im just goin on a hunch here but i wouldnt say the tapco was the best....for the money mabye but its a budget speaker

Yeah thats what I meant to say! So whats the best powered sub worth purchasing?

lol worth purchasing dosent help either....are you looking for the best affordable speaker, best sound quality loudest ect ect ect....it could be worth it to buy a 20 grand speaker

I've always been very happy with JBL...

www.bhphotovideo.com

www.bhphotovideo.com

JBL Eon 518S is VERY impressive for the size/weight/price..... and you get a quality name

Thanks for the feedback i"ll check those out!

I'm looking for a powered sub that would be a sound equivalent of the cerwin vega earthquake! To me a speaker of that quality that is worth purchasing!

I recently bought an RCF ART 705 AS powered subwoofer. I did a lot of looking, listening, and comparing specs on other powered subs and I feel like the ART 705 is a good balance of power, features, and weight for its price point. It's a bandpass design loaded with a 15" woofer, 800 watt, max spl 130 dB, selectable crossover @ 90,100 &120 Hz. It weighs in at 81 lbs, which is very reasonable for a mobile setup. Everything I've heard and read about RCF leads me to believe that they're a very well established manufacturer of quality products. Although RCF seems to be more recognized in Europe, they have produced high end components for EAW products and were responsible for the success of the first generation Mackie SRM 450's.

I'm running 1 RCF sub with 2 Mackie SRM 450's, which are the original models made in Italy by RCF. I'm extremely satisfied with the sound...deep and warm but still hits with the punch you would expect from a 15". There are definitely some quality subs on the market, just my 2 cents.

b52, kv2...

Man, RCF is a BEAST. EAW is unmatched. Y'all ain't ready for that...

Throw me some model numbers :) Im tryna get ready!

I'd be curious to hear this RCF 15" sub against EVs SBa760. It's also a 15" sub and it THUMPS!

yorkville unity 15' , 1500watt is the best i have herd in an active. but its BIG. We have to use 2 people to put one in the truck

I use the 3 QSC K subs at my indoor gigs.
light, very portable, fast response

Thanks nate! Im a look into it now

How are those in an outdoors environment?

You can try mounting a full size amp to the back of a Cerwin Vega Earthquake, it is big enough...lolz

ROTFLMFAO!

Still Laughing!

I checked the specs on this speaker and WOW its looks like a keeper and it only weighs 85 pounds! Thanks GOODFOOT

does cerwin vega still make that powered 21" sub?

There is a new Sub in the PRX series on the JBL website called the PRX718S. Looks like it is an updated version of the PRX518S:

www.jblpro.com

The VRX is awesome outdors! I've had the pleasure of using a VRX rig, indoors and out. When properly powered, you can do 1000 people with 2 VRX932 tops and 2 VRX918 subs a side!

These are power pigs though.... if using the passive ones you will absolutely need a stove plug and distro. I haven't used the powered versions, but I assume one speaker per 15A breaker would be required.

Cerwin-Vega CVA-121 21" Active Subwoofer
Buying these today....skinny guy was right about these

Good choice they BOOM! I was actualy going to add that link to them when i saw that you found them on your own. All around good sub massive woofer 21" stroker is no joke. RCF = Re-cone frequently EAW makes great soundinf subs but lat i knew they were usinf eminence woofers in them. I have 4 BH-760's at work that came loaded from the factory with eminence woofers, they do still Kick ass but they cost 10,000 for the 4. My personal rig I use 8 Cerwin vega EL-36B Folded horn subs.

BTW has anyone checked out the Cerwin vega TS-42 21” Folded Horn Bass System this thing looks insane , TS-42 is the loudest, deepest, and most powerful folded horn ever created by Cerwin-Vega! Featuring a gigantic 21” woofer with advanced Stroker™ technology and delivering 144 dB of maximum SPL (better than two 18” folded horn speakers);
www.cerwinvega.com

That thing is MASSIVE... 238lbs!!! That's a little much for a mobile guy don't ya think?

I'll start taking Cerwin Vega more seriously when they decrease their logo size and paint those heatsinks/flanges/grills Black.

2 18" JBL's > 1 21" Cerwin Vega

if u really want "the best"

www.meyersound.com

I have a JBL PRX718s, relatively light, $1300 bucks, goes bump in the night

Most expensive...yes. Best...there are quite a few others.

well yes - EAW and JBL high-end line, Funktion One, Turbosound, V-DOSC, etc. - not many powered ones though except for the line arrays from most of those manufacturers.

kinda missing my t36's now...

700hp is a MONSTER - 2250W and -3 db at 28 Hz! I played on an outside rig with the smaller version (600hp) once - unbelievable is a good word to describe it

That 700HP is $7200... !!! WoWzer$ !!! They use class AB/H amps which is a testament to the quality they're going for... no cheaper route Class D stuff for those subs.

Fellas , Also check these monsters out , thes things will drop the BOTTOM . They make some seroius Subs. www.bassmaxx.com
I would have to Say BIG BASS aint cheep, Light weight or copmact. Big box =big bass , thats the way it is. If you want to make people feel the bass your gonna have to put in some effort when it comes to lugin around subs. Been doing it for years and will keep doing it for years. Just me thought , I cant stand hearing music with out a good solid low end. (and no i dont bring 8 subs 2 a 100 person hall )

Thats why I went with 8 of the 18"s rather thatn the 21"s

I'm such a picky person when it comes to how my setup sounds when performing. I was up to 8 CV earthquakes with 4 Crown XTI2000 powering them. I was buying a Crown XTi 2000 and a pair of them at a time. As you could guess I kept buying more because I wanted to go lower. End result.. Hugh, Expensive, and a trailer needed.. ect only seemed to sound good when they were turned up and if the room was to small they sucked... all in all ..Bad choice

I have switched to 4 QSC K-subs.. thats 8 12"s self powered. They also couple so keep them together and their unmatched in my book.. Sounds good high or low volume. They fit in a car if needed.. fitting in stair wells or door ways never a problem.. Sounds SOO AMAZING. love the EQ in them. I have their signal being fed by the booth volume off my mixer so I have a seprate volume control for them. Also I take what I want/need for the size of the room. No set up changes needed (wiring or ohms cal) just plug it in 1 or 4. also all 4 will run on a single 15amp circuit. once you start going so big, power becomes a issuse. Long cords in a outdoor location, or even older halls my vegas would trip a breaker once and a while.

Hope this helped at least bring some new questions to the table to think about..

i remember back in the late 80's early 90's i had 4 CV 18" Earthquakes and 4 CV 18" full range tops with the biiig horn......glad i was young back then......i could never pick them speakers up now

Question for you in regards to the Ksubs….I Run JBL PRX635 3way tops…would 2 Ksubs be paired up ok with these or should I go with the PRX618XLF's?

Amen.

Question for you in regards to the Ksubs….I Run JBL PRX635 3way tops…would 2 Ksubs be paired up ok with these or should I go with the PRX618XLF's?

Not sure.. But I can tell you. I now own 6 KSubs.. Sound great but will pop breakers / power circuits.. if turned up too loud.

I use JRX JBL's With upgraded horns..

Got tired of waiting for the answer to the question and went ahead and got one of the PRX618 XLF and I use it with the my 635's…Works awesome!!! It's as powerful as my 2 JBL 518's so yeah..I'm set ;)

recently got a pair of the PRX 618 (needed subs and that was all that was in stock locally)

then got a pair of PRX618-XLF - wow the XLFs really roll all over the plain 618s!!!

using them with four PRX 615 tops - it is a great sounding setup

Saw the Danleys at InfoComm yesterday - SICK! Also checked out the EV gear - the Live X has a really good sound for the $.

in an ideal world we would have Growlers or Danleys or some similar small folded horn cabinets.

unfortunately that's not an easy task where I live, as shipping and customs duty make them prohibitively expensive, whereas we have a local JBL dealer with very good prices (better than the US actually)

I just got the PRX618-XLF today. They sound great. I have one question. Are you able to put the volume on max ? On tops leaving it at 12 o clock is the normal way to do it, Was wondering if the same goes for subs.

I push my XLF to about 2 o'clock..sometimes 3 o'clock…never clips! but there are many other factors to take in before you bump up your speakers volumes…i.e. SL vol.,Ch. vol.,Main Mixer vol. etc.

so far we've been leaving them at 12 o clock, and the tops also

but we have a lot of gain before hand, so YMMV

Yea of course. My SL vol never barely ever touches red. Same with my Ch & Main Mixer.

Ok this is a question for the PRX618xlf users. I have one myself, but it never touches red and now I am getting sound to cut out when I drive it later in a gig. I love the sub, but I am curious if there is something I am missing. Bsically I run for 5 hrs by the 4th hour it shuts off and comes back on. Almost like it is too hot. Otherwise this sub totally kicks!

Wow..this just happened to me last night…ran it for about 2hrs at about the 2-3 o'clock position and when transitioning tracks it just cut out…so I ran over to it and turned it to about 12'oclock and it kicked back on for the rest of the night….NOT happy with this..at all..might send this back..I got like 2 weeks to figure it out.

played a pair of the PRX618XLF REALLY hard last night in very hot temps - no probs

one thing though, we rolled off below about 35 Hz quite signifcantly

JBL should have done this at the factory.

I just leave it at 12 o'clock. I did a party and pushed it hard for 7 hours, Not 1 problem. In my house i put the sub to 3'clock raised the volume and the limiter was flickering.. My guess would be that maybe you and warrenkelly had the volume passed 12 o'clock and wasn't seeing the sub going into the red and as it kept limiting, it eventually shut off on you both.

I always keep an eye on the sub while working constantly monitoring all speakers as I don't want to destroy anything along with not playing in the red on the mixer. My issue is if what you are saying is correct than why have a clip at all? Obviously when they set the clip it would be too high. Kinda like buying a ferrari and being told to only got as high as 3rd gear. Otherwise the sun has some serious bass. I sent mine in to be looked at and will let you know what they say.

Sorry for hijacking the thread.

Also when you say you rolled off at 35hz how and what are you doing?

Testing the XLF again tonight..we'll see

Saturday night the Sub performed well and all I did was put it at 1-2 o'clock instead of 2-3 o'clock…if it doesn't cut out on my next weekend then I'll keep it and probably get another in a few weeks..we'll see.

I am ordering another as I figure I will give it another shot. Like I said awesome sub. I may also start placing a fan behind it to see if it will help.

Yea..I did throw a small like 6in fan behind it and it seemed to do just fine all night. One of these XLF's is doing the job of 2 MRX518's…Great Sub! Think I'll buy another too.

Welllll, yes and no. If you need to widen out the sound and spread the subs around the room, then ya you want a couple subs. But I've done the "2 of your subs vs. my 1 Cerwin Vega" test and I'm still undefeated

Yeah This 21inch Stroker is the Truth cerwin vega did it with this one

What amp works best with the CV 21" Stroker?

? Mine is self powered. I don't even remember what amp CV uses right now but its 2400W peak

Oh..is it the Folded Horn big heavy mutha? Powered?

Ahh..I looked yours up..not the folded Horn 21" ..got it! How do you like your CV powered 21"? Do you use a drive rack or anything with it?

I absolutely love it. No drive rack, no audio processing whatsoever, aside from fiddling with the frequency gain on the back from time to time. If I'm using my eq I might boost some 30hz just to f*** with peoples bellies

LOL

Yea if CV came out with a compact powered speaker line that's 1000W like the other popular brands, they would totally shake up the powered speaker market. I'm surprised they haven't done so yet.

Yeah the dual 8" CVA-28's that came with that line were impressive, but I never truly liked the way they sounded. Clear but funny in the lower regions

Here is the Best Sub hands down for the size, money, and quality in sound.

yorkville.com

Can't go wrong

I had a listen to the 15" cva-115 and it's certainly loud but i too can't make out if it's a quality sub, and they look ugly with the oversized badge , red ringed cone and chrome grill that has gaps between them.

Looks like something young DJ's would go for, give me a plain black sub with standard strong black grill any day.

That sub is definitely a foundation cracker lmao

Fixed... they do pound and you won't go broke doing it.

an i approve this message.....

Problem with Yorkville is they only distribute their products in certain parts of the world and even then the local distributor will only bring certain models, the distributor here in australia has dumped them(maybe the other way around not sure)and they are in another state so we hardly saw much product in my state of Melbourne.

I did have one of their low end subs (YX18P i think)a few years ago and even though it had a flappy 18" eminence driver(i think) it pushed some air and served me well with the Peavey 500p Powered speakers i had at the time.

If yorkville wants to compete with other brands then they at least have to do a bit more marketing and try to get the product in the most popular states & in more countries.

Meyer sound

... is extremely expensive.

kv2

There are so many choices. Best powered sub is definitely an opinion question. If you just want loud, the yorkville LS801P as mentioned would be great, if you want a happy medium, the JBL VRX powered subs are great. If you can't swing the cost on the VRX subs, the PRX618S-XLF is another great choice and uses the same driver. I own 2 of these and they POUND! They get very loud, go very deep and sound great, not to mention they only weigh 81.5 pounds! I plan on getting 2 more for very large gigs. Best thing about them is if you want/need more bass, just add more subs. I read a review that one guy that was setting up the sound system for an OUTDOOR concert with over 3000 people in attendence used 12 XLF's. He said he thought it wouldn't be enough but found it was more then enough and sounded incredible!

If you wanna go passive and money isn't much of a concern, the TH 118 should be fantastic. Extremely loud, extremely deep and from what I hear, sound great! Look into them!

