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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => LAB Lounge => Topic started by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 04:04:20 AM

Title: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 04:04:20 AM
I bought 4x Electro-voice ZLX 12p powered speakers for use as stage monitors. The rig they were bought for is a QRX rig which previously included JBL powered monitors. A friend told me about the ZLX line and recommended them and I always liked all the EV products that i have owned over the years. I also liked the look which is a closer match to the QRX mains (cosmetically) then the JBL monitors, so I bought 4 of the new ZLX 12p model.
  When they arrived the first thing I noticed was they are made in china, not what I expected from EV and a big disappointment. Then I see that the power cable included is 18awg which can't be heavy enough for a claimed 1000watt power amp, can it? Of corse that made me investigate the power claims of the model line which was another disappointment, apparently the factory specs simply state the amplifier "power rating 1000 watts" with no further distinction as to that rating. The assumption that a product from a reputable professional audio mfg would use accurate Cont. RMS power rating is not correct with new EV products and this is a very misleading marketing spec several times the actual power output of the unit.
 Then I see that the factory new speakers show what looks like evidence that they were taken apart before, tool marks on some hardware and even a grill screw was stripped. Also 1 unit had the power amp mounted upside down.
 I noticed the logo on the grill rattles, so I removed the front grill to fix the logo rattle and found a unit had 3x of the screws that hold in the Lf driver in were sticking out about 1/2inch and the other 5 were less then fully seated as well.
 while fixing all the obvious flaws I realized just how cheap these things are. The screws that they used to hold everything together are all simply screwed into plastic and none have any metal thread inserts or nuts or anything half decent, just plastic. Then while I was flipping the amp module that was upside down I could see inside the box and I was once again disappointed to see some REAL CHEAP DRIVERS inside. The low driver was an obviously cheap stamped basket woofer and the HF driver also looks like junk which BTW is not a 1.5 in throat as marketing leads you to believe.
  So  I get them as prepared as I can and take them out to the first gig and guess what? Already a failure! Right after I set up I did a quick check to make sure everything was working and found 1 of 4 was not producing any audio output. Did some trouble shooting by swapping wiring and mix outputs and finally hooking a mic directly to the ZLX revealed it was not working. Powered up and the LCD screen comes on but no output with all the correct settings on the gain and dsp options but no output.
  I know it is under warranty still but I am already at a loss for confidence with these speakers and I can not trust them after being let down right out of the gate.
  i guess this is a sign that maybe EV (now Bosh) is going downhill. When I noticed the initial flaws I tried to call them and got a voice mail and no return call, now I have a failure and warranty claim to deal with and I doubt it will be easy.

Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Corey Scogin on June 24, 2013, 04:25:03 AM
  When they arrived the first thing I noticed was they are made in china, not what I expected from EV and a big disappointment. Then I see that the power cable included is 18awg which can't be heavy enough for a claimed 1000watt power amp, can it? Of corse that made me investigate the power claims of the model line which was another disappointment, apparently the factory specs simply state the amplifier "power rating 1000 watts" with no further distinction as to that rating. The assumption that a product from a reputable professional audio mfg would use accurate Cont. RMS power rating is not correct with new EV products and this is a very misleading marketing spec several times the actual power output of the unit.

There's no excuse for the obviously poor assembly but ALL of the major PA speaker manufacturers use meaningless spec numbers especially on M.I. powered speakers.  I have a QRx rig and EV ELX series as monitors.  By spec, the ELX112P should be louder than the QRx 115 (132db vs 130db peak).  Of course there's no comparison, the QRx is much louder and sounds better doing it.  I haven't had any issues with the ELX series yet though.  They perform well at what they are intended for.  I was curious about the ZLX as they came out after I already bought the ELX.

