Ev subs do not have a high pass through. The 100hz on the sub just low passes the sub - you will still have to high pass your tops.

about the EV ZXA1 tops, I use them at weddings but there a few things you need to know about them. Always run them hi passed ALWAYS. They will self distruct if you run them full range and crank them for long periods. They obviously have their output limits, do not try and push them past the point where the limit light comes on. I run them as cocktail / ceremony speakers for which they are perfect and sometimes as mains above subs but keep the volume dial at around 11 o'clock. They will also shut down if the amp is in direct summer sun. The amps on these speakers are more than their convection cooling can handle so just like the ZXa-5 you have to stay well within your limits.

With those heavy caveats I say if you can avoid over driving them they fill a niche for tiny speakers nothing else does. But if you don't trust yourself or others to follow these guidelines then I would skip them for something with a fan.

Awesome. Thanks for the tips guys. I went with them for size considerations--56 pound sub and 19 inch tops. I am only hosting karaoke for a max of 100 people, usually not even that many. I'll make sure to keep them in the "with sub" mode.

if you want a little more oomph than the ZXA-1s, I would recommend the Yamaha DXR8s. Great output, and with a sub, you don't really hear much of a difference between it an larger tops. Not that much more expensive than the ZXAs either and way better performance.

I run DXR8s with a Yorkville PS12S for my micro system and use them as monitors for my larger rig.

I have the dxr8 too. Great speaker when used with a sub.

+1

The EV's sounds great, but I would be leery to use them as mains for 100 ppl events. The Yammies have a much better mixer section and warranty too.

Also, word to the wise, that little single handle on the ZXA1 sucks... there is no grip, no bevel, nothing, just a flat slot that can slip out of your hands easily.

Lastly, just something to keep in mind is that if you get the EV fitted cover for it, it is just a sleeve (top and sides)... every time "EVERY TIME" someone goes to pick it up they never notice the handle and they try to just pick it up from the sides and the speaker will slide out of the bottom. I almost had mine spilled a half dozen times.

I'm not trying to beat up on the EV, it is a great speaker for light-duty, and I loved mine while I had them, but I just think there are better options out there now in this price range (and slightly above).

Just My $0.02

Thanks for the additional feedback guys. I did notice that handle is a little tricky. The fitted covers are also really tight. I tested them out this weekend, mainly just playing some music to break the, in. Had them running with the sub in high pass mode for bout 6 hours Friday. Backs of t9he speakers did indeed get a little warm, so I will see how they do in a real world karaoke show this coming weekend.

I purchased them from a local dealer in the Twin Cities, and he said if they weren't working for what I wanted them for, as long as I kept the boxes he'd take care of me if I needed to go with something else.

I did consider the Yamaha 8 inchers too. I went with the ZXA1s to match the EV sub, but if they are better then maybe it makes sense to mix brands. We'll see how they do this weekend!

I am also wondering if it might be better to go with 10 inch mains as well. I just really want something light since I'm getting a little older and hauling speakers is more of a pain!

No question that the yamahas are a better speaker. The ZXA's sound good, but lack in output.

I have both the DXR8s and the DXR10s. There's not a ton of difference with a sub, but the 10s do sound a little better in the low-mids - really have to listen for it tho. Size difference between the two aren't huge and the 10s aren't all that much heavier than the 8s but lately, I have been using my 8s more than my 10s as I've had a lot of smaller gigs lately and even the couple lbs of difference makes an impact when you're going up stairs and the like.

As stated, the ZXa1s don't get crazy loud and can be over driven if not high passed but they should be perfect for your intended purpose, Karaoke gigs. Being that you already have these, I wouldn't see a reason to switch, unless they are just not loud enough for the rooms you play.

Having owned ZXA1's and DXR10's I would opted for the Yammies hands down.

Like you, I hate to mix and match brands, but in this case I would.

Granted, I never did an A/B comparison between the two, they both sound great to my ears, but I have used both countless times in the same venue that I have worked for 5+ years... (I know that space exceedingly well) and would have to give it to the Yams in output, throw, mixer section, and warranty.

I know in my case we are comparing 8's to 10's, so this may not be the fairest apples to apples results, but to me, the Yams are superior to the EVs.

But as Taipanic points out, if they are meeting your needs then no need to switch... they are a high quality speaker in my opinion.

Thanks! That's the hard part with gear...I can demo them and read all the reviews I can find but still can be unsure which way to go!

