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EV ELX Vs JBL PRX - pwred speakers part 1


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Hey there guys,

Sorry to do a topic thats been done to death...

 

I'm looking to move to an active FOH system and for reasons of price, brand and sound quality i've narrowed it down to these two (having ruled out QSC K, Yamaha DSR). Maybe RCF is still on the list but that will be subject to a different thread.

 

I've researched and listened to both products to death - unfortunately cant see them next to each other and i havent heard them out.

 

The price difference now is significant ($3558 for EV Vs about $5500 for JBL down here in aus). I started intending on going with the JBLs and just wanting to try out the EVs. But my listening hasnt really found much difference. The JBL sub wins easily, but if anything i prefer the EV tops. The EV subs are lighter which i would love every gig. I think the EVs look better. (although i will give that the JBLs feel better built).

 

I've already got a PA, and i intend to buy once, cry once - the price difference is obviously significant but i will spend the extra if theres a significant difference. I'm not one of those guys who is saying "i have a gig on the weekend i have to buy it now".

 

The shop assistants in both stores said it was a matter of personal preference. I guess my question is shouldnt these products be in a different class? Most reviews on the internet seem to debate which one of these sounds better, and say slightly one way or the other.

 

I'm also aware that listening to a CD in the shop is not the same thing as working with a band. Would that be a different story?

 

Cheers

 

Heath

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What would the (typical) resale value be between the two brands?

 

AU is a bit different, the market is anything byut free trade so you are paying a significant penalty that may vary depending on country or orgin and the way the importer handles the product lines.

 

I would probably recommend staying with the JBL all around provided you can get much of the difference back upon resale. (That's my hunch, that it would be a wash on resale, so you are just "hiring (or renting) the difference".

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I'm also aware that listening to a CD in the shop is not the same thing as working with a band. Would that be a different story?


Cheers


Heath

 

 

Yes it would! But I'm sure you know that.

 

I have not even seen the Live X series yet let alone auditioned them (so FWIW!) but based on things I've picked up from users they seem to struggle with loud bands and DJs.

 

That is so much money... is there any way you could rent both for an afternoon, take them outdoors somewhere, and crank them up side by side?

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Yes it would! But I'm sure you know that.


I have not even seen the Live X series yet let alone auditioned them (so FWIW!) but based on things I've picked up from users they seem to struggle with loud bands and DJs.


That is so much money... is there any way you could rent both for an afternoon, take them outdoors somewhere, and crank them up side by side?

 

 

Maybe a rent with a credit to buy?

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What would the (typical) resale value be between the two brands?


AU is a bit different, the market is anything byut free trade so you are paying a significant penalty that may vary depending on country or orgin and the way the importer handles the product lines.


I would probably recommend staying with the JBL all around provided you can get much of the difference back upon resale. (That's my hunch, that it would be a wash on resale, so you are just "hiring (or renting) the difference".

 

 

Hard to say - obviously the JBLs would sell for more on resale, but in both cases selling second hand gear here (or most places) is a losing proposition. The EVs would give you less to lose is the other factor.

 

The EVs are still significantly cheaper in the US, too, arent they?

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Yes it would! But I'm sure you know that.


I have not even seen the Live X series yet let alone auditioned them (so FWIW!) but based on things I've picked up from users they seem to struggle with loud bands and DJs.


That is so much money... is there any way you could rent both for an afternoon, take them outdoors somewhere, and crank them up side by side?

 

 

Thats the sort of feedback i'm looking for - i read one post that says "Live X is awesome, sounds better than JBL" then another that says the opposite. In that regard, its like almost every piece of gear out there, theres not much middle ground. I know whitesol on here uses them and likes them - i guess thats my question - is it just a Ford Vs Holden (Chevy to you guys) debate?

 

The JBLs feel like they are more pro - and they come across as being marketed to a professional market. One of the things i've noted about the EVs is that most posts about them (outside HC) are written by DJs - and although in some ways DJ use is similar, its also quite different to live sound.