Found the review of the guy that used 12 of these for an outdoor concert if your interested.

www.soundforums.net

"Jbl prx618s-xlf

This past weekend I did a show with twelve (yes, 12) PRX618S-XLF subs. They were running with a McCauley Mline rig (6 M90s per side). This was my first time with the McCauley stuff, and it was louder than I expected. Unfortuntely, there are no 'plug and play' tunings for it, so a good part of my time was spent tweaking general settings in a Driverack 4800 to make them sound good. However, I did get to mess with the subs. I processed the 12 subs with my Driverack 4820 with 3 delay taps. The center four subs were not delayed, the two on either side of those got about 1ms, and the two on either side of those two got 2ms. This still gave me a pretty tight pattern, but it was far better than before.

So, how did it sound? Fantastic, actually. I was thinking that the 12 subs weren't going to be nearly enough (really, that's only equivalent to 3 double 18s per side), but it ended up being more than plenty. I used the integrated crossover in the subs, which has a LR lowpass at 90Hz falling off at 48dB/octave. All the subs needed was a small cut at 90Hz or so, and the rest was razor flat down to 40Hz. Playing music the subs sounded exactly like I want my subs to sound...punchy, deep, unstrained, no port chuffing or other odd noises.

Though it was a bit odd to pair MI subs with a pro line array, I was extremely impressed with the result.

PS- the band was Ryan Star. Eli, the drummer, had a drum pad with a nice 808 drop which was simply staggering. There were probably over 3000 people in attendance at the show, spread out over a huge parking lot over 200 feet deep."

And my apologies, the sub I mentioned before is the Danley TH-118 sub. I forgot to mention the brand. Just as loud as cerwin vega's 21" folded horn, but I'm sure it sounds better

K...sorry to revive such an old thread...but I googled best active sub and was curious so I read this thread. In my opinion...Meyer is the best hands down...but they are cost prohibitive. For the last few years I mixed for a theater company in my town ad they had a killer Meyer rig. I designed the system for an amphitheater and I could get to 110 db at foh (125' away) easy. I had two 600hps (dual 15") and they rock. They were flown. They are awesome...but cost over 6 grand. How many of y'all have used the old qsc hpr single 18s...te precursor to the kw181?

There is no such thing as "the best " it was sounds good for your needs.

There is no such thing as "the best " it was sounds good for your needs.

+1

Ok...fair enough...with money not being an object...these subs (600 hp and 700hp) sound better than anything I've mixed on...that includes nexo alpha subs, jbl srx728 subs, omega subs, oap subs, qsc subs, peavey subs, the smaller cv subs...the list goes on and on. I've mixed on lots of pas as well...abd heard even more. However...I can't afford them. I am looking a smallish pa that is powered (takes up less room in my trailer)...maybe four 12 and a horns and subs to match. I love Meyer upas...but six grand is a lot to swallow. I was thinking Yamaha dsr112s...anybody got recommendations? I mostly have worked with bigger systems and haven't heard smaller stuff as much.

I have used the HPR 18's and own the KW181's and KSubs ( I have 3 for sale )

I would go with kw181's small foot print and you can stack them in your trailer

or the yorkville unity 15's, ls801 , or LS2100P ( all heavy and large )

The RCF 4Pro would be somthing to look at as well

if your doing gigs solo. get the kw181's ( i hope to own 6 of these soon )

Next to meyer this is prob the best powered sub
www.turbosound.com

That was indoors, this for outdoors/large room .....lol
www.turbosound.com

Yeah . $8000 ea google stlouis pulse festival for video of 24 of them deployed .

I'm starting to consider converting my passive subs to powered by putting one of these: www.speakerpower.net into one of these: www.danleysoundlabs.com .

It's only 160 lbs. and pretty much trumps anything listed on this thread, especially considering the size and weight.

Does that model have a built in crossover?

Yes sir... you can run the amp module 'flat' or DSP'd from 30Hz-80Hz. You can run a pair of TH-118's on this single amp in series and have 4000 watts at the 2 Ohm load or 2000 watts to each sub.

... I meant, you can run a pair of TH-118's in series off of a single amp.

Not bad. I've seen similar amps (for home subs) at partsexpress.com

I'm not sure how well they would hold up to DJ use, but I built a small home one with a plate amp built in and it sounds great. Good luck.

www.parts-express.com

The one I posted seems very official. Here's a thorough breakdown of its capabilities on another forum: soundforums.net
My only issue with powered speakers would be if I'm not near them, I cannot see them at limit. I'd have to tune the mixer LED level indicators to perhaps peak at the same time as the subs or other powered speakers. With a passive setup, all of the controls our right near me.

I've been reading and re-reading all of the powered subwoofer-related threads and can't seem to come to any decisions/conclusion. Without putting words in people's mouths, it seems that there subs get mentioned most often: the Yorkville LS801P, the JBL VRX918S, and the QSC K-Sub. From what I've read, the Yorkville LS801P is a good buy (price-wise and performance) but it weighs 130 pounds. The JBL VRX918SP seems popular, but it retails for about $500 more than the Yorkville although it weighs about 50 pounds less. Both appear to peak around 1500 watts. And then there's the QSC K-Sub which is the cheapest and lightest and puts out 1,000 watts. Is there any consensus? I'm sure it depends on the size of the event and all that, but didn't know if there was a clear winner among the three and if there was any obvious choice to consider that I was missing.

I'm mostly a wedding DJ ranging from 80-250 guests. I'm currently looking to upgrade both my tops and sub from my current set of JBL 515 EON tops and 518S sub (I know I know) to hopefully a pair of the ZXA5 and then a subwoofer. I'm (barely) getting by with what I have now so I know that two tops and sub should be good for most events although I may end up getting a second subwoofer down the road. I drive a Grand Cherokee and can just about fit two 15's, subwoofer, tables, mixer, pair of 10" Mackies for cocktail hour, and random other shit so I assume that the Yorkville might be too much size and weight (I only sometimes work with someone to help carry and set up) but I don't want to not consider it since it seems to be a popular choice here on the boards.

I'm also kind of considering the QSC K12's or the JBL PRX615M instead of the ZXA5 solely based on price, but who knows. I'm neurotic and indecisive so I thought I'd ask for some help on the sub since I have some sort of a handle on the tops.

Thanks in advance and sorry to beat a dead horse. While I know how to play the music, I don't know much about physics and technical aspects of the sound itself.

Speakers don't put out watts. Speakers handle wattage and they put out SPL's. The Ksub puts out a 130dB max 'calculated' SPL.

I wouldn't recommend a Ksub unless you're spinning weddings only.


K12's don't nearly compare to a ZXa5. The PRX615 is not in the same class either but is definitely a more affordable option.

yamaha dx series

Speakers don't put out watts. Speakers handle wattage and they put out SPL's. The Ksub puts out a 130dB max 'calculated' SPL.

Haha. Sorry. I meant handle. Yeah I mean I don't do much besides weddings and private events and never really have a crowd of more than 200/250. If the K-Sub really doesn't hit hard then I guess it's off the list. What about the JBL VRX918S or should I stick with the Yorkville? My only concern with that is the weight and size especially since I'm like 5'4" so the thing will be like 1/2 my size and not much off from my weight. Haha. Aside from the ones I mentioned, can anyone else suggest any other contenders?

Yeah, I know the ZXA5 is in a class by itself, but I was under the impression that the K12 and JBL was one step down. I don't want to go off topic, but can anyone suggest anything one down from the EV's or should I just bite the bullet, spend the $2,800, and get a pair?

cant go wrong qsc kw 181's... super light and they hit hard as hell

I've heard the JBLs and own the QSC HPR 181. I liked them both, but bought the QSC on closeout and got two of them dirt cheap. They do a good job for the money and size. They are also built like a tank - I've subjected them to tons of road abuse and barely a scratch on them.

Ok lets make the choice easier for you....
You require subs for approximately 250 people max therefore you will need a minimum of 2 subs.
1. K sub - Hell no, just trust me on that one...lol
2. yorkville ls801 - NO,due to your weight concerns.(but it is the loudest of all subs in this range)
3. JBL VRX918SP - No, due to your price concerns. ( but it is the best in the small sub list)
4. jbl prx618s-xlf - YES, its a very good small sub.
5. qsc kw 181 - YES, its a very good small sub.

The battle is between the jbl prx618s-xlf vs. qsc kw 181, both are great and you cant go wrong with either. The biggest differences between the 2 subs is....
jbl prx618s-xlf - about 100-150 cheaper than the qsc kw 181
qsc kw 181- best 6 yr warranty of all the speakers.

Now you decide....lol

I own k12s and evzxa5s and love them both but I say "bite the bullet".

Haha. Yeah. I really wanna get those EV's so hopefully I can make it happen soon. I do about 40-50 weddings a year on top of small in-store events and random birthday parties and Sweet 16's. This is what I do and everything but my speakers is pretty top of the line so I need to upgrade. I really can't be using those EON's anymore. I didn't know any better, had the G2's, basement got flooded, so I bought a pair of the 515's without thinking twice. And I've seemingly been getting by with just one sub but maybe I should consider getting two.

The Yorkville sounds good, but I doubt I can get it in and out of the Jeep by myself so that right there takes it out of the running -- as much as I don't want to not consider it. We'll see. But at least I've got a better handle on some of the better powered subs and tops.

Thanks to everyone!

I know exactly how you feel. I recently upgraded to a pair of QSC KW152's from an old pair of JBL Eon G1's and it was a long overdue upgrade. I honestly shouldn't have gone as long as I did but I made it work somehow...having a pair of 518S subs (which I'm going to replace next) definitely helped.

It's amazing what a quality pair of speakers can do for your setup. It will look much more professional and you'll feel even more proud of your equipment. Get those EV's...you'll be extremely happy and your clients will notice the aesthetic improvement.

Oh, and everyone will notice the improvement in sound quality too. That's just a given.

The K12's are in no way bad... they're actually pretty good but it's a 12" vs. The ZXa's 15"... no contest (depending on the application)

And yes, I'd say the ZXa5 is one step up above the competition you'll typically find at GC.

PDidy gave some good advice. Go for the best quality sub you can afford first, then go for a quality pair of tops. Keep in mind, if you go for ZXa5's first, you'll need about 4 of those Xlf's or Kw181's to keep up.

i can vouch for the prx 618 wicked little subs used two of them and 4 prx 612 tops for a promo gig the other week. very impressed

I can't believe that no one mention using a BBE Maximizer on their set up. Big difference on the sound quality and control.

BBE Maximizer / sonic Maximizers are frowned upon in the pro-sound world. serato.com

THANK YOU!!!!

Someone who's not fooled by the smoke an mirrors...

I can't even COUNT how many times cats have mentioned that BBE Maximizers and things add more "POWER" to the system....

***Blank Stare***

I have one in my rack, and I SWEAR, it was just so I could have more pretty lights in the rack to show off....

I still own mine too but I only use it to hold space in my rack....lol i26.photobucket.com

BTW.....a 15 band EQ is a much better alternative compared to a BBE Maximizer. static.musiciansfriend.com

maybe i'm naive, but why don't you guys like the JBL Eon 515XT. i have a pair and they sound good to me.

If I got the two EV'a and one JBL VRX918 would it be a PROBLEM? Can I get by with one sub and the two EV's or will it sound shitty for some reason? I can consider getting getting a second sub would rather save that $2,000 for now -- and the space in the car.

No it will sound fine but what hes saying is that you will need 4 subs to keep up with 2 evzxa5s. You simply need to turn the ev down alot to balance volumes with 1 or 2 subs.

So then you may ask why get them if you never intend on using 4 subs and all its potential power ?
Because they are excellent stand alone speakers that preform well even without subs in full range for smaller gigs.

Its like serato video vs ME.......once you get a taste of the higher quality, you realize what you were using in the past was seriously lacking in comparison.

+1

a 31-band eq, some experience, and a good ear is much better, 100% of the time.

ok so what's better than the 515xt?

Too many to list , they are entry level speakers

rcf the best money can buy.

which rcf do you own.

RCF SUB 718, clear thumping bass.

Hey guys I'm selling my CVA 121, I just don't use personal gear on gigs much any more. Sorry if this is against forum rules but there's like 40 links to musiciansfriend etc. on here so I figured what the hell. PM me for details.

To get back on topic, that sub is THE BOMB, no matter where you buy it.

Dj Wunder....C'mon son..smh

SMH

Yeah fine, MODS - go ahead and delete that. But lets be real, there are links to every online store on this thread, and people shopping for subs. What's the big deal? It's not like "DJ Wunder" is some forum name created today just to sell something. I've got history here, and a sub taking up space in my warehouse.

Where is the gear trading section on the Serato forums?

serato.com

So just out of curiousity, what exactly is the difference between agiprodj shamelessly directing us to pre-order the Pio DDJ-SX from their site (which, of course, I did IMMEDIATELY), and my post?

im pretty sure if you cut serato a percentage of that sale... they'd be glad to let you post...lol

They are a legit business that takes credit cards (security for the customer)

You are a dude that takes cash (and could potentially rip someone off, who would then proceed to blame Serato)

All good points. And the links here on this thread that Serato will never see a dime from?

Whatever, enough threadjacking, I can admit when I'm wrong. I was wrong.


Back to the point: I've received tons of compliments on my CV, and I usually run just one on parties up to 200 ppl, so I can certainly recommend it. I've never seen the RCF in stores or on gigs, but it looks nice, is it not big in the states?

I went to guitar center to get 2-JBL PRX718, I brought in my own CD to test them and didnt like the sound, I tested every sub they had and wound getting the QSC KW181, that thing sounds incredible. You know the type of bass that makes you make the ugly face like damn this shit sound mean.

