Karaoke Forums

currently using a zed12fx usb mixer with 2 jbl eon 15 G2 speakers and a 266,using my dell for my player with compuhost and the fast traks plus software.
i've never really been happy with the jbl,i don't know if it's any one specific thing or what.The sound just doesn't seem right or i just can't really seem to get into powered speakers.
Any way i am considering changing it up some.I would like to ditch the jbls,grab a QSC gx5 amp and a pair of Yamaha S215V Dual 15" Club Series V speakers.Retaining the zed and 266.
I mainly am still just a home user,i do a few parties at the house on occasion,maybe one day when i get more comfortable i'd be open to some venue work but i am happy still learning.

What are the pros and cons that i might face with this idere?

thanks!

I have the single woofer version of these the S115V and push them with the matching P5000 amp. They have served me VERY well. I love them but the 115's weigh 61 pounds a piece. The 215's are a whopping 101 pounds each! I wouldn't want to have to hoist those up on stands!

If these are for your house, unless you have a HUGE room I would say the 215's are WAY overkill. They would be too big for most bars that I play, unless you were installing them on a permanent basis. In my humble opinion, you would be better served getting the 115's and supplementing with a sub (SW118) in the future...if you even need one.

Well you have nothing between the mixer & the G2 speakers. Might consider a nice eq like a dbx 231, maybe a BBE sonic maximizer or better yet, the dbx Driverack PX - desigined for powered speakers which is like having 8 processors in one. The G2's can sound very nice with a proper signal, also consier adding a sub to them as well. Passive system may or may not sound any better without that kind of processing by the way.
Given that, I would stay away from dual 15" cabinets, very limited to where you can actually use them since you want your speakers higher than the crowd - usually about 6-8 feet up (although just recalled you stating home use only - if your G2's are on the floor could be another reason they should be up higher as well). Can't do that with the dual 15" cabs, unless you have a high stage or are putting them on other boxes to get them higher. Much better off choosing the S115V - single 15" cab.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

First off, I've never liked the JBL EON's, I've owned and used both the original generation and the G2's and the plastic cabinets simply suck. To be totally honest with you, the only plastic cabinet speakers I've seen that I like are the Mackies and the EV's. If you're going to look at new speakers, birch cabinets are definitely the way to go.

I also agree with Lonman, the dual 15 cabinets are only really useful in very specific applications and I'd recommend you stay way as well. People make the mistake all the time (especially crappy DJ's who don't know their butt from a hole in the wall) of thinking that these things were made to sit on the floor like regular stereo speakers. They're not. Those horns need to be just above people's heads. If you stand them on the floor, they blast right into people's faces making for very harsh, almost ear piercing, tone in the near field and no highs at all 10 feet out from the cabinet (all the high frequency gets absorbed by the bodies in front of them). If you're looking at passive speakers good for you, but I'd recommend a regular 2-way 12" or 15" plus horn in a birch cabinet.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Well, see now that's why i come here.So much great advice and good people.I still may not know my butt from a hole in the wall but i know where to go for great sound advice and tips and i really appreciate all the help!
Okay,toning it down on the 215's.I think i would still like to stick with the passive route.I have the old yamaha br 15's from my old system still stored away,maybe i can dig those out for a test drive before i lay out more cash for speakers.
The stuff in between,Lonman,i wasn't familiar with,so i have been trying to read up and gather info on the BBE 362 Sonic Maximizer,rethinking my amp also from the QSC GX5 Stereo Power Amplifier to maybe the Yamaha P5000S Dual Channel Power Amp.

If you want good bass output, you will be much happier with a sub + top solution than with most 2x15 cabinets. Also, as others have mentioned, it is much easier to mount a small 12" or 15" top cabinet on a pole than it is to lift a heavy 2x15 cabinet onto a box or a stand. And 2x15s on tripod poles are not a good idea.

Next year I am going to replace one of my 2x15 + 1x18 setups with a better-quality 1x12 and a pole between the sub and the top speaker. This should be lighter, easier to setup, and better quality. The 1x12 I want is the JBL MRX512m, which you can buy for about $525 - $550 each if you tell a dealer you won't pay more than that. I will probably keep my current 1x18s for a while but eventually I want some SRX718S subs to replace my existing ones.

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Jeff Wheeler, moonlight DJ/KJ

Even the Sonic Maximizer now could be all you need, alot cheaper than replacing out the entire system & if you still feel you need to change out, it can still be incorporated into the passive system as well. Again, if they are on the floor, try raising them up higher as well.
The P5000S is a nice amp, although the GX5 is a great amp for the price which will still push ample power to something like the S115V or more than enough for your BR15's and still sound great in a home setting.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Ok Lon thanks,yes they are up off the floor on stands.I just ordered a
BBE 882I Sonic Maximizer off ebay for 145 dollars nib with 6yr warranty,sounds like either way i go this is going to be a must have and it is a start.

the sonic maximizer really helps. they have a "defeat" button on it, so you can hear how much difference it makes. any time i press it i think "my system sounded better than that before i bought it, didn't it?" then i hope they really have some filters or something in there to make it sound worse than natural if you press that button. I do know I was doing a show right after i bought it, the guitar player in the band says something to me on break about "those don't really do anything do they?" I pressed the defeat button and the bass player says "DON"T do that again" guitar player says "ooh I guess it does"

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the voices arent real, but they have some good ideas

It seems your current set up would produce a great sound for home use? Adding a maximizer and eq as suggested would help... But I suggest tearing down and just starting from scratch ... How is the sound card in the LAPTOP? Maybe re EQ your mixer ? take the 266 out of the chain and see what it sound like . The speaker themselves have EQ setting too ???? Get them off the floor and move them around the room a little. All these won't cost you a penny and may solve your problems.