Need Some Suggestions on PA Speakers!?

[Phillies50]

Alright, so I am in the process of purchasing a sound system that I will use at my house. I am a college student (in a fraternity), and am trying to find the right set up for me.

 

Parties will typically have 200 people give or take 50 or so. The dj will be in the basement, which is approximately 625-900 square feet. By my best guess we can get up to 80 people in the basement.

 

The primary genres that will be played are rap and EDM/Trap, so bass is important.

 

I currently own a Behringer EP4000 amp (Puts out 550W RMS @ 8 Ohms), and a Xone:23. I need a pair of speakers to go with this.

 

My budget is approximately $800 (per pair), can maybe squeeze that up to $900 if it is worth it, but my budget has gond from $400 for speakers (realizing I could only get PV115's), to $600 (realizing I couldn't get anything considerably better), to $800 (Where you can get some nice pro-sumer products).

 

 

The options I have come up with so far:

-Yamaha S115V - $370 each (with stands )

-EV ELX115 - $400 each

-Peavey SP-5 - $400 each

-Peavey SP-2 used - $450 each - These would be the loudest, would have more headroom and from what i've read, they can operate nicely without a sub.

-JBL JRX225 - 400 each - a 2x15 would be awesome, but I have heard the JRX line sounds horrible, and honestly I think all of the others, except maybe the yamaha's, have enough power and will sound better (the yamaha will sound great, it just isnt as powerful)

OR

 

I could get a sub and 2 - 12" speakers.

Maybe 2xPV112 for $175 each and 1 PV 118 for $300 totaling $650 which is cheaper than any of the other options. I'd have to run the 2 12" cabs in parallel then put the sub on the other channel.

 

What should I do?

[Unalaska]

Sub is the best option but the peaveys are awful. If you can buy used get a pair of the sp2s and a yamaha or peavey matching sub. Run mono on one amp or buy a second amp, you'll need a crossover too.

[Unalaska]

Of the options I'd get the peavey sp2s, or the jrx225 (dj right? You're going to hurt ears, let's just go the extra step)

[Phillies50]

I mentioned before the my budget is $800, maybe $900 if need be. Therefore, I cannot do a pair of SP2's and a sub. I simply cannot afford it. I'm either going to have to go cheaper for the tops, and buy a low end sub, or just go with a nicer top that can handle a bit more power.

 

Between the SP2 and the JRX225, what would you get for this application? I would be shocked if the 225 sounded better than the SP2, but it should be louder. Do you think the SP2 will be enough power for my parties?

Also, would the JRX225 even be any louder? It is has a sensitivity that is 2 dB higher than the SP2, but they have the same power rating (500 RMS, 2000 peak). The max SPL on the SP2 is like 131 dB and the max on the JBL is 133 dB. Not sure if I'd even be getting better volume with the JRX, and it would be less durable. The part that confuses me is the resistance of the speakers. at 4 ohms i could put more power into the JBL's, and get it to where it should be around 650-800 watts, but that might just be overkill.

[nchangin]

used speakers? Only problem with that you just don't know what you are getting into unless you get to hear them first.....even then you probably won't hear what's bad with them if there are issues....

 

The PV's probably a better bet, I started off with them, I remember how proud I was of them.....until I sold them and upgraded now I won't look back.

 

The specs you looking at are from different vendors/manufacturers, the SPL rating varies by manufacturer/series/year/age, some are calculated not measured, use it as a general comparison only...

 

Once you get the 129 dB in the house with 200 people that will more than enough to get the local law enforcement's attention.

 

You are playing EDM music, going to need some serious subbage to reproduce that music accurately.

 

Also do you have a budget for repairs in case of failure since you probably won't have a warranty buying used?

 

4 vs 8 all you really need to know the lower the # the higher power the amp can put out, general rule is 1.5 x of the RMS rating, make sure your in that range and you don't have to worry about 4 or 8 ohm....

 

SP2's run under $200 here........ http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/index.cfm Heck for 800.00 budget you could get 4 of them, or 2 SP2's and then find a decent sub (and an amp) unless you don't mind running mono.....

