Mackies everytime?

[Mark Wild]

Budget £700, active speakers. Looks like its going to be the Mackie SRM 450's V1, I've also been looking at the RCF Art 300's. Theres a lot of choices out there really, but the Mackies seem to come up trumps from most of the research I've done. So lets say thats your £700, what pair of actives would you buy? Try to spend as close to £700 as possible though and nothing over. This is my last piece of research before I melt the plastic. Thanks guys

Mark

[Jiggles]

For an extra £70 The V2s http://www.mercury-av.com/sales/mackie-srm450-v2-pa-speaker-clearance-price-3100-0.html

Lighter than the V1s and run cool :D No fried eggs :p

[Dynamic Entertainment]

RCF every time now. Ther run so cold. One of the guys i pass work to has Mackies, and he was saying that hes replacing them with RCF.

[501damian501]

RCF'S any day, BUT after going out with a forum member afew times with his mackies, we,ve had no problems, BUT i still need to take suntan lotion with me and we're always warm on the way home... ::p :p

[Tom]

There will always be a debate against Mackie and RCF.

I run the Mackie SRM 450 V2's.

The best thing to do is hear them side by side. There is no point buying a pair of speakers that you have not heard before as you ay spend a lot of money and not like them.

[501damian501]

[QUOTE=Tom;323288]There will always be a debate against Mackie and RCF. QUOTE]

very true tom

[Mark Wild]

Anyone seen these before? https://www.satsol.co.uk/impact/imsecure/ProductInfo/J01902/J01902.pdf

[Twinspin]

RCF get my vote as well but then it depends what type of sound you like. Mackie and RCF sound different i think. But with the Mackie i found the Mackies too toppy with not enough mid range.

This is where the RCF's are fantastic. Ive used RCF now for over a year and tbh i cant see myself changing to anything else. The sound that comes out of those is lovely and they will go loud.

Only thing is the RCF's start at £850 a pair for the 310a and the 12" 312a £1200 a lot more expensive than budget. But rest assured you are getting RCF quality.

Within budget for speakers. I would have a good look at DB Technologies Opera 602 they are similar to RCF and again they sound better than the Mackies.

But Mackie are good speakers but personally those two makes are better.

If its a 3 box PA your after. Have a look at a HK Audio Lucas they are good systems can pick one up on ebay for about £650 ish on ebay secondhand. But they cost well over a grand new.

[Mark Wild]

I can get a pair of Art 300's Ex-Display for £550 seems like a good deal.

[pagan_flame]

Mackies every time.

I'm nearly at 2 years now with a pair of V1's, no problems whatsoever, no overheating and they sound excellent with a pretty much flat EQ.

Used and recommended. No plans to change. :D

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

For an extra £70 The V2s http://www.mercury-av.com/sales/mackie-srm450-v2-pa-speaker-clearance-price-3100-0.html

Lighter than the V1s and run cool :D No fried eggs :p

Extra £70? Did you take maths at school? :p

£448 x 2 = £896.00

£896 - £700 = £196, not £70!

[spin mobile disco]

The DB range of actives are pretty good and run cold as well.

[Excalibur]

Right, I've taken a tablet, so reckon I'll be serious for about as long as it takes me to type this. :D
No idea about budget, all I will say is you MUST hear what you want before you buy it. Don't buy on recommendation. That's a bad idea.

As for hot Mackies, it's long been my opinion that there was something amiss in a batch. I have seen elsewhere a theory which fits this premise exactly. Apparently, a batch had a safety component set too low, and they weren't actually any hotter than any other, it's just that the safety device was cutting in too early. This also explains why some folk never managed to overheat theirs, since they were set correctly.
The cabs I use have a sound which suits me. Make sure the ones you get suit you.

[1st Choice Karaoke]

I bought a pair of the v2 mackies la few months ago, was a toss up between JBL eons, rcfs or MAckies, i heard all 3 side by side in the store and went for the mackies, they were clearer and had more thump in my opinion. They run cool and are really light for the size. The v1's were good too, but just too heavy for my liking, (as my missus has to use them sometimes & i'm a wimp ;-) )

[Jiggles]

Extra £70? Did you take maths at school? :p

£448 x 2 = £896.00

£896 - £700 = £196, not £70!