I had the ev zxa1s and opted to upgrade to the Yamaha dxr8s a while back. You can't compare these two speakers. The dxr8s has far more output than the ev zxa1s

No one is saying the zxa1 is a better speaker, it's not, but it works and is very light which was one of the reasons he want with them in the first place. The unpowered versions zx1-90 and zx1-100i are imo a great speakers. Reliable, loud enough for small events and good looking.

If you put some skateboard grip tape on the inside of the handle it keeps it from being so slippery.

Well, like I said I'll see how they do Saturday. My biggest concern is volume, and then are they going to overheat. Everyone I talked to about them before I got them did not give me any sense that overheating would be a problem, but they did get warm just playing background music. So I'll see if they can hold up for an actual gig. If not then I will likely look into the DXR8s if the store I went through carries Yamaha.

FYI, a lot of the EV amps get hot just during normal operation. Unless you are getting alarms or shutdowns I wouldn't worry about it too much, especially if using indoors. You can always put a small clip fan on them if you need to as well. My ZXa5 is like an oven, even when running at lower volumes. My DSR112 Yamaha barely gets warm, and has no fan in the amp. Different design, newer technology.

Cool, thanks!

Well, took the ZXA1s out for a trial run at tonight's show. Overall I think they did really well. The sound quality was amazing--I really liked the sub with the two high tops, much better than just my 2 full range 15 inchers.

After running for about 5 hours, they were a little warm, but not really hot like I was worried they would be. Volume-wise I think they were fine, as later in the night I was asked to turn down as the crowd thinned a bit. They were good and loud on the dance floor where the karaoke was taking place, but back by the bar it wasn't bad and you could have a conversation without yelling. This is the biggest room I'll probably do so that was good.

The ONLY concern I had was late in the evening I thought I heard a pop--might have been a mic that someone bumped or something, and then I noticed that with one singer the limit lights were flashing a couple of times. This guy was really belting it out, but this was after I had turned down the main signal to the speakers. I didn't notice any limiting going on earlier in the night when I had the main signal much louder. Could it be because they were warm and had been running for about 3.5 hours? Or just a random hot signal with that one singer?

That is the only concern I had. If that was just a fluke then I think the ZXA1s will suit me just fine.

I should add that I never turned the volume on the speakers past "0". But that shouldn't affect the signal from the mixer anyway...

That is the nature of karaoke, it is not like running band sound where you are tuning one mic for one single performer to use the entire night... you have to make adjustments for each unique singer that takes the mic.

Nothing that should reflect negatively on your EV's. One thing that I noticed when I used my ZXA's for karaoke is that the clarity was amazing... sometimes that was good, sometimes that was bad, depending on the singer.

They are so clear the singer has nothing to hide behind.

This is true! There were some pretty not-so-great singers! Yeah, I think overall they worked just fine. Just seemed odd that I only noticed a limit AFTER I turned the overall signal down. I tend to get paranoid when things like that happen with $1000 of equipment!

Ya, I always keep one finger on the trim knob when each singer takes the mic.

After awhile, you get to know your regs and where they need to be, but new people, you never know.

God love Love LOVE those few people you get that actually understand the concept of "mic control." They are typically far and few between, but such a pleasure to work with when you encounter them.

But you get such a variety, from the ones that want to swallow your mic and scream directly into in, to those that sing lightly under their breath and then complain that they cannot hear themselves... you'll turn it up to the point of feedback and they will continually sing lower the louder you go.

They will look at you and swear that their mic is not on, I'll grab the mic from them and speak at a normal level and it will sound like the (([Voice Of God])) throughout the place, hand the mic back and say "nobody can hear you, push some air, you dumb bitch!"

LOL!

Well, used them again last night. Again, love the sound, an they didn't get too warm, but the limit lights were going off a lot more often. I didn't think I was pushing them that hard. Theh lights weren't on all the time, but I noticed them a lot more than the last gig. Even when I sang a song they were flashing, and I have my mic settings pretty dialed in since I use my own channel. Hmmm...I really like them but I feel like I spent more time worrying and watching for the lights than I did really enjoying the show. So maybe I need to look at something else. Or do any of you think it would be better to look at 10 inch mains?

Personally, I would not use less than 10's as mains (I love the punchy mid-bass of 10's), but that is just my person preference. There are a few forum members that use 8's over a sub and love it... maybe they will chime in.


Al, and I think JD (?) both have rigs that run DXR 8's over subs with good results.

I wish EV would have a set of 10's in my price range. I would probably go that way. I really like the size and weight of the ZXA1s but maybe I do need to sacrifice some of that for something that can hold up a little better.