 

Or....on that same site:

 

Pair JBL MRX 525.......http://used.guitarcenter.com/usedgear/index.cfm

 

They have 2 15's, you'll get a little more bass out of those as well.....power rating is about where it should be with that amp. Sure will sound better than SP2's or JRX

 

 

 

[Phillies50]

The problem with the old SP2's is that they only hand 150W RMS each. The new ones handle 500W. I am just looking for a decent speaker, that will cover the party - sound quality doesn't need to be perfect, it needs decent bass, and above all else, it needs to be durable enough to handle a party every weekend or 2 for 1-2 years. Also, the new sp2's sound pretty nice apparenty. I can scrape together money for repairs, but higher quality generally means less repairs. That is why I am trying to find the right balance of bass, volume, durability and price.

 

Also, the dB ratings that I showed were peak. The SP2's can do 125 continuous at 1 meter, so I'd be looking at 115 dB at 10 or 15 feet, then 100-105 upstairs, through the floor. People absorb a lot of sound too. I'm not trying to blow everyones eardrums out with 125 dB, I just know that at any range outside of 3' it is going to be far, far lower than that.

 

http://peavey.com/products/index.cfm/item/1098/118095/SP2BX these are the new sp2's

[soulx]

Sp2s haven't been rated at 150w RMS since they went to titanium HF and kapton/kevlar in roughly the late 80s / early90s.

 

All SP2s after the old giant rounded horn models are rated at minimum 300W RMS, and are a decent match for your amp.

[nchangin]

I am just looking for a decent speaker, that will cover the party - sound quality doesn't need to be perfect, it needs decent bass, and above all else, it needs to be durable enough to handle a party every weekend or 2 for 1-2 years. Also, the new sp2's sound pretty nice apparenty. That is why I am trying to find the right balance of bass, volume, durability and price.

 

Up your budget and you will get what you desire. Sorry to say for $900.00 the pickings are slim.....

 

One suggestion sell the amp get 2 EV ZLX12P's (600.00) and 1 ELX118P ($600 used) to start, all balanced for you, you don't have to **** around with anything or worry about wattage or dB, set it and forget it..... if you choose powered there are more options to choose from like Yamaha comes to mind......

 

Oh and it'll be worth something in 2 years whereas the passive stuff, probably not so much....

 

 

 

Also, the dB ratings that I showed were peak. The SP2's can do 125 continuous at 1 meter, so I'd be looking at 115 dB at 10 or 15 feet, then 100-105 upstairs, through the floor. People absorb a lot of sound too. I'm not trying to blow everyones eardrums out with 125 dB, I just know that at any range outside of 3' it is going to be far, far lower than that.

 

http://peavey.com/products/index.cfm/item/1098/118095/SP2BX these are the new sp2's

 

[Phillies50]

Or I could just take the new SP5's - they won't be 10 years old and they are rated at 400W. They don't have the BW's with 4" voice coils, but the scorpions aren't bad.

 

And what do you mean it'll be worth something in 2 years? The new SP2's go for $400 in mediocre condition, and they can be bought new for $500 each. They absolutely have resale value.

 

I've notice on a lot of these sites you guys have little regard for budget. I am NOT a professional, looking to gig with these thing. If you are telling me that you can't find a quality (not professional, but a well built pro-sumer product) for under $400-450 each, then you are very mistaken. I am just asking for opinions on the products in this range, from people on this site who may have experience with these products.

 

I have spent $600 on an amp and board, and am planning on spending $8-900 on a pair of speakers. That's about $1600 after cables. You CAN build a solid entry level system for that money, I am just looking for advice on the products themselves. Not to be told that you should continuously raise your budget.

 

About the EV active speakers, actually that isn't a bad idea, but I'd rather not sell the amp if I don't have to. I got free shipping on it and it weighs a good 40 lbs so I am going to lose some money on shipping it somewhere. If I can find the right deal it may be worth it.

[soulx]

Sp5s are in some ways preferable, but there is a big gap in LF response from the Sp2, due to the driver choice and box size. SP2s are quite a large enclosure.

 

This is not an issue if you will be crossing over with subwoofers

[Phillies50]

If I buy the SP2's or SP5's I can't afford a woofer. It is simply out of the question for me. It would require another amp, because my amp can only handle 2x550w RMS, which is about what the SP's need, and the sub alone would cost another $400+. Part of the reason I like the SP2's vs the SP5 is because they have better base response, making it easier to pull off without a sub.

[soulx]

Regarding budget, somebody just showed you in this thread that recent-generation SP2s can be had at GC in the 200-300 ea range. I think you'd be overpaying pretty heavily beyond 600-700 pr.

