Members digwhisper Posted August 11, 2003 Members Share Posted August 11, 2003 I hear a lot around here about how this brand sucks and this brand is great and this brand is in this range or that. So here's your chance. Rate the SR brands you can think of and group them in bang for the buck and overall quality and reliability. I'm thinking specifically of brands like Peavey, Carvin, Behringer, JBL, Nady, B-52, Yamaha, etc... Thanks, I'm pretty new to the PA field and would like to get a general idea of where they stack up. I know I should get the best I can afford but at some point there is a cut-off of budget to quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zeromus-X Posted August 11, 2003 Members Share Posted August 11, 2003 I'm actually curious to hear people's opinions of B-52. I thought they were just a no-name Guitar Center brand, because their guitar heads and cabinets are dirt {censored}ing cheap... but I heard a band use one with a full PA (two B-52 folded subs on each side, two B-52 dual 15" + horn cabinets on each side) and it sounded bloody amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted August 11, 2003 Members Share Posted August 11, 2003 That's a loaded question since some of the brands mentioned (JBL, Yamaha) have A+++ lines and D--- lines.Nady is a D----, B-52 is a C--, Peavey is a B, Carvin is a C. This is just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rhino bucket Posted August 11, 2003 Members Share Posted August 11, 2003 i was thinking b-52 was more into dj and club speakers, or at least that how i learned about them. can't say that i've heard any, its cool that their doing folded horns . for speakers i like the old timers like jbl, electro voice, and cerwin vega. for amps i'd probably pick qsc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kennykeys Posted August 12, 2003 Members Share Posted August 12, 2003 Originally posted by Audiopile Ok, here's a few "rule of thumb" quality indicators I've picked up over the years:11) Wall wart powered: generally not so good. ..........................The only point that I'd question. True, all the really good stuff almost always gets the power plugged in. I've been under the impression that the main reasons for designing and building units with wall-warts is because of extra engineering/manufacturing cost and time involved with waiting for UL approvals when using internal power supplies. Is this true? Anyway, although almost all cheap gear does use wall-warts, aren't there quite a few upper level MI or lower level pro-gear units that also use wall-wart power? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theelmsrock Posted August 12, 2003 Members Share Posted August 12, 2003 Most every brand has products that are good and bad. There are a few exceptions in the PA line (Nady, Kustom, Crate, Rogue) that I would definantly consider junk, because they make nothing but junk. Brands like Mackie, Peavey, Behringer, Yamaha, JBL, Alesis, Crown, QSC, etc...generally make good gear, some great/pro, but also some junk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members InACanProductions Posted August 13, 2003 Members Share Posted August 13, 2003 Originally posted by Zeromus-X I'm actually curious to hear people's opinions of B-52. I thought they were just a no-name Guitar Center brand, because their guitar heads and cabinets are dirt {censored}ing cheap... but I heard a band use one with a full PA (two B-52 folded subs on each side, two B-52 dual 15" + horn cabinets on each side) and it sounded bloody amazing. I've got a pair of the B-52 Folded horn subs. They're great! I've used them in auditoriums with 900 person capacity, as well as outdoor venues for punk, rock, and hardcore bands. Before the gig the drummers were bitching that the sound guy never puts enough kick in the mix. Then while the first band was on they changed their tune quick. I crossed them over at 90hz and I use a pair of 2x15s for my mid/high cabs. The punch was there. My friends who are in the SR field thought the B-52s were going to be a waste, but now they like how they sound. They're really heavy and big though. They're about 2' wide, 3' deap, 2.5' tall, and 160LBS. Somewhat of a pain in the ass to move. The tilt back wheels are a very handy feature. They also only have 1 Speakon input/output and two 1/4" ins/outs. I actually had to buy a pair of 12ga 1/4" speaker cables for them because all my speaker cabels were Speakon connectors. I recently demoed the B-52 2x15s. I thought that they sounded a little harsh in the high end. Not bad, but it was a bit much. I cranked them in the GC too. I'm concidering buying a pair though. I've got a Behringer Ultracurve with an RTA that can adjust for boosted freqs. And at least I won't have the problem of dull sounding cabs like I do with my Carvins. Also the Compression drivers are warrenteed for LIFE. The loudspeakers are warentteed for 5 years. And the cabinet is warrentteed for LIFE also. They don't sound as good as a pair of JBLs, but if I never have to worry about the cost of replacing a 2" compression driver again, I could compromise a little. I think the pair of B-52s was going for $1200 at GC. I checked the weight of these too, I think they were around 125LBS, they're pretty big too, about 4" of baffel on either side of the speakers. They've got a tilt back wheel also. Not sure what they have as far as connectors, and what the x-over freq is. It's all on their website though. That's my expierence with B-52. Adios. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted August 14, 2003 Members Share Posted August 14, 2003 I seriously doubt that the B-52's sport a real 2" exit driver. Perhaps a 2" diaphram with a 1" exit but that's not telling the truth to the customer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members InACanProductions Posted August 14, 2003 Members Share Posted August 14, 2003 Hey agedhorse, you're right about the 2" diaphram and 1"exit. It says so right in the specks on the website. http://www.b52pro.com/models/LX1515.html I've heard the cabinet though and like I said it had pleanty of highs. For a 2x15 it was a really bright cab, and the compression driver is warrentted for life. I'm not trying to say this cab is the best sounding cab out there by any means. I just think it's not a product to be passed over because it's not a top brand name. And for some of the guys in here who are looking for the best bang for the buck this cab might be an option. 5 year warranty on a loudspeaker, and lifetime warranty on compression driver, and on the cabinet can be worth the sacrifice of not having the "best" cabinets out there. If I never had to pay to replace a compression driver, or if I didn't have to worry about a blown speaker for 5 years, that's some peice of mind that's worth the sacrifice. Honestly, how many people who aren't in the SR/music/recording field notice the difference between a pair of JBLs, Peavey, Yamaha, or B-52 speakers when they're listening in a club? Just my $.02. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tony k Posted August 14, 2003 Members Share Posted August 14, 2003 I've only blown two speakers in the 15 on and off years that I've been involved with SR. And that was completely user related. I'd read the fine print on that warranty carefully. I'd bet that it's for defects in the factory product and not so liberal as Yorkville's "if you drop it down a flight of stairs it's covered" warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted August 14, 2003 Members Share Posted August 14, 2003 Originally posted by tony k I've only blown two speakers in the 15 on and off years that I've been involved with SR. And that was completely user related. I'd read the fine print on that warranty carefully. I'd bet that it's for defects in the factory product and not so liberal as Yorkville's "if you drop it down a flight of stairs it's covered" warranty. Probably so! The boxes are awfully heavy too, "gut unzipping" heavy. I'll bet there's particle board and MDF throughout! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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