Sorry forgot to add VAT. woops :D

[Dynamic Entertainment]

Sorry forgot to add VAT. woops :D

Any excuse :D:D

[Jiggles]

Shadup :P

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

And that still doesn't add up anyway genius....:sj:

[Jiggles]

Missed off the VAT and £9. I'll book the taxi then?

[Dynamic Entertainment]

Missed off the VAT and £9. I'll book the taxi then?

I need a good accountant........ :D

[Mark Wild]

:ontopic:

[Cj_The_Dj]

iv been told these are good and a nice price

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mobile-Disco-DJ-Karaoke-Equipment-400w-Active-Speakers_W0QQitemZ290302424296QQcmdZViewItemQQptZU K_ConElec_SpeakersPASystems_RL?hash=item2903024242 96&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1690%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318

a couple of people on this forum use them.

[CRAZY K]

Right, I've taken a tablet, so reckon I'll be serious for about as long as it takes me to type this. :D
No idea about budget, all I will say is you MUST hear what you want before you buy it. Don't buy on recommendation. That's a bad idea.

As for hot Mackies, it's long been my opinion that there was something amiss in a batch. I have seen elsewhere a theory which fits this premise exactly. Apparently, a batch had a safety component set too low, and they weren't actually any hotter than any other, it's just that the safety device was cutting in too early. This also explains why some folk never managed to overheat theirs, since they were set correctly.
The cabs I use have a sound which suits me. Make sure the ones you get suit you.

I have an additional bit of information on reliability.

I was in the Disco shop last week waiting for my kit after the annual PAT.

A rather unhappy looking DJ marched into the shop and said--whats happening about my Mackie Speaker? (Early active model)

Good news--bad news was the answer.

Good news--found the problem, component failure and driver needs replacing

Bad news--waiting for a delivery of parts.

Engineer confirmed poor design meant components over heated and took out driver in the process, they can fit new components which will overcome the problem in future ( so they said)

I know various people on here have used Mackie without problems but as Peter says it probably depends on your luck as to whether you get a problem.

Sound wise I have used some supplied by one of Darrens DJs and that sounded fine with a sub, for louder gigs I would recommend a sub definitely.

I have also worked on RCF and they were brilliant.

CRAZY K

[Twinspin]

Its a shame you wasnt nearer to Hull Mark on 27th March we are having a meetup night with a few djs from yorkshire lincs and also anyone else that wants to come through.

I will be using my RCFs that night in a disco situation as well as Peters Class D's been used also by Peter.

[Mark Wild]

Its a shame you wasnt nearer to Hull Mark on 27th March we are having a meetup night with a few djs from yorkshire lincs and also anyone else that wants to come through.

I will be using my RCFs that night in a disco situation as well as Peters Class D's been used also by Peter.

Yeah that would have been ideal mate

[flatliners]

well i am with alot of people on here rcf my 310a are a great speaker

[Jiggles]

Mackies for me soon :D

[Bouncy Dancefloor]

id recommend the W Audio PSR 12A's

side by side, they sound the same IMO

looking at the stats, they are the same volume (DB)

price? around 400 for a pair including custom bags!!!!
I now have 2 pairs which are used for Disco and Karaoke work on 2 different shows


oh, on that ebay auction, it doesnt say whether they are the 12's or the 15's, ive not heard anything bad about the 15's, but everyone raves about the 12's

[Mark Wild]

id recommend the W Audio PSR 12A's

side by side, they sound the same IMO

looking at the stats, they are the same volume (DB)

price? around 400 for a pair including custom bags!!!!
I now have 2 pairs which are used for Disco and Karaoke work on 2 different shows


oh, on that ebay auction, it doesnt say whether they are the 12's or the 15's, ive not heard anything bad about the 15's, but everyone raves about the 12's

Interesting, have you heard the Mackie SRM 450's in action? Did you buy the W Audio due to budget or because you were imnpressed with them in comparison to cabs like Mackie & RCF? I'm all for saving a few quid :D
I plan on getting a listen to some various options in the next few days.