As to the power requirements, 1000W is about 8.3 amps at 120V (assuming 100% efficiency) but no amplifier will ever be pulling it's full rated capacity for long periods of time.  Either way, the power output of the amplifier in a powered speaker is meaningless.  I wish they'd give a real quantifiable spec for how loud a speaker will be for comparison's sake.  There are standards for such things but those numbers rarely make it into spec sheets.  Unfortunately, the listening test is the only reliable one.  It's all about getting you to buy it, not about making a quality product.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 04:44:36 AM
  It's all about getting you to buy it, not about making a quality product.
Well sometimes it takes a quality product for someone to buy it. This may have been a mistake I made based mostly on a firm confidence I had for electrovoice, but I only made 4x mistakes and if the product was not such a disappointment I would have certainly purchased many more units.
  And I also expect that some people looking at the EV ZLX speakers will find my thread and see that they are not quality speakers and decide to buy something else of better quality.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Milt Hathaway on June 24, 2013, 06:40:23 AM
...while fixing all the obvious flaws I realized just how cheap these things are.

Well, there you go. This is EV's bottom rung entry-level line. They are cheaply-made to compete with all of the other cheaply-made speakers out there.

I wish Bosch's bean counters hadn't felt the need to take EV in this direction, but there may have been no alternative.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: paul bell on June 24, 2013, 07:12:02 AM
EV's US made cabinets come from a shop in North Carolina that almost every manufacturer turns to. They are well made professional level products. These speakers are loaded with EV made components which are usually behind the curve compared to other makers.

Most manufacturers have turned to Asia to produce low level speakers to capture the entry level segment of the market. Most (EG: QSC, JBL) do a pretty good job with these products. Obviously EV does not.

Having said this, I've never been very impressed with any EV product, I don't use or recommend them.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 10:52:58 AM
Having said this, I've never been very impressed with any EV product, I don't use or recommend them.
Well I do use them, have been impressed and did recommend them until these speakers tainted the name in my opinion.
  BTW when they say things like "engineered by EV in the USA" this Means NOT made by EV and NOT made in USA, in this case china.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Scott Wagner on June 24, 2013, 12:33:09 PM
Well I do use them, have been impressed and did recommend them until these speakers tainted the name in my opinion.
  BTW when they say things like "engineered by EV in the USA" this Means NOT made by EV and NOT made in USA, in this case china.
"Engineered" and "made" (or manufactured) are two entirely different things.  I'm surprised that you are so upset that the lowest line of a company's products aren't up to their more potent offerings.  If you like QRx (like I do), why not get some 112/75s for your monitor rig?  I use extremely inexpensive Alto SXM112a monitors all the time.  I'm pleased with the performance, but I don't expect them to keep up with real wedges.  This is simply another "Not Enough Rig for the Gig" situation.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 12:37:53 PM
This is simply another "Not Enough Rig for the Gig" situation.
Do you mean my situation or yours?
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 12:54:32 PM
I'm surprised that you are so upset that the lowest line of a company's products aren't up to their more potent offerings.
I'm surprised you are surprised that I am upset that The EV zlx 12p failed to function the very first time I tried to use it on a gig and I expect better quality and would be nice if the drivers were fastened into the enclosure.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Scott Wagner on June 24, 2013, 01:18:20 PM
I'm surprised you are surprised that I am upset that The EV zlx 12p failed to function the very first time I tried to use it on a gig and I expect better quality and would be nice if the drivers were fastened into the enclosure.
I agree, but would you be happy with the exact same product at twice the price?  Robust manufacturing and QA progams cost money.  They have to cut costs somewhere to meet this price point.  Throwing the entire company under the bus because their bottom-rung equipment doesn't live up to your expectations seems unfair.  The REAL question is how does EV handle the waranty repairs.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Justin Staszewski on June 24, 2013, 02:15:27 PM
I agree, but would you be happy with the exact same product at twice the price?  Robust manufacturing and QA progams cost money.  They have to cut costs somewhere to meet this price point.  Throwing the entire company under the bus because their bottom-rung equipment doesn't live up to your expectations seems unfair.  The REAL question is how does EV handle the waranty repairs.

