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I currently have 4 JBL G2 EONS, 2 JBL JRX subs, and a QSC 18 Sub. Im looking to add a set of towered speakers. I rented a pair of JBL PRX Towered speakers and loop out to my EONS and it sounded great in this large venue. Im thinking about buying the PRX speakers but wanted opinions first on the PRX or is there another set of towers that you would recommed. I know QSC has a set. I want to stick with powered speakers. Thanks.

Normally I would say stick with the JBL.s some say not to mix speakers but in some jukebox installs I have had every combo possible. Different speakers can give a richer overall mix. I would say if you can try the others in your venue see what they can do. I know what the g2's can do but would be interested in that experiment.

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When you say "tower" I'm going to assume you are talking about a three way cabinet. From my own personal experience and from the homework and side by side comparisons I did before making my purchase a little over a year ago. I would rate the JBL PRX535 third with the QSC HPR153i second and the Yorkville U15P as my first choice. I purchased my U15P's a little over a year ago and seriously, I still marvel at the power and clarity every time I turn them on. All of the speakers sounded good, but of the three the 535 seemed to be under powered when setting along side the 153i and the U15P. We tested them all the way from low level to high output and the U15P was the last to run out of gas (never actually did) maintaining excellent clarity and sound quality throughout the tests. I have no regrets. I wouldn't be affraid to use the QCS 153i either.

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Quickness of mind will deceive the eye

Both the Yorkville and QSC boxes you mentioned are significantly more expensive than the JBL SRX7xx boxes, which are themselves a step up in power and price from the PRX series. Your comparison is not a fair one.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

JBL does not make a powered SRx series?

Not sure what 'tower' speaker means - dual 15"? 3 way speaker cab? Either way, QSC & JBL make both in a powered version.
The QSC powered speakers I would recommend over the JBL PRX. Close in sound & price, but the edge is given to the QSC sound wise.

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As the original post was asking for comparable SELF POWERED TOWER SPEAKERS, my response was totally appropriate. I took the "TOWER" to imply three way. The HPR is actually cheaper than the PRX and yes the U15P has a higher suggested retail they can be had for about 100 more than the PRX. Perhaps you should read before throwing accusations of "Your comparison is not a fair one" around. One should be carefull when pulling on chains as one never knows what may be attached to the other end. If you have something to say to me you can PM me so Micbob's thread doesn't get cluttered up with nonesense.
Sorry Micbob.

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Quickness of mind will deceive the eye

Thanks for the replys! I should have been more specific and the answers are great. I was refering to the PRX525 or 535 and 518 subs. QSC HPR153i HPR 153i 15" Powered PA Loud Speaker. THanks

Concur with everything above but didnt catch the tower speaker thing. I have the philosophy off distributing sound with multiple speakers and wouldnt add tower speakers as you call them.

I once helped a buddy setup and he was using JBL 2000 or something with 2 15's. They weighed about 125 pounds and I quit helping him. Theyd have to sound a whole lot better to start lugging them around again. Just a thought...

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I'll echo Karyoker's recommendation that you stay away from the three way powered boxes unless you've got help to heft those things onto stands. We use a pair of Mackie Powered 3-ways when our band plays small clubs and I can tell you right now it's a two man job to get those things up on the posts. Even getting them in the building is usually a two man job, I'm the only one in the crew that is capable of carrying one by myself.

And please good lord whatever you do, if you do buy a 3-way cabinet, do not put them on the floor. This is not your home stereo you're dealing with where you can put speakers on the floor and just go with it. This is a live sound reinforcement application which means you're providing sound to be heard by large groups of people. You need to have your horns above the tops of the heads of the average height people in the "audience". This means the speakers have to be on stands (or poles on top of your subs if so equipped). I've seen the less than educated DJ and KJ put 3 way cabinets on the floor never realizing what this does to the high-end frequencies' ability to carry the room. Don't be that guy!!

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Technique always prevails over muscle (of course some muscle never hurts). I used to use JBL SP225-6's, weighing in @ around 120 pounds each. People used to ask me "aren't they heavy", my response was always "I don't know, I don't lift them, I maneuver them". The PRX535 and the HPR153i are not meant to go on poles. I'm pretty sure they don't even have tophats, they are meant to be placed on top of a sub. The U15P, because it has it's three 5's mounted in the same conical horn as the compression driver (which is one of the reason's these sound smoother than more traditional 3 way's) is a more traditional size and can be pole mounted, and yes, they are around 90 pounds so it is a two man job to do safely.

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Quickness of mind will deceive the eye

Actually both the PRX535 and the HPR153i have integrated pole mounts. The HPR's are also equipped with riggings that allow them to be flown (although if anyone is flying PA for Karaoke I want to know about that). However your point is well taken that ultimately it matters not how you get them up just that you do have them up so the horns are at the proper height. If standing them directly on top of the subs gets the horns up high enough then that works fine too. The problem I'm referring to are the KJ/DJ's who put them directly on the floor. The people up front get blasted with harsh high end and anyone more than 10-15 feet away will hear very little above 2kHz (or whatever the crossover point happens to be for the speakers in question).

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Well being i'm in a stationary setup, all my speakers (minus subs) are flown. I did have to fabricate an internal brace for my cabs as they aren't intended for that originally.

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There is a bar in Louisville with a karaoke system and a nice house sound reinforcement system, with flown full-range cabinets. It is very cool. I wanted to work there real bad, but I was not willing to work for $8/hr + bar sales percentage. The stupid pay killed their whole karaoke effort, they don't even do it anymore. They advertised on the radio and everything. What a shame!

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

Well it appears we are both half right, and the only reason I'm binging it up is that I know Micbob is considering these speakers. Apparentyl the JBL PRX535 does have a pole mount. The JBL PRX525 and the QSC HPR153i do not have pole mounts. As mentioned earlier the Yorkville U15P also has a pole mount.


Necessity is the mother of invention, it is amazing how many five man bands turn into one man bands on setup day.


This problem is what makes the design of the U15P so appealing, very smooth response throughout the spectrum. Beaming is none existent. These cabinets were designed by Danley, and we know what a Danely cabinet can cost. All on a Yorkville budget.

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Quickness of mind will deceive the eye

Damn it would be nice to work with a permanent install! That's it I'm so jealous now I'm gonna have to go out and get myself a Martin compact line array just to make me feel better

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Yup lon has got a Great Big on/off switch and he flips it and everything is ready and adjusted to go!!! I Wish!!! It seems with a mobile setup there is always some little thing wrong..

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Well 4 on off switches . No even with a perma setup, there is always something that can go wrong.

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Touring is hard on gear, but I had an EQ go out over the weekend, and it hasn't left that building in six months. And the solution the operator decided was a good idea to get through the night was to run 1 ohm worth of speakers off one side of an XTi 2000. I am guessing the useful life of my HF drivers has been significantly decreased as a result. Good thing the amp had a lot of head-room to begin with.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