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Benny Smyth
21-05-2017, 08:50 PM
Finally puled the trigger in buying a compact line array system, and I purchased the FBT CS1000 after hearing them for the first time at BPM. I've spent the last few months having a listen to various systems, but I felt that the FBT's were the right choice for me, especially after I did a final side-by-side with the Evox 8 down at RSD Music.

They had their debut at a wedding on Thursday - awful access, so the compact system came at a perfect time. I had a fiddle with the preset settings, and managed to find a sweet spot for the room. Good amount of bass for the dancefloor (not chest thumping, but it is a small system), and it maintained a good throw.

Very impressed with them and I can't see why you'd choose the Evox 8 over them unless weight was a big factor for you.

Excalibur
22-05-2017, 03:29 PM
Glad you've finally got one Benny, hope you're pleased with it. The stick rig users are currently overwhelmed with choice, and I don't think any of them are below par. A colleague is currently singing the praises of the Db rig he swapped his IMG for. Not sure if I heard the exact Db rig at Coalville, but everything else of theirs I've heard recently has really, really impressed me. If a new speaker purchase were on the cards, they would be Db, no question.

And for reasons I won't go into, ( so don't ask ) the last ones I would consider would be FBT. Benny, I sincerely hope you have great service from yours, and grow to love them.

Sapphire Disco
24-05-2017, 06:07 PM
Did you really travel from Birmingham to Reading just to listen?

Why do you put the CS1000 above the Evox 8 is there much in it? or is it because you can expand the CS1000 with another pair?

rth_discos
24-05-2017, 07:15 PM
Why do you put the CS1000 above the Evox 8 is there much in it? or is it because you can expand the CS1000 with another pair?

From what I can tell, talking to a number of people: there's very little in it between the Evox 8 and CS1000.

It purely comes down to personal preference - there is no clear "outright winner" between the two.

I'm yet to hear the CS1000 - I purchased my Evox 8 well before the CS1000 came out. Would be interested to hear it myself just to see what I think :)

Excalibur
24-05-2017, 07:23 PM
It purely comes down to personal preference - there is no clear "outright winner" between the two.


Correctamundo. :agree: The difference between the greatest and the least of this style of PA isn't vast. Entirely personal preference/ depth of pockets/ desired badge. :D

Benny Smyth
24-05-2017, 10:20 PM
Did you really travel from Birmingham to Reading just to listen?

Why do you put the CS1000 above the Evox 8 is there much in it? or is it because you can expand the CS1000 with another pair?

Yes, I did. Dave Reed has looked after me a fair few times in the past, so I know he'd look after me again. Dave is very much pro RCF (I know this 'cos a few years ago I went looking for Yamahas but he talked me round to RCF), and when I spoke to him before Christmas he wasn't too enthusiastic about the FBTs. When I turned up a couple of weeks ago, he had changed his tune and agreed that the CS100 sounded better than the Evox 8.

Personally, I found the Evox 8 to be a bit too harsh on the highs (to which Peter will agree with having stood next to me at BPM).

What we heard At BPM wasn't what I would call an accurate representation and I believed that to be true since all I've read online about them was nothing but praise. But at BPM, the CS100 blew the Evox 8 out of the water.

At RSD, it was a much closer race but the Evox still sounded a bit too bright too me (I feel that way about the RCF 722s being too bright against the 712s).

Like Peter says, it's personal preference. In this case, it isn't badge because I wanted the Evox 8 and if you go by my posts on this forum, they will confirm that. The CS100 just sounds better to me.

rth_discos
24-05-2017, 10:28 PM
Did you really travel from Birmingham to Reading just to listen?



Based on the customer service you get from David - and Benny has made this comment himself - I'd say it was a wise investment in time and a little petrol money to make that journey.

I'm so glad I decided to chat to David when I first invested in my kit - it really was a game changer for me and set me on a very different course to what I had imagined, but one that is far better than what I'd originally planned!

Tony Murphy
17-07-2017, 10:32 PM
Bit of advice please.

When setting the Line Level on the FBT CS1000, at what level would you have it.

With my old Powered Speakers I would set the level at half way for mixer, and higher for Mic input.