[Bouncy Dancefloor]

yeah i used to work in a DJ shop, so was able to do a side by side on many occasions, including out on the road (borrowed some hehe)

also, i dont believe the "dodgy batch" of mackies story, the DJ shop didnt sell that many yet returned about 20 pairs of them all with the same fault. The Amplifier running the bass would fail and just cause a farting noise, occasionally taking out the bass driver too. One guy is on his 4th pair of them now, due to repeated failures. These are all different deliveries spread over about a year

i didnt look at the RCF's, as they were a bit pricey for what i wanted. So i compared the mackies and the W Audio's. Mackie had alot of negatives, the main one being reliability, the 2nd one was they were more expensive. I couldnt find any negatives for the W Audios, infact i couldnt tell any sound difference between them

[Excalibur]

also, i dont believe the "dodgy batch" of mackies story, the DJ shop didnt sell that many yet returned about 20 pairs of them all with the same fault. The Amplifier running the bass would fail and just cause a farting noise, occasionally taking out the bass driver too. One guy is on his 4th pair of them now, due to repeated failures. These are all different deliveries spread over about a year

Ah, but that's not the scenario I was referring to. I was on about them simply cutting out temporarily due to what looks like overheating, but is in fact a wrongly set component.
I have no info at all on them self destructing. :(

[ultrasound disco]

I'm a bose man myself.
On topic' of overheating and failure there is always the variable of the clueless DJ, the tone deaf DJ, not giving a toss cause they aint mine DJ, and trying not to say it...ok..."idiot DJ".
The mackies can easily be over driven from the mixer/pre-amp etc. and distortion kills every time.
I do and I'm sure most of you know someone from the list above...lol

[Tom]

The mackies can easily be over driven from the mixer/pre-amp etc. and distortion kills every time.
I do and I'm sure most of you know someone from the list above...lol

That's odd because mine have never clipped how ever hard I push them.


You can overdrive any active speaker or amp. This is why it's good pratice to keep the output of the mixer at 0db and let the amps take care of the power.


Never had a problem with any of my speakers.

[DeckstarDeluxe]

in all fairness when i was buying my first set of speakers i never entertained getting mackies because there is no escaping the fact soooo many people have had proplems with them.

[Penfold42]

BUT after going out with a forum member afew times with his mackies, we,ve had no problems, BUT i still need to take suntan lotion with me and we're always warm on the way home... ::p :p

You saucy git.....:D :D :D :D

Never had a problem with the Mackies and the sound is superb....but I've heard the RCF's as well and they are good as well.

Horses for courses....:)

[501damian501]

You saucy git.....:D :D :D :D

Never had a problem with the Mackies and the sound is superb....but I've heard the RCF's as well and they are good as well.

Horses for courses....:)

hahahaha :D , back are we now lol

[CRAZY K]

Ah, but that's not the scenario I was referring to. I was on about them simply cutting out temporarily due to what looks like overheating, but is in fact a wrongly set component.
I have no info at all on them self destructing. :(

Post 23 will tell you Peter.

regards

Alan
CRAZY K

[Mark Wild]

Grabbed a listen to a pair of dB Technologies Opera Live 405 Active today, must admit I was very impressed.

[Twinspin]

DB Technologies sound are very similar to the RCF i think.

I would have a listen to the RCF's and the Mackies as well. That way whatever you choose its based on something you like the sound quality of best.

[CRAZY K]

Grabbed a listen to a pair of dB Technologies Opera Live 405 Active today, must admit I was very impressed.

Be careful its not in studio conditions--

Out there on the road its a different world--

It might sound great in the Disco shop :eek:

But!

CRAZY K

[Shaun]

Don't get me started on the Mackies. I still use them, I still like the sound of them, but they're still my biggest purchasing regret to date.

I feel a Cher song coming on.......

"If I could turn back time"

[Bouncy Dancefloor]

shoop shoop song? Is that you outside "shoop"ing with a mackie in your hands trying to cool it down? :p

[Shaun]

<groan> :d

[Mark Wild]

Don't get me started on the Mackies. I still use them, I still like the sound of them, but they're still my biggest purchasing regret to date.

I feel a Cher song coming on.......

"If I could turn back time"


And "If I could turn back time", what would you buy?

[Corabar Steve]

Class D :sj:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Class D :sj:


<groan> :d
:D

[Shaun]

And "If I could turn back time", what would you buy?

Probably RCF. I heard them at a party recently and was impressed with the sound. Then again, I'm happy with the sound of the Mackies, but they've been less than reliable for me.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Probably RCF.