QSC is sooo on the top of my list right now. My last few gigs used the KW series, I can't think of anything I'd realistically change with them

how would you compare the qsc vs the CVA 121. SPL (volume), sound quality, Pros cons and any other comparisons ?

Hmm. The CVA is a monster. I can load it in to my truck on my own, but I need to take a breather after lol. I've never had to move the QSC's but they seem much more manageable. Now the flipside of that is I'm fine with one CVA, but the QSC's I'd probably want two.

The CVA also has some DSP options on it, parametric EQ and such, which turn out to be more than just bells and whistles. The drawback of a 21" sub vs. 18" is obviously the output of the mid-lows (upper low end??) but dialing in the parametric EQ and/or using 15" tops pretty much makes that a non issue. I use this sub with the matching dual-8" tops, and don't hear any gaps in the frequency response between low-mids and upper-lowend.

Both provide THUMPING bass, but the extra 400 watts on the CVA and it's larger size do make a difference. I can give every person in a medium size ballroom a good thump in the chest with just one CVA.

To answer your question, They both produce that beautiful, round, thumping bass. Two CVA-121's would easily overpower two QSC KW181's, but in the real world (or my world) the real choice is between one CVA or two QSC's. So basically, do you want to spend $1400 or $2800?

sounds alot like the yorkville ls801 vs qsc kw181.

Ha I guess. No experience with Yorkville.

ive been looking for a nice sub here in New zealand for the last month, boy do you guys get better deals, a qsc kw181 ive found on a few american sites are around $1399? over here they are $3299 considering converting from USD to NZD is 1,399.00 USD = 1,710.06 NZD we are getting shafted up the behind here :(

I have yet to hear the QSC kw series. I have two QSC HPR18i and they sound pretty decent. I might consider an upgrade if teh price was right.

No reason to up grade the sub unless is for weight reasons.....

Hi Dj Wunder.

As others have pointed out, please don't post advertisements on the forum.

Thanks,
Chris

Yup, sorry. Sooo what's all this Serato DJ business? When can we get a screenshot?

lol.... hmmmm, did you get a post reported on purpose to get a mod's attention?

Pretty Sneaky Sis - Dude was like, "Well, now that I have your undivided attention....."

I have 3 KSubs for sale. $2100 for all 3 with covers and warranty

I also own 3k10's , 2 kw153's 4kw181's .. I have yet to use all 4 kw18's indoors. outdoors was quite impressive for an open air event. I cant wait to get them inside. Over all I am very pleased with the kw18 other than the handle placement.. imo they are installed in the wrong direction . or needed 2 sets of handles.

Did you have a question for the Mods or are you really trying to sell that stuff?

See the shit you started....lol

yup, my bad rofl

This thing is out of control!

To jump off topic AGAIN (just for a second) looking for one more bit of feedback on the ZXA5's. I saw an old thread from 2010 on the 60 vs 90 degree horn on the EV's. Is there any consensus on which is better for a mobile DJ? Dude at Guitar Center said 60 because you get a bigger area (or something along those lines, in his words), but it seemed that people were leaning towards the 90 on here. Most of my venues are wider than they are long (with the way they're set up) and with weddings, speaker placement is typically right in front of the dance floor.

Didn't mean to thread hijack again, but I'm looking to head down there tonight if possible.

Yes 90 deree

Dont ever listen to him again.......ever

Then the 90 degree is for you because the 60 degree would leave dead spots on the sides of your venue. The 60 degree zxa5 is best used 2 per side (4 total) for very high (spl) volume requirements. So unless you intend on buying 4 zxa5s the 90 degree is the rite choice for the mobile dj.

+1

yup

Cool, thanks, good to know. The 90 degree it is. Dude was like, "with the 60 you get more coverage AND it's the same price as the 90." Haha.

Yeah, I definitely don't put a lot of trust in what they say over at Guitar Center. I bought my Pioneer DJM-800 over there and had intended on getting a 700, but when they pulled some shenanigans with the coupon and then tried convincing me to get a Denon. I ended up with the 800 which was obviously a wise choice anyway.

I don't think any of them really know anything about DJ/Pro Audio over there. No offense to anyone on here who works there, though. Haha.

well that part was true....lol

sorry to thread jack, but i want to be learned.

i currently have jbl eon 515xt

after doing some research it seems like the more capable speakers are:

qsc k12/kw12/kw15
jbl prx 612/615
ev elx 12/15

any opinions on these?

also i am interested in matching subs. so far i like the ev 15/18 sub and the jbl prx 18 sub. i like the qsc k sub as well, but i'm not feeling the castors.

Quote of the year.....

I hear the EV ELX18 sub is kind of weak. If you choose to go the ELX route and KNOW you will also buy subs, get the ELX12's for tops. You're not really gaining anything by running a 15" top with a 18" sub because the top will be crossed over at 100Hz negating that extra 15" surface area size vs the 12".

If you chose an EV top with a PRX 18 sub, make sure you get the PRX 618XLF version, not the regular version. The XLF has noticeably more bottom end extension and more overall output. They're the same size but why short yourself on a lesser sub for a couple of hundred in savings.

I actually listened to the ELX18 vs the PRX618XLF. It wasn't an extensive comparison but it was easy to hear the difference and XLF advantages. The ELX18 is much cheaper though.

There may events where I only use the top. For those applications do you think it makes sense to get a15 or Willa 12 suffice?

Also I heard the yorkville sub. Wow. Just wow. That thing is waaaaay to heavy tho.

For the price, I like the EV livex, though I really heard a difference between the 12 & 15 - even when connected with subs. They seemed to put out a warmer sound. I heard the whole EV lineup A/B'ed at Infocomm last year. If money is not an issue, the EV ZXa5s are the way to go though. I currently have a Yorkie sub, and while a little boomy, it definitely brings the heat. It's only a pain getting it in and out of the truck, which I usually do myself - bad back and all... otherwise it is rolling on it's wheels. Personally, I will be getting a pair of ZXa5s as a Christmas present to myself - eventually will upgrade my sub(s) to either Danley TH-118s or JTR Orbit Shifter Pro - preferably with a built in amp. I will also be adding a trailer with ramp so there will be minimal lifting. I would rather bring one big, heavy, quality sub than two smaller, lighter subs that just don't get it done...

Let me know if you go the Danley route. They're a sound to behold, especially if you have more than one. Mine are passive but I understand the convenience of active models. They run 14 of the TH-118's at Lambeau Stadium.

Yes, the EV LiveX have a good sound (tops) but what did you think of the subs? Also, if you hear only one setup (at Infocomm with no A/B comparison), anything is liable to sound good to you. I thought the Tapco Thumps sound pretty decent until I turned on a pair of QSC HPR 121i's. That comparison revealed how grainy the THumps really are.

Gaffle,
At Infocomm Denon had a whole room with all their complete speaker range and did a demo going through them all, from the LiveX series to the Concert arrays. I agree with you on the LiveX subs being somewhat weak, for the money I'd go with the Yorkie.
Main reason I went to Infocomm last year was to demo the Danleys. Very impressed - most people have never heard such quality subwoofer output. Once you have, you want one! or two! or more! Lately been following the GTR Orbit - appears to be of similar quality, probably a grand cheaper each.

this thread will still get bumped 10 years from now

If you want to match then go with the JBL PRx...and yes def make sure u get the XLF sub.

12's will suffice for small gigs....real, small gigs lol. Really it all depends. I use my elx112p's by themselves for a lot of in-store retail stuff. I used them once for a small outdoor wedding also, 60 ppl maybe.

I think it's better to get 15's if they will be your only pair for a while. Then you can use them w/o sub when needed and cross them over anyway when u are using the sub..they'll be a little heavier and take more space then the 12's when u have to lug the subs also...but still more versatile then the 12's..

Depends on your applications but if you do a variety of events, a good order to buy speakers imo is 15's...subs...then 12's or 10's..something small.

I am a higher end wedding DJ and I've run E.A.W.s, JBLs, Peaveys, QSC, and settled in on Yorkvilles. The E.A.W.s were the best but Yorkville is kinda like Canada's version of E.A.W. When a company can give you a 10 year guarantee on the cab you know it is well made... and mine have RCF speakers inside! I always go in any new speakers I get so I know what kind of loading abuse I can give them... I think Yorkville has the best reinforcements inside and E.A.W. is second.

My Yorkies are very close to the E.A.W.'s sound I used to run but at 20 pounds lighter per cab and a few hundred bux less each it was a no brainer to make the switch. I use the same Yorky mains for every gig but leave the 1500 watt sub home for smaller ones. My mains go all the way down to 40 low end so they sound great even without the sub... with the sub my system could make your ears bleed :D

Practice and ENJOY!

^^^^^ he told us the brand but he never told us the models......lol
Yorkville make alot of speakers.

OOOPS a pair of vintage Elite x401s (15s and horn) with an Elite LS720P powered sub. They mesh perfectly together.

i still have a pair of yorkville pulse 3-way's from the early 2000's. the big ones ones with the handle, wheels and lightbulb inside. and a yorkville audio pro amp. yorkville makes some amazing speakers.

Yes they do! when I called them to check which of their subs would go best with my speakers they told me that my speakers are at least 20 years old and almost everyone that bought them is still using them. :D

I'm more than satisfied with the Cerwin-Vega CVA-121 powered subs in combination with Zingali HM-115 as full-range mains in my ht setup:

[img]imageshack.us[/img]

That looks like a permanent home setup. Do you high-pass those full ranges in some sort of way?

Yeah, it all started as a test for the hell of it and the result was so overwhelming, that I now use them in a permanent setup.

I could high-pass the Zingali HM-115s using the CVA-121 subs' own high-pass out, but instead I left them full-range, as the HMs don't go very low anyway. Combined with CVA-121 subs, they are a tour de force.

For the subs I take the signal with RCA>XLR cables from the DAC (Mytek Stereo-192DSD), while for the Zingalis' amp, I use XLR>XLR cables from the dac. The subs are crossed by their own crossover at 65Hz.

BOOOM!

two (2) JBL PRX618-XLF's for $1500 or one (1) yorkville LS801p for $1200? i feel like i'm on the price is right and i don't know what to do.

HaHaHa...
A couple months ago my friend bought 2 JBL PRX618S-XLF and has only used on 1 gig. He needs money so he's selling them for $1,600 including the covers. I'm buying those suckers.

For those that still can live and DJ in a world that doesn't only revolve around the top known brands for your live sound needs, may I propose the new generation of the Harbinger 18" powered subwoofer. It is rated 1000W and has a built in BBE processor. Retail is $750 at Guitar Center and often times, such as October or December, they have those $100 off coupons. I have not yet heard the newer version but I do own four of the first generation subs and for the types of mobile gigs that I do (mostly Microsoft corporate gigs, school dances and weddings that range from 100-400 people, give or take) they have been nothing but workhorses and they've never clipped or overheated on me.

www.guitarcenter.com

that price seems too low, are you sure its the PRX618-XLF an not the JBL PRX618-S ?

Now if the price is correct I would go (2) JBL PRX618-XLF because they are more scalable and easier to move if you work alone. And if you get 3 you can just about = the approximate output of 2 yorkville LS801p.

PRX618xlf's retail for $1299

$1500 for a pair is a steal.

nope that's the price. both are in mint condition and less than 6 months old. i'm loving these fairweather dj's.

and they are XLF's

Last night I did buy the 2 PRX618S-XLF speakers from my friend.
$1,600 for the pair including covers & poles.
And yes, they are only 2 months old.

^^that is a score! *hi-five*

Ok cool, now the other deciding factor is how many people do need this system to cover considering you only want 2 subs. Btw, do you have a sub limit ?

Less than 250 - go with the jbl
More than 250 (Up to 350) - go yorkville

i want a sub that has more power than i need (guessing the yorkville) but i didn't want to pass up a deal.

Did you no you can get the yorkville (carpet version) for $1000ea @ VIP on Rockaway in Brooklyn and @ Pro audio star. You just need haggling skills ;)

winner winner chicken dinner

I have 2 ls801 yorkville and 2 makie 1521z top for out door..wanted a indoor sub like the nx720p just one to spyce the 2 flash12ha proel I have..... instead I got me a PSA1s paraline sub hey they sound good I'm working on getting the 2nd one $$$$$ lol danmm...

how would you compare the PSA1s paraline sub to the ls801?

Well you can't never get the out put like the ls801p from a PSA1s we tested at the store you need 2 PSA1s to get close to one ls801p the thing is that I always had 801p.
And want it something smaller.. at the store we tested the B52 18",the ev118,and Yamaha 15"no way ne'er the only thing (close) was the yorkville X2 combo and it was $ 2500 but big and 2 extra 12" to have. Bottom line if you have the way to get it around go ls801p for the price $$... also tested sub at Guitar center and Sam ash and the only good thing was the Cerving vega 21" to heavy and the Qsc,Makie,Ev',Jbl in the price range you can't go wrong sl801p is the sh--t..

Yeah this has been beat to death and it's been a minute since anyone's posted to this topic, but I've read some other threads on here and am trying to discern between the
JBL PRX618S-XLF and JBL VRX918SP. It seems that the JBL VRX918SP is favored as the best in the smaller sub realm (under 100lbs, for example), but based on the specs for the VRX918SP, it seems that it's rated at 800w continuous power handling as opposed to the PRX618S-XLF which is rated at 1000w. I finally purchased my pair of ZXA5's and will be pairing a sub with those and most likely will not get a second sub and will not be getting a Yorkville in the near future because I do a good number of events alone and don't own a Suburban. Ha! The KW181 also comes highly recommended on here which seems to compete well with the PRX618S-XLF, but is the VRX918SP the clear winner against both of those?

the PRX618S-XLF is louder than VRX918SP and frequency response only differs by a few decibals. you are really paying for the enclosure as the VRX918SP is built to be flown in a line array.