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We own both. We use the JBL PRX612M for mains and the EV ELX112P for monitors. We have run shows using the ELX112Ps as mains and had no problems. The PRX cabs aren't angled properly for monitors, IMO, and the matching subs aren't as good as the PRX XLF sub, which we wanted to keep consistency for weddings and corporate type things.

 

In the end, my opinion is that you will not be $2,000 happier with the PRX rig. If there was that big of a difference, we'd own a full ELX rig.

 

I'll also note that we bought both because we couldn't justify the PRX tag for the monitors. When we heard them, to our ears, there's not a big difference at all, and I was going to send my PRX cabs back for the EV ones to save some money and so that we'd have more options available to switch mains and monitors out. However, the ELX didn't have fly points, and the PRX does, which was a major selling point. (We're not flying the cabinets anymore, so I guess that doesn't matter much now.)

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We own both. We use the JBL PRX612M for mains and the EV ELX112P for monitors. We have run shows using the ELX112Ps as mains and had no problems. The PRX cabs aren't angled properly for monitors, IMO, and the matching subs aren't as good as the PRX XLF sub, which we wanted to keep consistency for weddings and corporate type things.


In the end, my opinion is that you will not be $2,000 happier with the PRX rig. If there was that big of a difference, we'd own a full ELX rig.


I'll also note that we bought both because we couldn't justify the PRX tag for the monitors. When we heard them, to our ears, there's not a big difference at all, and I was going to send my PRX cabs back for the EV ones to save some money and so that we'd have more options available to switch mains and monitors out. However, the ELX didn't have fly points, and the PRX does, which was a major selling point. (We're not flying the cabinets anymore, so I guess that doesn't matter much now.)

 

 

Appreciate the thoughts - You do prefer the JBL though? Is it just preference or is it actually a better product?

 

Cheers.

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I have a complete EV ELX system and couldn't be happier with the way I chose to spend my money. Sounds good for my band,if I really need a bigger system then somebody else will provide it.

Doing a good sized out door party tomorrow with it and I have no fear that it will do the job well.

And I did try operating it with the built in xovers and I like it through th DRPA better

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Oh okay, so what are you planning to mix with this active rig? and how big are the rooms? also how's the pay on your music scene?

Might consider the return on your investment.

.

 

 

95% of my paid work is for a function/covers band playing typical dance classics through to modern top 40. I also mix for my church and use my own gear. So its all real music (no electronica). I mix off a soundcraft fx16, shure mics etc. I've got a pair of mrx which will be monitors now.

 

Return on investment.... Hmmmm... I earn about $220 a night. I dont have all that much work but i dont really chase it. I know that there are groups out there charging a lot more for sound services.

 

If i stopped upgrading, my business would be much more profitable... Essentially i spend my earnings on gear... What can i say? Gear slut... Lol.

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Went with the ev... Tops only at this stage with subs to follow. Happy with it but i'll obviously have a better picture after some live use. I figured worst case if im not happy they become foldbacks like for zeromus

 

 

Well there ago they can dub and wedges, anyway just a heads up the poly plastic coating they spray on them is paper thin and scratches really easy so baby them if don't don't get covers for them.

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Well there ago they can dub and wedges, anyway just a heads up the poly plastic coating they spray on them is paper thin and scratches really easy so baby them if don't don't get covers for them.

 

 

Planning on getting some. The shop didnt have them or even know the product number.

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Planning on getting some. The shop didnt have them or even know the product number.

 

 

Well good luck with new speakers and I'm with Age about Djs reviews I just pass them off because their not dealing with mics scatter all over the stage and instrument blasting away at the vocal mics. Nothing personal against Djs just a different gig then live music.

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Appreciate the thoughts - You do prefer the JBL though? Is it just preference or is it actually a better product? Cheers.

