Members MikeScalf Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 Hey all again, Well my band has been discussing more about our future FOH system, trying to insure we buy the right gear the first time, and not waste money having to replace gear in short order becasue it's not up to the task. We were looking at 1X15 over 18" subs, but now were looking at a pair of 2X15's and getting the subs after we get some smaller gigs under our belts. Then placing the 2X15's on top of 18" subs. Here's my question, I thought we were set on getting the Peavey SP4 for our mains @ $700 each. The bass player keeps looking back at the Carvin LS2153's and saying he likes the specks on them and thinks they would make great mains for half the cost. I have no experience with Carvin and while they are made in the USA, I'm skeptical of anything I can't hear in person first. So does anyone have any experence with the Carvin LS series of speakers, specifiacall the LS2153's? I'm hoping for specifics and not just random "Carvin Sucks" posts. Please be specific about pros and cons of them. I'm in the camp of waiting to buy the Peavey's if need be, but I'm open to the Carvin's if they will work and not need replaced in a year with the Peavey's. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members VanR Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 I would get Peavey SP2's ($499) and add the SP18's later. My old band had some 3-way Carvin's. I guess they sounded pretty good, but I'd go with Peavey any day over them. The Carvin's sort of got all mushy at volume. Generally speaking 2-15" cabs are not the best sounding cabs to have. I wouldn't buy the Peavey 2-15's (SP4's) either. Of course YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 Hey all again, Well my band has been discussing more about our future FOH system, trying to insure we buy the right gear the first time, and not waste money having to replace gear in short order becasue it's not up to the task. We were looking at 1X15 over 18" subs, but now were looking at a pair of 2X15's and getting the subs after we get some smaller gigs under our belts. Then placing the 2X15's on top of 18" subs.Here's my question, I thought we were set on getting the Peavey SP4 for our mains @ $700 each. The bass player keeps looking back at the Carvin LS2153's and saying he likes the specks on them and thinks they would make great mains for half the cost. I have no experience with Carvin and while they are made in the USA, I'm skeptical of anything I can't hear in person first.So does anyone have any experence with the Carvin LS series of speakers, specifiacall the LS2153's?I'm hoping for specifics and not just random "Carvin Sucks" posts. Please be specific about pros and cons of them. I'm in the camp of waiting to buy the Peavey's if need be, but I'm open to the Carvin's if they will work and not need replaced in a year with the Peavey's.ThanksTwo bad choices with the Carvins being noticeably worse. Have you seen how little there is to horns like in the Carvin? Not nearly enough, even for lowend woofers like that cab has. Why would anyone want either of those cabs to run with subs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 Stay away from 215 cabs unless you want to get up into JBL SRX territory. The cheaper ones don't sound good. One big problem I see with the carvins is there is no pole socket. If you wind up buying the single 18 carvin subs to go with them your PA stack is only about 5 and a half feet tall. They should be around 7 ft minumum. VanR suggestion of the sp-2 and sp118 rig would be a much better option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jwlussow Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 Carvin is mostly a leftover from the mailorder days before the Internet, when they had one of the best musicgearporn mags in the business. Aint that the truth. I used to sleep with the picture of the Super Concert System 10 under my pillow. Back then the components were JBL. Now they are crap. OP, are you really sure you want dual 15s over 18" subs? Can I ask why? Take a listen to some good quality 12"s over the subs. You might be surprised and your back will thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members STRAT TOOL Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 An open mic I go to uses Carvin 15" 2-way cabs over TOA 18" subs. Nothing at all to brag about. Horns are definately lacking. I've got 12" 2 ways over 18" subs and this combo is great. My stuff is EV TOUR X. The 12" speaker is light and sounds bigger than many 15" cabs. If you shop wisely, you can get these for around $550 each. You will have a pro level speaker that will last a long time. I can put two 12" Tour X's in the back seat of my Acura RSX and still have the hatch for my guitar rig. I have a ten year old set of EV Tour series, T-152+ that are going strong and have done at least 60 shows plus they were the speakers in my jam room where they got played at least another 50 Friday nights. From all my research on sound gear, everyone stays away from double 15" cabs. Too big, too heavy and inferior sound to many singe 15" cabs. Exception, some very high end models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sickman Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 Carvin is mostly a leftover from the mailorder days before the Internet, when they had one of the best musicgearporn mags in the business. LOL... a few guys in my band swear by Carvin. I don't understand why they think they need a $2000 Les Paul or $3500 drum kit, but think cheap PA stuff is such a good deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jwlussow Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 LOL... a few guys in my band swear by Carvin. I don't understand why they think they need a $2000 Les Paul or $3500 drum kit, but think cheap PA stuff is such a good deal. That is the power of advertising. If you want them to change their attitude, pick up some Carvin gear and ask for support. Their customer support system is just about the worst in the industry. Their products, at least the ones that I have personally used, are not quite as good as they would like you to believe. I even got a brand new 5 string bass that was delivered with the truss nut broken off. I called them and they said that I broke it off and it wouldn't be covered. All I did was take the bass out of the case and I heard the nut rolling around. I still have it. It is sitting in the case and has never been played. Eventually I will throw it out. Right now it is a reminder to never buy anything from Carvin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Barisaxman2000 Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 I've used plenty of Carvin gear with no problems whatsoever, and continue to use a Carvin bass rig and I have nothing but great things to say about my experiences to date. As with any brand, YMMV. I've heard both good and bad things about their customer service, but I've never had to use it myself. I find it hard to believe that any company would blanket reject a damage claim like you're suggesting jwlussow, especially since it should have obviously been covered by the shipping company's insurance. I dont' have a ton of experience with their PA gear, but I have used a the 1644 mixer, which is a great mixer in a small package. I've heard the big double 15/double 8 top cabinets. While there is better stuff in smaller packages, they worked fine for what they were. I would take the other suggestions and look for a higher quality and smaller top with good subs, and not worry about something that big and heavy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MikeScalf Posted August 25, 2009 Author Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 Well, I was hoping for some good feedback. I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jwlussow Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 That's what happened. I guess that I should have mentioned that it was a couple of months later that I actually picked up the bass. It was a gift and I really didn't have any interest in using it until I thought I'd give it a try. It was still under warrantee but since it was two months since it was delivered and the damage could not possibly been caused by shipment. Carvin refused to even look at it unless I paid for the repair. I also went through 3 different in ear units before they refused to accept the third unit. All had so much static that it was difficult to hear the actual signal. They told me that that is how the units are supposed to sound. I received two AC120 power units that were DOA. The replacements had very different readings (one showed 122 v while the other on the same circuit showed 115 v). Just total garbage. I'm glad your experiences are better. To be honest, you are the very first person that I've seen that actually has heard good things about Carvin's customer service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jwlussow Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 How many people do you need to cover? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Barisaxman2000 Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 That's what happened. I guess that I should have mentioned that it was a couple of months later that I actually picked up the bass. It was a gift and I really didn't have any interest in using it until I thought I'd give it a try. It was still under warrantee but since it was two months since it was delivered and the damage could not possibly been caused by shipment. Carvin refused to even look at it unless I paid for the repair. I also went through 3 different in ear units before they refused to accept the third unit. All had so much static that it was difficult to hear the actual signal. They told me that that is how the units are supposed to sound. I received two AC120 power units that were DOA. The replacements had very different readings (one showed 122 v while the other on the same circuit showed 115 v). Just total garbage. I'm glad your experiences are better. To be honest, you are the very first person that I've seen that actually has heard good things about Carvin's customer service. Sounds like you definitely had a bad run of experiences, I don't blame you at all for not wanting to patronize them. From what I've heard their in-ears are garbage (they used to be, and maybe still are...rebadged Nady units). I can kind of see where they were coming from on the bass, after all it was a significant length of time after delivery, and they may have had no recourse at all against the shipper. They probably could have handled it better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members VanR Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 Well, I was hoping for some good feedback. I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 THose budget 2 x 15s remind me of solid state half stacks for guitar players. They're designed for people who want the appearance of big expensive stuff without having to pay for it or without really caring about the performance. I've done okay with Carvin PA gear but I wouldn't touch those speakers. Another thing