PRX618S-XLF an excellent sub. i had a chance to a/b these in a store and at a concert hall.

the KW181 is also another great sub. it is as loud as the PRX618S-XLF but doesn't go as low. this is mitigated by the 'deep' mode tho. i give the kw181 the edge as it has a more flexible mixing section.

you really can't go wrong any of these 3. they are all about the same weight, they all have pole mounts. i would let price be the deciding factor.

Cool thanks. It looks like the QSC is in the middle in terms of pricing vs. the two JBL's. I'll do some shopping around make the decision from there. I've also been looking at the K12 to finally upgrade from my Mackie 350 V2's for and I know they have one of the best back panels in the 12" market.

Anyone else feel free to chime in about these three subwoofers as I'm hoping to make a purchase in the next day or so.

I use the kw181 with 2 k12's and it sounds amazing. The JBLs are nice too but qsc offers more inputs on the rear, built in casters, a 6 year warranty and qsc is located in Costa Mesa, CA (15 mins from me).

I also prefer using the same brand for my setup as it looks more professional, imo.

I disagree a little based upon the specs. The measurement rating of the PRX618-XLF is measured in half-space (on the ground) to be 134dB peak; whereas, the VRX918SP is 126dB in full-space (basically in the air with no ground floor as a boundary). If measured on equal 'grounds', the VRX would probably be 132 or 133dB peak. 1 to 2dB is not even noticeable (3 dB of difference is).

... now, look at the usable frequency response, the XLF goes down to 39Hz (+-3dB) whereas the VRX goes all the way down to 34Hz (+- 3dB). Don't use the (+-10dB figures... they're useless).

Basically, one would notice that the VRX goes lower, yet, sounds about as loud as the XLF. Considering these are just simple bass-reflex designs and pretty much equal in enclosure size, driver type and amp power, you're deciding whether you're gonna go slightly louder to give up going slightly lower. I've read the amp module is of higher quality in the VRX and the entire unit is just more pro-duty in build and quality.

^^^ ... you basically summed up the same thing but it depends on how you interpret 'louder'. Overall, the XLF is more of a bargain because it's cheaper but I'd personally go with the VRX. It has pro-build quality and it's also cross-rent worthy.

^^^... Take a look at the amp module on the VRX. I'm not sure about the internal limiter quality differences but you can easily see LARGER and more heatsinks. These PRX's, with their psuedo lay-flat heatsinks, have had their share of thermal shutdown issues. There are Powercon connectors, Powercon in/output (allowing you to daisy chain power cables for less clutter), pre-made wheel mount caster locations, adjustable low-pass and hi-pass filters + the inherent locking fly/stackable hardware ability. The XLF is a very good sub but know what you're gaining if you choose to go the VRX route. Deciding if that's worth the extra money is the dilemma. I would think the resale value of the VRX would be better as well.

I actually ended up getting the QSC. Only $1099 from Pro Audio Star.

Good choice they BOOM! I was actualy going to add that link to them when i saw that you found them on your own. All around good sub massive woofer 21" stroker is no joke. RCF = Re-cone frequently EAW makes great soundinf subs but lat i knew they were usinf eminence woofers in them. I have 4 BH-760's at work that came loaded from the factory with eminence woofers, they do still Kick ass but they cost 10,000 for the 4. My personal rig I use 8 Cerwin vega EL-36B Folded horn subs.


I would love to see / hear your system full on :) it will certainly take me back to the old days.

Yeah I'm looking forward to my NYE wedding. Not even going to be a big one, but will be interesting to hear the two ZXA5's coupled with the KW181. This is coming from a guy who's been using two JBL EON 515's (non-XT version) with one JBL EON 518S subwoofer for the past 2+ years.

I've only used the EV's once and it was a small event so the gains never got past like 10 o'clock and my master was probably not even at unity.

Of course now I've just found this link:

www.ebay.com

Haha. Only $1399 for the JBL VRX918S. I guess I'll just have to be happy with my KW181.

Or you can spend $20 less and get the white version, if you're the kind of guy who wears all white suits with a white shirt and shit.

Dude you gonna need about 4 kw 181 to try and keep up with those ZXA5.. Yorkville is the only way to go man.. But then, those are huge.. Let us know how the KW181 sound. How many KW did you get?

I believe he just has 1 kw 181so yea there's no way it will keep up with this 2 ev-zxa5s. But I believe he's a wedding dj and they tend have very minimal sound requirements for bass so he may be just fine.

that's the passive/non powered version, the VRX918SP is the powered version and can be had for $1500. In my opinion the VRX918SP is superior to the PRX and KW181 if quality is a higher priority than price. But as mentioned all 3 are great subs so you cant go wrong.

+1

I always associated Yorkville (passive series) as being whack....

All "other" DJ's had them, but they couldn't really equal up to our sound....

They were easy to set up, but they looked "cheap" to me...

Who knew?

Depends on the model, yorkville has a wide range of gear (cheap to concert level).

All I know is that everyone had the same ones back in say, the late 90's early 2000's.

Yessir, only purchased the one KW181 and am hoping that it will be enough along with the EV's since most of my events are 120/150 and none more than 200/250.



My bad on posting a link to the passive version. Gotta read the fine print, I guess. I would've spent the few hundred extra on the VRX but was under the impression all three three were comparable and people seem to speak highly of the KW -- plus the back panel is supposed to be the balls, etc. It arrives tomorrow and I'll be running it with the EV's on NYE so we'll see (hear) how it goes. Hopefully the KW181 will hit hard enough.

Let me explain in a little more detail so you can make a more knowledgeable choice............ These 3 subs are most comparable in terms of output as the VRX is only a few db louder while also going lower than the others. So if you intend on ONLY using 1 sub and you're basing your choice on output than they are comparable in that sense(to the average listener only). So in that case the KW / PRX are good choices. In multiples of 2 or more the VRX pulls away form the pact and its output and sound quality becomes even more apparent even to the untrained ear. But in your case this wont matter much because you are set on only using 1 sub.

The KW / PRX can be described as "mid level" subs while the VRX is more "entry Pro level". Its status adds to its price as well as its superior amp, processing, protection and build quality. These are the main reasons SOME choose to pay more for the VRX quality. Fly-ware is also an added cost but unavoidable and most of us will never use.

That being said, The KW is still a great choice and I would have no issues using it which I have on many occasions. But I chose to own the VRX ;)

I personally would not expect one small sub to adequately cover 200-250 be it KW or VRX. But I'm aware in some regions this is considered normal and acceptable. I'm just wondering if your 1 sub expectations are realistic. Guess we will see when you get the KW.

I have no doubts about the zxa5s covering that. Ive done rooms of 250 with just 1 zxa5 no problem and i was not lacking volume......lol

As a DJ who often works alone (I'm only 5'4) and drives a Grand Cherokee and who got by with only using a pair of EON 515's and a 518S, I'm hoping that the one KW along with the EV's will be enough. I really don't have much of a choice, actually, because I can't even fit a second sub in my Jeep anyway. I know you dudes are insane with your 2, 4, 6, and 8 sub arrays but not only do my events not really justify that much gear, but I don't think the folks at the W Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, or the Museum of Science in Boston want to me bringing that much bass. Haha. I mean if space wasn't an issue and if I had at least one or two people to always help me load and set up, then it might be a different situation; however, I gotta work with that I got and one KW is where I'm at right now.

We'll see what happens with the new gear and take it from there. I more than appreciate all of the information and help and hopefully it won't all have been for in vain. Haha.

you should be fine. I run two B52 1000's and i have never had any problems at all. when i run both sets most of the time people are complaining it's too loud and i have to turn it down. It's just better having both so that if i get a real party crowd i don't have to push their internal amps to hard as i would if i only had 1 set.

i want to hear the crews with the 8'subs

My buddy and I have 5 VRX918SP's. Hoping to do a gig with them soon.

Are you kidding me?

No Sir, Im not.....kidding.

or exaggerating......I was pushing the zxa5 hard to about 75% of its max. Im talking loud club volume.......this is a pic of the room.
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Those some sexy bastards. Comforting to know, though, just how powerful these EV's are and how reassured I am in my purchase.

1 zxa5 will easily keep up with 3 vrx918sp no problem....I do it all the time.
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what tops do you use.....any pics ?

what powered 15 comes close to the zxa5 or what other power 15s are worth purchasing. The ev zxa5 are pretty expensive. Just looking for an alternate, but not expecting as much volume because from what im reading the ev zxa5 are in a league of their own.

I dont think this speaker exists yet.

Ev or nothing for tops...

If you really want subs to keep up with those EVs, you def have to go big.. Powered will be yorkville ls801pb... It's large, yet loud... For all my Caribbean party I do, it's def 2 yorkville ls 801pb with 2 ev zxa15.. Cannot go wrong with up to 350 to 400 people... Anything larger, you have to step into the unpowered and bring out the EAWs k series...but those EVs are def a league in their own, no doubt about that..

If you really want subs to keep up with those EVs, you def have to go big.. Powered will be yorkville ls801pb... It's large, yet loud... For all my Caribbean party I do, it's def 2 yorkville ls 801pb with 2 ev zxa15.. Cannot go wrong with up to 350 to 400 people... Anything larger, you have to step into the unpowered and bring out the EAWs k series...but those EVs are def a league of their own, no doubt about that..

If you really want subs to keep up with those EVs, you def have to go big.. Powered will be yorkville ls801pb... It's large, yet loud... For all my Caribbean party I do, it's def 2 yorkville ls 801pb with 2 ev zxa5.. Cannot go wrong with up to 350 to 400 people... Anything larger, you have to step into the unpowered and bring out the EAWs k series...but those EVs are def a league of their own, no doubt about that..

Dam sorry about triple posting, iPhone going crazy

Doin a show tomorrow and my bro is bringing 10 Jbl -VPSB7118DP 's for his room , should be impressive , ill take some pics.... Might be the first time ina while my small system gets smoked

What tops are he using?? Outdoor or indoor event?

Yeah those Yorkvilles are massive, though -- prohibitively so. I would've definitely gotten at least one since it seems to be a beast but it also weighs a beastly 137lbs or so.

Hes using 4 VP series Tops not sure which ones......indoors not a large room , good for 3-400

wow that system can do 1500+. In a room of 400 will sound sick !

Does he own or rent that system? The VP series is extremely expensive!

yep...the subs are like 5 grand ea.....

He owns a total of 18 of those subs and 6 tops....

Tops are like 7 i believe

That is truly an insane system... Is your friend a dealer for JBL?? you can def feel that bass, from a few NYC blocks away....and for an indoor party, wow....

No not a dealer, should be real nice, that system in his room , im bringin some Void Airmotion/Stasys X my room will be bangin as well.

So finally saw the VP's in action, very nice. He Ran 6 subs at 29 -90 Hz and the other 4 subs at 90-160 Hz .....

s1260.beta.photobucket.com

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this thread will never die

Look at how large that amp module is in comparison to the PRX line. They're easily 6 to 8x more expensive though, LoL.

kinda looks like over kill in that room - hows he deal with the vibration

theres no such thing as too much bass...;)

Nuff said.. Pdidy is right about that..

My agreement with this would be strictly on the amount he was getting paid for the event. I wouldn't bring $35k in VP speakers for a PRX paycheck.

He didnt have them turned up very loud at all prob. like 3 out of 10...... my room was alot louder with just 2 subs

Gaffle They amp module on the back is huge . Stuck my hand in to see how deep it is and goes about an inch past my wrist, That is a heatsink.......
Also we co-produced the event so we bring what we want lol

I swear by my XLF's, these things have done much larger groups than I ever thought they could

i know it was mentioned before, but i can't seem to find the post. Approximately how many QSC KW181 would equate to (1) Yorkville LS801p?

Love this thread.
I purchased my QSC K181 (paired with 2 K12s) a few years ago and love them. I use this setup mostly indoors at small bars, shotgun style rooms, with 50-150 people and it fills the room. The 181 provides incredible lows near the DJ booth and can still be heard in the far back but at lower levels where people hangout to talk. So for my gigs this setup is perfect. I've not used it in a large room yet but I did do an outdoor party last summer that had people hanging out near me and very far away by a lake. The 181 sounded so much better in the open space but really only travelled a 50-75 feet at most. The K12s were incredible. I walked up by the lake and halfway around it, 300-400ft away and the K12s could still be heard. Not super loud but crystal clear. There stereo spread is incredible. People fishing/swimming had a soundtrack but were not blown away, and the partiers/drunks near me got a loud thumping soundtrack, yet still not deafening.

I would love another 181 because I agree, there can never be too much bass, but all my gear has to fit in a Jeep Liberty and I can't warrant the extra money right now.
I just switched from turntables/mixer/serato setup to DDJ-SX so maybe another 181 could fit now.

Great thread guys, thanks for all the crazy info.

2 qsc kw181 = 1 yorkville 801p

u guys have money to burn - i wish i was younger

Does anyone have experience with the Yamaha DXS15? I'm trying to get something more compact than the JBL MR-835's that I've been using as subs and my choice is between that and the slightly more expensive (but also slightly more compact) QSC KSub.

kw181's r the shit though...but still havnt heard the yorkvilles...prolly take a trip up to GC this weekend to hear em

I feel like the ksub is really overpriced for what you get. The only plus is the size and weight.