I have two of these and they have performed well for me so far, especially at the price point.   I think it is ridiculous to argue that because Q&A costs money that the speakers shouldn't be fastened into the cabinet properly or that the cabinets turn on out of the box.  Mark's a good friend of mine and I recommended these speakers based on my positive experiences with them.  Now I'm sorry I did.  And how exactly does suggesting expensive passive boxes to replace low cost lightweight powered boxes without having any point of reference on the types of gigs he is doing with them relevant at all?  Maybe he should just pick up some Clair 12AM's.  I'm sure that would do the trick.    ::)
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 03:23:57 PM
I agree, but would you be happy with the exact same product at twice the price?  Robust manufacturing and QA progams cost money.  They have to cut costs somewhere to meet this price point.  Throwing the entire company under the bus because their bottom-rung equipment doesn't live up to your expectations seems unfair.  The REAL question is how does EV handle the waranty repairs.
Does it really cost more then production and materials/componants to make sure everyone is doing their job correctly in the production line? Because to double the price to the consumer means all the costs of production, plus costs to ship package profit and retailer markup times two.
 The cost of half decent QC is not likely that much and well worth it if that means the difference between garbage with an EV badge and a decent budget product that is usable out of the box.
   At the level of quality these things are built they are close to 2x the price they should be. Gemini or seismic probably sell a better built product for half the price, or at least equal.
 
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Justin Staszewski on June 24, 2013, 03:33:55 PM
Does it really cost more then production and materials/componants to make sure everyone is doing their job correctly in the production line? Because to double the price to the consumer means all the costs of production, plus costs to ship package profit and retailer markup times two.
 The cost of half decent QC is not likely that much and well worth it if that means the difference between garbage with an EV badge and a decent budget product that is usable out of the box.
   At the level of quality these things are built they are close to 2x the price they should be. Gemini or seismic probably sell a better built product for half the price, or at least equal.

For the record, bullshit specs or not I still like mine quite a bit.  Although I am getting the impression that the cabs are not built to withstand any type of physical abuse whatsoever.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 04:09:36 PM
For the record, bullshit specs or not I still like mine quite a bit.  Although I am getting the impression that the cabs are not built to withstand any type of physical abuse whatsoever.
Physical abuse, not sure yet since I have not abused them physically, nor did I plan to. Now sexual abuse OTOH, would have to advise against, not the kind of thing I'd want hanging over my head and always tough to defend in court. Verbal abuse, mental abuse and alcohal abuse only time will tell.
 
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 04:16:45 PM
Joking aside, I just got off the phone with a rep from the EV dealer regarding the failure and he was quick to call me after I emailed them about the issue and he contacted EV and called me back in about 35mins and said to box it back up and UPS will pick it up tomorrow and he said EV will likely ship a replacement from their local warehouse (in my state) as soon as the returned unit tracking shows it was picked up. He said I will LIKELY have a replacement unit in a day from tomorrow, that would be great.
  Will update with outcome
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 04:20:18 PM
 Also not certain if this is EV's level of customer service I am impressed with (so far) or if this was more an effort of the EV dealer I am experiencing and not the same as I'd get if I contacted EV directly myself..
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Scott Harris on June 24, 2013, 05:18:29 PM
I'm guessing that you bought them Guitar Center.  They received the first batch of shipments from the factory which have a known problem with cabling touching the woofer.  They were recalled for repair and then shipped back to stores.  It sounds like whomever did the fix on yours was having a bad day.

I purchase a pair 2 weeks ago and have used them on 4 gigs so far and I like them.  That said, I might pull the grills off tonight and check the driver screws....
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Scott Harris on June 24, 2013, 08:20:02 PM
I pulled my 2 ZLX12ps which have 4 gigs on them.  All external screws (grill, feet, plate amp) were about 1/8 to 1/4 turn loose of snug.  They are basically sheet metal screws in the plastic housing.  The handle screws were tight.  My driver screws were tight, but most of the internal horn mount and housing screws were 1/8 turn loose.  Interesting tuning port design which I assume models OK but to my eyes seems like it could be an issue right next to the woofer.

