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Yes, I did think that after! I know that sometimes its nice to have the reasoning for each choice rather than a random list! I hope it helped!

Yeah but they aren't in everyones budget! I really do rate them though!

For a pubs and clubs band you should be pretty safe with the linear 3, unless your doing really big venues or crowds then I would definitely lean towards the Linear 5!

Yeah, I totally agree on all points!

That is something I am VERY interested in! I have found the ES503 really capable for full band so I can only imagine how great the ES1203 would be! I’m also really interested in the FBT CS1000 but haven’t been able to try one yet!

A 15” will definitely get you more bass but no match to having a sub if you need lots of low end or anything super low! As for volume that entirely depends on room size and number of people listening!

@@GaryOnBass ​​⁠am a part time dj who plays mainly for small parties like 100 pax max

They should be passable then! Most DJs like subs for that chest thump in dance music! But these would probably be okay… I wouldn’t use the inbuilt Bluetooth though as that probably won’t be as loud as gain staging through a small desk!

@@GaryOnBass the BT will be mainly when need background music during BBQ, family/friend gathering and where dont want to install laptops etc

Yeah, it’s absolutely perfect for that!

Good question! I tried to narrow it down to one choice, although there are two choices here and there, to prevent option paralysis, which can be a real issue for me! As for the lack of JBL, I have friends with major reliability problems! Mainly with their power amps. The ETX speakers sound amazing. However, their weight pushed them off this particular list when I prioritised portability.

I can understand your point. Was just wondering cause with regards to EV I moved from my former high end system from a German manufacturer (KS Audio) to EV ETX and got extremely surprised about the high level of performance and quality of sound. My learning is that today most of the big brands like RCF, EV and JBL have their high end line of products and they are very capable. The digital DSPs and the latest speaker development do a great job here. The EV‘s are a bit heavy (depending on the speaker type, I mean I can still lift the 12“ tops on a stand without any help) cause they are powered. But this is meanwhile also a feature I would not want to miss anymore. I was not aware of the issues of the JBL series. Interesting facts thanks for sharing

Yes, this list is very much from my own experience! As I said, when I got to the high-end speakers, there's no real right or wrong once you get to the more expensive lines; it comes down more to personal preference. Having owned and used a few different EV speakers, I find they colour the sound more than the HK, and I like to have the most control possible. But you're completely correct that many brands offer more DSP, or at least more easily accessed DSP. If that's a priority for you, then I would definitely grab the EV or Yamaha options! But really, there are not many bad choices once you start getting into the higher end of PA!

There is some really useful information here. However, I was looking for portable tops in this video and avoiding subs. 12” tops are best for this, in my opinion, unless you want to lump around 15” tops, which would give you more low-end! I personally use a few systems and 10” tops over 15” subs most often! As a bass player, I'm not too fond of the idea that bass guitar exists at 40hz. That's a really undefined area that can really blow out the instrument if overexaggerated, which is all too common among engineers. The mids are where bass really comes along and gets heard, and they are all too often given the chop! But this in itself is a generalisation because it massively depends on the music genre and the band size! As with all things music, there is no one-size-fits-all method!

That's really interesting! I would have thought that the prices would be similar or further apart being that EV is made over there! RCF make great speakers all round! The EKX are far too heavy for me!

You're a dj ?

I’m a musician and this list is aimed at people playing live music!

I'm not entirely sure, but the wattage and DB rating mean fairly little, and I would focus more on the frequency graph. I can only imagine that the 12” and 15” versions are louder than the 10”. This can be seen in the amount of each frequency they can effectively produce.

Do you need something with Bluetooth? I noticed that most of your choices have that! I have had friends who have had issues with the lower end JBL poweramps and the EV ZLX are not the strongest speaker in their range! The RCF 312s are great, possibly a little under powered depending on your audience size! I also believe they have been discontinued! Wharfedale are just generic Chinese speakers now a days! The brand name was bought quite a few years ago. There's nothing wrong with this but QC can be an issue so get one from someone with a good warranty. I would probably go for a The Box speaker over these as Thomann are great with their warranty on their own products! (in my experience)

I totally agree! Although, I have had quite a lot of experience with Celestion drivers and they aren’t all bad! Just a lot of variance throughout the range!