As good as the qsc kw181 is......if you put them 1 to 1 side by side you would wonder if the qsc kw181 was even on next to a yorkville 801.

This is so true.

When I did the comparison, I thought the Yorkville's sound seemed real raggedy but realized it was the resonance of the garage I was in. Everything in the garage was vibrating violently while the LS801P was playing, whereas the QSC sub didn't shake the room anywhere near as much. The QSC's do have that quality SUB bass sound though.

^^^ correction, LS800P.

The yorkvilles really are not a fair comparison. They have a ton of output but moving them around really is the only downfall. I was 100% set on getting a pair of them, but getting them in and out of my Ford Explorer by myself would be practically impossible being so heavy, plus the larger size of them means they would "just fit" and not leave room for other equipment when I have to bring lights etc..

If you have a van or box truck/ramps etc to load in then they are more than worth it. Just need to be careful if you have a venue with stairs. There are some venues I play at that no matter what room you are in you need to either go up or down stairs and if you are by yourself good luck! that's when having an extra couple $10 comes in handy to hand to one of the workers at the hall.

I compared the QSC 181s to the RCF 718 and liked the 718 better which is why i grabbed a pair of those.

OK i need help. I'm looking for a all powered system that will cover 1000 ppl. I've had ppl tell me to go with line array like the qsc kla12 but im like i dont have that kind of money right now. plus i thought you couldnt use line array inside most venues. so can i get some feed back. i've been looking at the yorkie ls801s(trying to decide if painted or carpeted still) but i need tops to go with them. and how many ls801s do you guys think i'll need to cover 1000 ppl?

If you go LS801s, I'd say go with the painted models but if you bought at least 4 of them, you'd save about almost $800-1000 by going with the carpeted models. Depending on the genre of music you play, my guesstimate would be 6 LS801P's would cover your bass handily for 1000 ppl. If you tried to do it with only 4 units, you'll probably barely get away with it but be babysitting your peak limiters all night. I think PDidy owns 5 or 6 of them, he'd have the experience to really say.

Ok, well what tops should I go with if I go with the ls801's? I looked into the yamaha dsr115's, the yorkie nx750's, the yorkie u15p's(the only 3way model i checked out) and the ev zxa5(only if the other models are completely out classed by this speaker.) So i originally thought of the yorkie u15p's because of them being 3ways but I'm not able to hear them because of the location I live in doesn't have a yorkie dealer that has alot of yorkie stuff to listen to(only unpowered) So I just need some suggestions on tops. I have 4 k10s and will add two kw181s to them for my more mobile setup. But this setup I'm trying to build is for college parties. So any advice or suggestion is a big help.

This discussion, what pairs with LS801's best, has been beat to death but the ZXa5's are your best bet hands down. Since you'd be focusing on owning 4 of them, I'd highly recommend the 60 degree models. That way, they can be 'splayed' side by side and you'll not have a lot of cross talk or comb filtering. Other speakers are typically 90 degrees and will overlap badly when placed side by side. The ZXa5's are very pricey though.

I did a pretty long comparison between the Yorkville U15P's and the ZXa5's. Here are the Yorkville pros/cons.

Pros
- as a stand alone speaker, the U15P sounded like a more complete and full-range solution.
- the lows are much deeper on the U15P than the ZXa5 and that's saying a lot. The ZXa5 bass is very good.
- the mids seem more balanced in relation to the highs on the U15P.

Cons
- the U15P is monstrously heavy at nearly 90 lbs each. Not fun to lift at all.
- the U15P did not get as loud as the ZXa5. It really wasn't close.
- the highs and overall clarity wasn't as sparkly as the ZXa5. It seemed muted in comparison. Some would say the ZXa5's are a little too hot in certain frequencies but that can be tamed with EQ. It doesn't seem like you can squeeze out the highs in a U15P because it doesn't seem like they're there.
- even with the high-pass engaged on the U15P, it didn't get nearly as loud as the ZXa5 and it didn't seem to make a huge impact on the U15P's clarity and loudness level. Its overall loudness still couldn't hang with the ZXa5. When mated with a sub, the U15P's best attribute (the bass) is nullified because they're gonna be high-passed at 100Hz... so you're left with a hulking 90 lb speaker that doesn't get seriously loud nor project very far.

If you can't afford the ZXa5s, try to find 4 12" tops that are at most 75 degrees. Again, it helps when splaying them and the narrowed dispersion gives a more focused sound that projects farther. 15" tops are more expensive and you'll be wasting that extra driver size because they'll be high-passed.

This guys knows his *ish...

my choice would be 4 zxa5's or 4 qsc k12's.

either way 4 of either + 4 ls801's = $$$$

Are you talking 1000 people at club volume levels throughout the room or a wedding type event with 100-300 on the dancefloor and talkers throughout the room?
I agree with Gaffle, 4 LS801Ps, with EV ZXa5s would be about right for club volume. Keep in mind that is a $10k system. If this is a wedding type gig, you could go with 2 ZXa5-90 up front by the dance floor with center clustered subs, then run two (or more) lesser output speakers midway down the room for fill. To do this properly, you will need a processor, as you will have to put some delay in the satellite speakers.

This is a college party venue. The room holds a max of 1,011 ppl. will it hit that number probably not but to be over prepared vs under. but this system is to also use in conference rooms that i will throw parties myself and will hit 1000 ppl. so yes i ned to cover 1000 ppl at club levels. anything over 1000 ppl and i'll rent line array from this company near me. I also plan on getting a Driverack PA+ but i guess the bigger question is do they help? And i know this topic has been beat to death, i just have gotten a few quotes and ppl keep telling me to automatically go straight to line array, and i wanted the opinions of dj's that have more in on hand experience.

I don't know much about line arrays and those solutions. I do know that the experts always disagree on whether or not a LA solution is the right solution for certain gigs. I think they always get misused and it seems like people like them because they 'look cool'. THey usually have a very wide dispersion (105+ degrees) and very narrow vertical dispersion. You have to be more strategic in aiming them and insuring their wide dispersion doesn't bounce off of narrow rooms and their walls. They're usually expensive and require several boxes per side. Touring companies like them because they're ready stacked, take less time to deploy, less employees to deploy and breakdown is quicker.

I bet your local rental companies don't carry powered subs equivalent to the output of the LS801P's. Sound quality is another story. Good luck with your powered solution. Playing for large crowds is fun.

thanks, so one more question if you didnt have the money to get the zxa5's what would be the next speaker you would get after that?

Maybe we should start with what is your Max budget because our recommendations mean nothing if its not affordable to you.

Btw, if 4 zxa5's are over your budget go ahead and wipe ALL considerations or recommendations for line arrays off your list.

I currently own the system in question and DJ GaFFle is correct with his recommendation:
4 X EV ZXA5
6 X Yorkville LS 801p

The budget is what im working on I'm saving up to get whatever is needed but i want to know exactly what i need. last thing i want to do is purchase the wrong equipment and still need to purchase more. whatever i need i can save up for but if you have 4 ev zxa5's and 6 ls801s and can cover 1000 ppl then thats all i need to here. the main venue i play at is a long narrow room. But regardless i'm just looking for advice to cover 1000 ppl regardless of the shape of the venue. If there is such a system. anything after 1000 ppl i would just hire a sound company.

That's a lot of money homey... is there honestly good ROI for you on this large system? My question would be: would you be guaranteed the gigs at this venue every time and how long will it take to recoup the initial expense.

I can't weigh in for powered, but for 1000 ppl I would use this Yorkville passive combo.

4 of these: www.yorkville.com
4 of these: www.yorkville.com

and maybe an extra pair of subs if I had room in the truck....

From what these guys say about the LS801 and the EV tops, that combo sounds like the best system for your dollar. Just make sure the tops are up high enough, with the horn just over everyone's head. Maybe stack the subs on the their sides and ratchet tie the tops down.

I'm just about to pick up another set of ev's. not cheap but worth every dime

this. if the roi isn't there than it would not be wise purchase.

you could build a system pieces at a time. for instance you could buy 2 zxa5/k12/kw122/k152's and 1 ls801p (or not). and rent the rest. 6 months later, add another ls801p. rinse and repeat.

+1
You won't go wrong with the EV/Yorkville combo. Most sound for the $, above average sound quality, and would be easy to resell if you felt the need to.

ight, and the me and my dj team are throwing monthly events some will be at clubs with systems but two the our main venues were looking at i'll need to bring the system. the venue one venue holds 1000 ppl or more but the way its setup(bar and tables and pool tables in the back) it will roughly hold 900 including the first and second floor. the second place is an all open conference room which holds the same amount but u can get 1500 in there. were been throwing parties and concerts. not a major concert but a obviously a concert for 1000 ppl. so the roi is there im just looking at whats going to be best so i dnt have to buy this and then say ok this wasnt worth the money i paid because this sounds just as good to the average partier. After hearing the kw181 im sold on them as my 400ppl events. But I'm sold on the yorkie subs so thats no my concern its the right tops or the top 3 tops to go with them so i can try to see what fits my needs best. weigh is an issue with me because of physical issues so a i'll take heavy subs like the yorkies if i can lose some weigh on the tops. so basically, GIVE ME THE BEST 3 TOPS TO GO WITH THE YORKIES?

So whats above average about the combo or are you saying the next step from this combo is a L.A system?

Using a top other than the Ev zxa5 would be an OBVIOUS mistake therefore I would not suggest any others.

This stuff going to be installed and kept there? Just be aware that the Yorkville subs are big and heavy (around 135lbs each). You will certainly need a cargo van to transport 6 LS801s.

Honestly, the BiG level sound systems are best served with passive speakers/power amps/DSP combos. There are FAR more options in that arena but that's another discussion.

Like DJ Nyce, PDidy and Taipanic are preaching, you'll be best served with heavy bass going Yorkville LS801P's. You won't look back since you're considering powered solutions and they can't be beat in bang-for-the-buck. Nothing is close when you consider there price... nothing.

As far as powered tops with pricing in a somewhat affordable hemisphere, the ZXa5's are the pinnacle. Next step down is what you typically find in GC's. PRX's, KW's, DXR's. Those are all worthy but you'll really be shooting yourself in the foot choosing others though because the ZXa5's are very loud and have the SPL to keep up with, and often surpass, the Yorkville LS801P's. That's a tough task considering how loud that sub is.

Take a look at these new Yorkville Parasource tops. They have plenty of flyware stuff + they can be pole mounted. You'd then have tops of the SAME BRAND as your subs. www.yorkville.com
Those Parasource tops look top notch and very 'pro'. They remind me of EAW KF-series speakers. I'm not sure how they compare to the rest of the powered top brands but the specs look promising.

there price = their price

@CQE neither. between i'll most likely be moving them from location to location. Me and the rest of my team are looking to throw a lot of events this year and locations were looking at that give us the best possible venue to make money dont have a sound system. even the best venue within 40 miles doesn't have a installed sound system yet. @DJ Gaffle thanks for the heads up on those new yorkie tops they do look promising. Well I know what i need to look into. But all in all my biggest two markets are college parties and the event my and my team are personally throwing. The largest party we did i think was at least 700 hundred but could have well exceeded 1000 if the doors didnt get closed early. so the events we do tend to get a large crowd. i was surprised my 4 k10s and two kw181's cover almost 500 ppl. it wasnt club bass pounding but the volume was even throughout the room and there was no complaints on the sound at all.

another question. does using a driverack help any? Im not looking for it to increase coverage because from what i've read it wont do that but it will increase quality of the sound correct?

For maximum output, I would figure 2-3 LS801Ps for each ZXa5. Beyond this combo, Passive high end speakers would be the next (but very pricey) step, like JTR or Danley. Gaffle has a small fortune in Danley subs, he can tell you all about them. Using a full passive system will probably also need power distribution and outboard processing.
I am not a driverack expert (by far...) but having one will let you better shape the sound by tweaking Xover points, delay compensation, phasing, while also allowing you to set parameters to keep your speakers from sounding ragged at the limits or blowing up.

if you got the gigs lined up fuck it...go big or go home. get 4 zxa5's and 4-6 ls801p's. you will have enough power for any gig except the ultra music festival.

It will help "you" to improve the quality of sound...allowing you to tweak the sound for different environments.....eg. If you are in a room where your outside tops are bouncing off the walls too much , i will set the inside tops on one channel and the outside tops on another and turn down the outside tops to eliminate some of the echoing

Ok, im still new to this only been doing it professonally for the last year or so, so how would i work the delays and all that or is there a book i should pick up?

+1

ok yea i mean i think thats what im going to do. Imma wait and see what those yorkie parasource series performing like. But i know for sure that the ls801 are a def purchase. im only going to get the kw181 for my weddings/average college parties. Ok thanks everyone. and is there some material i can read on eqing with a driverack or some material to help learn more how to better balance sound in different venues i go to?

I have a question, why wouldn't you go with a passive system here. I think it would be easier to roll in a rack of amps, plug them in all at one spot, either using a couple 110 outlets or a 220 through a distro, then have one cord going to each speaker and not have to worry about daisy chaining the XLR and power cables. I would think plugging in all those speakers would be a nightmare and wouldn't it take more power to power all of them separately? Also wouldn’t the weight difference of the speakers be worth it? With all that gear I'm assuming you have a truck or something so space isn’t to much an issue. I only used passive systems until I got my matrix 2000 a few years ago and I miss the ease of having the amps right next to you, and lighter speakers.. that sub is 160lbs. This is an open question to all, just wondering when you should make the switch from powered to passive.