<Awaits the arrival of Twinspin> :p

[Jiggles]

Got my Mackies yesterday and I can say is WOW! I'm in love with them :D Just a hiss to find and sort and thats me happy :d

[Mark Wild]

Got my Mackies yesterday and I can say is WOW! I'm in love with them :D Just a hiss to find and sort and thats me happy :d


At 16 I bought a Yamaha DT50MX lol, how things change. What did you pay for them Callum if you don't mind me asking. Brand new? V1's or 2's. I know I just missed 2 V2's in Mackie bags go for £750 on ebay damnit. Pickup in Scotland too.

[Jiggles]

Big change from back then :D V1s from Why Buy new! http://www.whybuynew.co.uk/Mackie-SRM450-Active-Speakers.html They are new! Mines have no scratches they even had the stickers on the grill!

[Penfold42]

Enjoy them Callum.....and well done. :)

[501damian501]

ADMIN NOTE:U is NOT shorthand for YOU

[Penfold42]

enjoy the heat in the motor on the way home from your gigs ;)

:p :D

[Jiggles]

After having them for three days heres what I can say.

I cant get them to clip!
The bass is something else:eek:
The heat isn't an issue there warm but not hot (this is after 4 hours of use)!
I need some long IEC leads. :D

[Excalibur]

After having them for three days heres what I can say.
Anybody wanna buy a pair of Mackies?


I cant get them to clip!
Turn 'em on then.


The bass is something else:eek:
You can get bass out of them? :confused: Ah they must have fitted Class D drivers. ;)


The heat isn't an issue there warm but not hot (this is after 4 hours of use)!
Callum, like I said, turn 'em on!


I need some long IEC leads. :D
And some even longer XLR'S.

[Jiggles]

Anybody wanna buy a pair of Mackies?
Shadup! :D



You can get bass out of them? :confused: Ah they must have fitted Class D drivers. ;)

Na none of that rubbish :D


Turn 'em on then.

Callum, like I said, turn 'em on!


They are on! :p

And some even longer XLR'S.

10M sound good :P

[Excalibur]

Right, since I've got to go and work soon, I'd better be sensible.

Callum, glad you like the Mackies, hope they work well for you mate. :D

[Jiggles]

Right, since I've got to go and work soon, I'd better be sensible.

Callum, glad you like the Mackies, hope they work well for you mate. :D

You feeling ok? Or was that £150 over spend too much for you. :D

[Mark Wild]

Oi ! Get off my land. lol

Sweet as you like them Callum. I'm still in turmoil until I get a listen to some.

[Jiggles]

Care for a drive down :D

[Tom]

After having them for three days heres what I can say.

I cant get them to clip!
The bass is something else:eek:
The heat isn't an issue there warm but not hot (this is after 4 hours of use)!
I need some long IEC leads. :D


Good to see another Mackie user. :)


Also, to get an even more better sound out of them, wack an EQ and dip a few db out of the 3.14khz I think. That will reduce some of the harshness. It does on the V2's but not to sure on the V1. :)

[Mark Wild]

Managed to get 2 Mackie SRM 450 V1's with RCF drivers in mint condition with genuine Mackie bags for £550 (pick them up on Thursday) and a Mackie DFX 6 Mixer for £68 (fleabay bnib). Also bought 2 of these just incase. :p

[Cj_The_Dj]

they might not sound that good as the mackie cabs was designed around the mackie driver! other people may go in to more details.

[Jiggles]

The RFC driver versions were the first ever ones that were made! They then went onto the chinese drivers.

[Mark Wild]

The RFC driver versions were the first ever ones that were made! They then went onto the chinese drivers.

Indeed, didn't the components go from Italian to Chinese too?

[Jiggles]

yep they were made in Italy then they moved to China! Typical!

[Penfold42]

Managed to get 2 Mackie SRM 450 V1's with RCF drivers in mint condition with genuine Mackie bags for £550 (pick them up on Thursday) and a Mackie DFX 6 Mixer for £68 (fleabay bnib). Also bought 2 of these just incase. :p

Oh ye of little faith......:p :D

[Mark Wild]

Oh ye of little faith......:p :D

:lol:

[Mark Wild]

Picked up the SRM 450's today, ordered 4x10m iec cables too which arrived today, they're 13 amp plug and fuse. Is that O.k? When the guy who I bought them from tested the mackies for me he said "Theres 2 power cables for you there too and I've made sure they're 5amp" This confused me as I know sweet fa about ampage. Do I just need to replace the plugs fuses or what? Thanks in advance. Mark

[Jiggles]

the 13A ones will be fine.

