. As DJMark points out they are bright espeically at high volume its good to run them -3 high 0 mid and +3 low then they sound fantastic untill the LOUD volumes which REQUIRE a sub to not ear bleed people.if its mostly for personal use /small house parties then you might actually wanna look at a pair of KRK RP8s with a RP10S. QSC is a damn good company with quality products but I'm am not a huge fan of the K-series. So far my favorite fair priced DJ monitor / small house party main is the 450 v1 with a v2 woofer. It really helps even the brights out and warms the mids and deepens and strengthens the low. If you have the money spring for KV2 Ex 10 or 12s. Stay away from anything Tapco or new age Mackie.

I work for a shop that repairs PA systems and this is where I draw my knowledge as well as Owning and maintaining a 7.5kw PA system.

Is there a fix for their thermal issue?

Is there a particular reason you brought this 2 year old thread back to life?

Maybe he saw me talking shit about Mackie

Lol..then why wouldn't he post on that thread..at least it was current…damn "Rip Van Winkle" Lol