I have both... I've got several powered speaker top pairs and a pair of EV SBa750 subs. They'll cover various size small to medium events well. My large gigs always start with my Danley TH-118 subs and amp rack. I did a crowd of 700+ people with only 2 TH-118s and a pair of ZXa5's. The event was in a large ballroom and the bass was lush (everywhere); however, my ZXa5's were on life support. I needed more high end with that many people.
www.channelliveproductions.com
sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net
I have passive QRX212/75 tops now for an all-passive system plus got an extra TH-118.

Like DJ Dac mentions, I like the passive systems because my amp and DSP are all next to me at the booth. I can see when my levels are peaking and adjust accordingly. You'll have to gain set and balance an active system to have that sort of monitoring ability. Kind of setting everything to peak exactly when your mixer peaks.

Gaffle,
Two Questions, A) what amps are you running for each set of speakers? B) Do you use a power distro? Bonus Question) If not, have you had any issues with power running the Danleys and EVs flat out?

Thanks,

the yorkville sub is 137lbs not 160lbs and the passive version is only 20lbs lighter. The weight loss in passive is generally gained back in amp rack. The choice of powered or passive is generally just preference. no

One major benefit of powered speakers is the processing is done for you as well as perfect amp matching. MOST people are not qualified or no how to purchase the proper amp and set processors (Eq, compressor, limiter, crossover) for their passive systems.

^^^^@ DJ Dac

I think he means available outlets in the room. To power 4 of those EVs and 4 of those Yorkville subs would take a lot of wall outlets. An amp rack and distro is more convenient for this many speakers, but not all venues have easy access to a 220 plug.

The best advantage of passive over active is sunlight and rain. All others are minor trade offs one way or the other.

Nope, It would equal the same amount of outlets required for amps on a passive system......
True

For me the powered just was more personal preference. I just didn't want to have a amp and speakers to carry. I just like having everything powered and not have to worry about it. I had to work with a powered system that not even the owner of the bar knew how to use and that thing frustrated the hell out of me. More so because I never worked with a unpowered system but I like being able to plug and play. But i want different sets of equipment because I do various size events my k10s work great for small halls that can hold 300 ppl all I have to do is load them in my back seat or in the trunk of my suv and go but i plan on getting a car so thats why I started with the k10s because there the most mobile for me. Now when I do college events I would load the cargo van and just go but I like to have a robust sound when I do certain events but I dont want it to be death by ear for the crowd. but the EV/Yorkie combo will be what I go with. and just get what I can for now and add as I go. Still gotta find some technics or i might go with those stantons just to go against the grain.

A) Crown MA-12000i for a pair of TH-118s and the 3rd TH-118 is ran by an EV CP3000s (bridged mono). I'll get another MA-12000i if I get 4th sub in the future. Not enough large gigs to justify it right now, plus, my 3 units are more than enough for most crowds I've dealt with.
EV CP3000s driving the pair of EV QRX212/75's.
B) No but I always attempt to plug the MA-12000i into its own outlet along with one of the CP3000s amps. The rest of the equipment gets put on a separate circuit. I have plugged into ballroom distros though. I don't own one (yet).

^^^ 2 EV CP3000s amps and 1 Crown MA-12000i overall for my passive speakers. If I need extra coverage, I'll bring along a pair of active tops.

I was referring to my matrix 200 sub, things a beast.

For the processing that makes sense, but i could see it being difficult to try to dial it in individually, you could get a DB rack and do it all one time with the pink noise right?

as for the more power question, yeah, its going to be a lot of plugs either way, but if you have a distro that makes it much easier and you don't have to run a lot of extension cords out to each speaker. But, i was wondering if any efficiency was gained by using separate amps then using the built in one. I'm assuming that amps/speakers are correctly paired when i made that statement.

Sure, but how many djs do you no that own one and also no how to use it ?....lol

In my many years of dj, I've never met a dj with a distro nor does the system in question require one. 4 zxa5s and 6 yorkville 801s only require 5 standard 15amp circuits.

When wired properly this system of 10 speakers only require 5 extension cords. (2 speakers per cord) ecx.images-amazon.com ......NOT 10 "extension cords out to each speaker" ;)

If you get a setup of the zxa5 / yorkvilles , or similar in which the driver placement is at or near the front, no need to worry about delays....if you go with a horn type sub then you need to deal with this. I would go with a good speaker processor and NOT a Driverack.....
I recommend this book but it may cover much more than many here will need

www.amazon.com

Good Luck

I applaud you for this.

I remember reading "Sound Reinforcement" books on my way up....and yes they were hardcover.....

Thanks. Now I got the ZXa5s, I'm still on the fence about going with Danleys or JTR Orbit Pros. Want them, want the quality, can't justify the ROI at this time. Decided I will have to get another 1-2 Yorkies while mulling this over.

Taipanic

The yorkville ls801p has a higher Return on investment because most clients are not willing to pay more for a hi end system.

VS

But on the other hand 2 Danleys or JTR Orbit Pros has the output of approx 6 yorkville ls801p and has better sound quality. This could "potentially" open new markets for you.

I still want to hear some Danley! :(

for some reason i feel that I'm over thinking the size of this rig...

Exactly! This is why I'm on the fence. I think my current plan will be to probably get another 1 or 2 LS801Ps then wait until Gaffle sells me his Danleys for 20 cents on the dollar...

No one's mentioned the Mackie SRM 1801 yet... is it worth mentioning? I see them going for fairly cheap compared to some of the other 18" subs mentioned in this thread.

(note; I know it's chunky but still not as chunky as a JBL MR-835)

Heard them at Guitar Center last week. Not bad, but it was hard to get a grip on what they can do in an open room. The showroom at G.C. is not the best proving grounds! :)

Reading some of the reviews at Musician's Friend is making me skeptical...











There are good reviews too (13 reviews in all; I copied all the bad ones) so I'm sure there are some out there that operate properly, but very few of the good reviews speak towards longevity.

I'm skurred.

Yikes. I guess if it's quality you're looking for - shop elsewhere. I also have 4 Mackie SRM 450 tops and never had a problem with them. I am using the QSC HPR 181 subs though.

NO !

@ d:raf, we are not just randomly recommending subs we have not used.

Lol... I figured that. I just didn't know if someone here had possibly used one and then upgraded to the $1k+ super-subs ya'll are conversing about.

Its funny you choose that sub......It just happens to have one of the worst failure rates ive ever seen......hence the cheap price......lol

So I've noticed :). I mentioned the Yamaha DXS15 earlier; based on the few reviews I've found online I think I'm leaning towards that one pending a live audition (planning to buy in the next week or so).

www.djforums.com

I demo'd the dxs15. I didn't like it. Doesn't compare to a 18" and the sound quality was atrocious. It could have been a warn down/defected one that I heard. I can't speak on condition of the sub. All I know is that it was easily the worst of all the subs I had demo'd..

..which was surprising to me because the yama dsr and dxr series were impressive.

www.djforums.com

One of the same reviews I read, although I found it here: www.harmonycentral.com

That Al guy gets around. I hope he doesn't work for Yamaha. lol



I know it has a built-in limiter; is it possible that the you or the person demoing the unit was pushing it too hard? I'm not looking at 18"s unless they're so cheap that the extra bulk is justified; this is mostly just for weddings. I've never had anything larger than a 15" to date and I'm trying to fit all this stuff into a Hyundai Accent. I was looking at the QSC Ksub just for its form factor and because I've heard it in action/played on it at the local drum & bass weekly (a fine test for bass response methinks), but the Yamaha seems to have similar specs at $300 less.

If you can suggest a better 15"-18" powered sub that weighs less than 80 lbs for less than $1k that won't quit in 5 gigs I'm all ears...

PSSL has the Mackie SRM 1801 factory referbs on sale for 399 each right now, i guess as long as you have the warranty it could be some cheap bass, also you can sign up for their 4 year extended warranty for 40 bucks each speaker, i would suggest that since the reviews blow
www.pssl.com!exbNL18iuNw8CMte9vTM1A!/Mackie-SRM1801-Powered-18-Thump-Subwoofer-1000W-?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=jan13eb4-ClearanceEvent&utm_campaign=Nat

When I think of buying an 1801 I think of this:

Watchwww.youtube.com

This JBL puts out a lot of volume and weighs in at 65lbs
www.agiprodj.com

Have you heard these personally? I'd be wary of a 65 lbs subwoofer. Physics come into play and I'd think you'd need a certain amount of 'construction' around an 18" driver pounding out low bass notes. My concern would be what JBL did to achieve such low weight... a baby sized magnet on the driver, thin wood construction which would cause the enclosure to resonate or sound honkish, cheaper non-acoustic wood being used, etc?

I have heard them. They are VERY loud and hit low, considering it's the Eon line-up. Back in my production days we rented out JRX powered subs for the weekend warriors, but switched to these once they came out. Much lighter, much louder. Very durable, considering they got beat week in and week out by rental customers.

The weight is only 5lbs less than the PRX. All the newer JBL drivers use the proprietary neodymium magnets, which is why they (PRX, SRX, VRX) are all so light. Now I'm sure the Eon line-up gets a cheaper version of this driver, but it's still the same technology, Crown amp and DSP.

... and it obviously doesn't sound as good as the PRX or VRX line-up, but for our purpose of renting out easy to use, lightweight, loud bass, they were the perfect fit.

well.... for an extra $100, I'd still probably go with the PRXwww.pssl.com

Both are cheaper via Amazon, and there's only a $40 price difference between the two.

www.amazon.com

vs.

www.amazon.com

Now I'm leaning towards the PRX, especially if I can get Guitar Center to price-match for me. My only concern is their size; both are larger than an MR-835 (though lighter by about 20 pounds).

Another possibility in the 18" arena: the Electro Voice ELX118P for $799. It doesn't seem to have some of the dsp/phase switch features of the others but that's kinda low on my radar.

www.amazon.com

The Amazon listing is a little wonky (under "Product Features" it says "And coming with Virtual DJ 7 (I assume LE), it'll be mapped to work right out of the box."... pretty sure that's wrong... lol) but I see favorable reviews elsewhere (like Zzounds)

@pdidy so ok if you were building a setup of those JTR Orbit Pros what would you include. because i started asking around and now they have me interested in know what amps i would even need for those? and what tops to go with them? because if like you said 2 of those equals 6 ls801s thats a better investment it seams like. Or am i wrong?

legit.... jtrspeakers.com

Yea wat amp would I get for those? N I kno I would need something stronger than a driverack right?

drive rack is just processing not power.

I know that, I should have worded things differently. But I meant what amp would I need to power two O.S's and what driverack would I need for processing. Cuz If I got these subs I would still do powered speakers. For when I do events that don't need subs. So

I think at minimum, you'll need the equivalent of a QSC PL380 or Crown iTech 8000. It depends on which OS impedance model you choose (8,4 or 2 Ohm).

Which ohm is best to choose I'm dnt deal with unpowered at all so that's all new to me

Depends on the power you can supply them. The 8 Ohm models create more of a load on the amplifier and are harder to drive, and they don't get quite as loud as the lesser Ohm units per watt of supplied power. Certain amps can barely handle a 2 Ohm load per channel and that has to factor into your decision.

You can run two 8 Ohm subs in series to create a 4 Ohm load. Three 8 Ohm subs in series (connecting one to the others inline) creates a 2 Ohm load. This sort of stuff, in the passive speaker world, creates flexibility in setups and system design.

As an example, if you chose the 8 Ohm model OS subs, you could run a pair per side (a 4 Ohm load) on my Crown MA-12000i.

- 8 Ohm Orbit Shifter = handles 2000W RMS
- Two subs them per side = at least 4000W of needed power per channel. The Crown MA-12000i does 4500W per channel. So basically, I can run 4 of those subs (2 per side) from one amp.

Running a pair of 4 Ohm Orbit Shifters per side with my amp won't work quite as well because that creates a 2 Ohm load per channel. My amp, per the specs, is not quite as efficient with lower Ohm ratings. It's optimal on 4 Ohm loads doing 4500W vs. the only 3750W per channel with 2 Ohm loads.

Ideally, you want to look at the speaker's power handling specs and chose an amp that'll give you at least 1.5x the RMS handling power of that speaker.

Guys, correct me if I'm wrong there ^^^

Looks good.

In other words....
- if you only ever see yourself needing 2 subs, get the 4 ohm model and a big amp
- if you see yourself buying 4 subs, get the 8ohm model and a bigger amp

Ok well I know 1000 ppl is the most I want to do with my own equipment. anything over that ill throw the event at a club. Plus the biggest college venue dj in my market holds 1000 ppl, so that's my only goal. But from what I've collected... 2 Orbit Shifter Pros equal 6 yorkville ls801's(correct me if I'm wrong) space wise it looks 2 O.S pros seems more effective then having 6 ls801's. Or would it just be my roi effective to get 4 ls801s n 4 ev zxa5 or parasource tops?

or better yet if i get two orbit shifters, what amp do i need to run them efficiently?

The bigger the better.

QSC PL380 - www.qscaudio.com
Crown Macrotech-i www.crownaudio.com

Assuming get 2 of the 4ohm JTRs, you are looking at the 4-ohm per channel rating on these specs.

so from the looks of it the crown ma-12000i is the better amp, judging by load.

so am i able to run unpowered subs like the orbit shifters with say the ev zxa5s?

Yup, should be fine. This is where a driverack would come in handy to set crossover points, equalize, and possibly put a slight delay on the tops to align everything.

ok How would i set the delay or do you know of a book i can read to learn all that. And another question, I was looking through the JTR website and does the orbit come in a powered version I saw a orbit shifter LFU and wasn't sure if that was the powered version.