[Mark Wild]

the 13A ones will be fine.

That an educated guess? Or just because that's what your using? lol

[Jiggles]

Yep. Thats what im using. The fuse in the plug is only protecting the cable.

[Tom]

Picked up the SRM 450's today, ordered 4x10m iec cables too which arrived today, they're 13 amp plug and fuse. Is that O.k? When the guy who I bought them from tested the mackies for me he said "Theres 2 power cables for you there too and I've made sure they're 5amp" This confused me as I know sweet fa about ampage. Do I just need to replace the plugs fuses or what? Thanks in advance. Mark

I would go with a 5amp fuse.

Both the V1 and V2 both have an input of 1.25 amps.

The original power cables that came with my V2's contain a 5 amp fuse, so that will be the same for the V1. :)

[Tom]

Yep. Thats what im using. The fuse in the plug is only protecting the cable.

Wrong.

The fuse is to protect the active speaker, not the cable.

If there is an electrical surge from the wall outlet, then the fuse will blow and cut the connection.

Also if there is a problem with the amp, and send a high current back down the power cable, the fuse will then blow aswell.

If I am correct, the cable is ok up to 13 amps, not the equipment.

[Jiggles]

So there no internal fuse :eek:

[Mark Wild]

I would go with a 5amp fuse.

Both the V1 and V2 both have an input of 1.25 amps.

The original power cables that came with my V2's contain a 5 amp fuse, so that will be the same for the V1. :)

Nice one Tom :)

[Tom]

So there no internal fuse :eek:

From looking at the schematics, there is one 3.5amp fuse on the power supply.

I would rather the external 5amp fuse then blow the one inside which could cause more damage and could be costly to repair.

Using a 13amp fuse could be dangerous.

What happens if there was a surge that was under 13 amps but more than 3.5amps on the power supply? The 13amp fused power lead will allow the current to flow and could then blow the fuse in the power supply and even melt cables due to the high current.

This is the reason why you use the correct fuse and not 13amp fuses for everything.

[Excalibur]

Ah yes, the old chestnut "the mains fuse only protects the cable " rides again. Now I'm not an electronics engineer ( you can never find one on here when you want one, can you? ;) ;) :D :D ) but as far as I understand, I'm with Callum on this. The mains fuse is way too coarse to protect delicate electronics from harm. Pound to a penny there's a fast blow fuse protecting the delicate internals. Personally, I'm not keen on having mains cables with varying fuse sizes. Less chance of plugging a small fuse cable into a 3Kw lighting fixture.
However, I do agree that if your cable is a light duty one, then 13A fuse is indeed too big, and potentially dangerous. Hope that helps, and isn't too controversial.

[Tom]

I'm sorry but who knows best, Callum or Mackie???

I would go with Mackie.

If Mackie put a 3.5 amp fuse on the power supply and a 5amp fuse in the power cable, why would you want to stick a 13amp fuse in there instead of what Mackie has designed the system to take.

That defeats the object of the exercise.

Its like you buy a new TV. It would come with a 13amp fuse. Why not take that out and stick a 40amp fuse. If you do that then you risk the risk of blowing up the house, huge risk of fire, and possibly others around you also.

Sometimes I wish I never bother spending £8000 to learn to become an electrician. :bang:

[Mark Wild]

I'm sorry but who knows best, Callum or Mackie???

I would go with Mackie.

If Mackie put a 3.5 amp fuse on the power supply and a 5amp fuse in the power cable, why would you want to stick a 13amp fuse in there instead of what Mackie has designed the system to take.

That defeats the object of the exercise.

Its like you buy a new TV. It would come with a 13amp fuse. Why not take that out and stick a 40amp fuse. If you do that then you risk the risk of blowing up the house, huge risk of fire, and possibly others around you also.

Sometimes I wish I never bother spending £8000 to learn to become an electrician. :bang:

I'll go with Mackie, no offence Callum but your answer seemed somewhat off the cuff anyway mate.


the 13A ones will be fine.