CHecking the inventory of the place I got them it doesn't look like they carry Yamaha, so I might not be able to try the DXR8s. The do have the QSC K8s, I know those are quality speakers, but they are way more expensive. Ugh.

I run DXR8s over a sub for small gigs. Usually a Yorkville PS12S.

It's good, but I think the DXR10s sound a bit better - especially in the low mids. They also seem to have a little less headroom than the 10s even high passed and the throw isn't quite as good. I mainly do it for convenience and find that the 8s over a good sub will sound better than 15s on their own.

Anything larger than 100 people, I will use my 10s over 15s or 18s.

Last night I used my Yamaha dxr8s and my ev ekx15sp for a 130 person wedding. It worked out well. It's been a while since I've used that set up because it's very hard to pass up the conveience of using my Yamaha dxr15 . Here recently I've used my Yamaha dxr15 more than the Yamaha dxr8 ev ekx15sp set up, but I'm satisfied with both. I've also used my Yamaha dxr8s with a single jbl prx718 and that worked out well too. I guess it boils down to preference and using the right tools for each job.

All good things to consider, thanks! The guy at the store I got the EVs from is offering me an even swap for a pair of Turbosound IQ8s. www.sweetwater.com

I know they aren't 2500 real watts, but my buddy uses a pair of the IQ15s and absolutely loves the sound and power from them--by far his favorite speakers he's used in all his years of DJing, and he does clubs/bars so he needs output. He thinks they will give me the headroom the EV ZXA1s are lacking. I am going to take a look at them in person Friday.

They are heavier but still pretty compact.

If I had the $$$ I would consider the QSC K8s as another friend has the K10s and K12s as his PA, so I know they are excellent quality. Just out of my price range right now.

The Yamahas might just be too hard to get locally to make a decent trade.

On a related note, does anyone know what the RMS of the EV EKX 15SP is? It says rated at 1300 watts, and some sources I've seen say that is the RMS. Just curious--I would hate to get mains that overpower the sub.

i usually assume the rms is most likely half the peak wattage give or take

That sub is about 400-500 rms sub. It is hard on the EV ETX and EKX to put real numbers to the amp sections and it is actually old school to even attempt it. Those speaker lines are designed with amps and dsp that are matched to the driver and box, they try and get you all the sound you can without exceeding thermal or excursion limits. I have driven the ETX line extremely hard for a couple years now with one failure, one of 16 speakers. It was a pcm input failure on the input board which I sent in the amp module and they repaired for free.

Well, I went to Metro to look at some other options. The Turbosound IQ8s really sounded too high and harsh to me. I ended up going with a pair of Yamaha DBR10s in an even trade. Not as much power (only 325 watts RMS) but they sounded good and went pretty loud. I thought they had an overall fuller sound, and with the EV sub they should hopefully do what I am looking for. Only 23 pounds each as well. They should get here next week so I'll see how they do.

So a little update. Got the Yamaha DBR10s and finally got a chance to play with them a little to break them in--still 2 weeks before my next gig. I noticed that the green SIGNAL light is on pretty steady, and I only had an iPod hooked up and had the speaker gain knobs at "0".

Is this something I should be concerned with? They certainly weren't limiting at all, and they were plenty loud just at "0"! I just want to make sure that running them with that green SIGNAL light on is ok, especially in a couple weeks when I take them out to a gig and use a regular mixer and want to crank it up a little more.

I did send a private message to Al Poulin since I know he's a Yamaha guy, but haven't heard back yet, maybe he's not on here too much anymore?

Any other Yamaha users have input on that green signal light? To get rid of it I had to have the signal on the iPod barely there and the speaker gain knobs almost all the way down.

The green signal light should be solid green. It is a light to indicate that the speaker is getting a signal from the source, likewise why it disappeared when you turned the music down. Nothing to worry about.

Not at all. ALWAYS remember that GREEN means Life or Go. You are good bro. Red is a no no/Stop. Back your volume down.
Like Arjun B stated above, it's the light to indicate that the speaker is getting a signal from the source.
Have a good one and good luck with your upcoming gig.

Oh good, thanks everyone! Always something new to learn!

These are DXR8's with a ZXA1 Sub, but I'm sure you will enjoy the video, nonetheless.

Watchwww.youtube.com

Well, used the DBR10s at their first gig and they were awesome. Green signal light was lit, but NEVER saw the limit or clip lights flash once. Thee DBRs were only at "0" on their gains and were plenty loud. In fact, I had to back the subwoofer off a bit as I did see that limit a few times. I think Yamaha just gained a new fan! I may look at eventually getting a set of 15s down the road, either the DBR15s or maybe save and get the DXR15s, just for gigs that I might not want to haul the sub.