to keep in mind with Carvin is they don't seem to be keeping parts for items no longer in production. Don't count on being able to repair them a few years down the road. My bar band uses a pair of powered 12s (Mackie SRM450s) over a pair of powered 15" subs (Yorkville LS720P). While that system wouldn't provide concert levels for 1000 people it's plenty of clean power for bar gigs, and I guarantee sounds way better than a pair of budget 2 x 15s. Get a good pair of mains now if that's all you can afford and add the subs later. That makes more sense than buying something you'll want to replace in short order. PAs have improved a lot recently. You can get pretty decent sound out of smaller boxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 Well, I was hoping for some good feedback. I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jwlussow Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 The reason you are seeing all those 215 rigs is because those bands are buying with their eyes instead of their ears. On further investigation the carvin speaker does have a pole mount. Lifting a 72# speaker onto poles must be fun at load in - imagine load out after a 4 hour show. I'll bet that that might cause some stability problems, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members abzurd Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 I'll pile on. Our first PA was purchased by little ol' me back in March of 2001 about 9 months prior to finding this forum. I bought an older version of those Carvin speakers. Thought they looked great, I'd have all this bass, etc. They were a PITA to haul, carry, and sounded like crap. Muddy mids, too much mid bass, just crappy all the way around. If you have to go with something in that ballpark, budget wise, look at Yamaha Club series. If you can swing a bit more dough, look at Peavey SP2's. Either way, if you want any real bass, you gotta go with subs. If you have no amps to drive the speakers then STOP right now and seriously consider powered speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 My choice for a bar band like I'm in would be 12" cabs over 15" or 18" subs. I like a 15" sub myself. I suggested the SP2's because Peavey doesn't make a 12" top in the SP series. But you could always go with the plastic box Impulse 1012. Same compression driver as the SP series, 12" Black Widow LF driver. 500 watts RMS, weight less than 50 lbs.. Field replaceable baskets if you blow a driver. Being from the south originally I have used Peavey stuff a lot in my life and never had one of them fail on me. I even have a Peavey guitar amp now.Impulse is a great choice. Hard to understand why they aren't more popular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 I've used plenty of Carvin gear with no problems whatsoever, and continue to use a Carvin bass rig and I have nothing but great things to say about my experiences to date. As with any brand, YMMV. I've heard both good and bad things about their customer service, but I've never had to use it myself. I find it hard to believe that any company would blanket reject a damage claim like you're suggesting jwlussow, especially since it should have obviously been covered by the shipping company's insurance.I dont' have a ton of experience with their PA gear, but I have used a the 1644 mixer, which is a great mixer in a small package. I've heard the big double 15/double 8 top cabinets. While there is better stuff in smaller packages, they worked fine for what they were. I would take the other suggestions and look for a higher quality and smaller top with good subs, and not worry about something that big and heavy.I have firsthand experience with Carvin's service department, from the 70's until the late 90s. What a downfall.It was great at one time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members VanR Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 Impulse is a great choice. Hard to understand why they aren't more popular. Don't know either. I just missed out on a used pair for $500 the other day too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted August 25, 2009 CMS Author Share Posted August 25, 2009 I have no experience with Carvin and while they are made in the USA, I'm skeptical of anything I can't hear in person first. Here's where this thread should have ended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted August 25, 2009 CMS Author Share Posted August 25, 2009 Impulse is a great choice. Hard to understand why they aren't more popular. Because they're plastic, they're Peavey, and they cost more than $200. Some reputations seem to never go away, no matter how ill-fitting they've become. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted August 25, 2009 Members Share Posted August 25, 2009 I used SP-5s and SP-2s for years and always thought they were a good speaker for the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MikeScalf Posted August 26, 2009 Author Members Share Posted August 26, 2009 As far as the Carvins, of course a bass player would choose a cheap, heavy, plywood, passive speaker with a weak HF driver - he's a bass player, not a sound man, James T. Kirk. Well I'm not sure if that's a fair comment, as both of us are trying to learn all we can, as neither of us are audio experts. I've learned enough to know that half of what I thought I knew about Pro-audio was wrong, so I'm still searching for knowledge in every avenue I can find. Again, thanks all for your input guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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