[Jiggles]

Ill just stick to the cables i got with my Mackies then! 13A ones.

[Tom]

Ill just stick to the cables i go with my Mackies then! 13A ones.

They will not be the original cables.

You got yours second hand from Why buy new???

I bought an eletrical item from Why Buy New and they did not supply the original power cable. They bunged in a 13amp fused IEC cables.

I have changed the fuse to which the manual states.

[Jiggles]

I got them in the original boxes. One was actually new it had never been opened.

[Excalibur]

I'm sorry but who knows best, Callum or Mackie???

I would go with Mackie.

If Mackie put a 3.5 amp fuse on the power supply and a 5amp fuse in the power cable, why would you want to stick a 13amp fuse in there instead of what Mackie has designed the system to take.

That defeats the object of the exercise.

Its like you buy a new TV. It would come with a 13amp fuse. Why not take that out and stick a 40amp fuse. If you do that then you risk the risk of blowing up the house, huge risk of fire, and possibly others around you also.

Sometimes I wish I never bother spending £8000 to learn to become an electrician. :bang:
I just knew this would happen. :( Usually does.

Tom, with your TV example, that's cos the cable into the TV isn't rated to 40 amps. Basically one would hope that whatever cable is fitted to an appliance or cable, the fuse fitted in the plug matches it. It's no good buying a bedside lamp fitted with 2amp cable,a 3amp fuse and then replacing the fuse with a 13amp one.
As long as the fuse at each point is not rated higher than the cable fitted, whatever is the lowest rating fuse will blow first.
If the fuse in the Mackie is 3.5amps, how do you expect to run 13amps through it and melt something?

[Tom]

I got them in the original boxes. One was actually new it had never been opened.


I got my item in the original box also with manual ect.

Just a different power cable.

Some people these days can be very good at re-packaging stuff.

Your power cables should have a 5amp fuse. If you want to use a 13amp fuse then you do that. It's your speakers and amps that go bang, not mine.

I am only stating the facts.

[Tom]

I just knew this would happen. :( Usually does.

Tom, with your TV example, that's cos the cable into the TV isn't rated to 40 amps. Basically one would hope that whatever cable is fitted to an appliance or cable, the fuse fitted in the plug matches it. It's no good buying a bedside lamp fitted with 2amp cable,a 3amp fuse and then replacing the fuse with a 13amp one.
As long as the fuse at each point is not rated higher than the cable fitted, whatever is the lowest rating fuse will blow first.
If the fuse in the Mackie is 3.5amps, how do you expect to run 13amps through it and melt something?

Ok, I understand what you are saying, but why do Mackie only fit a 5amp fuse on the power lead then???

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Sometimes I wish I never bother spending £8000 to learn to become an electrician. :bang:

Have you already qualified Tom?

[Excalibur]

Ok, I understand what you are saying, but why do Mackie only fit a 5amp fuse on the power lead then???

Awkwardness? :confused: :D :D
Seriously, this is a regular one when PAT testing comes around. Some sparkies will replace fuses with smaller ones in certain equipment. ( And many owners then undo that work as soon as they've gone :D :D ) Don't ask for a link, but I've seen this one more than once before. ;) ;)

[Excalibur]

Sorry for dual post, but first search up found this. I'm still reading it.
http://www.k0bg.com/protection.html

Mackie's own info. I find no fuse sizes suggested, but have a look at page 12.
http://www.mackie.com/pdf/srm450_om.pdf

[Tom]

Have you already qualified Tom?

No, but I am still learning.

I may not know everything but I would rather go by what the manufacturer says.

The course I am learning is to become a professional and qualified electrician. This is way more advanced than what they teach at school.

You don't see school teaching school kids how to wire up a three phase plug or even how to wire up a house for example.

If people want to use incorrect fuses then its their equipment they are risking. Not my problem is people don't want to take my advice.


Sorry for dual post, but first search up found this. I'm still reading it.
http://www.k0bg.com/protection.html


Just had a loo at that link.


One, often asked question is; if the radio draws just 20 amps peak, why not use a 20 amp fuse instead? Here's why. Subjecting any given fuse to instantaneous loads close to their current rating will eventually cause them to fail. Depending on the load characteristics (steady or varying), fuses are sized from 25% to 50% larger than their impressed loads. It is important to remember that a fuse protects the circuit by melting the fuse element.

