Members monthlymixcd Posted March 11, 2010 Members Share Posted March 11, 2010 Anyone have the EV ZXA1 yet? I've heard the K8s in person and could not believe what that little box can put out... the specs on the ZXA1 are even more impressive... on paper. If someone were to want a compact SOS rig with these over powered subs (or just one sub) which way would you go?... and with what sub(s)? Let's say the goal is to have it all fit in the back of a Mini Clubman with 32.8 cuft cargo space and be able to do SR (mostly vox/keys/kick/snare) for a small power trio... at moderate volume levels for crowds of Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted March 11, 2010 Members Share Posted March 11, 2010 Personally, I think the K-8's are R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S-L-Y overpriced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members allexcosta Posted March 11, 2010 Members Share Posted March 11, 2010 Don't know if that helps, but having heard a K8 and a ZX1 I'd say that the K8 will be louder but the ZXA1 will sound better, sweeter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted March 11, 2010 Members Share Posted March 11, 2010 Personally, I think the K-8's are R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S-L-Y overpriced. Have you heard them and worked with them??? IMO, it's a hell of a box if size and weight along with performance is important. Like the SRX-712 is ideal for folks where size weight and performance along with higher volume are important. It's a tool for a specific need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BillESC Posted March 11, 2010 Members Share Posted March 11, 2010 ZXA1 without doubt will sound better and have plenty of power over a sub for the situation you've described. Under $ 500.00 delivered sounds good too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members monthlymixcd Posted March 11, 2010 Author Members Share Posted March 11, 2010 Honestly, I'm leaning EV... as small and light as those are, I could just hang them on front light trees. Heck, the spin-n-puke Chauvet LED dance floor light I have there now weighs nearly as much! Is there anything else other than the SRX that I should be looking at? Those are a little bigger (and more $$$) than I was willing to consider. Ya' know, over at Talkbass they regularly do a Mini Rig of Doom thread where you throw out your "big things come in small packages" gear. Let's turn this into a contest to see how loud/light/small we can get! Let's hash out some parameters for posts and then start a new thread called "Mini PA of Doom"... We should have a maximum weight (like maybe 500 lb.), a maximum size (like it all needs to fit into 100 cuft of space), a target SPL for FOH and/or coverage (i.e. indoor bar crowds of ~250), and a scenario... i.e. you are a hard-rock 4-piece (subs are mandatory) that needs 4 monitor mixes (wedges only, let's say the band hates IEMs), and then have 2 or 3 price points to submit within. People listen with their eyes... but with your "street sleeper" MPAoD you can rip the roof off... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 Have you heard them and worked with them??? IMO, it's a hell of a box if size and weight along with performance is important. Like the SRX-712 is ideal for folks where size weight and performance along with higher volume are important. It's a tool for a specific need. And what would that "specific need" be pray-tell? Seems to me you'd want an 8" speaker for intelligibility, so, adding a 1000w amp-module, will mean I can hear the mother-in-law yelling at me from the next county????? Andy, It's the hype that turns me off the product, even before I give it a listen. No specs available, just hype. They don't even tell you what drivers they use. BIG turn-off for me. For me, there's only one thing that matters, and that is, how do they sound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BillESC Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 They sound like EV speakers. Smooth and articulate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 And what would that "specific need" be pray-tell? Seems to me you'd want an 8" speaker for intelligibility, so, adding a 1000w amp-module, will mean I can hear the mother-in-law yelling at me from the next county????? Andy, It's the hype that turns me off the product, even before I give it a listen. No specs available, just hype. They don't even tell you what drivers they use. BIG turn-off for me. For me, there's only one thing that matters, and that is, how do they sound? Let's see... I just installed a similar QSC product in a church complex, including the main sanctuary along with compact subs, 2 large classrooms and a gym. All will be used for music and the sanctuary will be used for some fairly heavy stuff, there's 3 per side covering floor and small balcony. Plenty of horsepower for the job and they were just the ticket to rig into the ceiling. Sound is excellent. I would use those speakers in a heartbeat for jobs that they were the right tool for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TWSSBAND Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 K8 will give you more bang for the buck. Those zx1's I use nromally