Active speakers for a small school

[the_real_dr_bob]

My school and associated primary school are thinking about getting a pair of active speakers to share between the schools, due to their portability and simplicity of use. We recently hired some units similar to the JBL EON15 G2 units, do you have any other suggestions in this price range?

[Bryson]

I've found the Mackie SRM450s very nice for little impromtu gigs around the ship. Not sure on the price though.

[dfinn]

I think the SRM 450's can be brought for anywhere between £900 and £1300 a pair. If you are a school I have a feeling you can claim VAT back so that should lessen the cost.

 

Also you could have a look at cheaper makes like the gemini GX 450 activeswhich retail at about £550 a pair or the behringer B300 actives at about £600 a pair. Or the carlsboro gamma actives which are supposed to be really nice and are priced somewhere close the the behringer cabs.

 

Hope this helps

 

Daniel

[bruce]

I've got a pair of the Behringer B300s, which live in the cupboard under the stairs and get brought out very occasionally :)

 

I've only used them a couple of times in the last year, and will probably be selling them soon.

 

They actually sound reasonably good for the money. If you read the various web reviews, you'll find they get reviews like all other Behringer gear - either very good or very bad. People have very polarised opinions of them (and all behringer gear!)

 

A couple of things that I don't really like about them - they have gain, treble and bass controls and a mic and line level input. But the gain control does exactly what it says - it's not a volume control. You can adjust ith through a fairly wide range, but you can't turn it down to zero!

 

And they're surprisingly heavy for a moulded unit!

 

If budget is tight, they're a reasonable option. You can pick them up second-hand for about 300 quid a pair.

 

Bruce.

[the_real_dr_bob]

The B300 units look quite nice, anybody else have opinions about them?

 

Edit to add: There seem to be reliability problems with the B300s, I think one of the other options would be better?

[Simon Lewis]

You may wish to look at the Wharfedale Pro powered loudspeakers. These are relatively low cost, and the later versions have a "slave out" neutrik that allows a passive cabinet to be added.

 

Having said that, The EONs are quite well made, but have a pronounced low end response - I've rolled off the bass quite drastically when using them for spoken voice.

 

Simon

[bruce]

Has anyone tried any of the Thomann active units? The "The Box" range?

 

Bruce.

[andy_s]

They are using some Mackie speakers for the PA in the seminar spaces (I hesitate to call them "rooms" at the Sound Expo in Wembley. I thought they sounded a bit "boxy" and "horny" (and I'm not referring to their state of readiness). I've heard that the Yamaha Active speaker range is quite good, but I've not heard them myself. Worth checking out with the rest?

 

If you're ready to talk big bucks, then Genelec are the speakers to listen to.

[northernaudioman]

Hi,

 

Have you looked at the DAS range, some of them sound great (and others sound a bit rough!). The DAS ST-8A sound particularly nice. The web site is www.dasaudio.com. In the UK Sennheiser distribute them ( www.sennheiser.co.uk ).

 

We listened to the EON's recently and thought they sounded really harsh.......

[Paul J Need]

Have a look at the the FBT MaxX4A. Much warmer sound than the Mackies. The SRM450 has suffered a little since manufacturing was moved to China after the split with RCF. Still a great box and prices have falled to around £399 each + VAT

[Jim]

I have a pair of SRM450s which I'm pretty pleased with. Yes, they can sound harsh, but a little sensible EQ'ing can make them sound better. That's the only really disadvantage of them (although I appreciate sound quality is kinda important ). On the plus side, they're extremely loud for their size, one person can carry them, they're very tough and they're very hard to destroy (temp sensor prevents voice coil melting by shutting down above certain temperatures, and built-in limiter stops over-excursion of the cones). You can get a pair for £1200 in London, certaintly, but used pairs tend to go on eBay for around £800.

 

Should probably add: I use mine for small local band nights usually in community halls etc to between 100-200 people. Mic'ing vox, guitars, occasionally snare and bass if I'm not trying them at max capacity. I reckon their application is good for anything from small weddings to cafes (turned down obviously) up to the kind of setting I'm using them in.

 

Also, just had a random thought about these speakers: they are Sound Reinforcement Monitors, and work pretty well on their sides angled like stage monitors. Possibly they were engineered slightly harsh, because that would help them cut through the sound mush that is generally a rock band stage? Just a thought...

[Pete McCrea]

My church has 4 SRM450's. I dropped one 2' off a case and it was fine. Sound can be a little harsh as mentioned, but I'd add another vote for them.