That said, I still think they sound good.  I think they are a little clearer than the passive version ELX which have been my monitors for the last 2 years and use the same drivers.  I assume the differences are in relation to tweaks in the DSP.  To my ear they are much better sounding than a JRX or anything else in the price range.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Scott Harris on June 24, 2013, 09:19:04 PM
And on that 1,000 watts, that is all to typical of the lower end powered speakers.  The amp is 2 x 500 watts, 500 to the woofer leaving an entire 500 watt channel for the tweeter which maybe uses 50?  QSC "K" series seems may have been the first to bring this marketing number to market, now it's pretty much standard.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Benjamin Gingerich on June 24, 2013, 09:51:46 PM
I also have 4 of the ZLX when i pulled them out of the box they all worked but 1 and i went into the processor and did a Reset and powered the cab off then back on, and have not had a problem with it in the 8 shows i've done. The grill on one of my cabs had some loose screws but other than that i have had no other problems. (i did not buy from guitar center)
I use them on a stage with my Jbl MRX for monitors and the system works very wells together, but to even think that these would be close to the QRX is not bright.

I like these as well as the alto's i've used and they are easier to get so i have been pretty happy.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 10:01:47 PM
to even think that these would be close to the QRX is not bright
I didn't think these would be close to the qrx, don't know where you got that impression. I compared the appearence to my qrx but thats it and that was only based on the full grill and the qrx has the textured finish that looks like a plastic box and the zlx are the plastic box they kind of look like....
 
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 10:03:04 PM
Are these zlx even bi amped? hard to tell b the spec sheets and product documents.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 10:08:47 PM
I'm guessing that you bought them Guitar Center.
You guessed wrong, tried to buy 4x at Sam Ash in Philadelphia but they were more interested in closing the store 40 mins early then they were in a $1600 sale so I took my money elsewhere, and it was not Guitar Center.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: George Friedman-Jimenez on June 24, 2013, 10:11:38 PM
I have also had QC problems with EV ZX3s, which had many corroded bolts in one of the two I bought, and a ZXA1, which had a loose LF driver that literally rattled around until I tightened the mounting bolts. This occurred about 3 or 4 years ago. Clearly assembly had been done very sloppily and not checked at all. The good news is that EV / Bosch immediately shipped me a set of replacement bolts for the ZX3, after about 3 minutes on the phone with a very pleasant customer service rep. The ZXA1 driver took me about 5 minutes to fix. I have had no problems at all with either of those speakers since. You and I and all the end users seem to have been promoted (demoted?) to QC inspectors.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 10:19:59 PM
I agree and I have no problem with doing that kind of BS stuff and really I like to open up every speaker I buy new or used and do 2 things, check for things as you and I found with poor assembly and to see what they are made of.
 The thing that worries me a bit is possible defects with the amp module that are not easy to spot or remedy and may leave me without service on a job which is not acceptable and I thy to avoid failure at all cost, which I have been quite successful at for 10 or so,yrs
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 24, 2013, 10:26:49 PM
BTW The poll results dont surprise me, and I think most of us here know when they lie.  Sadly the pro audio industry seems to be outside the laws that mandate audio products are tested and marketed with specific standards like they do with home audio products. I think it was qsc who lobbied to have the regulation loopholes opened up  for powered speakers years ago.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Corey Scogin on June 25, 2013, 12:07:53 AM
Sadly the pro audio industry seems to be outside the laws that mandate audio products are tested and marketed with specific standards like they do with home audio products. I think it was qsc who lobbied to have the regulation loopholes opened up  for powered speakers years ago.

Marc, care to elaborate on "the pro audio industry seems to be outside the laws that mandate audio products are tested and marketed with specific standards like they do with home audio products"

I am not familiar with this and would like to be.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 25, 2013, 01:56:11 AM
I am not familiar with this and would like to be.