for just acoustic monitor use. I will not dare to use for full band use. Do not believe the hype about the 800 watts. I can barely push 300 watts with the passive version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 K8 will give you more bang for the buck. Those zx1's I use nromally for just acoustic monitor use. I will not dare to use for full band use. Do not believe the hype about the 800 watts. I can barely push 300 watts with the passive version. But I'm supposed to believe the hype on the K-8's I don't really care about the BS power ratings; what I'm after in an 8" box, is good articulation/ vocal clarity/ intelligibility/ and a smooth, non-aggressive sound, devoid of harshness. Something appropriate for an intimate setting, mostly for acoustic-guitar and vocals. Some "warmth" wouldn't hurt either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 But I'm supposed to believe the hype on the K-8's I don't really care about the BS power ratings; what I'm after in an 8" box, is good articulation/ vocal clarity/ intelligibility/ and a smooth, non-aggressive sound, devoid of harshness. Something appropriate for an intimate setting, mostly for acoustic-guitar and vocals. Some "warmth" wouldn't hurt either. I think the EV's highpassed at 50Hz with an 18 or 24dB/oct HPF would be what I would look at. A powered speaker would have the appropriate processing of course. It's not going to be a sceeaming loud box, that's not it's intended application. For an acoustic show like you describe, I wouldn't hesitate to use the EV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Al Poulin Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 But I'm supposed to believe the hype on the K-8's I don't really care about the BS power ratings; what I'm after in an 8" box, is good articulation/ vocal clarity/ intelligibility/ and a smooth, non-aggressive sound, devoid of harshness. Something appropriate for an intimate setting, mostly for acoustic-guitar and vocals. Some "warmth" wouldn't hurt either. I'd go with the EVs personally because too many people own the Ks, I'm kinda tired of hearing about them and I like to have something different. I'll let you know how I like the RCF ART310a I just ordered. 350 REAL RMS WATTS to efficient RCF drivers in an ultra compact 28lb box. I just love the look of them and that RCF logo, which I've never actually seen around here. I've always liked to own something different... Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1tribe Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 I havent heard the new EV yet, but the little K8 gets pretty loud and put a sub under it-should be a fairly potent setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 I'll let you know how I like the RCF ART310a I just ordered. Al Al, You are full of surprises. I hope those new RCF's do the job. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MainEventSound Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 If the ZX-A1 is anything like the ZX-A5, it's got my vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 Well, I just spent the better part of 1 1/2 hours searching for credible reviews. Boy, they're hard to find. Lots of "gush all over them" reviews, but very few well thought out , or objective comparison reviews. I did manage to find a few, and in both cases, (Zx1A, and K-8) the reviews were not very positive. Mind you, in one review, the K-8 was being compared to a Mackie SRM450(??) This is partially why I'm so skeptical about any "miracle" product. Bottom line; I believe you really have to get out and listen to them "in person" before taking the plunge. I will listen to the K-8's, and the Ev's, but at the end of the day, the speaker that will win my heart, is the one that sounds best for my application; price be damned. I've just gotten too spoiled by my lil' AER Compact 60/2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oldschooler Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 K8 will give you more bang for the buck. Those zx1's I use nromally for just acoustic monitor use. I will not dare to use for full band use. Do not believe the hype about the 800 watts. I can barely push 300 watts with the passive version. I don't see how the K8 can be more bang for the buck. The QSC K8 is selling for $650 and and EV ZX1a is selling for $500. Then are you saying you would run the K8 for monitors for a RNR band but a ZX1A can't cut it? I'm sure both can be great vocal monitors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cheungaryk Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 haven't tried either speaker mentioned by OP, but I have a QSC K10 that I am very happy with, as it has extremely clean sound and is LOUD! No comment on the wattage claim, but I can tell you that it is a quality product. Price wasn't a concern as I got a demo unit at a much cheaper price. I've heard good things about EV products as well. You should really try both speakers before you make the decision. QSC does offer more options though in terms of speaker size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Harmonycat Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 Anyone have the EV ZXA1 yet? I've heard the K8s in person and could not