@GaryOnBass rcf, b&c or 18sound drivers are excellent!!

For sure! Faital speakers are great if you like RCF too!

@@GaryOnBass yes

This isn't a review, more of a rundown of PA speakers I would pick from various budgets! Hope it helped! 🙏

I've not had a chance to try turbosound but they have interested me! Which model have you tried? I almost bought a Milan system at one point and have looked at the IP series!

@@GaryOnBass I have tried Siena, IQ and NuQ. My favorite is the NuQ, the sound is less agressive compared to the IQ series. Just a perfect place between the Sienna and the IQ series.

Interesting, I haven't seen any of those speakers for sale over here. I wonder if its different branding in different regions? The Siena series looks good!

I'm still yet to try that out, but the concept seems like a winner! You can never really compare battery speakers to mains-powered boxes, but that does seem low! It could be bad factory QC (which wouldn't surprise me with Mackie!), so it sounds like it's definitely worth trying before you buy!

@@GaryOnBass I bought it from Sweetwater when it came out and promptly returned it. I didn’t like the operating system or the sound and there was a lot of hiss noise too. Terrible.

Yeah, the DSRs are solid units and very affordable! The DZRs are great for what they do, though. The SPL and sound quality are on another level, but I feel that may be the cause of their reliability issues!

I own the dsr112 for 8 years! no issues. and they get abused with 2 yorkville 801p. they were over engineered at the price point compared to everything.

@djizzynyc quality engineering!

Yeah I can believe that! I think THE BOX is a generic factory brand Thomann put their name on! The spec looks great don’t wouldn’t surprise me if they are good!

That definitely looks like it would pack a punch! No retailers on this side of the pond though… I would love to give one of those a try otherwise!

also smoked the wallet

@maizesoft are they expensive? The RCFs are relatively cheap!

That does seem like a killer combo!

I hadn't seen that! It looks like a great option! Very close to the Yamahas weight though and quite a bit more money!

I feel like I should have gone with the 12s!

I have been carrying them around in a bag and used them quite a bit and no issue yet! Its fairly flexible plastic so I could see that happening! I wonder if its easily replaced? Looks identical to the attachments that ear defenders use!

Yes that's right! Shouldn't be an issue as its true bypass so shouldn’t effect your sound at all!

Yes, that's exactly what I have! The bass is run directly from the bass and the kick comes in through the AUX channel. It allows me to be able to mix the on the back beat. You really feel when your locked in with the kick! Its great feedback live!

@@GaryOnBass I guess the second question for you! Thank you in advance for your time answering these! With regard to the Aux coming from the board with just kick into the Aux input jack- I’m assuming basically you control that on the PA mixing board and just send kick to that aux channel? Also I guess you have an adapter that turns an Aux XLR cable into 1/8 so it can plug into the unit?

Yeah, I send the kick within my IEM send, which all runs through the backbeat! I run PA for my band, so this isn't a big deal! My desk has a 1/4” TRS output, which I just adapt down using an extension cable! If you check out my video on IEMs, I talk about how I build my guitar/IEM cables, and you can see it there! It's pretty simple to do, though!

I'm glad I was able to help! This or the bassboard are great options if you want more of that live feel without the volume! You'll get more power out of the bassboard, but it cuts down your movement, so it's your preference!

@@GaryOnBassI just got a bassboard and it’s badass. The backbeat works surprisingly well and honestly eliminates the need for the bassboard. Though I’ll prob bring both 😂

@@GaryOnBass one more question for you man. Those clips that clip it onto the strap dig into my back. How do mitigate the uncomfortable nature of those metal clips sticking out?

