Mackie HD Speakers

[DJMaxG]

I have heard of HD in Video Quality, but never sound :confused:

How do these work, what is it about them that makes them high definition (HD)

They're over 1kw each - amazing

[Adam_F]

I have heard of HD in Video Quality, but never sound :confused:

How do these work, what is it about them that makes them high definition (HD)

They're over 1kw each - amazing

Blimey,

You on a personal mission to start loads of threads tonight?

These speakers are the best active speakers I have heard. A pair of the HD 1531s (http://www.mackie.com/products/hd1531/index.html) sound better, louder and punchier than a pair of SRM 450's WITH the matching subs!

They're launching matching HD subs too. A pair of HD 1521s with subs too would be awesome, and I'd be VERY tempted to get a set for larger gigs where the CVA 28s I use won't cope.

[DJMaxG]

You on a personal mission to start loads of threads tonight?

Ha - I should start one big thread with hundreds of questions.


These speakers are the best active speakers I have heard. A pair of the HD 1531s sound better, louder and punchier than a pair of SRM 450's WITH the matching subs!

no disrespect to SRM Users, but besides Tapco, they are Mackies budget range. More people seem to buy them than the 15" cabs, and duals etc.

It is probably to do with RRP (£1k) and portability.



They're launching matching HD subs too. A pair of HD 1521s with subs too would be awesome, and I'd be VERY tempted to get a set for larger gigs where the CVA 28s I use won't cope.

The Problem with all these speakers is decision making. New Shape Eons, RCF 7, PRXs all seem to be fairly similar to each other.

But these new Mackies seem to be the first made, it's a surprise they haven't registered a patentcy on such models.

[Adam_F]

The Problem with all these speakers is decision making. New Shape Eons, RCF 7, PRXs all seem to be fairly similar to each other.

But these new Mackies seem to be the first made, it's a surprise they haven't registered a patentcy on such models.

The HD range are in another league all together to the EONs, PRX & RCFs. To be honest RCF Art 7 Series are also sooo much better than PRX or new EONs. Everythings got a market though, so each to their own.

[Tom]

I have not heard these speakers but knowing me, here come the specs. :o



Power is nothing. SPL is where it's at.

I guessing but I think the HD might mean flat response from 50hz up to 10khz as well as a worked on crossover, time alignment and phase correction, and this new patent they have.


The measured SPL is 126db and to get that you need 900 watts RMS (HD1531). :O. So I see that as under the 1k RMS which you seem to think is amazing.

You get a peak of 135db SPL which in my eyes is ragging it hard to get the output for a very small amount of time. Not worth it at all.

[Jiggles]

Tom you are all numbers. :D What matters is how the perform in a live situation. You could spend hours looking at the number then go I'll have them to find that there not what you are after. Id love a pair. Seriously rock the town. :D

[A1DL]

Tom you are all numbers. :D What matters is how the perform in a live situation.

Respect to that man. Tom's 100% right to concentrate on the numbers first, Callum. Sound is very subjective and what sounds good to me may not sound good to you.

But, the numbers are not subjective...

If the horizontal dispertion of a box is too narrow, it doesn't matter whether we like the sound of the box, if it is typically set up on the long aspect of a rectangular room, it's unlikely to be the right tool for the job if we only have one box per side.

If the vertical dispertion of a box is too wide, we can't go three high to get enough SPL, as comb filtering would result.

The input power (wattage) of a powered box is of absolutely no relevance or interest to anyone, apart from for the purpose of calculating mains power draw. Why else do you need to know this number?

Mackie claim "Class-D Fast Recovery™ amplification produces a ridiculous 1800W of peak system power. " HHmmm... 1800w to generate 126db @ 1m... ridiculously inefficient IMHO. We have 18 year old JBL boxes on our hire inventory that do 126db @ 1m with around 400w.

The only numbers that should be ignored are Marketing Watts (MkW), not to be confused with milliwatts (mw) or megawatts (MW).

[DJMaxG]

The only numbers that should be ignored are Marketing Watts (MkW), not to be confused with milliwatts (mw) or megawatts (MW).

I'm with you there, I always like to know the amount of watts per a cab rather than the total Marketing Peak for a 4 box system.

Who knows, you may want to only run the top cabs.

I can't believe you have Speakers as old as some of us :eek:

[Tom]

I'm with you there, I always like to know the amount of watts per a cab rather than the total Marketing Peak for a 4 box system.


They're over 1kw each - amazing


The measured SPL is 126db and to get that you need 900 watts RMS (HD1531). :O. So I see that as under the 1k RMS which you seem to think is amazing.


I'm with you there, I always like to know the amount of watts per a cab rather than the total Marketing Peak for a 4 box system.

:confused:

[DJMaxG]

:confused:

Tom,
I think the Marketing Peak is 1800w, being aware as I wrote it - I just said over 1,000w as the proper figure could be close to there.

[Tom]

Tom,
I think the Marketing Peak is 1800w, being aware as I wrote it - I just said over 1,000w as the proper figure could be close to there.

Surely it's better to know the facts instead of guessing? ;):D

[spin mobile disco]

If its 1800 watt peak then that (normally) would mean its 900 watts program power or 450 watts rms (going by the usual manafacturer calculations)
So at 450 watts rms it is really not as powerful as it seems to suggest. As already stated audible volume is the best way of judging the over all capacity (but not necessarily the quaility) of a speaker.
The old times the power by 10 to double the percieved volume springs to mind although I know it is a bit of a generalisation.
They may be great speakers and I do like mackies in general but as all there srm and c range speakers already have time delay and good crossovers im not sure what is that new about them other than a nice case.

[A1DL]

The old times the power by 10 to double the percieved volume springs to mind although I know it is a bit of a generalisation.


The old times?:confused: Ye cannae change the laws of physics.

[spin mobile disco]

No but bending them, is great fun. If you were to believe some of the cheaper brands their systems could be used to launch a rocket into space if placed on one of their speakers. And not as loud a a mouse fart as we all actually know them to sound like.

[Excalibur]

The old times?:confused: Ye cannae change the laws of physics.

And a lot of folk can neither agree on them or understand them. :(

[A1DL]

If you were to believe some of the cheaper brands their systems could be used to launch a rocket into space if placed on one of their speakers. And not as loud a a mouse fart as we all actually know them to sound like.

Absolutely, Some of the exaggerated claims in car audio marketing are the most outrageous.

[Tom]

Heard those Mackie HD speakers at BPM. There were "ok", but lacked bass. They had kick bass but that's about it.

Was disappointed.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Heard those Mackie HD speakers at BPM. There were "ok", but lacked bass. They had kick bass but that's about it.

Was disappointed.

Me too and I thought the same too.

[Steve the DJ]

I thought a lot of the PA sounded quite poor to be honest, including the Mackie HD and the RCF TT.

That said, it was never going to be a conducive environment for a proper PA demo.