Forum Home » Sound Reinforcement » Product Reviews: Sound Reinforcement » Powered-Sub Shootout: QSC vs. Mackie vs. EV ( ) 1 Vote(s)
| Powered-Sub Shootout: QSC vs. Mackie vs. EV [message #321152] |
Fri, 09 May 2008 09:24  |
 Reggie Kendrick
Messages: 8
Registered: July 2006 |
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I just revamped my mobile DJ rig. I used to run 2 Mackie SRM 450s and 2 Mackie SWA 1501s. After doing a 350+ prom a few weeks ago, I felt the 15's weren't gonna cut it, so I traded the them to Sam Ash and got a QSC HPR181i subwoofer. It's pretty big but I spent over 2hrs. A/B'ing them to the Mackie 1801, EV SBa 760, EV SBa 180 and Mackie 1501s. I did a mix of 15"ers vs. 18"ers because I couldn't decide if size was going to be a factor or not.
My opinions:
The Mackie 1801 got crushed. The 1801 series (at least the in-store models at both Sam Ash and GC here in Atlanta) have issues. They fart, pop and sound like tin cans when pushed too hard. They also had a hellish vibration noise coming from the front. I had to put my knee against them to stop it (loose screws I guess). I wouldn't want to be dealing with this crap long-term so these were a NO go. I will say they hit really hard, especially on upper-range lows.
EV SXa180. These sound good but have no caster wheels, they're too large, use a proprietary power cord and they pick up a little too much mid tones for my taste (I could hear vocals when I should have been hearing only lows).
Mackie 1501. Sounds good but lacks the power I need for larger (350+) events. Also, like the SXa180s, I could hear slight vocal tones along with the lows. No caster wheels either. I will miss the smaller size though PLUS Mackie provides nice input/output controls giving flexibility in configurations.
EV SBa760. These hit HARD in comparison to the Mackie 1501s. They still have that proprietary power cord and a stupid THREADED speaker pole mount (???) but I strongly considered these subs. The lows were slightly lower than the Mackie 1501s AND they hit MUCH harder especially in the upper bass areas. They were making most everything in the area vibrate which could throw you off in listening tests. They have a soft cloth lining on the inside of the grill which was also making some vibration noise that was irritating but I could tell these speakers were great, especially for their size. Pricey at over $1400 each.
QSC HPR181i. Overall, none of the other speakers match this in sub SOUND QUALITY. These seem like the definition of what a sub should sound like. The built in crossover point/limiter and driver is top notch and they hum nicely. No other speaker hit lower than these either. They can be described as full sounding, smooth, controlled and give you nothing but the lows...no funny vibrations, snaps, crackles or surprise pops (aka Mackie 1801s). They're big at 127lbs. and sort of awkward (being sort of wide) but have great caster wheels on the bottom. They maneuver really well and I purchased tri-fold dog ramp for my SUV for one-man loading. The price, after trade-in, only ran me $160. I'll be saving up for the other HPR181i down the road...
Order of preference:
QSC181, EV SBa760, Mackie 1501, EV Sxa180, Mackie 1801 (with reluctance)
I know some of you will say I should have looked at KV2 or the York LS800p. There is no KV2 dealer in the Atlanta area and I did listen to an LS800p at a local dealer here but they had no trade-in scheme in place to take my Mackie 1501's. Also, the LS800p is too wide for my LR3 and hauling 2 of them would leave little room for my other DJ equipment.
I'm debating if I'll ever switch from my Mackie 450s. I compared them to the QSC HPR121s. The HPR121s have a better tone and slightly less harsh highs at higher volumes but seem like they are missing a$$-end bass. It seems these speaker would be great with a sub but don't gig with them solo unless you're not concerned with bass-heavy music (in other words: carry a sub with you...)
I also listened to the EV SXa360. These were crystal clear, even at high volume. I was very impressed with that. The vocals and instruments stood out in comparison to the other powered tops I compared on most any song. What I didn't like was the fact they had that damn proprietary power cord and NO built-in crossover controls. In other words, they don't handle bass notes very well. I would never run these without a sub w/built-in crossover OR at LEAST an external crossover. They'd sound terrible solo (unless I was dealing with nominal volume levels). Besides the lack of input/output crossover controls, the biggest dislike of this speaker is the lack of carrying handles. If you were picking this speaker up with your eyes close, you'd have to flip it like a Rubics cube to find the handle and proper carrying position (thoughtless design IMO). Too expensive at over $1100 each.
Hope this helps some of ya'll...
[Updated on: Sat, 10 May 2008 08:10]
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