Haha, that's great! A baseboard still tempts me, but the backbeat does more than the job! As for the clip, it is only uncomfortable on specific straps, usually the thicker ones. I would either try moving it to a thinner part of the strap or swapping it to a different strap! I ended up trying lots of straps and doing the latter! I currently use a relatively cheap lekato 3.5” padded strap from Amazon that works well!

That's great to know about the Xvive! Really good to hear first hand experience! The Shure 215s are a great choice too! Have you thought about just going wired? Seems to make sense if you aren't going wireless for your bass!

@@GaryOnBass I havent thought about going wired because im not a fan of having more wires than need to be there. Plus we are going to be going full wireless except my bass soon anyways with the senhiseier*

@Wyatt.D.Loiselle that makes sense! I get it if you're going full Sennheiser! But if you're still running a cable, it is only slightly heavier having both your guitar cable and headphone cable combined in the mini snake, and it saves you a good £800!

@@GaryOnBass That is very true. For me though, its more for streamlining and not exactly texture, but they way that cable feels pulling down constently on you when you go wired, feels really gross to me persoanlly.

They are really solid boxes and sit great on a pedal board! I've always got one in the bag just in case!

The KZ are great starter IEMs. You can get more isolation and bass response with customs, but that doesn't mean the KZs can't be improved! You want a tight fit with a dense foam tip to optimise low end and isolation. I recommend the Comply 500 series. They make for a great fit, and you'll get far more rejection, BUT the extra density in the foam does mean that they tear more easily, so they don't last quite as long as cheap foam tips!

There is a massive amount of clarity in these speakers and I haven't noticed any hiss or hum, even at very high volumes. If I were to use a PA speaker for hi-fi I think this would be my pick, they are probably the most neutral spunding PA speaker out there! But they are really difficult to compare to my Adam audio monitors in the back, which actually make great hi-fi speakers! The reason for this is that they are built to be VERY loud! Your talking about 10x the output of some of those hi-fi speakers you mentioned! I'm not sure how they would sound at lower volumes as you will never be pushing the speakers to the point where they are designed to be used. So overall, I'm not sure! They would probably be my pick if I were to do that, but I'm not sure how comparable they would be to a speaker which is specifically made for that purpose! I'm sure they would sound great though and you would never have issues about not having enough volume! Haha

@@GaryOnBass Thanks for the detailed reply! Nice to hear they don't have any hiss/hum/noise! I may have to give them a try, hehe (I could never afford super expensive HiFi speakers nor amps anyways) And volume/power never hurts... esp when it's needed for parties, haha. Just as long as the sound quality is clear, neutral and nice. :D

@LessTalkMoreDelicious they would definitely be great for parties! I think they could definitely work! They also do a passive version, the CZR12 but I would most likely get the active ones! Keep me updated on how they do! I would be really interested to hear your experience!

I have 2 DZR12s, there is a soft background hiss when in a quiet room. These things are designed to be high DB output boxes so I imagine the output stage is pretty hot. But I have no complaints using them in a quiet dinner setting for background music and lounge music.

I have a pair of Adam T8V lus the Adam 10 inch sub (T10) in the livingroom and I am very happy with them. At the basement I have a LD Systems Curv 500 with two more satelites (2 + 2 satelites and the sub) for movies and music. Superb sound. Upstairs I have two EV ZLX 12P BT plus an Alto TS 12S sub for movies and music and I take them to parties from time to time. They sit in a large livingroom, arround 60 m². Very, very happy with the sound but they have a buzzing sound when not in use. I'm looking to upgrade the EV ZLX to probably these or EV ETX 10P

Yeah, I don't think that tech is too complicated to get right in all reality! But as a bass player/vocalist, I find the frequency range a little limiting! If you can live with it, though, UHF is a great and solid option compared to the wifi units!

It depends on the room, I would say about 80% of the time it's just the one sub (most venues are quite small here) and then with two subs at marquees and larger venues. Again the hpf depends on how much I need to put through the sub, it is generally either 80hz or 120hz.