That does look like a powered version


The wizard in the software can adjust Eq settings automatically with an RTA mic. Here is the manual: www.audiomaster.cz
I don't think delay is calculated with the wizard. You could try a preset for one of the Cerwin Vega subs (they are folded horns also), and just experiment from there.

ok cool. I have alot to look at i have to figure out whats going to be best for my roi, but regardless i know first off i need to start with 4 tops and at least 2 subs. But has anyone seen anything big surprises come out of namm this year?

Gaffel....... I cant find it but there is a class d amp that is sold separately and can be installed to any non powered speaker (passive). I believe you posted the link some time ago. Can you re post?

Awww... the Torpedo amp from Speakerpower. Ask and ye shall receiveth: www.speakerpower.net

It rates really well as tested by a pro audio guy on another forum: soundforums.net

So yeah... get this plate amp at $1299 and choose the 2 Ohm OS model and you're set. www.speakerpower.net

You'll have 4000W driving a powerful subwoofer. I considered getting them for my TH-118 subs but I like having the amp near me.

^^^ ... or get a pair of 4 Ohm OS subs, put the plate in one sub and feed the output power on the plate to the other sub giving you 2000W per sub.

i own and love the JBL VRX 918sp's ... expensive, but sound amazing and only 85lbs.

Ok fellas question I'm now considering a all passive system for bigger events. And if I got 4 EV Zx5's and 2 orbit shifters. What amps or how many would I need? Or if u can tell me a specific amp for that I can use to run the ev's at their rms and an amp to run the O.S's at there rms, that would be even more helpful

I would use a Qsc pl 340 (4000w) for the tops
And minimum qsc pl 380 (8000w) for the subs
If you really want to see what the subs can do : Powersoft K10 very expensive but could run up to 6 orbit shifters no sweat maybe 8

So how would that pl 340 go to the speakers watts wise I'm new to passive setups. I see at 4 ohms its 850 per ch. So does that mean its 850watts to each top?

And I've read a few bad reviews on the qsc amps. But I know ppl have told me either wax or crown.

if u got loot:
labgruppen.com

meant this one
labgruppen.com

^^^^^ this would be my 2nd choice

Ok so go with the two amps ancientyouth said? Cuzthose do fit my roi better

I'd rather to 2 ZX5's and 3-4 Orbit Shifters. The QSC PL380 would be very adequate running a pair of 4Ohm OS's. Not a ton of headroom but if you watch your peak levels, you would be straight. I run a Crown MA-12000i on my Danley TH-118s. They're a little more than what the subs can handle but they have built-in RMS + peak limiting.

Well the setup needs to cover 1000 ppl at max. I think 3 or 4 OS's might be over kill because the biggest venue I play at holds 1000 ppl. I like bass but bass that will over power my highs and mids

I agree with the 2 EV/3-4 OS's would work better if you want club level volume throughout. For a wedding type event, more tops to disperse the sound throughout the room with a lower volume for the second pair, and the subs center clustered in front of the dance floor.

So ur telling me 2 zx5's n 3 to 4 OS's will cover 1000 ppl?

we said 4 ev's no????

I was asking cuz I wanted to make sure someone wasn't high. Cuz I kno I needed 4 tops regardless. But so what amp should I get to future proof myself for adding 2 more subs (max 4 subs that'll own) n maybe 2 more EV's to make it 6 total one day? Just curious.

I'd say 4 EV ZX5's and only 2 OS's would be loud enough (vocal wise) for 1000 people but it would seriously lack in the bass department. I'd think it would take at least 4 OS's to seriously deal with 1000 people. I'm talking the kind of bass that will be felt in the back of the room even with that size crowd.

2 ZX5's really wouldn't be enough so augment them with a pair of cheapo speakers (delayed) towards the FOH (front of house).

My point about only getting 2 ZX5's is that you should always lean towards having plentiful bass with the genres we play.

Depends on the volume level needed throughout the room. I think Gaffle has some video or pics from some 8-900 person Sorority party. If I recall correctly, you said that 2 EVs & 2 Danleys were at the limit - but it was at club volume throughout the room. Is that correct?
I had my ZXa5s turned up about halfway up at my last outdoor event with 1 Yorkville LS800P and the sub was seriously lacking in it's ability to balance out the sound. That same sub, matched with a pair of EV SX200s creates a perfect balance of sub/mid/high, even at high volume. For comparison, the SX200 - 250 watts; the ZXa5s - 1200 watts Yorkville sub - up to 1500 watts.

I would say for full volume throughout, 4 ZXa5s or at least 2 and another pair of lesser speakers for the rear of the room, 4 - 8 quality subs. This will be concert level sound, but it will sound good.

Ok I got u. I plan on having a powered setup for certain size events this setup I'm asking about, is for college homecoming parties and events like that

I would think that 4 subs of the quality of OS'es or Danleys would be good, 6-8 of lesser subs.

And that's what I'm hoping. Less equipment I have to move the better.my main venue is a long narrow room thats capacity is 1,011 so as long as I have enough to reach the back of the room or almost, I'm good.

4 ev's

for sure... the sub department is where you can move the chips around, depending on the type of sub you decide to go with, depends the amount of them. once that is cleared up if the subs are passive or active. If you go with a passive then a decision on the amp for the subs need to be made

Yea I mean I know I can get active Orbit Shifters and the Zxa5's but I was thinking passive for when I run into those venues that are bigger then I thought they were kinda think or would having passive even matter with that?

if you get them orbits... your set for a long time

Whether they active or passive?

i would go with active..... thats just me.... i have heard those bad boys and they are monsters!!!!

It was around 750 people. The 2 Danley subs were clustered and comfy, whereas the ZXa5's were screaming for help. That's a lot of people... 1000 even more so. I won't run my sound systems on the edge any more.

I feel u. I mean if it was a wide and long room I would be concerned. But the room is narrow so I think that might help a bit. But I mean I'm not looking for clubs levels at a college party long as then can hear the music and feel it a little they'll b fine I've learned that much around my way away.

Just wanted to point something out...the 1st part is correct, but the 2nd part might be a typo. When connected in series, the impedance (Ohms) is added, which you generally don't want because the amp will struggle to power the load. When connected in parallel, then the math is different. Three 8 Ohm subs in series is 24 Ohms; Three 8 Ohm subs in parallel is 2.667 Ohms (the inverse of (1/8 + 1/8 + 1/8) or 3/8 or 0.375). Four 8 Ohm subs in parallel will give you a 2 Ohm load.

Great info from everyone. I miss my passive system from back in the day.

@DJ Gaffle what amp or amps did u use to power those 2 ev's and 2 danley's?

Crown MA12000i - Danley pair
EV CP3000s (bridged) - 3rd Danley
EV CP3000s - EV 212/75 pair

If I ever get a 4th Danley TH-118, I'll get another MA12000i to drive the 2nd pair.

Ok so if I'm looking at 4 zx5's n 2 OS's what amp would I need for the tops and what amp for the subs. I know I asked this question, but since u have the almost same setup I want to run I want ur opinion

Truthfully, with today's wiring, I don't see any options to wire a speaker in true series with connections outside of the cabinets....

So yeah, he probably meant a "Series" of speakers (1.2.3,), and I'm glad someone noticed that 3 8 ohm speakers in parallel is not really 2 ohms, but a little above...not that it would really make a difference, but I guess the ability to add an additional 4 speaker would theoretically give you more bass at the rated resistance of 2 ohms...

Yeah, I stand corrected. One 8Ohm sub, into another, into another = ~2Ohm load.

I think adding a forth speaker to that same scenario would net an ~1Ohm load which most amps cannot stably handle.

Ok. Well crunching numbers it'd save over 2 grand going with a powered setup. But I'm still checking things out. I'm just seeing what has the best advantage. The only thing I see about passive is that I keep the volume controls close to me.

Depending on how far away you plan to put the speakers, it might just be simpler to go the powered route. I have 2 passive subs and powered QSC K12. I have various XLR cables with 50-foot being the longest, which can be daisy chained whenever necessary. My longest speaker cable for the sub is 25-foot, because I usually keep the subs close to me. Longer speaker cables can be pricey, and also a pain to wrap up because of the bulky size.

One time at a club I had to set up the speakers further than 25-feet away from the booth, so I placed the amp right next to sub and ran 1 XLR to the powered speaker, then connected the Thru output from that to the amp. At some point during the night, all of a sudden the bass went out. It turned out that some asshole cranked up the volume on the K12 all the way and that caused the signal going to the amp to get too loud...and the speaker blew. Replacing that speaker turned out to be a huge pain in the ass, but the silver lining is I actually upgraded to more powerful speakers in both subs, and I have the original one that's still good as a spare.

For DJ work, I think using the right powered system is the way to go. In your case, I would go with the Powered ZXa5s, with an outboard amp for the OS. You could also have the Speaker Power amps installed into your OS's (that would be my choice). For more control, I would also run them through a Driverack PX.
If you will be doing a lot of live music sound I would go with passive.

No -

8 ohm + 8 ohm + 8 ohm (3 speakers per side) = 2.667 Ohms

8 ohm + 8 ohm + 8 ohm + 8 ohm (4 speakers per side) = 2 Ohms

It's actually "Rated" to have 4 - 8 ohm speakers hooked up per side (2 ohms being the lowest it can handle...it shouldn't dip to 1 ohm....

your amp would die....lol.

this is the correct calculation for 3-4 8ohm speakers in parallel.

So one can see why some people go passive and choose 8 ohm cabinets. It gives you a lot of flexibility with your configurations but requires big and stable power to run them. You're talking Powersoft, high-end Crowns, QSL PL380 and Lab Gruppen to handle loads like this.

back on topic! powered subwoofers, guys! we shouldn't have to worry about ohms with active cabs =P

LOL, my bad.

so is there really a difference between 2.667 and 2 ohms?

yes, that would be .667 ohms

lol

.... you know what i mean... does it really affect the speakers/amps that much?

lmfao

Probably not since the the resistance rating on a speaker is subject to many different factors and can vary at different frequencies... even temperatures. Exact tolerances are rare and a difference of .667 ohms will not even be enough to measure within an reasonable margin of error. Heck, even the speaker cable getting to the speakers will provide more than .667 Ohms depending on its length and wire gauge! It is true that you should not go below 2 Ohms on your amp (this is dangerously close to a short circuit).

Hey , you mind not ruing the joke with actual facts

ruing = ruining

thanks Reflex... pdidy you can suck it!!! lol

Rueing?

Ok questions on tops. I was checking out the danley sm 80's vs the ev zx5's and what amp I would need for those. I figured if I can find something that is better than the zx5s and I won't need as many as the zx5s I would with the zx5s. But what amp would I need to power the sm80's?

Damnit! Another one?!? Sorry. I'll try to put the stupid cat back in the bag.

I'd go the Crown route with built-in DSP. This is provided you go with other Crown iTechs and have all built-in DSP amps. Just get an amp that does about 1500W /channel at 8 Ohms. I've read that these SM80 speakers are VERY loud. I've been meaning to take my ZXa5's up to Danley and do an A/B comparison along with my QRX 212/75's.

Sorry... This thread's about powered subs. I think the best powered sub would be:

this: www.danleysoundlabs.com
with one of these SP1-4000 plate amps in 'em: www.speakerpower.net

Thanks Gaffle for reminding me of the laws of the forum lol smh. But since you brought it up. Why do you feel the TH 118's are better than say the Orbit shiftersk? Since those two are the most compared I've seen.

Price = Orbit Shifter's (cheaper)
Resale = Danley TH-118 (name recognition and model consistency... they don't change year after year, they're built right the first time)
Weight = Danley TH-118 (160 lbs vs. 185 lbs)
Size = Danley TH-118 (smaller enclosure)
Looks = Danley TH-118 (subjective)
Sound quality = Danley TH-118 (subjective and my opinion as I've never heard an OS)
Sound SPL = Danley TH-118 (goes lower but just as loud or louder in most all other regions as compared to an OS: farm8.staticflickr.com)
Sound SPL in multiples of probably 6 or more = Orbit Shifter (Theoretically, the folded-horn design goes deeper when the subs are used in multiples... not sure how many are needed to achieve this lower response threshold)

Both are not good but GREAT subs and you won't go wrong choosing either. I'll go with the vendor who's close to me and chosen in stadiums like GreenBay's Lambo Field, Atlanta's Turner Field and venues across the world, Danley Sound Labs. Plus, Tom Danley is a straight up innovator in sound reinforcement.

damn... i just had to give it a moment of silence out of respect.

If I hit the lottery tomorrow this is what I would go with too. At this point in my career, don't know if I can really justify $10k in subs. Want it, don't know how many people would appreciate (and pay for) the quality they bring. I will probably add to my Yorkville LS800P collection while waiting for a great deal to pop up for some Danley TH118s or JTR OS (in that order).

Yorkville LS801P! I have never had a single issue with it and it packs a ton of power!

Yea I understand your reasoning @taipanic. I'm on the fence about spending that kind of money but I know of I spent it now that, that setup should last me my career with just adding a piece hear and there.

It's money well spent if you plan on using them for a long time and/or are getting decent money on numerous gigs. The Yorkies are really good but are not on the same level as the Danley & JTR speakers. I waited 3 years until I got a great deal on the EV ZXa5s, I imagine I will pick up some when I find the right deal. Until then, I see another pair of Yorkies (3 total) in my future to keep up with the EVs. 50+ hours a week for the day job + age are limiting factors to the hustle I can dedicate to getting gigs - both club & mobile.