 

 

I believe the EVs have a better high end reproduction. I can say that, having heard two of them sitting side by side and A/Bing them. To my ears, the EV sounded more "crisp". The JBLs have a but stronger midrange punch. I know these are difficult things to quantify. As far as subs, I have no experience with the EV subs, only the JBL PRX618S-XLF. I love the way they sound, though we had one thermal at a gig before we bought the second one -- possibly being driven too hard for too long, but the limiter wasn't lighting up. Haven't had it happen since. The JBLs get significantly hotter on their backplates but this is likely by design.

 

We did run into a low power issue at a venue where we have a remarkably low voltage available to us, and the EVs died out while the JBLs kept on chugging. I'm guessing the power section is a bit beefier in the JBLs. They were all on the same circuit.

 

I believe that both manufacturers did several things "right" and several things "wrong". The input section on the EV is far superior to the JBL with regards to plugging in various items. The EVs have a high pass built in, whereas the JBLs appear to simply have two built-in EQ settings for "mains" or "monitors" and let their subs do the HPFing. The JBLs are too easy to accidentally switch between line and mic level inputs, which will result in a hell of a squeal if someone hits it when nobody's looking. The JBL has a two-angle speaker pole mount and fly points, while the EV simply has a single pole mount and feet on the bottom. The JBLs have feet on the angled (monitor) side, while the EV doesn't. The EV's paint is very thin and easily scratched/rubbed off; the JBL seems more durable. The EV has a switch to disable the front lights for times where the speakers should be hidden, while the JBLs have an always-on blue light on the front.

 

None of these are major problems, but simple annoyances that could have been resolved to make a significantly better cabinet on both their ends.

 

We went with JBL mains because, since we run for weddings and other larger corporate type events, the JBL name is more easily conveyed to a clueless client, and the speakers and subs all match and look good. Our speakers all live in flight cases, so they stay looking decent anyway, but having the tops and subs match was an important detail. If it wasn't, I'd likely have sold the JBL tops, grabbed some EV tops, and pocketed the difference in cash.

 

I again will say that, between the two, I don't think there's a $2,000 difference, and if that's the price difference, I'd be going EV all the way.

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Just out of curiosity, why did you rule out the DSR's and QSC's?

 

 

the qsc ks i didnt think sounded quite as solid as the others. They were crisp on the highs. But just sounded less beefy on some songs. Hard to quantify. Plus, although i liked the size of their subs, i would have needed 4. To really get enough bottom end.

 

As for the dsrs, i only heard them once and i really didnt like the highs in them. Funny, to me they sounded a bit like clubs. I know a lot of guys dont mind the clubs but to me theres always something about them when i hear them in store that sounds harsh. I've a couple of times gone to a store planning to buy clubs (as recently as last year) and been put off by the horn in them. Im not sure what it is cos they do tend to sound good in use. Plus the dsr sub i think was 42kg which is a little bit heavy for my liking to lift at the end of the night.

 

Just my opinions - i know obviously others will disagree.

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I bought 6 of the ELX speakers and have put a fair amount of gigs on them. they do sound nice. smooth, they get loud. good input panel, utility wise. light weight. I have used them as mains and monitors. a few issues though; the coating and build in general is on the edge of being pretty budget. OK, you should put them in speaker bags if you get them. I had an XLR stick in one of my ELX112, the pin inside the combi jack broke. 2nd gig. one of my ELX115 XLR inputs doesnt work period. I know someone mentioned his ELX thermal'ed out and shut down on him when out in the sun. That has happened to me 4 times now. I have been making white paper shields if the panel is in the direct sun. my QSC HPR have never shut down on me.. Hmmm..

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I just did a outdoor party with mine this past weekend.

112's over 118's the EV's did very well for us. About 200 people, 2 kegs,175 jello shots, a StarWars themed wedding. Ran pretty hard from 2:00pm to 10:00pm, not a single hiccup and lots of compliments. And silly people!

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