believe what that little box can put out... the specs on the ZXA1 are even more impressive... on paper. If someone were to want a compact SOS rig with these over powered subs (or just one sub) which way would you go?... and with what sub(s)? Let's say the goal is to have it all fit in the back of a Mini Clubman with 32.8 cuft cargo space and be able to do SR (mostly vox/keys/kick/snare) for a small power trio... at moderate volume levels for crowds of I have not heard either, however I can be realtively safe in saying that both boxes sound very good. I have never owned an EV product that does not sound good and the QSCs are reputed to have B&C drivers. the specs on the ZXA1 are even more impressive... on paper. I have no idea how you came to this conclusion since the EV is rated at 123 db max SPL calc, and the K8 is rated 127 db SPL max calc. IMHO 123 db max calc is not enough output to be used as a stage monitor, since compression losses will bring the measured numbers down to perhaps 120 db or less. Great speaker.....not enough output. Frankly I would not even consider using either without subs. In vocals only use as FOH, even over subs, the EVs will not be good for anything more than an Acoustic Trio.......and certainly not a Power Trio. As I said before, I am sure that they sound great, I own 4 EV Force Monitors that will out run the ZXA1 in max SPL output, and I would not even consider using a pair of them for FOH in live sound reinforcement, over subs. That is why I bought a pair of MRX512ms for small gigs. Keep in mind that the amplifier power ratings on the majority of today's powered speakers is peak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1proaudio Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 Your in DavenPort right, if your coming to the twin cities soon let me know I would be glad to let you listen to the EVs these sound really good especially over the little EV powered sub. I also have UPM1p's, Turbo TQ308's, Tannoys I6's and others in the really small powered speaker class. At less then a third of the cost of the UPM's or the TQ's and yet still excellent performence the EVs are what I'm buying more of. I seem to have a never ending need for small lightwieght powered speakers but not an unlimited budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members monthlymixcd Posted March 12, 2010 Author Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 Heading to a friend's wedding in White Bear Lake in a month... might just look you up... thanks! What little EV powered sub are you referring to? Thanks for all of the replies guys. The fact that someone is even trying to compare the K8 to an SRM450 says volumes about the territory it can cover for such a small speaker. My "good on paper" comment was not referencing Max SPL so much as weight, size, freq. response, etc. I can also say that I've A/B'd the K series with the MRX/PRX512s and it's a coin toss for me if you had to use just the tops, but if you were using them over subs I'd pick the QSCs. I've been really happy with my EV SX200s for FOH (at ~400W) and I'm really just wanting to get a powered speaker replacement in a smaller package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Harmonycat Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 Heading to a friend's wedding in White Bear Lake in a month... might just look you up... thanks!What little EV powered sub are you referring to?Thanks for all of the replies guys. The fact that someone is even trying to compare the K8 to an SRM450 says volumes about the territory it can cover for such a small speaker. My "good on paper" comment was not referencing Max SPL so much as weight, size, freq. response, etc. I can also say that I've A/B'd the K series with the MRX/PRX512s and it's a coin toss for me if you had to use just the tops, but if you were using them over subs I'd pick the QSCs. I've been really happy with my EV SX200s for FOH (at ~400W) and I'm really just wanting to get a powered speaker replacement in a smaller package. Thanks for the clarification on the good on paper thing....yes they are small and sound good......they are just not loud enough. I have just seen far too many ppl ask too much of a limited output speaker in use and blow them up by getting overzealous one night. I always start an evalution with.....Is there enough speaker for the intended application? I would not even use the ZX1A for tracks shows....the ZX1 passive version is only 94db 1w 1m......800 watts peak is a 29 db gain....hence a 123 db calc. max. Your SX200 at 101.5 db 1w1m speaker gets that loud with under 160 watts peak. It ain't even breaking a sweat to make 123 db.....while you would push a ZX1A to it's limits to get there. In effect you are not comparing a speaker with similar capabilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members monthlymixcd Posted March 12, 2010 Author Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 Thanks for the math... maybe I'll just stick with my SX200s... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1tribe Posted March 12, 2010 Members Share Posted March 12, 2010 Or wait for the ZXa3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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