Yea I jus need to find the right amps for those sm80 and th 118 because the amps I saw with everything else got me looking at 20k Smh Idk a lot that right now

thats allot of weddings. dont know bout you guys but thats where the mobile gigs pay best. i dj 3 nights a week but ill do one wedding and thats my weeks income there

You want a solid, reliable sub? It's been mentioned on here several times (the Yorkville LS801P). You can't go wrong with them except they're big, boomy and heavy. EQ can tighten up the boom but the other things you have to deal with. You're not gonna get big bass from baby-sized boxes. (nm)

I know that. I'm just weighing all my options. But that danley setup is want so...

I just got a KRK 10s and its Really good plenty of power for my studio

haha, we go from concert sound to bestbuy

Really are they that bad ??

KRK are good studio speakers, but the past few weeks this thread has been all about $10-20K set ups.

Maybe i should of read a bit more of the thread ? Not just the title and a few posts lol

yeah, next time you buy for your home studio, get one of these guys- Danley TH-118

LOL....

But seriously, the difference would effectively be an extra speaker PER SIDE, if each side of the amp can truly support 2 Ohms.

So, you go from 6 speakers, to 8. :-).

PS....I'm not carrying that much *ish anywhere....

So... I know the Zxa5's are said to be very loud. But how do you compare the sound of them to other speakers? I have to admit that QSC k12's are clear, but lack bass and will no where come close to having the volume of the EV's...

But when you compare clairity, highs, mids, and lows of the Zxa5's to other speakers, what would you say?

i can tell u i will never buy a mackie product ever. i borrowed a friends sub and it went out. sent it back to mackie and took 3 months to get a brand new one. borrowed it again throught out a few months and it went out again. im now going on 4 months with no sub for my gigs. the service is horrible, speaker is horrible, and wont be buying a mackie product ever. i need a sub and i have had no issues with qsc products. im picking up my new kw181 sub tomorrow.

Dammit... I got my Cerwin Vega CVA-118 a few days ago and then this pops up on Craigslist... columbia.craigslist.org

Good price for both subs

those are one-note wonders.... not worth any money in my books

U sure??
6÷2(1+2)=??

9

..... here we go

Yeah, let's not go there. That's an instant thread killer. (nm)

that's the next best topic besides mac vs pc for video

I don't know...Steve-O's hemorrhoid problem was pretty good.

I found a distributor selling the JBL PRX618S-XLFs for $975 out the door and the QSC KW181 for $1140 out the door. Can't decide which to get as the prices are too good. Spend the extra $165 for the QSC right? Was considering the ELX118P for the low price and then the Yamaha DSR118W but his prices got me thinking about the first 2 subs...

Both great speakers but the QSC is much heavier.

link please?

^this avatar...lmao

from this vid - Watchwww.youtube.com

7 pounds is not that big of a deal.

My bad... I was under the impression that the QSC was over 100 lbs.
I guess I should check the specs prior to making stupid statements.

lol

Same goes for women!

^^^Ha!

HaHaHa

Here's one for you guys. For someone like me that only DJ's a couple of weddings a year now (way more active in college), should I spend...

$975 on a PRX-XLF or

$875 ($625 + $250) on an ELX118P AND a Pioneer HDJ-2000 (in white)??

1st option = better sound at the few weddings I DJ
2nd option = RiceCube would have a sweet pair of headphones but my weddings would have a little less bass...

I'm feeling selfish on this one...!

I would buy the XLF.

XLF, and get a pair of Numark RedWave headphones (They retail for $99.99 but you should be able to find them for... $59.99 online easily).

XLF

can you please post where the XLF is selling for $975?

Just picked up some yorkvilles....... Now up to 4

Which model?

(nm)

bump

I'm guessing he was using Guitar Center's weekend markdown and adding on a coupon on top of that to bring it down to below $1000.

Ls801

Wow, you guys aren't going to believe this... Some guy posted on Craigslist last night a KW181 for $950! So naturally I offered him $900 and I just picked it up! He said 4 others emailed him today but gave it to me since I was the first to contact him! Lolol! What luck! His registration says he bought it 8 months ago! Got 5 years left on the warranty!

^^Dooooooooood you beat me by $50! Over here in Seattle, there was one posted for $1100 and I offered $950 and the seller bit. Just picked it up today too. Was only a little over a year old, and he sparingly used it in his mancave only! He gave me the original receipt too so I can still get the warranty. Great deals you and me both Rice Cube!

Random question: So my gf has a cat and I currently have the KW181 in my living room so I can play around with my new toy. I don't want to get any cat fur in the grill so if I got a cover for this thing, is there any downside to playing with it with the cover on? I'm only playing with it for like 20 minute sessions so not like I'd have the sub on for hours with the cover on. It's a sub so I can still hear the bass with the cover on. Just wondering if there's an issue with blocking the air in front of the grill. Don't feel like turning this thing over, taking off the cover, turning it back on it's side (bottom), putting the top speaker back on top, etc. every time I want to blast a few songs. Thoughts? My neighbors must hate me btw...lol!

0_o

Also, would you guys recommend getting the QSC cover for the KW181 or the Tuki cover? I have Tuki covers for my tops, but the one thing I'm worried about is once the cover is on and I get this sub into the back of my SUV, if I lay it on the bottom (non-casters) side, how do I slide it backwards if the cover material grips and doesn't slide easily? I can see that the QSC cover has that bottom piece that you can velcro on around the casters. I can't find any pictures of the Tuki version. I'm not sure if I can stand the sub up in my car to slide it back and then over on to the bottom.

Can you help me on this.

I have two ls801p and two mackie 1521z .. and for indoor party's and bar's .. I used one ls801p and 2 k12 but to balance the sound I have to turn the Sub down to 1/4 if I get a pair of ZXa5s would it be to loud for one ls801. I'm looking for light weigh..I'm in and out place's.. also looking into the yorkville PARASOURCE PS15P (by the yorkville rep this are an upgrade of the NX750p or the RCF 725a I need a pair of 15" same thing in the Range $1600-$1800 range. I can't find a dealer in south florida for the RCF (40pnd) make me think. look good. What would be my best buy. would TWO Zxa5s be to loud ONE ls801p ( Ls801p weigh 145pnd is just Basss you get for the buck$$ I love it) (The Mackie 1521z is 105pnd each) the problem is when you pole mount the speaker.

Can any one help me pick a power speaker for one yorkie.

thank you.

oooop I posted two time's

I hear you'd need at least 3 ls801ps to keep up with the zxa5s but I'll let someone with experience with them confirm...

That is correct. I went from 2 EV SX200 & 1 LS800p (great balanced combination) to a pair of ZXa5s. The one LS800p is woefully inadequate, 2 will be OK, three to really balance the sound out at high volume. I plan on picking up another Yorkie and then start saving for some Danley or JTR subs. I am also considering picking up a pair of ZX-1 subs for use in my studio and smaller gigs. Heard those last week, not super deep, but sounded good and got louder than I thought they would. They will do good for speaking engagements & small parties. Will sound good in the studio with my Mackie MR8 monitors.

i suggest RCF Subs
www.rcf.it

they are awesome love using them !
i ve tried JBL's and Tried QSC KW series

RCF kicks them :)
if you want to make a nice SETUP
RCF TT18s with ART 722-a

Cheers All

ok so let me get this straight, so you're saying the rcf which is 3 times the price of jbl/qsc was better ?

I wonder how that could've possibly happened...

"some what better"

I am a complete amateur in terms of sound and live in a rural city in Canada with not muh available to me.

I am holding a school event with 700+ PPL in an arena and the only setup I can really get my hands on is the Yorkville Paralines. We were going to go with 3 PSA2 Bins, and 6 tops (3 pre side) is this enough for a venue this side for loud clean bass and sound?

get 4 PSA2 & the 6 tops

Yes, I think that's what Nino-Aus was saying. What's your point? READ THE THREAD TITLE! WHAT IS THE BEST POWERED SUBWOOFER TO BUY? It's not, "What's the most economical or practical subwoofer to buy, etc.." I haven't heard the RCF's (TT or 8000 series) yet. But, I have read great reviews. Pdidy, save some money, buy some real gear, then post your opinion on the BEST powered subwoofer thread. I still have 20 my old EAW SB-1000's and 10 SB-850s passive subs with LG amps. I can't give an educated comment on which active sub is the "best". But I guarantee it's not a KW181!

Yes, I think that's what Nino-Aus was saying. What's your point? READ THE THREAD TITLE! WHAT IS THE BEST POWERED SUBWOOFER TO BUY? It's not, "What's the most economical or practical subwoofer to buy, etc.." I haven't heard the RCF's (TT or 8000 series) yet. But, I have read great reviews. Pdidy, save some money, buy some real gear, then post your opinion on the BEST powered subwoofer thread. I still have 20 of my old EAW SB-1000's and 10 SB-850s passive subs with LG amps. I can't give an educated comment on which active sub is the "best". But I guarantee it's not a KW181!

@ MTL18, your a troll any everybody knows it so like i say before....

"sorry dude once you lose you credibility its gone forever."
Delete ya user name and come back as somebody else....lol

It is clear that reading comprehension is a problem for you. The thread is called, "What is the BEST powered subwoofer to buy". READ!! it's pretty simple. UGH!!!

Sorry but i refuse to believe you're that clueless, a good troll needs to be somewhat believable......So no, i wont satisfy your request to be proven wrong as anyone who's read more than the title already knows the answer.

What active subwoofer is the BEST, in your opinion? It's a pretty simple question. Though, the "Best" is somewhat ambiguous. That said, your condescending and unwitty reply to the post suggesting RCF TTS subs was not appropriate for this thread.

IMHO, clarity, dBSPL (more headroom is never bad), portability (weight doesn't matter if you have a dock/deck high truck. If you don't, then you shouldn't be wasting money on "subs"), throw, and rigging ease are some of many factors I would look at. Active speakers appear to be more efficient (amperage draw) than traditional power amplifiers. Hence, an active subwoofer which efficiently draws less current, but delivers a commensurate amount of dBSPL relative to a passive subwoofer/amplifier combination of the same caliber would be optimal.

I haven't seen active subs used on any of the 24 one-off national tours I have worked on in 2014. However, I have heard several FOH engineers, TMs, and PMs talk about them. The RCF TTS-28 and 56 along with the 8004 and 8005 have been mentioned. However, the QSC KW 181, Yorkie LS 801P, JBL PRX 618-XLF, etc.. have never been mentioned or considered even for a drum fill! "Best" means best! Your reply was more suitable for a thread entitled, "What's the best active subwoofer for less than $1500?" Grow up!

ecx.images-amazon.com

I am excited about the advances in pro audio technology. Let's hope a clean sounding, active subwoofer emerges in the US market and is easily accessible at a reasonable price point. The only active sub I have used in small venues (local baby bands) is the LS 801-P. They really aren't that heavy. However, they are difficult to roll because they are too short. They are relatively loud compared to other consumer subs I have heard. But, they lack clarity and definition. "Muddy" may be a way to describe their sound. If I could find a clean sounding, flyable dual 18" active sub (4K+ W)i in a birch enclosure with heavy duty casters and rolls easily for < $4K, then I'm selling all of my passive subs/amps and buying 20 of them! If Midas can do a M32 for 4K (street price), then EAW, JBL, EV, Turbosound, Danley,Lab,or even Clair, etc.. can put out a dual 18 or even 21 4K W active sub for < $4K. But, as of now, the only option I have found are the RCFs and they start around 6K. Please post if you any of you are aware of the active sub I described above. Thanks!

Lol c'mon dude. This is a dj forum, not a touring sound forum. Move along, now....

I have read several posts from "DJs" who aspire to buy professional audio gear for their DJ rigs. "DJs" have posted that they bring out 6 LS 801Ps to school events, etc.. Other DJs talk about performing at outdoor events using their own PA gear which contains close to what I would bring for a 1-2K person semi-national concert. The line between pro audio and "DJ" audio has become much thinner as advances in technology have made it possible to buy great sounding gear at a relatively inexpensive price. I believe there is a mobile DJ market for a high power dual 18 or 21" active sub. And, when EAW, EV, JBL, or whomever puts one out for an affordable price, I suspect "DJs" like yourself will be talking about it on Serrato.com and some may even buy it. DJs pay 3K+ for CDJ-2Ks, etc.. iIf EAW released the "SBP-4000" with a 4000 W power amp in a dual 18" enclosure that weighed 160 lbs for $2999.99 retail, I think many DJs would atleast begin talking about it. But, I may be wrong. You may be right. DJs aren't interested in professional audio. Sorry, but I humbly disagree.

i love how the OP was asking for the best sub to buy and then said he was thinking of getting tapco thumps.

LoL!

Yeah, me thinks this thread has run its course. The OP hasn't even posted on it since this time 3 years ago. It's done morphed in all sorts of directions with suggestions.

Lol....exactly. Common sense says this guy doesn't literally need the best sub.

Come on everybody knows the BEST active sub is either a Martin MLX (powered with powersoft) , or Meyer Lyon ....move along end of discussion...

But 4000 won't even buy half a sub

most guys asking for advice, can't afford what most of you gear heads would recommend as the "best". Suffice it to say when these postings happen the OP usually means the best ... for ... dollars.

that would be why we ask what is your budget

example IMO

best under $600 sub ev elx118p, not the best around but show mw better for the price


best bang for your buck under $1,200 yorkvile ls801p


and the list could go on and on…..but i'll stop there


that rcf 21" active sub……LAWRD ……….