Required disclosures.

(a) Whenever any direct or indirect representation is made of the power output, power band or power frequency response, or distortion characteristics of sound power amplification equipment, the following disclosure shall be made clearly, conspicuously, and more prominently than any other representations or disclosures permitted under this part: The manufacturer's rated minimum sine wave continuous average power output, in watts, per channel (if the equipment is designed to amplify two or more channels simultaneously) at an impedance of 8 ohms, or, if the amplifier is not designed for an 8-ohm impedance, at the impedance for which the amplifier is primarily designed, measured with all associated channels fully driven to rated per channel power. Provided, however, when measuring maximum per channel output of self-powered combination speaker systems that employ two or more amplifiers dedicated to different portions of the audio frequency spectrum, such as those incorporated into combination subwoofer-satellite speaker systems, only those channels dedicated to the same audio frequency spectrum should be considered associated channels that need be fully driven simultaneously to rated per channel power.

(b) In addition, whenever any direct or indirect representation is made of the power output, power band or power frequency response, or distortion characteristics of sound power amplification equipment in any product brochure or manufacturer specification sheet, the following disclosures also shall be made clearly, conspicuously, and more prominently than any other representations or disclosures permitted under this part:

(1) The manufacturer's rated power band or power frequency response, in Hertz (Hz), for the rated power output required to be disclosed in paragraph (a) of this section; and

(2) The manufacturer's rated percentage of maximum total harmonic distortion at any power level from 250 mW to the rated power output, and its corresponding rated power band or power frequency response.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 25, 2013, 02:06:18 AM
the FTC rules are set in place to prevent unfair and deceptive business practices which are geared to mislead the consumer while comparing audio products for purchase.
 The pro audio market did some lobbying years ago and since the rule is for home audio products due to it being dated (from 70's) they squeeze through the loophole that the car audio market has used for quite a while, that is why you will see that car audio amplifiers seem to somehow produce massive power output, 20x what home audio amps claim yet they are running off a car electrical system and don't compare to the actual performance.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: James A. Griffin on June 25, 2013, 10:53:59 PM
Exactly what was the OP expecting for $400?
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Corey Scogin on June 25, 2013, 11:36:01 PM
Exactly what was the OP expecting for $400?

According to the logic implied in that statement, one should not expect anything that costs less than the average price of a given product to work at all.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Chuck Simon on June 26, 2013, 10:36:24 AM
Exactly what was the OP expecting for $400?

I don't know what he was expecting, but my Alto speakers cost significantly less than $400.00 each and the quality control and performance are flawless(so far), so I would expect the same from EV.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: James A. Griffin on June 26, 2013, 12:40:12 PM
According to the logic implied in that statement, one should not expect anything that costs less than the average price of a given product to work at all.

What I'm saying is that one shouldn't be surprised that a $400 plastic box is made in China.   Unless the marketing hype loudly proclaims otherwise, assume it's made in China.    Yes, you should expect all the screws to be in place and for it to work according to specs out of the box.

Most of the published specs on this say "1000 wattts".   You have to look deep into the owners manual to find that is' "250 W continuous and 1000 W peak power handling".   I still haven't found them saying how that 250W is divided between HF and LF.

Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: jim whitmer on June 26, 2013, 12:48:15 PM
I was soooooooo looking forward to EV's powered offerings as I too have a QRX rig. Then I saw the specs and the price. I was hoping for something that would be comparable to the PRX600 or better. What a let down.
My powered boxes are now PRX615's.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Corey Scogin on June 26, 2013, 01:03:38 PM
What I'm saying is that one shouldn't be surprised that a $400 plastic box is made in China. 

