Im lookin for a woofer that will be powerful enough to fill most average bars with bass. Obviously cubic ft will come into play but i wont be playing at large clubs. I want the people to know its there not just barely be able to fill a room. Theres 18" and 15". how many watts would be sufficient to get the job done and have extra to play with.
This is a noob question. Im not looking for that perfect sub power from anyone just a general watt and speaker size some of you use for medium to large bars.
We use a 10" B&W active sub. For anything more than 50 ppl, you would need to look at a 600Wrms+ 15-18"
It all depends on the venue really. And remember bodies absorb sound
I have used 2 or 4 DB Technologies Opera Sub 15s depending on the venue, I did a 120-150 wedding last Friday in a hotel room and used 2 which was ample without thrashing anything, probably only half volume. Before that I did a 150+ dinner dance in a marquee and because it was basically an open arena (being in a marquee on a rugby pitch) and would lose more sound I used all 4, but we had the council round at 12:30am asking me to cut the volume as they could hear it 2 roads away, specifically the bass.. so maybe that was overkill… The subs are heavy, but simple to setup and do the job. Short answer: one or two active 15s would likely be fine.
Buy the best you can afford as the difference between 15 and 18 inch woofers and there wattage is less important as the quality of the speaker and amp combo but I would have thought that one or two 15 active speakers would be plenty.
This seems lower end but a good price for what you get and is within my price range of 200-500 (aproximately) . Im unsure of a class D amplifier though.
If budget isn’t too contrictive, go QSC. They have one of the best performing speakers in it’s class (only matched by a certain JBL line which I can’t recall), but what puts them over the top is their warranty. 6 years, and when you are dealing with mobile equipment, that’s a HUGE bonus since anything can happen.
budget is constrictive i need something to get me by until money is flowing 500 bucks is the budget with some play thats why i was looking at the behringer but i see a ton of used ones for sale that need repair on musicians friend and guitar center. Im guessing they are either a popular sub or they arent that durable.
Get what you pay for. Around these parts, there tends to be a more positive view of Behringer. Personally, I don’t like them due to their legacy of awful reliability. Think about saving up for QSC or that JBL. It may take longer, but you’ll be VERY happy you waited.
Most 15" and 18" subs will “barely fill the room” unless you spend at least 1K per driver. Something like a single KW181 or PRX718 is a start. Anything cheaper than that and you are really just wasting your time and your money when you decide to upgrade later.
If they like their music loud with some prominent bass, you’re looking at at least 2 decent 18" subs off 2-4KW, corner loaded.
You can build a tuned 40Hz-60Hz sub (or anywhere in between) which will not only FILL a room but potentially damage the pointing (mortar between the bricks) which runs off a pair of £15 eBay drivers (those Skytec “Kevlar” ones). It’s called a tapped horn sub, Google away and be astonished.
I’ve got my own PA gear and I’d say def go with 18" or bigger. My PA speakers have 15" in them as it is. You can always turn the bass down, but you cant magic it up if you require more and you only have 15"!