 

Used MI-grade passive speakers are a really, really soft market.

 

Hell, there's a posting just below this thread for some Clair Bros tour-grade stuff for 800/pr complete with roadcases (not suggesting those boxes for you)

[Phillies50]

Yeah, I will likely be buying it if I decide on the SP2. I'd definitely want to call and make sure it's in good working order, and see what shipping prices would be like, because sometimes they're like $100+ on ebay

 

Definitely much better than the ~$400 that i'd be paying on ebay.

[soulx]

I don't know where you are, but most local markets are flush with this stuff. Everyone is going powered for small rigs.

 

There's also a ton of providers clearing out old inventory.

[nchangin]

Or I could just take the new SP5's - they won't be 10 years old and they are rated at 400W. They don't have the BW's with 4" voice coils, but the scorpions aren't bad.

 

And what do you mean it'll be worth something in 2 years? The new SP2's go for $400 in mediocre condition, and they can be bought new for $500 each. They absolutely have resale value.

 

I've notice on a lot of these sites you guys have little regard for budget. I am NOT a professional, looking to gig with these thing. If you are telling me that you can't find a quality (not professional, but a well built pro-sumer product) for under $400-450 each, then you are very mistaken. I am just asking for opinions on the products in this range, from people on this site who may have experience with these products.

 

I have spent $600 on an amp and board, and am planning on spending $8-900 on a pair of speakers. That's about $1600 after cables. You CAN build a solid entry level system for that money, I am just looking for advice on the products themselves. Not to be told that you should continuously raise your budget.

 

About the EV active speakers, actually that isn't a bad idea, but I'd rather not sell the amp if I don't have to. I got free shipping on it and it weighs a good 40 lbs so I am going to lose some money on shipping it somewhere. If I can find the right deal it may be worth it.

 

The EV system I mentioned I feel would yield better performance for the price you pay. I have owned both setups we are discussing. I have also been in your shoes, I started with speakers on sticks thinking it would be "solid" but I eventually spent more money on subs, a crossover, more cables, another amp, a rack, and the list keeps going........Passive is going to cost you more in the long run..and since your on a budget thought I'd try help.

 

In my experience with Peavey, they have great product support! I used to have PV TLS series and really enjoyed their sound, however I did jump to the JBL sound over time as a preference. Wish you well in your search!

[Bobby1Note]

Without a respectable sub, I predict you'll be dead in the water in no time.

[Phillies50]

I'll look into the EV's for sure. If not maybe I'll wait until I can get a good price on the SP2s. JBL makes some nice speakers but I've heard horrible things about the jrx series which is where my price range is.

 

What do you mean dead in the water without a sub? The 200 drunken people in my house won't care how it sounds as long as it's loud. I've heard good about the new black widows in the SP2 as far as bass response goes. If I was gigging frequently and the listeners were there to listen to the music (rather than have the music just be one component of the event) then it would be a different story. I just can't justify dropping more money on a sub and an extra amp

[Bobby1Note]

What do you mean dead in the water without a sub? The 200 drunken people in my house won't care how it sounds as long as it's loud.

 

Here is how you opened this thread;

 

Alright, so I am in the process of purchasing a sound system that I will use at my house. I am a college student (in a fraternity), and am trying to find the right set up for me.

 

Parties will typically have 200 people

 

The primary genres that will be played are rap and EDM/Trap, so bass is important.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK, so what do I mean by "dead in the water"? Simple; Psycho-acoustics will kill your system.

 

What does "that" mean? Well, it's simple really. The human brain wants to hear something in a "natural" manner. Most full-range speakers (especially cheap ones), can't reproduce the lower end of the frequency scale. You get the impression that "something is missing, or off-balance.So what do most people do when they're not getting that "Natural" low-end that "should" be there but isn't??? Well, they turn up the power to get it. The problem with that approach, is that everything gets turned up, so you're back to square-one, an unbalanced sound where the hi-frequencies are pushed to distortion, and the low-end may still be missing in action.

 

My recommendation to you is this;

 

Buy a single main, and put it in a corner. Get it up high. Add a single decent sub.

 

For the type of music you want to do, and the environment and conditions under which it'll be used, this set-up makes far more sense for you.