A product being made in China has nothing to do with whether or not it is of quality build or whether or not the quality controls are effective.  Almost all of Apple's products have been made in China and most are of excellent build quality and QC.  I know Apple is moving some manufacturing to the US now but that's a political thing, not a quality thing.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Corey Scogin on June 26, 2013, 01:08:39 PM
I was soooooooo looking forward to EV's powered offerings as I too have a QRX rig. Then I saw the specs and the price. I was hoping for something that would be comparable to the PRX600 or better. What a let down.

Me too.  I have the Live-X series 12's.  They work fine and sound good but are not very solid construction -- mainly referring to painted cabs that easily scuff and cheap controls.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: James A. Griffin on June 26, 2013, 01:09:19 PM
A product being made in China has nothing to do with whether or not it is of quality build or whether or not the quality controls are effective.  Almost all of Apple's products have been made in China and most are of excellent build quality and QC.  I know Apple is moving some manufacturing to the US now but that's a political thing, not a quality thing.

Agreed.    I was merely addressing the OP's statement:     When they arrived the first thing I noticed was they are made in china, not what I expected from EV and a big disappointment.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Corey Scogin on June 26, 2013, 01:20:03 PM
Agreed.    I was merely addressing the OP's statement:     When they arrived the first thing I noticed was they are made in china, not what I expected from EV and a big disappointment.

James, my reply to you above looks like I was attacking your post...not what I meant to do.  Thanks for your clarification.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: James A. Griffin on June 26, 2013, 01:28:17 PM
James, my reply to you above looks like I was attacking your post...not what I meant to do.  Thanks for your clarification.

No worries.  We all tend to speak in shorthand around here, believing that readers already know the context in which we say something.     It gets cloudy at times.

BTW:  I heard a ZLX box being demoed in GC a couple of weeks ago and was pretty impressed with the performance at the price point.   I'm just not sure I would use it as a monitor wedge on a rock stage.   It might not have quite enough juice for that.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Chuck Simon on June 26, 2013, 08:47:50 PM
"A product being made in China has nothing to do with whether or not it is of quality build or whether or not the quality controls are effective."

That's a nice thought, but in the real world it is not always true.  The fact that Apple makes a quality product there does not change the fact that there is still a lot of cheap crap coming out of China! 
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 27, 2013, 01:20:10 AM
"A product being made in China has nothing to do with whether or not it is of quality build or whether or not the quality controls are effective."

That's a nice thought, but in the real world it is not always true.  The fact that Apple makes a quality product there does not change the fact that there is still a lot of cheap crap coming out of China!
I guess cheap crap can come from anywhere, including USA. Now I will admit that a lot more of it comes from China and A product being made there doesn't necessarily mean it's poorly built but it sure does increase the likelihood  of it being of poor quality.

Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 27, 2013, 08:30:17 AM
Electro-Voice ZLX Series Owner's Manual. Important Safety ...... chain in the electronics. Evaluate each component as necessary to isolate the problem.

Are you kidding? or is that an excerpt from the troubleshooting section?
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 27, 2013, 08:34:34 AM
I noticed that the troubleshooting guide in the product manual they suggested the user to perforn tasks that the same manual specifically states not to be done by user, which is a potential warranty contract violation of terms as well.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Marc Platt on June 27, 2013, 08:42:13 AM
one thing I noticed that is nice is the active ZLX seem to be programmed NOT to allow the signal to clip (unless already clipped prior) and if you advance the controls to a point beyond what the components can handle the DSP will limit smoothly and won't distort.
  I like to hope the design will protect itself from allowing over-excursion as well.
  That would leave much of the potential damage and failure risk to physical abuse and mfg or design defects. 
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Richard Penrose on April 18, 2014, 02:23:23 PM
Hi Marc,