This is how I see it.

The unit draws 1.25 amps. The power supply has a 3.5amp fuse which then protect the input supply. The 5amp fuse would them protect the 3.5 amp fuse. If you stick a 13amp fuse, more current can transfer and possibly blow the 3.5amp fuse in the power supply, which means new transformer and possibly more damage also.

There is a reason why Mackie use a 5amp fuse.

[Tom]

Mackie's own info. I find no fuse sizes suggested, but have a look at page 12.
http://www.mackie.com/pdf/srm450_om.pdf

I have been following my manual all the way.

If the load under normal conditions is under 1 amp, why do you need a 13amp fuse to protect it when the equipment was designed to be used with a 5amp fuse???

[Excalibur]

No, but I am still learning.

I may not know everything but I would rather go by what the manufacturer says.
This is how I see it.

The unit draws 1.25 amps. The power supply has a 3.5amp fuse which then protect the input supply. The 5amp fuse would them protect the 3.5 amp fuse. If you stick a 13amp fuse, more current can transfer and possibly blow the 3.5amp fuse in the power supply, which means new transformer and possibly more damage also.

There is a reason why Mackie use a 5amp fuse.

Ah, now I see. The 5amp fuse blows before the 3.5amp fuse, thus merely cutting off the power to the unit before any damage occurs. :D

[DeckstarDeluxe]

either way they're gonna blow up ;)

sorry couldnt resist :D

[Excalibur]

More reading material. A couple of the lads on here are Sparkies.

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/lofiversion/index.php/t23714.html

[Shaun]

Well, another Mackie speaker failed on me last night. I had a 450 and a 1501 in for repair in December. 4 months later the 1501 has failed on me AGAIN. I've been extremely careful not to run it very hard since I got it back from repair, yet still it's failed me.

Mackie...NEVER again! They've been the most UNRELIABLE speakers I've ever owned.

[JAMdisco]

Well, another Mackie speaker failed on me last night. I had a 450 and a 1501 in for repair in December. 4 months later the 1501 has failed on me AGAIN. I've been extremely careful not to run it very hard since I got it back from repair, yet still it's failed me.

Mackie...NEVER again! They've been the most UNRELIABLE speakers I've ever owned.

Sorry to hear this Shaun, I had a 1501 fail on me too. It turned out to be a dodgy power switch.

It only cost me £25 (standard fee to diagnose the problem) but more so was the inconvenience of having a sub in the shop for a week. It cost Mackie a customer and gained Class-d one :D Still very happy with my set-up and the changeability of the set ups to this day and using the full rig tonight for the third time. :D :D :D

[Vectis]

Well, another Mackie speaker failed on me last night. I had a 450 and a 1501 in for repair in December. 4 months later the 1501 has failed on me AGAIN. I've been extremely careful not to run it very hard since I got it back from repair, yet still it's failed me.

Mackie...NEVER again! They've been the most UNRELIABLE speakers I've ever owned.

Oh dear, not good :(

I bought Mackie because at the time they were raved about on here, and at £400 for a set of nearly-new SRM450s with roller cases I couldn't leave them there. Since then I've been more than happy with them, but there's always a niggling doubt each time a post like this appears. Good job none of my venues is far from home where there's a pair of trusty Peaveys on hand.

I very nearly bought the 1501 subs to go with the SRMs - so glad I went down the dBTech route now!

[Shaun]

I always use a pair of subs, so I don't need to drive them very hard when working in pairs. I could understand them failing if they were getting pushed too hard. Seriously annoyed at the minute.

When the srm 450 failed at Christmas I bought a spare one, so I now carry three 450's to every gig - the spare one sits in the van.

[Tom]

Sorry to hear about this. You and Mackie don't really get on together..

I could say that the person who made the repair could of done a bad job?

I can now see Darren and Disco Steve thinking about their (correct term?)RCF cabs and possibly suggest it to you. Lol

[Twinspin]

The Mackie SRM450s ill all fairness were good speakers other than the heat problems. Dont take my word for it though on the RCF's even though what ive said is what i know from experience with both cabs

Personally i think the RCF's as ive said before are better than Mackie and i still think they are better. But personally i would see if you can borrow a pair off someone and take them out on a disco job im sure you will probably like them.