[Phillies50]

Bobby, I see your point. For a single 15" the SP2's pack a lot of power. Don't you think the 4 inch voice coil on the black widow would be enough? Peavey's specs put the low end SPL at 126 dB (132 peak) and the high end at 129 dB and 135 peak. I do not know the conditions that they were tested, other than that the specs are at 1 meter. Adding a second speaker brings the low end to 129 dB at 1 meter, in theory. This is more than enough for a 7-900 square foot basement, imo.

 

I could also eq the highs down at the board because honestly, I don't think i'm going to need to run this things at full volume unless I want to deafen the people close to the speakers.

 

Would you agree?

[Phillies50]

Also, what do you think about yamaha s215v's? The only thing is that power handling is the same as the sp2

[Bobby1Note]

Also' date=' what do you think about yamaha s215v's? The only thing is that power handling is the same as the sp2[/quote']

 

I'll let someone else tackle the opinions on those speakers; I'm not directly familiar with any of them. (I'm running all Yorkville powered boxes.( eight Yorkville NX55P's, four EF500PB's, a pair of U15P's, a pair of LS-720P subs, and a pair of LS801P subs).

 

Be aware that permanent hearing loss will start occurring after prolonged exposure to levels greater-than 85dB. It won't take much to get that level of spl from your main(s), in a room as small as you've described. Also, when you're reading specs, don't assume that the peak-level spec,,,or even the continuous level spec, is measured "full-range". In other words, that lower "bass octave" that you'll require for your EDM, may be totally absent(down 10dB or more), despite a 126dB continuous rating from your mains.

 

I can pretty well guarantee that if you run a decent sub and one main (for now, until budget allows for another), that you won't need to run your main(s) at anywhere near the level you previously anticipated; just get it up high, in a corner, near the ceiling if possible. The sub(an "efficient" sub) will make all the difference in the world, in providing you a system with sound that is both articulate, and powerful. Over-driven mains on the other hand, will have your visitors covering their ears, due to high-frequency distortion.

 

[Comoxsam]

Seriously man, parties like you describe NEED a sub. You will be kicking yourself otherwise.

 

It's not just about overall power or how much punch. Think full range sound. I'm sure you've been to parties with a decent subwoofer thumping away. The bass output you will get from these speakers you are considering will seem pitiful in comparison. Especially for the type of music you are playing.

 

Don't be afraid to do the 1 main and 1 sub thing. I was doing tests with my new speakers just the other week in my basement and was blown away by the output using that set up. You will literally drive people out of the room if you get too loud in that small of a space.

 

The beauty of using a sub is that at any particular volume the music FEELS more loud and powerful.

 

Also don't be so short-sighted. If you are having a 200 person party every weekend you are sitting on a goldmine. I'm sure you could get creative and find many ways to generate the extra cash to put together a super sound system for you parties.

 

Sell your amp to someone else on campus trying to do the same thing you are. Add the money to your budget and buy powered speakers. You will be happy you did.

 

[Phillies50]

Regarding money - some of the parties I'll be having will be mine, where I can charge money if I want, but the rest will be for the fraternity, and we usually don't do open invite type parties, so the only random people there will be girls who usually never get charged at college parties. The rest are already paying for it indirectly with dues or are a friend of the fraternity, so charging can be tough.

 

Anyway, I'm thinking of either just getting a pair of yamaha s112v's and a sw118v or a pair of pv115s and a pv118. I could see you guys hating on the peaveys, but from everything I've heard, the most common problem with them is people trying to get more out of them than they are designed for. If you keep them within their program wattage they'll last forever and the cabs are built well for sub $200 cabs.

[Phillies50]

I can get 2 pv115s, 2 cables and stands for $430 with free shipping and a warranty, then the sub for 290. Sound may not be amazing but the balance will be good. I can parallel the 2 tops then just run the sub on the other channel. Would that be the optimal way to set this us? Also, should I try to low pass filter one channel of my board? I was thinking of running mono out of the left output then running mono with the right channel with a low pass out of the right (the xone:23 has a great filter) or would that be unnecessary?

 

Might just do the same thing with the club series V but I want to read some review fast/hear some feedback about the pros and cons to both.

[Craig Vecchione]

I was thinking the same thing Comoxsam wrote....get ONE of each, get better speakers, and you'll be just fine in such a small space. There's very little "stereo" in the music you're describing and parties are not critical listening environments anyway.