Any updates to your experiences with the ZLX12p's?
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Rob Bernstein on April 18, 2014, 10:49:05 PM
Figured I throw my 2-cents in since I just did some comparisons of 12" powered monitors as floor wedges.
Started off with a pair of JBL PRX 612M's, got good deals on both since they had just recently become EOL.
Other than the awful angle when using them on the floor, they sound decent and get pretty loud (at least for the bar-bands i do sound for). So I painted some 2x4's black and use them under the monitors to get a better angle.
Then I picked up a pair of Mackie SRM550's. Plenty loud, I like the built-in feedback eliminator, but one of the boxes totally died after 1 gig. Of course, it died during sound check and i did not have a spare. Mackie did advance-replace it, which was nice.
So I figured I'd better have a spare something. Listened to the EV ZLX12P at GC, did not like it. Once I cranked it up the cabinet was shaking and had some weird resonant thing going on.
Found an EV ELX112P for $400, figured what the hell, I'll try it. Sounded much cleaner than the ZLX to me. I just ordered a second one.
So now I have 6 powered floor monitors from a mixture of manufacturers, and if one craps out, at least I have a spare.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Chris Matz on April 28, 2014, 06:52:17 PM
I have been using my Zlx12Ps for about 6 months now. I have always loved the tone and the clarity from them. I do cut highs 3db and lows 2db to help the mids a bit. otherwise i am very happy with what they do for a $400 powered speaker. they replaced a pair of decent non powered 15s and pair of  JblM-pro 12s pushed by 2 QSC PLX 1804s..everyone who has used them prefer the EVs
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Seth Albaum on July 21, 2014, 12:14:39 PM
A friend of mine uses ZLX15p's as stage monitors and loves them. He ONLY uses them as wedges, though, and they have the DSP setting for it (for whatever that does) and he says they're far easier to work with. No issues. No complaints. BUT.. he won't use them as mains..not even with a sub.

I have a pair of ZLX15p's that don't have any of the rattles or other manufacturing defects you complain of. Must be a bad batch or something, not that there should ever be an excuse for poor quality control. Even a mid or entry level product ought to be assembled correctly even if the materials are cheap.

I'm going to set my ZLX15's up with subs on a pole. I think they're great for the price if you don't ask them to do much of the low end. For the two customers I used just the ZLX's so far, they thought they were fantastic.. even if I disagreed with them a little. :)
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Scott Holtzman on July 21, 2014, 12:42:23 PM
A friend of mine uses ZLX15p's as stage monitors and loves them. He ONLY uses them as wedges, though, and they have the DSP setting for it (for whatever that does) and he says they're far easier to work with. No issues. No complaints. BUT.. he won't use them as mains..not even with a sub.

I have a pair of ZLX15p's that don't have any of the rattles or other manufacturing defects you complain of. Must be a bad batch or something, not that there should ever be an excuse for poor quality control. Even a mid or entry level product ought to be assembled correctly even if the materials are cheap.

I'm going to set my ZLX15's up with subs on a pole. I think they're great for the price if you don't ask them to do much of the low end. For the two customers I used just the ZLX's so far, they thought they were fantastic.. even if I disagreed with them a little. :)

I have four ZLX-15P in inventory, they go out on corporate gigs, with projectors and sometimes side fills and monitors.  As was mentioned the default angle plays into an artists knees.

That being said we were pinched one night and tossed these over some KWA-181's at a client that normally gets a pair of KW181 and KW112's - With a 5 piece Pop cover band all went well.

The specs are disturbing but for the price you can't beat them.  NY Pro Audio has B-Stock of them all the time (no affiliation).

Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: George Falconer on December 01, 2014, 04:48:52 PM
I agree, but would you be happy with the exact same product at twice the price?  Robust manufacturing and QA progams cost money.  They have to cut costs somewhere to meet this price point.  Throwing the entire company under the bus because their bottom-rung equipment doesn't live up to your expectations seems unfair.  The REAL question is how does EV handle the waranty repairs.

