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Thread: New Speakers. Opinions Please!

  1. #1

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    Default New Speakers. Opinions Please!

    I'm going to be brave here and confess to using a very cheap set of speakers in my disco. It hardly needs to be stressed that 'cheap and cheerful' may lead to problems along the way, but I have actually been VERY impressed by these speakers but I just got curious and wanted to ask for opinions from anybody who has had experience of these. Also, I'd like to know a bit more about them. Who actually makes them? What drivers do they have installed? etc.

    Now, everything seems to be made in China these days. Contrary to popular opinion, that doesn't mean that it's all bad. Both high-end audiophile equipment and low-end budget equipment can be made in China. They really DO know what they are doing over there. Just because it's made in China doesn't mean that it's rubbish, however, a lot of it is.

    I am something of an audiophile. That doesn't mean that I have top quality audiophile equipment. I can't afford a lot these days but I know what I'm listening out for when purchasing system. and let's face it, audio quality can be a very personal thing so my opinion is going to be different to everybody else's. I use Alesis speakers in my studio at home, just low-end ones and far from expensive, but they produce a good, wholesome sound which is perfect for my needs. Incidentally, my old disco speakers were a pair of Opera 650Ds. They sounded excellent and the 15" bass drivers did a half-decent job of resembling small bass bins in some settings. I miss those speakers.

    I know, I still haven't mentioned the speakers I will be using for the disco now. It's the possible embarrassment when I reveal what they are. OK (deep breath) they are Evolution RZ12A tops and EL-SUB 15A Active 15" Subwoofers.

    As I understand it, these are Kam speakers in different clothing, but perhaps somebody could confirm this. I was also told that they have RCS drivers in them, which are a decent speaker. Again, maybe somebody could confirm.

    I have never been a fan of Kam as I used some of their gear for another disco I worked for. The Kam mixers were always breaking down and the CD players were hopeless, but I did like the Kam speakers, which had quite a sweet yet reasonably punchy sound. I know some people who used to swear by Kam CD players and found them to be very reliable, but I guess some people are luckier than others.

    So, the speakers. Yes, the word "Budget" comes in here and note the capital 'B'. But they don't sound budget at all. (Here's an embarrassing admission - when I first saw these speakers advertised, I stupidly thought they were Electro Voice. I know, I had been out of the disco scene for a few years and this was a really stupid mistake!) The sound is in fact surprisingly good. VERY good in fact. The tops are very slightly woolly but not so much that it's immediately obvious. The frequency response sounds quite flat with the EQs on the back of the speakers set to 'flat' and there's no way I would boost these, especially on a gig, for obvious reasons.

    Add the bass bins. Wow! These really do have some guts to them when set up correctly. I could easily convince myself that these really are Electro Voice speakers!

    But what about the reliability of these speakers? This is where I have my doubts. One or two online reviews said the top units became faulty after a few uses, but most of the reviews spoke extremely highly of them. I decided to test the speakers by whacking the levels up to maximum for a while, deliberately trying to overdrive them for a while, and they didn't even begin to struggle. There was no damage to the tweeters (my main concern) and there were no obvious distortion issues. I found myself scratching my head. Are they really this good? Better I try this at home rather than while out at a gig.

    These speakers were sold quite cheaply as part of a larger disco setup and were actually brand new. They hadn't even been taken out of their boxes! I bought them last summer when a lot of DJs were selling up, as was this one, because of the pandemic, so it was the ideal time to buy. I just have that niggling fear that the amps inside them will fail after a few uses. I certainly won't be thrashing them so that should help prolong their life. But I suppose it's like buying anything else, a new car for instance. Even new cars can have many faults. You're either lucky or you aren't. Time will always tell.

    Thanks.

  2. #2
    Dinosaur Excalibur's Avatar
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    Well according to one reviewer, the subs coped effortlessly with 300 people playing bass heavy music, and they weren't even turned up!

    Hang on, the Gloucester Old Spots are just coming in to land. Can't wait for Justin to arrive, and have a word about the specs. How good, or reliable yours are, I have no idea.