There are a few on here that use the RCF ART actives and im sure they will speak just as highly of them as what i do.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

The worse thing is that I sold Shaun one of his subs and it had been repaired already and upgraded to an RCF driver. He did know that, but I'm still slightly miffed and embarrassed about it.

I had 7 1501s in the end. Make of that what you will.

[JAMdisco]

I had 7 1501s in the end. Make of that what you will.


You like your bass? :D :p ;)

[Mark Wild]

Managed to get 2 Mackie SRM 450 V1's with RCF drivers in mint condition with genuine Mackie bags for £550 (pick them up on Thursday) and a Mackie DFX 6 Mixer for £68 (fleabay bnib). Also bought 2 of these just incase. :p

I was close to buying new RCF's but budget and being sensible at this stage of my business got the better of me. I have a 5 hour engagement party tomorrow night so hopefuly they won't overheat lol.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

You like your bass? :D :p ;)

Not at the same time you plonker! :D

[spin mobile disco]

I think that mackie quality has gone down hill since the split between them and rcf and DB that caused manafacture to be moved to china.
Mind you saying that my c300z's I have not had a problem with them since purchase. So make me think that it is the active systems that have the problems. The Db sub-15 is so much better than the 1501 if you want a good sub go with the DB i wouldnt buy another brand now.

As for the fuse issue's my understanding is this. The nominal current draw is 1.5amps this is not a constant draw as during playback it may draw more or less depending on peaks in the music. The plug fuse is really a first line of defence that is linked to the neutral system at the local power station. When there is a polarity or earth fault this will either first blow your curcuit breaker or if this does not blow it will blow the fuse. If the primary stage of the device in this case a speaker where to have a live breakdown ( either cable comes loose or a component breakdown causes the earth system protecting you from shock to become live. This will blow the mains fuse.

If there is an internal fault after the primary stage the internal fuse normally a fast blow fuse will blow. This is to protect the internal electronics rather than a safety feature to protect you.

As a rule of thumb you should choose the next fuse up from the current draw of your appliance allowing a 50% leeway give or take to allow for surges. So if you have a current of 1.5 amps which may peak higher they you should alow a little for safety so rather than going for a 3 amp fuse a 5 amp would allow a little more flexibilty.
Having a fuse with to much current allowance would mean that if a fault on the system that could be potentially dangerous didnt draw the larger amount of current it may go unoticed until fire or even explosion could happen (epecially on amps that use large capacitors to control the power cleaning)

If you product has the wrong fuse in it it will fail P.A.t as well, as according the the regulations for testing each applience should be fitted with the 'correct fuse rating' for the appliance.

Lets face it its a pretty stupid thing to fight over a pack of 4 fuses costs less than 50p and can bought at any number of places. If the product says fit a 5amp fuse, fit it. If it says 13 amp fit a 13amp.

A couple of years a go I had to refit a dozen fuses for new products I purchased because the leads supplies where not the originals (due to the products coming from germany) and they all had 13amp fuses in. My P.A.T tester spotted at once and replaced them all for me but his words where the same as mine . It costs pence to do a job properly is it worth risking your gear or yourslef for the sake of 50p (or in my case £1.50)

Hope this helps.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

My problems stemmed from the fact the EU bought in some ruling aboutlead free solder and components were arcing across each other.

The last one that the engineer said I had "overdriven and burnt out" was wired incorrectly to 16 Ohm instead of 8Ohm (or was it the other way round?)

[spin mobile disco]

I hate lead free solder, fortunatly I still have 5 rolls of good lead 5 core solder left in my solderng box.

[Shaun]

The last one that the engineer said I had "overdriven and burnt out"

They told me the same thing when I put it in for repair last time. I never overdrive my equipment. They're the tools of my trade and I treat them with care.



The worse thing is that I sold Shaun one of his subs and it had been repaired already and upgraded to an RCF driver. He did know that, but I'm still slightly miffed and embarrassed about it.

I had 7 1501s in the end. Make of that what you will.

The sub you sold me is still working perfectly. :beer1: It's my original one that's given me all the problems.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

The sub you sold me is still working perfectly. :beer1: It's my original one that's given me all the problems.

Ah, that's alright then. :thumbsup: