I just bought the EKX 15p tops and two EKX18sp bottoms they rock. The ETX series is excellent but speakers are much heavier construction and the subs are extremely heavy. The EKX subs and the ETX subs are very close

Etx12p will be louder than the ekx12p. If weight is not an issue, I'd go with the etx line, subs and tops.

How are you liking your ekx 15 tops? I’m thinking about picking up a pair of 12” ekx tops. I currently own 3 pair of tops.... qsc k 12.2, prx812w, 12” ZLXs, Depending on gig requirements I use them with up to 4 ev ekx18SPs subs. Just wondering if the ekx tops are worth purchasing since I can get a great deal on a pair. Unfortunately I have no way of hearing them prior to purchasing them. Or better yet based on what I have already in my arsenal, how do they stack up against the 12” k12.2s and JBL prx 812Ws for those who have had an opportunity to A/B the tops I’ve mentioned?

Thanks

I have the ekx12's. Much warmer sound than the k12.2's.

Thanks,

How about them maintaining clarity when pushed or cranked up if I were to use them in a top only environment? I’m pretty sure this would be a mute point when using them with subs crossed over to take the bottom end load out of the equation.

I have a pair of ETX 12P tops and a pair of EKX 12P tops. They're pretty close in terms of sound quality. The ETX does sound a bit more pristine and cleaner to my ear but not by much. The biggest difference is that the ETX will get quite a bit louder.

The ETX also has a nicer DSP system with some extra options like delays and the ability to EQ specific frequencies. One thing the EKX has that the ETX does not is a "club" setting in the DSP. This give you a big bass boost. It could be nice to have a low volumes but you wouldn't want to use it if you were looking to get the max SPL. The ETX cabinets are deeper and heavier but both are quite manageable.

Thanks,

Wish I had extra funds for those Etx tops, because I’ve heard nothing but great feedback about their high performance qualities for just about every setting that can be used in. If I’m not mistaken the ekx line is a step down from the etx, but above the zlx,elx,elx200 series so I would assume that the ekx line is a safe bet to go with if I were to purchase them without demoing them first.

The only experience I have with EV tops are the zlx line and the sound quality is delightful and just about on par with my qsc 12.2s, but I’m looking for a set that provides a balance of clarity and loudness. My relative opinion based on personal ownership, this is how I rate my current tops:

Jbl prx 812w>>>loudness while losing clarity(tuned with prx connect app) huge price jump to srx800 line.

ZLX12s>>>>great sound quality but loses gas when pushed hard (standalone w/o sub) step up to EKX 12s???

Qsc 12.2s>>> sound quality is phenomenal but the highs are harsh at higher volumes(flat eq) step up to kw152/153 is also a huge price jump.

For the type work I do I would love to have top of the line sound systems, however, I’d prefer to stick in the ML segment of reputable manufacturers. So I think I will jump on the deal to purchase new pair of ekx 12s for <$1000. They should be at my door Saturday so I’ll report back my initial impressions afterwards.

Thanks

Check out the Yamaha DSR12s

I haven't got to listen to the other speakers you listed so I can't really comment on your comparisons.

After getting used to running my tops with an ETX 15SP I really would have a hard time giving up the sub and just running the tops full range.

I haven't got to listen to the Yamaha DSR tops yet but they get a lot of love over on the ProSoundWeb Forums. People say it's maybe the best sound quality for the price the warranty is one of the best.

Yeah.....I drop into that forum from time to time and you are correct about their love for yahama tops. The general consensus is that the dsr line is gear more towards vocals and live bands, while the dxr line is highly recommended for recorded music such as djaying.

Ok got my ekx 12s today and so far I’m loving them. The EV sound quality and their ability to maintain great clarity at high volumes without breaking up is a plus.

One observation I’ve made though is that a few minutes after playing music the loud fans kick on and will not shut off, even after a 30-60 minute break. Is this typical behavior for this particular EV top line? My ekx subs fans do kick in but only intermittently as I would expect the fan is merely in place to control the amp temps, and when that temp drops under a certain threshold they should shut off. This isn’t the case with the ekx tops, however, I would assume this is normal behavior because both tops behave in this manner. If it were 1 and not the other I would be concerned.

Thanks

Yes, with my EKX 12Ps the fan usually comes on after about 30 minuntes or so. Even if I stop playing anything through them and leave them powered on the fan will still turn on and off intermittently.

Gotcha...so far I have yet to experience them shutting off intermittently...just full boar until I physically turn them off.

Yeah, these babies can crank without any noticeable distortion.

One other thing to add to the ETX vs EKX comparison. The ETX doesn't run the fan as much as the EKX does. The ETX tops do have quite a loud hiss they put out when there's no signal running through them though. In a quiet room it's very noticeable. Once you crank them up the music totally drowns out the hiss.

Got it!!!! So...EKX= loud fans but sound phenomenal sound when cranked up.... and ETX=hissing white noise but extra phenomenal sound when cranked up.:)

I did stumble across another thread on this forum with someone observing exactly what I observed with my ekxs. The overwhelming feedback is that the fans on this particular line do tend to run more when compared to other manufacturers ML speakers. I’ve had both speakers idiling since I mentioned the fan noise this morning, and one has not shut off since with the other one coming on about every 15 - 20 minutes. I checked both firmware versions and they are identical.

I guess I would have a bigger issue if the fan didn’t turn on at all, so for the time being I will monitor it closely. After all they come with a 3 year standard warranty.

Thanks

I upgraded from 6 Peavey PV15Ds and 6 Peavey 18s to 2 EV EKX15Ps and 2 EV EKX 18SPs. I am getting better performance and superior sound now with 1/3 of the setup time and effort. The new EKX line sounds so good that I have had people walk up behind my system and snap a picture of what speakers I have and what settings they are on. Some would be upset - I took it as a compliment.

EVs EKX lspeakers/subs are great....especially when you consider its price point/weight/clarity vs other competitor’s speakers key attributes.

EXACTLY!

I know I'm late but I'm sure that someone will google the ETX VS EKX comparison so this will be helpful to them. Currently, I own 2 EKX-15P, 2 ELX200-10P, and 4 EKX-18SP. I use to have 4 Cerwin Vega earthquakes, 2 Peavey DJS4 towers, a XTi2000 and XTi6000. My van died on me and I didn't see any money coming in soon. I also had recently damaged a Peavey 118P subwoofer I would use for small venues. I decided to sell everything and get a premium powered sound system.

I found some QSC 18 KWs on craigslist for $750 each but as you can imagine, they were almost sold instantly. So after research, renting a ETX-18SP sub and listen to the EKX/ETX series in person and in videos on line, I narrowed the choice down to the A) 2 ETX-15P & 2 ETX-18SP or B) 2 EKX-15P & 2 EKX-18SP.

I decided to go with the EKX series because of the compact size and the lower price. I wasn't sure if 2 EKX 18s would be enough bass. The EKX series was fine for MOST events I did. The tops out perform the bottoms by a little but I did have an occasional event that required more bass. At one sports bar, I would DJ behind another DJ who would use 8 earthquakes. It was an over kill but coming behind him, you had to have your bass game right. I decided to get 2 more EKX18s. After all, the EXK demo was set up with the 2 tops 4 subs anyway. I also do a venue in which I need 3 seperate subs (2 in the main room and 1 in a side room).

The EKX 2 tops and 4 subs is a great sound system. When you combine the two subs, in theory, the SP goes from 134db to 137db. Loud and hard hitting. Now the EKX don't go as low as the ETX series nor do the tops have the clarity but they (EKX) do goes low for most of the music I play. Also, I could implement the cardiod mode if need by (haven't yet though). Also, the EKX tops aren't shabby either.

Would I go with the ETX series if I had it to do all over again? Probably not. However, I do recommend the ETX series if you really need bass but don't have room for 4 EKX subs and want a lot of power in a two top/ two sub set up. If I had bought a mini van or something more compact, I would go with the ETX series and 1 EKX sub with the 2 ELX200 tops I currently got. In conclusion, I went with the EXK series because of the versatility and scalability. Also, the RCAs on the EKX comes in handy too. You will sacrifice something either way.

Thanks of posting the info. I went with 4 x ELX200 18" bass bins and 4 x ELX200 15" tops. I'm super happy with them. They are priced right, very portable, powerful, and scalable. I'm hoping to get some more this year.
The ETX bass bins sound great, but aren't quite as portable. I'm a one man show, so everything needs to be lifted and setup by me.

I’m super late to this discussion. I have a pair of Ekx12p’s and the Etx12p, along with one Ekx 18p sub. I do mostly live acoustic music without drums, I find it works better without the sub in these situations. I have used the Ekx’s hundreds of times over the past few years, they have been flawless! Last year I purchased the Etx’s. My opinion is they sound very similar. But I’ve used the Etx’s for some larger venues and outdoor festivals. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the Etx’s horns seem to puts out quite a bit more sound, giving the sound a louder higher frequency (treble) when the crowd was small. As soon as the venue filled up the Etx’s sounded perfect and I got lots of compliments! I still feel like a new guy running sound. So any advice reference this would be welcomed. I have not noticed this on the Ekx’s. Next time I use the Etx’s in this situation I will work the eq better to take off some of the high end and bring it back up as the place gets crowded. As previously mentioned the Etx’s have delay on them. I haven’t had a chance to use it yet! I have had the Etx’s cranked and have not noticed any white noise or hiss. I have not noticed the fans to be a problem interfering with the music on both. The Etx’s have a larger cabinet and obviously With heavier hardware thicker plywood and a larger DSP screen on the back. On a separate note,I have used the Zlx’s several times in a large crowded room with approximately 300 people, and I thought they sounded very good. I’m a traditional guy and have always preferred wooden cabinets. Though I did like the light weight of the Zlx’s.