Sadly, I'm just about to find out. Bought 2 x ZLX12P  as new from WHYBUYNEW.CO.UK in Nov 2013. On Saturday, plugged one in and it blew the fuse on the speaker psu. Got home, replaced and blew 3 more.
The speakers have been used less then 20 times over the past year, all for acoustic guitar and vocal duties, never thrashed or used carelessly. Really disappointed that a name like EV didn't give the peace of mind I expected. Spoke to WHYBUYNEW, as their one year warranty is now up (just) they don't want to know. I note some sellers offer a 3 year warranty. Really hacked off that this has happened just after the warranty period, but more that they are like brand new. HAve emailed Bosch / EV in Germany (there's no UK contact) and thrown myself at their mercy.
Title: Posting Rules
Post by: Mac Kerr on December 01, 2014, 05:21:19 PM
Sadly, I'm just about to find out.

Please go to your profile and change the "Name" field to your real first and last name as required by the posting rules displayed in the header at the top of the section, and in the Site Rules and Suggestions (http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/board,36.0.html) in the Forum Announcements section, and on the registration page when you registered.

Mac
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Edward smit on March 10, 2016, 06:53:16 PM
zlx ev 15p
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: James A. Griffin on March 10, 2016, 07:01:11 PM
hi plese help me i need frimware zlx ev 15p 12p

Are you kidding?
Title: Posting Rules
Post by: Mac Kerr on March 10, 2016, 07:02:52 PM
hi plese help me

Please go to your profile and change the "Name" field to your real first and last name as required by the posting rules displayed in the header at the top of the section, and in the Site Rules and Suggestions (http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/board,36.0.html) in the Forum Announcements section, and on the registration page when you registered.

Mac
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Tim McCulloch on March 10, 2016, 07:11:43 PM
Are you kidding?

Either a really awkward tablet/phone user or perhaps English is not the mother tongue.

Firmware support will have to come directly from Bosch/EV.
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: James A. Griffin on March 10, 2016, 07:18:06 PM
My incredulity had to do with me having used them for 3-4 years and not knowing that firmware was accessible
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Scott Harris on March 11, 2016, 01:48:39 PM
My incredulity had to do with me having used them for 3-4 years and not knowing that firmware was accessible

Who said it was?  :-)
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: James A. Griffin on March 11, 2016, 01:51:44 PM
Who said it was?  :-)


Quote from: korosh70 on Yesterday at 06:53:16 pm
hi plese help me i need frimware zlx ev 15p 12p
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Ray Aberle on March 11, 2016, 02:13:33 PM

Quote from: korosh70 on Yesterday at 06:53:16 pm
hi plese help me i need frimware zlx ev 15p 12p

... just because they're asking for it doesn't mean it's available.

I went 'round and 'round with Sennheiser for a bit, wanting to upgrade firmware on EW100 G3 series transmitters and receivers, since I had varying levels of firmware that I THOUGHT was causing them to have different frequency groups. We went as far as having a local Sennheiser support tech ask about the super secret dongle that (may or may not) exists to accomplish this... but then that ended up not being available--

-- and then... Turns out it's not a firmware problem, but rather I had some that were A frequency band, and some that were A2 -- and that was the root of my problems-- and firmware upgrades wouldn't change that!

So my response to the OP (on this resurrected thread portion, not the ORIGINAL poster!) would be why do you need a firmware upgrade? What problems are you encountering or what features are lacking that could be fixed with upgrading the firmware, if that's even possible?

-Ray
Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: kel mcguire on December 21, 2016, 01:19:41 PM
I've not owned the ZLX series. Used them, but not bought. I did buy 4 ELXp series when they games out. It wasn't a happy experience. The sound quality was surprisingly good, especially on the 12s. But, they overheated, parts broke, XLRs stuck in sockets, finish was poor, loose parts. Bas taste about those. I love the QRX and TourX passive speakers. I suppose the more expensive models might be completely different.

For entry level active beater 12s, the pair of Yamaha DBR have done dozens of events and rehearsals no issues.

Title: Re: EV ZLX problems
Post by: Jason Joseph on December 21, 2016, 03:00:00 PM
I own 6 and have never had a problem with any.. (knock on wood) One even dropped on the floor and still plays problem free till this day.. ZLX12p