wooster Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Hi, im currently looking to buy a PA for a five piece band I want to cut down on bulky heavy equipment so im looking at powered boxes( to serve 100-300 people). The two I have in mind are the QSC kw153 (full range) with QSC 181 subs or the HK Audio Actor DX. They are both similar in price anybody got any views or advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brainwave-generator Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Hi, im currently looking to buy a PA for a five piece band I want to cut down on bulky heavy equipment so im looking at powered boxes( to serve 100-300 people). The two I have in mind are the QSC kw153 (full range) with QSC 181 subs or the HK Audio Actor DX. They are both similar in price anybody got any views or advice? The HK Actor is a really nice system, it sounds great, and is very robust. However, just so you're aware... powered boxes doesn't cut down on heavy equipment. It just bolts one piece of heavy kit to another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
productionpeople Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Hi Wooster You should also consider KV2 audio brilliant powered speakers, with awesome sound.Drop me a line if you would like to hear some. regards Ricky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nothingatall666 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I would defiantly find somewhere to compare them both side by side. QSC and HK have very different tones to each other, so haring it for yourself is the only real way to get what you want. I generally find the QSC stuff to be more punchy. but HK have a great middle-high range.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon - W1 Productions Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 The QSC are by-far the better option. Really good sounding boxes, smart, not too heavy and with lots & lots of flexibility. They give you a multitude of options wheras the HK can only really be used in the one way, plus HK in my opinion never has enough head room and brightness to them. They produce a very 'in-the-box' sound. KV2 is far more expensive although does have a good sound, but there isn't really an equivalent system they do. The QSC therefore does it.. Now, we just happen to have a great demo system of the same configuration you mention.. We'd be happy to arrange a dem somewhere I'm sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S&L Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 The QSC are by-far the better option. Really good sounding boxes, smart, not too heavy and with lots & lots of flexibility. They give you a multitude of options wheras the HK can only really be used in the one way, plus HK in my opinion never has enough head room and brightness to them. They produce a very 'in-the-box' sound. KV2 is far more expensive although does have a good sound, but there isn't really an equivalent system they do. The QSC therefore does it.. Now, we just happen to have a great demo system of the same configuration you mention.. We'd be happy to arrange a dem somewhere I'm sure! can I caveat my comments by saying everyone above has far more experience than I but I have spent a couple of months and a number of gigs consulting with a band that hire in a professional (i.e. full time) sound company regularly using HK Contour kit - really stunning depth, clarity, plenty of brightness but I really couldn't speak to the head room - honestly if I had a chance of swapping my right arm for that system... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wooster Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 The QSC are by-far the better option. Really good sounding boxes, smart, not too heavy and with lots & lots of flexibility. They give you a multitude of options wheras the HK can only really be used in the one way, plus HK in my opinion never has enough head room and brightness to them. They produce a very 'in-the-box' sound. KV2 is far more expensive although does have a good sound, but there isn't really an equivalent system they do. The QSC therefore does it.. Now, we just happen to have a great demo system of the same configuration you mention.. We'd be happy to arrange a dem somewhere I'm sure! Hi Simon , have had a demo with the kv2, a pr of ex12's and a pr of ex1.8 subs, sounded great but twice the price of qsc and hk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HH Electronics Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Also worth considering the DAS Audio AVANT series...... seriously good kit for the money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmcalin Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Don't decide until you AB the systems next to each other.If you do want to AB drop me a PM and I'll try to setup a demo for you.Also look at the DB technology offering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brainwave-generator Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Also look at the DB technology offering. Was about to say that. Recently done an install of DB stuff (albeit £30k worth) and was really pleasantly surprised by the sound it produces. It's 'straight out the box' sound (IE having had no set up time) is amazing. It replaced a similar size L'Acoustics system and yes it has nothing like the impact of the LA system, but at low volumes it has a much more pleasant sound to it, which has made it an ideal replacement for the kind of venue it has gone into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Siddons Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 The QSC are by-far the better option. Really good sounding boxes, smart, not too heavy and with lots & lots of flexibility. They give you a multitude of options wheras the HK can only really be used in the one way, plus HK in my opinion never has enough head room and brightness to them. They produce a very 'in-the-box' sound. KV2 is far more expensive although does have a good sound, but there isn't really an equivalent system they do. The QSC therefore does it.. Now, we just happen to have a great demo system of the same configuration you mention.. We'd be happy to arrange a dem somewhere I'm sure! Sound is so subjective, have to disagree with Simon. QSC are good boxes, I bought HK Contour after auditioning most of the other systems available, QSC wasn't available at the time but have used them on a number of occasions and a still happy with my choice. The only advice I can give to the OP is audion each system, and also remember the system you buy will sound better the more you use it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 I was about to say the same as Doug Siddons. Rather than "punchy" I find the QSC boxes on the harsh side but I really like the HK Actor system which I find very smooth and natural. As has been said, this is all very subjective (and also dependent on the style of music to be played) so an audition is by far the best option if you can manage it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brainwave-generator Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Also remember, the sound of the speakers and amps is a small part of the overall sound achieved... the source material, the microphones, the mixer, the outboard... will all have an effect on the final sound too. All I am trying to point out is:1) Don't buy a speaker system (at a price) that inhibits your ability to buy other gear of an equal quality. Your rig is only as good as it's weakest component.2) Don't just consider the sound of the system. It's weight, size, carriage possibilities (handles? wheels? case?), rigging options (fly points? proprietary system or eye bolts? speed of setup?) etc are all factors in the decision too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wooster Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 We had a gig last night and managed to get a pr of qsc K12's and pr K-subs to try from local dealer. It was only a small venue so they handled it fine, great sound from the tops(keyboards, vocals especially). But subs seemed to struggle with the drum kit micd. So I can only asume the KW range will be better (the sub being a single 18" opposed to 2x12" in the K-sub). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon - W1 Productions Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Also remember, the sound of the speakers and amps is a small part of the overall sound achieved... the source material, the microphones, the mixer, the outboard... will all have an effect on the final sound too. All I am trying to point out is:1) Don't buy a speaker system (at a price) that inhibits your ability to buy other gear of an equal quality. Your rig is only as good as it's weakest component.2) Don't just consider the sound of the system. It's weight, size, carriage possibilities (handles? wheels? case?), rigging options (fly points? proprietary system or eye bolts? speed of setup?) etc are all factors in the decision too. Totally agree with the generator here!! All such true points, please bare in mind. I certainly didn't mean to disregard HK - of which the Contour is certainly some of their better stuff, but not a fan of Actor's or systems that you can't specify yourself.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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