A second question--I have been asked to provide karaoke at a friend's pig roast this summer. It will be outside, but the music will probably be in a shed/garage sort of thing, so the EV sub and DBRs should be fine. But if I wanted to run a second set of speakers (my ZLX15Ps) to provide some music outside as well, how can I split my signal from my mixer's XLR outputs? If I bought splitter-type cables and then ran 2 cables from each of those, would that cut the signal level? Is there a good way to do this?

I'm not worried about it being loud outside, just to provide sound for those not in the shed area. I have plenty of XLR cable, but haven't tried to run multiple sets of speakers before.

Or could I run an XLR from the DBRs THRU output to the ZLX15Ps? Go mixer --> sub --> DBR10s --> ZLX15Ps? Or would the ZLXs not get the full signal since I have the DBRs in 120 Hz high pass mode?

Sorry, still learning! Appreciate the advice!

What you could do is go from MainL -> DBR system and then MainR -> ZLX system.
You would be running the system in mono but I don't think it would be a big deal.

If your mixer has sub outputs, then you can simply go to the ZLX via. the SUB outs on your mixer.

The way you setup your system largely depends on the mixer in this scenario. Which mixer are you using?

Well, it's basically an older version of this, without the USB:

www.music-group.com

It does have AUX sends, but I want to keep that free in case I want to provide a vocal monitor for singers.

I do plan on upgrading my mixer this summer, just not sure I'll have it before this party.

Ok, Option 1 is:

MainL -> Subwoofer -> DBR left
MainR -> DBR right
Alt3 -> ZLX left
Alt4 -> ZLX right

This will give you independant control of all of your speakers and you would be able to run them all off of the same signal. Only your sub won't have an independant control. You may need TRS to XLR adapters for the ALT3-4 outputs but that depends on the cables you already have.

Option 2:

MainL -> DBR left
MainR -> DBR right
Alt3 -> ZXA sub
Alt4 -> ZLX left -> ZLX right or vice versa.

This would give you independent control of the subwoofer and each main speaker, aswell as a single volume fader for the ZLX speakers.

Option 3:

MainL -> DBR left -> DBR right
MainR -> Subwoofer
Alt3 -> ZLX left
Alt4 -> ZLX right

Option 4:

MainL -> DBR left -> DBR right (or vice versa)
MainR -> ZLX left -> ZLX right (or vice versa)
Alt 3 -> Subwoofer.


As you may have noticed, you can set it up in almost any way that works for you, depending on what you do and don't need independent control of. Pick one that works for you and gig away! :)

i see you have just what i have Yamaha DSR 112's and right now im finally looking to buy a sub not 18'' but one 15" sub to put under my dj table for added low end im mainly a wedding dj...what sub do you use ? my two choices are Yamaha DXS 15 (or maybe DXS12) or EV Ekx 15sp want to keep all yamaha but the size & weight of the DXS boxes are a lil to heavy for me to be lugging around by my self... i dj tons of mobile gigs...thanx for any advice / info

Those are good subs. Only thing I will point out is, those yamaha dsr112 are very loud powerful tops, the subs you listed will not keep up with the yamaha tops. The subs will hold those tops back, gonna need to lower the volume on dsr112 for the sub to keep up. I wasn't sure if headroom was important to you.

Honestly think any of your choices are going to have trouble keeping up with the DSRs.

I run the Yorkville LS720Ps with my DXR10s - which isn't as good as the DSRs - and a single can barely keep up. And the LS720P isn't a particularly great sub (although I think it's better than the DXS15). A pair is closer, but I prefer to run 3-4.

ETX15SP is probably the best 15" sub in the prosumer range, but it's not light or cheap.

The Yorkville PS15S is another option and produces some pretty great output and depth for it's size and weight, but it's lacking in some features.

Thanks for the tips everyone! I did get confirmed from Yamaha that I could also run an XLR from each DBR10 to each of my ZLX15Ps and that signal would be full range, so that is another option!

I do agree, I love the sound and weight of the EV EXK15SP sub, but I think the DBR10s have much more volume to work with--I don't know if that sub can keep up! Might have to upgrade that in a few years! The wife will just love to hear that! Lol.

unless you're going with an ultra loud sub like the Yorkville LS801P, most tops will be able to keep up with 2-4 subs of similar quality levels.

if i remember correctly those yahama 15 subs are better paired with dxr 8 tops not the 12s