What is the finest compact PA system (cost aside).

[pumphouse]

Admittedly this is a bumped thread, and the OP may well have already completed his upgrade, but for a light and easy to transport system that sound very good I would recommend K-Array with their own amps. Enormous sound from very small units.

 

Jason.

[gnomatron]

I'm sure someone mentioned this but an LS9 over a mixwizard may well lead to a decrease in sound quality, as opposed to buying a small rack of outboard for the mixwizard, or a newer, better digital desk. The LS9 is a great tool, but the tradeoff for all that functionality in a tiny footprint is at least partly in audio quality. Start to ask it to do too much and you'll start to notice the desk's limitations in processing power. They're popular professional desks because they're highly flexible and cost-efficient; not because they sound amazing.

 

Also, another +1 vote for hiring an engineer. Even if you're a great engineer you can't hear what the mix sounds like to the audience from the stage, and you have to be able to adapt to the gig as it progresses; the room dynamics will change massively when you fill it with punters and warm it up significantly, so even an extensive sound check is at best a compromise.

[ninjadingle]

Was mightily impressed with a d&b E12 / B4 combination I heard yesterday - so much sound from such a small system! Shows size isn't everything and all that...

 

** A TFL760H is 60Kg? Explains why I ache a little today!! **

[Maxmccollum]

+1 for K-array.

 

They're so tiny in size, I could easily fit their biggest system in my Seat Ibiza and probably have enough space for wedges too, but the sound that comes out of them is massive and very clean. They have really good feedback rejection as well, I held a radio mic right up to the speakers without any feedback what so ever. If I can ever afford one that will be my choice.