Active speakers

[todd]

Can anyone offer me some advice on a decent pair of active speakers? There's so many out there that I'm getting a little lost!

It's for a hall big enough for around 80 to 100 people on a regular night and I've not got a huge budget, so value for money is (surprise, surprise) important.

I'll need to plug a single mic and laptop into them and would prefer them to have the hat-top mounting for putting on the tripod stands. Other than that, not bothered about things like make, etc...

Any help hugely appreciated. Thanks!

[clevedonboy]

I used to own a pair of Warrior L300P speakers - did a good job for the money (about £200 from memory off of ebay)
I'd suggest getting a mixer as well though - doesn't need to be fancy, but it makes life easier.
you may need to investigate a gizmo for reducing earth hum, many halls wiring can introduce quite a buzz. Maplins used to do one for a tenner that worked well

[straycat]

We use Mackies - SRM350s. Wonderful, wonderful speakers - although possibly not as cheap as you like (brand new costs around £350 apiece) - you haven't quantified what you regard as a 'huge budget' though, so I thought then worth mentioning.

If they are within your budget, they're worth every penny.

A big to clevedonboy's suggestion about a mixer & ground loop isolator(s) (the latter are cheap, invaluable, and easily found on Amazon)

[DJ Mike]

Really depends how much you're willing to spend. I use QSC K12s myself but they are at the dearer end of the scale. Nonetheless for the money they sound absolutely top notch and will easily sort you out in a room of 80-100 people!

[philsmove]

As a dancer, on behalf of us down on the floor, can I appeal to you to spend as much as you can afford
A good sound sound system will ensure your customers come back
and should be a sound investment

[todd]

As a dancer, on behalf of us down on the floor, can I appeal to you to spend as much as you can afford
A good sound sound system will ensure your customers come back
and should be a sound investment

Gotta agree there Phils! I made the stupid mistake some time ago of buying cheap - they were awful..! Luckily I was able to rectify the (very) poor sound quality before it caused any lasting damage.

This time around I am naturally keen not to repeat the same mistake...

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.

I didn't state what budget I'd be looking at as I'm still getting a feel I guess... But to get an idea, the "QSC K12s" are just way over for me! The "Mackie SRM-450" look like a very popular choice. At around the £800 mark for a pair of B Stock, it makes me think rather hard. The "JBL eon 15 G2" aren't much cheaper and these (like the Mackie's) need a separate mixer...

One of the appeals of active speakers (at least, in my mind) is ease of set up and break down - plug in and play. Simples. So the "Samson Audio XPL300", suggested by Andy are looking pretty good to me. At £410, or so, for a pair of B Trade they are "do-able" budget wise.

Does anyone else here have any experience of these speakers? Reliability, quality..?

Thanks again everyone for your help

[Andy McGregor]

We use Mackies - SRM350s. Wonderful, wonderful speakers - although possibly not as cheap as you like (brand new costs around £350 apiece) - you haven't quantified what you regard as a 'huge budget' though, so I thought then worth mentioning.

I've got one SRM350 that I use for infill. I've also got a pair of SRM450s. I think the larger speaker is better because it gives you more bass. But a pair of the smaller speakers would be fine in a smaller room.

However, the Mackies don't really have a mixer built in. You can switch from mic input to line, but that's not the same as having a mixer as you can't do both at the same time.

I've stubled on a real bargain at www.whybuynew.co.uk. They have some fantastically portable Samson XPL300 speakers for £205 each. I've got a pair of these speakers and they have always worked well for me - they give more bass than the SRM350 but not as much as the SRM450.

The great thing about the Samson's is that they have a mixer built in to the back. You can plug in your mic and MP3/Laptop and have them both playing at the same time. You can even set them up to sound like a church or other halls if that's your thing. And they have built in wheels and an extending handle for easy transport - although the handle has snapped off on both of mine so you will need to take care who you let wheel your speaker!

Here is the link http://www.whybuynew.co.uk/dj-equipm...ker-single.htm

p.s. There is even the option of a battery pack with the Samson's so you can play it loud on the beach or at a busk.

[Sheepman]

My favourites are the JBL eon 15 G2. I prefer their sound quality to the Mackie, and they seem more solid. They will do all you want and more, but you'd have to go second hand to get a pair for around £400 - £450. (I've just had a quick look, and they now seem to be £560 new! So you might have to wait around for some time before you can pick up a bargain.) Some years ago I bought a spare in case of any problems, and I've never needed to use it.
Although they do have a mixer built in, I'd recommend getting one for ease of use and versatility.

Greg