PA Speakers Help Pair - $1000??

[Mylestec]

Hmm.. This thread could really go on and on and on... so why not add my .02c??

All good comments above.. keep in mind that if you're going to be playing outside you will not have a room to capture the sound... thus if you're looking for 'loud' music that you can feel... you really need to be looking at Sound Pressure Level (SPL) output and frequency response. Dispersion patterns matter as well, but within the stated price-range.. all prospects that I'm aware of are similar in that aspect. The Thumps produce considerably less SPL output than do most other speaks noted above...also... just having a larger woofer doesn't really mean anything if the architecture of the speak can't really move that mass of air.... which is the case with the thumps. I've noted this elsewhere... but I really like the way FBT's sound.... they are more expensive new than the stated budget... but I've seen and used second hand versions indoors in small and very large rooms and have not been disappointed. I feel they have a good balance between SPL, frequency response, and dispersion pattern.... For me.. if I had the subject set of needs and I could find a second hand pair of these that I could listen to.... I'd most likely pick 'em up.

[soundinmotiondj]

And it is much more heavily affected by driver diameter, speaker cabinet size, driver efficiency, and things like horn loading, than how many watts are going through any particular system....

Your list is good...but in reverse order. When evaluating a speaker system, I look at:

Cabinet design (e.g. direct radiating, horn loaded, line source)
System efficiency (e.g. SPL @ 1w@1m)
Cabinet size (mostly in terms of pack space & weight)

Driver diameter is a hard one. Most people live under the false assumption that "bigger is better". In general the smaller the driver, the better the articulation, the wider the dispersion, and the better overall clarity. That said, when it comes to low(er) frequencies there is no replacement for displacement.

18" subs do have a place...but mostly it is in permanent installs. Most 18" loaded cabinets are 1-3dB louder than "equivalent" 15" cabinets...at the cost of being 25% larger and 33% heavier. Power handling is roughly the same, and so is extension. That's not a trade I am willing to make when those speakers need to be loaded in/out more than once in a lifetime.

Even so, for mobile DJ work, I think that 10" or 12" tops and 15" subs are the best overall compromise for mobile work. 10" or 12" tops can generally be used stand alone for light background music or wedding ceremonies. With subs, most commercial 15" loaded cabinets are proportionally larger than 18" cabinets.

Once you enter the insanity of DnB sound reinforcement, large stacks of subs are the rule not the exception. There is no single cabinet with any driver that can handle DnB content once the venue size gets above "house party"...well maybe the Labsub (which is recommended to be used in increments of four cabinets) or maybe the BFM Tuba 60 (which is also recommended in increments of four and up).

The key to remember is that there is no "secret sauce" that makes any one speaker much better than another...in the same price point. But, there is a LOT of "snake oil" at all levels of pro audio. If one speaker were much better than another, the marketing and sales department would be the first in line to raise the price.

I do feel bad for people who can not afford to spend $3000-$5000 on a system. The entry level gear has a lot of crap, and when combined with mis-information, there is an enormous ability to waste money. It is possible to put together a reliable, robust PA system for $2k that will provide years of useful service - but that is hard to do given the dogma that typically goes on.

[JonathanBlake]

Wrong.
the Wharfedales are 420RMS for each monitors.
Thats 840rms combined in monitors.

Thank you for clarifying exo - that's why I went with them. Other than of course the best warranty, their build quality and the fact that they sound so damn good.

[Eleagnus]

I've just plonked down a chunk of cash on a pair of RCF Art 312A's. I've not yet heard them in person but they are highly recommended by various places on the internet and the online DJ shop I bought them from.

They used to be ~$700 each, then RCF introduced its 4-series, now you can find them for $450-500 each.

I have heard SRM450's, which I thought were pretty nice, and these are said to be better in every way (RCF made the srm450v1's, but not the v2's).

[exokinetic]

Your list is good...but in reverse order. When evaluating a speaker system, I look at:

Cabinet design (e.g. direct radiating, horn loaded, line source)
System efficiency (e.g. SPL @ 1w@1m)
Cabinet size (mostly in terms of pack space & weight)

Driver diameter is a hard one. Most people live under the false assumption that "bigger is better". In general the smaller the driver, the better the articulation, the wider the dispersion, and the better overall clarity. That said, when it comes to low(er) frequencies there is no replacement for displacement.

18" subs do have a place...but mostly it is in permanent installs. Most 18" loaded cabinets are 1-3dB louder than "equivalent" 15" cabinets...at the cost of being 25% larger and 33% heavier. Power handling is roughly the same, and so is extension. That's not a trade I am willing to make when those speakers need to be loaded in/out more than once in a lifetime.

Even so, for mobile DJ work, I think that 10" or 12" tops and 15" subs are the best overall compromise for mobile work. 10" or 12" tops can generally be used stand alone for light background music or wedding ceremonies. With subs, most commercial 15" loaded cabinets are proportionally larger than 18" cabinets.

Once you enter the insanity of DnB sound reinforcement, large stacks of subs are the rule not the exception. There is no single cabinet with any driver that can handle DnB content once the venue size gets above "house party"...well maybe the Labsub (which is recommended to be used in increments of four cabinets) or maybe the BFM Tuba 60 (which is also recommended in increments of four and up).

The key to remember is that there is no "secret sauce" that makes any one speaker much better than another...in the same price point. But, there is a LOT of "snake oil" at all levels of pro audio. If one speaker were much better than another, the marketing and sales department would be the first in line to raise the price.

I do feel bad for people who can not afford to spend $3000-$5000 on a system. The entry level gear has a lot of crap, and when combined with mis-information, there is an enormous ability to waste money. It is possible to put together a reliable, robust PA system for $2k that will provide years of useful service - but that is hard to do given the dogma that typically goes on.

Very well said, and something anyone looking to purchase PA equipment would do well to take to heart.