Hello, so you set this settings on Dzr 10. You engage for instance hpf at 80hz on Dzr 10 if it's one or two subs. Thanks for your kindness and Best Regards

It really depends on the room! I would always stay above 80hz, though, and that is generally my go-to crossover point for these. If they need a bit more help, I would lift the crossover to take some weight off the tops! I find they can handle 80hz with no sweat!

I get... So you engage the hpf on Dzr not on subs. Thanks

If the 12” DZR are anything like these then I can fully support them! The NX932s look and I imagine sound great too! Its always just the lack our input/outputs and DSP which lets RCF down a bit!

Unfortunately, I haven't heard about the Seeburg or KS 10" boxes or anything they do as an active unit, so I can't add anything here! The Yamaha speakers are great, though. They were designed by Nexo (a comparable pro company) and come with an outstanding Yamaha warranty-that's what tipped me into buying them!

I'm using RCF 705-II with mine, which is excellent and has more than enough bass for our usage. They are super lightweight and compact, but they project backwards quite a bit and have no Dante; if you're using that, then I guess the logical choice is the 12” or 15” Yamaha subs. These are great and super loud for their size, but they are pretty heavy; I think the 12” sub is 6kg heavier than the 15” RCF sub I use! If that isn't an issue, I would lean towards the Yamaha! I kind of wish I had got them now, in retrospect, but my back is thanking me!

I would, those Yamaha dzr10’s have more power than my 15” Mackie thumps, so I’m going to change them. I also thought of the 12” dzr, but thought of the Mackie V-Class 12” as well. But I need a compact system the has power.

Dzr 12 the best in class with jbl 812p & etx 12

​@@DJBennyswift take dzr 12 with two subs 15 - nuq 15 turbo sound & rcf 905 mk3 - this setup can take 150 pepole very easy .

@@DJBennyswift Try the Mackie DLM12 i have them for 8 years already and no complain what so ever and they are small, crazy powerful and light weight they are a little bit more expansive then the srm212 V class (about $999) but it's worth those extra $$$.

@@giancarlohernandez1967I never knew they existed, I was looking at it but still in decision mode, really nice though thanks!

Haha, I worried about the same thing! We are a three to six-piece wedding band that runs everything directly through the PA, and we do 90 weddings a year, ranging from 100 to 300 people. These really have been great! I have only seen the limiter twice, and we play with one of the loudest drummers I know! You're not running festivals with these playing to thousands, but I would be hiring a crew and a PA I wouldn't want to carry myself for that! If you're a gigging musician, they will do the job and surprise you! I ran EV 15" tops and 18" subs before these, which can't touch this rig in terms of volume or sound quality!

@@GaryOnBass sounds nice, have you looked into the seeburg k20 dp? double 10 inch in a small form factor. they sound superb. i use the passive version.

Yeah, the Seaburg stuff has always been great! One of my friends had a big passive set, which I loved, but I couldn't handle the weight now! I like the look of their array systems, but they are rare to hear in the UK! These Yamahas are designed by NEXO, and you can see the pro audio background coming into play!

You might be surprised at just how loud and also how clear these things are when HPF over a sub. I also use Yamaha DSR115, RCF 932 and RCF NX945 and my DZR 10's can keep up with any of them if they are used over a decent sub!

@pooleywooley I couldn't agree more!

I have never struggled to get enough mids from these boxes! The clarity is something else that may explain why this isn't an issue. As for the low end, we have to be realistic in that they are 10" boxes. They are made to be coupled with a sub, which means they are going to be high-passed at the least 80hz. I think the 12" and 15" would deliver more than enough if you are happy to carry them and don't want to run a sub.

Yeah, I run the DJ through these between sets, and I can totally see why DJs would love them! They're super compact and loud, and like your friend said, the clarity at high volumes is just mad, too! I would definitely grab these over the Mackies or QSC (although I love their desks, I find the speakers hard on the ears). The RCF NX speakers look great, but I haven't managed to hear any yet!