    I've had cheap speakers before, and used within their limitations they were more than acceptable. They were a stopgap after some very nice ones died, and served me very well. In a perfect world, I'd suggest you use your budget cabs until funds accrue to buy something professional. And yes, I know it's not a perfect world.
    Excalibur. Older than the average DJ.

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  3. #3
    Imagine's Avatar
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    I started back up with (and I can't believe I'm saying this) QTX tops and subs. They sort of worked....until they didn't. I even did a couple of massive tent weddings with them

    Off topic, but I've had most of my PA home this week to soak test it and make sure the layover of the past 16 months hasn't damaged it. I don't know if I'm being a soppy old git but it was truly emotional to fire them up again. I'd forgotten how good the Maui's and the Evolves were.

    And thankfully my neighbours were out because my Yammy 8/12 combo shook the house in a way I'd forgotten was possible! They really shouldn't have that much power and my Gawd I'm looking forward to firing them up for real again on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday next week

  4. #4
    Dinosaur Excalibur's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post
    I started back up with (and I can't believe I'm saying this) QTX tops and subs. They sort of worked....until they didn't. I even did a couple of massive tent weddings with them
    Wondered when you'd turn up. I used to have QTX tops once, and they were very reasonable, within their limits.
    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post
    Off topic, but I've had most of my PA home this week to soak test it and make sure the layover of the past 16 months hasn't damaged it. I don't know if I'm being a soppy old git but it was truly emotional to fire them up again. I'd forgotten how good the Maui's and the Evolves were.
    Like me, I suspect your van will have a full disco in it, once you've set up the one you're using. Can't beat backup.
    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post
    And thankfully my neighbours were out because my Yammy 8/12 combo shook the house in a way I'd forgotten was possible! They really shouldn't have that much power and my Gawd I'm looking forward to firing them up for real again on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday next week
    I'm just looking forward to using mine this month! The continued restrictions cost me four gigs.
    Excalibur. Older than the average DJ.

    www.excaliburmobiledisco.co.uk

  5. #5

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    I bought a pair of Evox 8 speakers when I started back up again in 2015.

    And they are still with me. In fact, they, along with my Equinox DJ Booth frame, are the only items that I still have from my original set of purchases, which is a testament to just how great they have been for me.

    They sound amazing, look great, and are really easy to carry about.

    Personally, I'm yet to see anything beat them for typical function DJ work.

    They have paud for themselves many times over for me - I've even had bands comment on how impressed they been with the sound from them.

  6. #6
    Sapphire Disco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rth_discos View Post
    I bought a pair of Evox 8 speakers when I started back up again in 2015.

    And they are still with me. In fact, they, along with my Equinox DJ Booth frame, are the only items that I still have from my original set of purchases, which is a testament to just how great they have been for me.

    They sound amazing, look great, and are really easy to carry about.

    Personally, I'm yet to see anything beat them for typical function DJ work.

    They have paud for themselves many times over for me - I've even had bands comment on how impressed they been with the sound from them.
    The Evox 12 sound fantastic but they are a lot bigger to lug around.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sapphire Disco View Post
    The Evox 12 sound fantastic but they are a lot bigger to lug around.
    I don't think there's any major benefit in the Evox 12.

    The raison d'etre of the Evox 8 is its portability, and the ability for the entire unit to be easily carried with one hand - which isn't possible with the Evox 12.

    If you're performing at gigs that require more than an Evox 8, then it's back to a proper subs + tops combo.

  8. #8

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    Thanks for the responses to my ramble.

    Excalibur, I haven't seen the review you quoted but I take most of them with a pinch of salt anyway, but of the couple of dozen or so that I found, most seemed very positive and only two were negative. There were other reviews which were obviously Chinglish (They can't fool us) and absolutely exceptional of course. Life-changing in fact! (They just don't know when to stop, do they? )

    I don't find the bass bins heavy at all, in fact I could worry that they are too light with their carpeted covering. I can imagine them relocating themselves on a slippery stage floor during the course of a gig. Speaking from an audiophile point of view, the speakers are far from not great, but I could say that about most disco speakers. They are built for power and presence rather than for hi-fidelity, but they do sound impressive. The sub bass really does shake a few things in the house. Used with limitations (Well said!) I can see them being OK.

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