I’m really looking forward to upgrade to these! The price point is pretty up there, but I need to make the move. Also, the reason I’m looking into the 10” is due to my vehicle size, I have a 2020 Kia Soul which is limited in space so these will fit perfectly in my car, and I was thinking on getting two QSC 12” subwoofers. I know it’s two different brands but I’m not familiar with the Yamaha subwoofers, plus I like how the design of the QSC 12” sub is narrow. Do you have a suggestion that I may not know of?

@DJBennyswift you wont be disappointed! These are great! The Yamaha subs are awesome but they are quite heavy! I use the RCF 705 which are super light and quite compact! I've fit 2 subs and 2 tops in a Nissan Juke! Was a bit of a squeeze but they went in!

@@GaryOnBass that sounds great, I also have my other gear and facade which playing Tetris as a kid helped me fit my 15” mains, 15” sub, stands, controller, cable bags in the car with a tight squeeze. I’m going to look into that Rcf subwoofer to get dimensions, watts, SPL, and price point.

Haha I know the feeling, although my van now feels empty with these sitting in the back! I can fully recommend the RCF subs too! Thanks for watching!

Yeah, I think these are a great choice, but they may not be as flat as I would like for studio headphones. The Beyer Dynamic DT770 is better for this, but for the price, they are excellent! The Vik Firths do have far less bleed than the Beyers, though!

Let's hope so! It’s basically a free back massage all gig! Haha

Thanks! I hope you enjoy the Backbeat as much as I do! If I am honest, the cons are more annoyances than anything! As long as you keep it charged and you find a good strap for it then it makes a big difference to your IEM mix!

Thanks for the comment; I'm glad it saved you some money until after Christmas, at least! You don't notice the weight of the G2 at all! I haven't used the G1, but I have heard that was a point of contention! It's interesting to hear someone using both a backbeat and a bassboard! I don't know if I like the idea of being stuck in one place! But your DIY bassboard is something which I have definitely thought about a few times! Thanks for watching!

@@GaryOnBass Since going ampless with IEM's nearly a decade ago... I've been on a quest... evolving my silent stage rig to feel like playing with a backline. It's evolved into a killer setup... easy setup/teardown, and transport. The kick of the drums on my back BackBeat, sync'd with the bassboard is emersion bliss. The bands personal mix is controlled in a mobile app individually. I use an iPad on my silent stage rig to control my mix. I mute the bass with the sliders on the app so I can only feel the kick... but I can easily slide my bass into the mix, and feel it on my BackBeat if I move off the Bassboard. Not only do I have the ew g4 iem, I also use an ew-d cl1 for my bass... so I'm fully wireless on iem's and bass. So I'm not really stuck in one place. My silent rig is a game changer... I would show you, but no DM's on CZcams.

Sounds absolutely amazing! I have been running IEMs for about 15 years but with a large amp for 7 of those years! The Backbeat makes a huge difference to my mix that's for sure! Maybe the Bassboard will be next on the list, I have more than enough sub-mixes on my desk! Haha

Wow what an epic rig!!! What size baseboard did you go with and are you happy with the size? Did you order direct from the company in Germany?

@@TheZenithphoenix I made a simple DIY version with 2 Dayton Audio BST-1 Bass Shakers mounted on 24”x24” ply. Funny that you just seen this post. I’m in the process of building my next board with same parts and design of the EICH Bassboard’s from Germany. Next one will be 35”x24”, and will look exactly like the EICH, and function the same where the top half will be isolated internally from the bottom board.

Yes, I'm sure my problem is due to the ease of pushing the button to turn it on! I have accidentally knocked it on from time to time. Mine isn't too critical. I remember my settings quite well now, but it is still annoying! I used my IEM pack for a while, but I have found that the mix straight through the BackBeat is excellent and produces a clean mix.